The Scriveners of Great Linford
The name Scrivener (also spelt Scrivinor or Scriviner) is one that has long been associated with Great Linford, a legacy impressively embodied by the large family vault located in St. Andrew’s churchyard. The earliest reference to the name thus far found in Great Linford is the marriage of a Richard Scrivener and Elizabeth Roe on February 5th 1636, but the name itself is one that can be traced back even further in this country, having arrived in the wave of immigration that occurred in the aftermath of the Norman conquest of 1066. The name derives from the old French word Scriven, and came to mean someone tasked with keeping official records, often in court, but also covering any requirement to make copies of documents or record events.
Richard Scrivener of Great Linford likely died just on the cusp of 1670 as he was buried on January 3rd that year, the same year as his wife Elizabeth, with her internment occurring on September 13th. Their union produced at least 7 children. Margaret born 1645 and William born 1653 unfortunately passed away tragically young in life, and a Thomas who passed in 1657 was likely another child lost far too soon for Richard and Elizabeth. Ominously, of an Ann baptised June 30th 1639 there is nothing more to be found, nor is there any further sign of another daughter Frances, baptised October 8th 1648. We have more luck with Martha, baptised July 13th 1655, as there is a marriage record dated March 17th 1676. Her husband was a John Gregory and the union produced at least four children, all born at Great Linford.
A John, baptised February 6th, 1646 is the only son of Richard and Elizabeth who reached adulthood to carry on the Scrivener name at Great Linford, though the records are fragmentary and so something of a leap of faith is required to piece together the presumptive family ties. The theory is that John married a Joanne, as we have a John baptised May 27th, 1677 at Great Linford, the son of a John and Joanne. A marriage record has yet to be found, and we know little else of them, but It does seem that John senior fell afoul of the law on one occasion, as we find a John Scrivener charged at the Christmas quarter sessions of 1684-85 (along with an Edward Harris also of Great Linford) with, “keeping guns although not qualified to do so.” It seems likely that he and Harris had fallen foul of The Game Act of 1671, which limited the ownership of guns to those who were the sons or heirs of a person of high degree or else had sufficient income to be considered trustworthy. The figures were set at a freehold of at least £100 a year or a long term leasehold or copyhold of £150 a year. These were substantial sums of money as the average yearly wage of a labourer in this period was between £9 to £15.
A Scrivener in London
We do know that the John born 1646 was a carpenter by trade, as he was recorded as such when he was interred in St. Andrews Church Yard on May 19th 1703. His occupation is an important clue, since as we shall see it ties him to his son, who has left a much more extensive legacy behind. Here we need to make something of another leap, but the evidence when all added up is compelling. The John Scrivener born 1677 to John and Joanne appears to have departed Great Linford for a new life in London, perhaps prompted by the death of his father, for we find him married to a Tabitha Gardner on September 2nd 1703, just a few months after the loss of his father. The marriage was solemnised at the church of St Mary Somerset in the London ward of Queenhithe, close by the river Thames. John and Tabitha had at least 4 children, more according to some sources, but it is their son, yet another John, born circa 1712, who is of most interest as we can tie him directly back to Great Linford.
On March 2nd, 1726, John Scrivener, the son of John Scrivener of Peckham, a carpenter (linking him by trade to his father), was apprenticed to a John Ackerman, a Glass Seller. The original document still survives, setting out the terms of the apprenticeship including such requirements that he shall not fornicate, marry or play cards, dice, tables or any other unlawful game during the term of his apprenticeship, which as was standard in those times, was to last 7 years.
Securing an apprenticeship for his son was a significant milestone. John was on course to become a member of The Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers, one of the powerful and influential livery companies in London, organisations created to look after the interests of the various trades and their members active in the city. The “company” still exists to this day, and from their records we can trace John’s progress through its ranks, ultimately serving as a Master, a position to which he was appointed on September 26th, 1754. We also know that John married Ann Ackerman, the daughter of his master and carried out his business at Fenchurch Street.
On March 2nd, 1726, John Scrivener, the son of John Scrivener of Peckham, a carpenter (linking him by trade to his father), was apprenticed to a John Ackerman, a Glass Seller. The original document still survives, setting out the terms of the apprenticeship including such requirements that he shall not fornicate, marry or play cards, dice, tables or any other unlawful game during the term of his apprenticeship, which as was standard in those times, was to last 7 years.
Securing an apprenticeship for his son was a significant milestone. John was on course to become a member of The Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers, one of the powerful and influential livery companies in London, organisations created to look after the interests of the various trades and their members active in the city. The “company” still exists to this day, and from their records we can trace John’s progress through its ranks, ultimately serving as a Master, a position to which he was appointed on September 26th, 1754. We also know that John married Ann Ackerman, the daughter of his master and carried out his business at Fenchurch Street.
