Richard Glanville M.D.

Alternate Names

     He was also known as Glanvile.

Birth, Marriage and Death information

     Richard Glanville M.D. was born before 15 October 1684 at London, MDX, ENG; some sources list St Giles, Somerset, 10 Feb 1687.
     He was baptized on 15 October 1684 at St Ann and St Agnes, London City, LND, ENG, Richard ye son of Richard & Eleanor Glanvill was Xtis'd.
Note a Richard Glanville and Eleanor Hill married in London in 1676 and had children there until 1692.
     He married Margaret (Surname Unknown) before 1713 at ENG.
     He died in October 1728 at Wedmore, SOM, ENG.
     He was buried on 21 October 1728 at St Mary's Parish Church, Wedmore, SOM, ENG, was buried Mr Richd: Glanvile
with Monumental Inscription : Here lieth the body of Mr. Richard Glanvile, M.D., who was buried Oct. 21, 1728, aged 40 years. Also John his son was here buried June 14, 1723, aged 1 year. Also Margaret his wife was here buried July 9, 1735, aged 46 years. Also Richard Glanvile surgeon, son of the above Richard and Margaret, and Jane his wife. He died Jan. 20, 1799, aged 82; she died Feb. 22, 1791, aged 74 years. Also John Glanvile gent., son of ye above Richard and Jane Glanvile, who died June 19, 1812, aged 64 years. Also William and Jane, son and daughter of John and Grace Glanvile; Jane died June 6, 1796, aged 19; William died March 3,1802, aged 31 years. Also here lieth the body of Grace the wife of John Glanvile, who departed this life Jan. 12, 1787, aged 41 years. And also two of their children who died in their infancy. Also six children of the above John Glanvile by Jane his 2nd wife who died in their infancy. Also of Jane Glanvile 2nd wife of the above John Glanvile, who died April 24, 1843, aged 76 years.