A return to Great Linford
The penultimate piece of the jigsaw comes in the form of John’s will, which was proved on December 18th, 1760. This is the document that connects the dots, as it contains the proof that this John Scrivener had an incontestable link to Great Linford, making it almost certain that the family history laid out previously is correct. The will states, “My body I direct to be buried in my vault in the church yard of Great Lynford near Newport Pagnell in Buckinghamshire.”
It is interesting that the instruction states that he be buried “in my vault”, not for instance, “the family vault”, which almost certainly means that John had it built specifically for him while he was in London. This must have been a very costly undertaking, and so for John it appears that the streets of London were paved with gold. His death occurred on December 6th of 1760, with the internment occurring on the 15th of December, an impressive feat of organisation and transportation. Though badly eroded, it is possible to decipher the inscription carved on the top of the vault, which proves that his instructions were carried out to the letter.
It is interesting that the instruction states that he be buried “in my vault”, not for instance, “the family vault”, which almost certainly means that John had it built specifically for him while he was in London. This must have been a very costly undertaking, and so for John it appears that the streets of London were paved with gold. His death occurred on December 6th of 1760, with the internment occurring on the 15th of December, an impressive feat of organisation and transportation. Though badly eroded, it is possible to decipher the inscription carved on the top of the vault, which proves that his instructions were carried out to the letter.
Herein
lies the body of
Mr John Scriviner
Merchant of London who departed
this life December the 6th 1760
in the 48th year of his age
Also of Ann
the wife of the above
John Scriviner
who died the 9th of Dec 1797
aged 77
lies the body of
Mr John Scriviner
Merchant of London who departed
this life December the 6th 1760
in the 48th year of his age
Also of Ann
the wife of the above
John Scriviner
who died the 9th of Dec 1797
aged 77
His wife Ann is also commemorated on the inscription and made exactly the same request on her will, instructing her executors that her body be moved from London to Great Linford to lie alongside her beloved husband.
There are at least two other inscriptions on the vault, but both defy full transcription, though one does appear to be another John Scrivener, and the other makes mention of Fenchurch Street. An additional separate small gravestone sits alongside the vault commemorating another John Scrivener, but unfortunately the crucial dates have succumbed entirely to the elements.
There are at least two other inscriptions on the vault, but both defy full transcription, though one does appear to be another John Scrivener, and the other makes mention of Fenchurch Street. An additional separate small gravestone sits alongside the vault commemorating another John Scrivener, but unfortunately the crucial dates have succumbed entirely to the elements.
Other Scriveners
Two other Scriveners make an appearance in the records, most notably a John Scrivener who died at Great Linford in 1754. Described as a gentleman in his will, he seems to have been a lifelong bachelor, for he makes no mention of a wife or children in his bequests, but he also seems to have been a charitable man, as numerous people from Great Linford and the surrounding area benefit from his extraordinary generosity. In total, over 30 people, from the 6 inmates of the Alms Houses, to labourers, carpenters, glove makers and coach makers received payments ranging from £5 each to £840. In total almost £2000 was distributed. The National Archives website provides a way to estimate the worth of old money in modern terms, so we can say that John’s estate was worth approximately £230,000 in today’s money, half of which it appears he gave away to persons unrelated to him.
Appointed as executor of the will was his “kinsman” John Scrivener of Fenchurch Street, London, providing absolute certainty of a family connection to the John interred at Great Linford in 1760. Unfortunately in calling him “kinsman” rather than brother, uncle or cousin, we are left uncertain as to how the two men came to be related, and the parish records offer no clue. Another “kinsman” mentioned in the will was a Thomas Scrivener of Burley in Rutland and his son John, who is described as a godson. In this case we can find a 1732 marriage for a Thomas Scrivener and Dorothy Senior at Ravenstone in Buckinghamshire and a son born in Burley in 1736, but again the trail goes frustratingly cold and we are left wondering what relationship existed between Thomas and John.
One other Scrivener has been identified at Great Linford, an Elizabeth who died in 1657, though as a lace maker and judging by the limited nature of bequests in her short will, she was clearly someone of considerably fewer resources than the John who had died a year earlier. Indeed, we have no evidence that the two were even related, though the name is certainly a comparatively rare one, so for such a small village and population the possibility should not be dismissed entirely out of hand.
Elizabeth left, “six pounds of good and lawful money” in her will to a John Longue, whom she rather obliquely refers to her as, “my brother in law by my mother.” Brother-in-law was a rather flexible term in those days, and in this case may be referring to a half-brother. The only other monetary bequest Elizabeth made was one of 12 shillings to an Elizabeth Hunt, though whether friend or relative is yet to be discovered. The remainder of her estate she passed to a John Rufhead, whom she also appointed Executor. Both Hunt and Rufhead were residents of Great Linford.
The name Scrivener appears to have died out in Great Linford by the end of the 1700s, so it seems likely that when Ann was interred in her husband’s vault in 1797, there were sadly no local Scriveners to mourn her passing.
Appointed as executor of the will was his “kinsman” John Scrivener of Fenchurch Street, London, providing absolute certainty of a family connection to the John interred at Great Linford in 1760. Unfortunately in calling him “kinsman” rather than brother, uncle or cousin, we are left uncertain as to how the two men came to be related, and the parish records offer no clue. Another “kinsman” mentioned in the will was a Thomas Scrivener of Burley in Rutland and his son John, who is described as a godson. In this case we can find a 1732 marriage for a Thomas Scrivener and Dorothy Senior at Ravenstone in Buckinghamshire and a son born in Burley in 1736, but again the trail goes frustratingly cold and we are left wondering what relationship existed between Thomas and John.
One other Scrivener has been identified at Great Linford, an Elizabeth who died in 1657, though as a lace maker and judging by the limited nature of bequests in her short will, she was clearly someone of considerably fewer resources than the John who had died a year earlier. Indeed, we have no evidence that the two were even related, though the name is certainly a comparatively rare one, so for such a small village and population the possibility should not be dismissed entirely out of hand.
Elizabeth left, “six pounds of good and lawful money” in her will to a John Longue, whom she rather obliquely refers to her as, “my brother in law by my mother.” Brother-in-law was a rather flexible term in those days, and in this case may be referring to a half-brother. The only other monetary bequest Elizabeth made was one of 12 shillings to an Elizabeth Hunt, though whether friend or relative is yet to be discovered. The remainder of her estate she passed to a John Rufhead, whom she also appointed Executor. Both Hunt and Rufhead were residents of Great Linford.
The name Scrivener appears to have died out in Great Linford by the end of the 1700s, so it seems likely that when Ann was interred in her husband’s vault in 1797, there were sadly no local Scriveners to mourn her passing.
Other Scrivener records including an attempted murder
A curious legal case is contained in the Midsummer Quarter Sessions of 1691, when a John Scrivener of Great Linford (though we can’t be sure which one) was accused of “entertaining John Richardson and his family as inmates.” The wording of the charge may sound odd and archaic today, but at the time it is likely that Scrivener had allowed Richardson and his family to stay as “inmates” in a house specifically earmarked for the poor of the parish when they did not qualify for such charity. Perhaps they possessed sufficient funds to not need charity, or more likely given that the name Richardson does not appear to figure in Great Linford history at this time, the family hailed from a different parish entirely. In this case, they would likely have been considered a burden on the parish finances and subject to forcible removable to their home parish. It may even have been that Scrivener had “entertained” them in one of the alms houses, with the implication being that he had some authority to decide who qualified, making it likely that he might have been one of the overseers of the poor. He was fined ten shillings, equivalent to about £70 in today’s money.
A John Scrivener is listed on the register of Gamekeepers (from the Quarter Session records) for the manor dated 1712 -1718, and again in the period 1718-1724. Perhaps he was still Gamekeeper in 1728 and had made some enemies, as it was in this year that find him the alleged victim (though not thankfully a fatal one) of a plot to rob and murder him. At the Midsummer Quarter Session held July 18th, 1728, we learn that John, here described as a Gentleman (and so perhaps the same John who was so generous in his will of 1754) had been threatened by a William Ward. Ward was also a resident of Great Linford and was alleged to have conspired with another unnamed man to lure a third person into the plot, a John Bull, a butcher of Drayton Parslow. However Bull seemingly got cold feet and when he failed to arrive at the appointed hour, the robbery and murder was postponed. At some point afterwards, it is presumed that the conspirators were discovered and apprehended.
A John Scrivener is listed on the register of Gamekeepers (from the Quarter Session records) for the manor dated 1712 -1718, and again in the period 1718-1724. Perhaps he was still Gamekeeper in 1728 and had made some enemies, as it was in this year that find him the alleged victim (though not thankfully a fatal one) of a plot to rob and murder him. At the Midsummer Quarter Session held July 18th, 1728, we learn that John, here described as a Gentleman (and so perhaps the same John who was so generous in his will of 1754) had been threatened by a William Ward. Ward was also a resident of Great Linford and was alleged to have conspired with another unnamed man to lure a third person into the plot, a John Bull, a butcher of Drayton Parslow. However Bull seemingly got cold feet and when he failed to arrive at the appointed hour, the robbery and murder was postponed. At some point afterwards, it is presumed that the conspirators were discovered and apprehended.
A Scrivener in the poll books
A John Scrivener is listed in a number of Poll Books dated between 1705 and 1722. This is almost certainly the John Scrivener who left an extensive will in 1754, principally because we know the John Scrivener interred in his vault in 1760 had departed for London in 1703, but also because the right to vote at this time hinged on a person’s monetary worth. As a gentleman with a substantial amount of money to his name, John (- 1754) would have easily qualified as a voter and given he was one of only 5 voters from Great Linford In 1705, suggests he enjoyed a very high status at the time.