Other information

     He wrote to his uncle William in Antigua in1702 exchanging the following letters:
DEAR UNCLE, 1702.
The happy opportunity which now presents itself is with the greatest joy imaginable embraced since it empowers me to discharge in some part the indispensible duty to you which ought long since to have been performed, but the want of opportunity, the knowledge of what part of the world, the peculiar place where you reside, the unhappy proceedings and unnatural transactions of a nefarious and barbarous father will I hope plead my excuse dear Sir I am sorry to render you such a dismal, such an abhorred account of the unaccountable and most intricate designs of him who is so near allyed to us both, what horror, what amazement, how strangely surprised will a man who is endued with honesty religion piety and virtue behold how maliciously bent he was to ruin his own offspring, how cautious, how circumspect and undermining to rivet me and complete my destruction certainly, - such barbarity as this must needs draw the odium of all good people upon him, but now give me leave dr Uncle to demonstrate to the uncouth proceedings in some measure of an unnatural father for was I to enumerate all the circumstances t'would require some reams of paper and swell to a prodigious bulk to proceed regular and touch upon the most material points since the honor and happiness I had to see you presently after my mother sent me to school in Flanders where I continued five years which being expired I was recalled and dearly caress't by my mother and she finding me grown a good sturdy lad fit for business put me out prentice to a very ingenious man one Mr Pontifex an apothecary of the Royal Society where I was a quarter of a year until my unkind insinuating father with magnificent promises inveigled and cajoled me into a compliance to leave the best of mothers to go with him the worst of fathers; no sooner had he gained his point but he immediately hurried me to my dear Grandmother who received me with a great deal of affection but at the same time seemed very much to doubt his to me - she also acquainted me with a great deal of remorse that my father had taken another woman by whom he had an illegitimate boy, and he had often with all his influence of retorick endeavoured to persuade her to have seen this courteous woman and hopeful youth but the aversion my dear Grandmother had to the fact would never allow this. When I had stayed some little time there he had got all things ready for me to go into the Country which was to a place called Southwell, but hardly had I arrived but he immediately caused me to be placed with a man by the name of Richard Ricard, I found his name at the juncture of time was Gideon, in other places he had taken the name of Sommersam, at others Ofton, these made me first stop in order to penetrate his unexemplary stratagems. After he got me into his power he seemed not a little satisfied and both he and she for the space of three months or thereabouts caress'd me with highest compliments and the most endearing words that invention could rack or tongue express, but alas! my green years little thought he was then acting the part of butcher who first tickles his ox then slaughters him, the three months partly being expired he turns the reverse of what he was before for no manner of reason that I can the least think of unless to confirm the general saying that extremities never last long, he then to aggravate the matter sends me four or five affidavits which were sworn against my mother which I received accordingly and then returned them again, within a very little time after I had returned them he demanded them again, so treacherous was his memory or rather so maliciously was he bent, and when I had told him I had delivered them to him he fell into a violent passion cursing and swearing to the height of madness, then t'was that hypocrisy shewed itself barefaced, nothing would serve his turn but that I had sent them to my mother, which sort of usage made me reflect what I had done and said was to no purpose, so what was done in haste to repent at leisure, as for making my case known to my friends t'was impossible for pen ink and paper were not allowed, the post was bribed nothing but spies to speak to, and no money in my pocket - thus I continued there until he removed to Micham four miles from London the thoughts of which inspired me with new hope and vigour presuming the happy opportunity of finding a reformation, but instead of that nothing but insinuations of what my mother and master would do if they could catch me how malicious and inveterate they were against me, wherefore upon this seeming plausibility he immediately lest I might discover by delay it was nothing but his crafty design sends me down to Stamford in Lincolnshire to one Mr Clough a parson who not having notice pretended he had no convenience but would have with one Mr Booth a writing master who lived at Peterborough many miles distant from that place which it was with much ado I found, the money not being quarterly but as it might &c. . . . . . . . . . . . a specimen of his barbarity they both sends me to Mr Clough . . . . . . My Grandmother had enquired where her grandson was for that my father had told her he had placed me at Whitby in Lincolnshire where I was, this gave Mr Clough a strange light for he was altogether a stranger to the unhappy proceedings of my father, for you must know Mr Clough married this woman that now is with my father, this strangely surprised them to think this woman should turn whore after having had several Children whom they have tricked or destroyed and ruined as well as myself with barbarous and damnable usage, so Mr Clough understanding the matter of fact having an opportunity he sends me down to him to Watesfield in Suffolk near St. Edmonds Bury, no sooner did he see me but he falls a cursing and swearing most abominably at the Gentleman, so the next morning he gets a horse and orders me so when we were mounted he tells me I shall go with him to Wisbeach in the County of Ely where he boards me with a sorry Barber even a place that was scandalous where I remained a year or thereabouts, in which time my dear Grandmother paid her tribute to nature of which I was not acquainted till three quarters of a year afterwards for he would never let me know where she was neither would he let her know where I was let he should be detected in his villany no sooner was she dead but he began to consult all his tools and accomplices the lawyers by what means or method he should take to dock the entail they I presume after a long debate counselled him to sue a Fine and Recovery, so when he had got all his tools about him he sends for me up to London in order to execute his design so as soon as I was arrived he embraced me with a great deal of affection, which something surprised me, but took a great deal of care that I should be never out of his company unless t'was when he committed to one Street an Attorney who was to instruct me in the matter and persuade and soothe me into my destruction, and truly my father was so very generous as to give a suit of clothes which was the only suit he ever gave me and then promised me what mighty matters he would do the next moment if I would not I should starve, in flat terms he would either sel me murder me or anything so that he might get shut of me, so to make short of the story what by his bullying and what by inveighing he cajoled my easy lawyer although with a great deal of reluctance into a compliance, no sooner was it done but I might go hang myself, so out of his great generosity he gave me one hundred pounds to go seek my fortune with a slender promise of something after. Now I leave it to you clear Uncle to judge if it is not in my situation the hardest fate imaginable when I quitted my rights my . . . . who since is dead and has not left me anything and hereafter I might not be alive to serve him who so treacherously inveigled me, so as to be a flaw in his law which is he never made me a consideration payment by which it could not be done by reason he had told my nurse and some of the tenants I had been dead sixteen years and they have taken as free tenures and not coppy, which by law and his proceedings is all forfefted for ti's the highest folly in the world to sue a Fine and Recovery without first passing a Sur consc. in the Court. I must needs confess that I should be very willing to call him to account was I able but not being in a capacity to stand a law suit neither can with safety swear that I am not worth five pounds by virtue of which I might sue him in forma pauperis, but some way I will certainly find out to call him to an account for his deceptive doings wherefore I desire you will give me an account how to proceed before he sells it and then shifts off, this is dear Sir all at present hoping all your family enjoys a good share of health, with the tender of my duty to you and your good lady from your unhappy nephew, RICHARD GLANVILE.

Antigua, May 7th 1703.
MY DEARE NEVW,
Your lett, r of the 20th Decr came to my hand the 3d instant, and since you are inclyning in some measure to depend upon me for my advice, doe thinke my self obliged to give itt you faithfully, my great distance from you not allowing me to doe any thing els for the present, - I have been under a great concern for the difference that happened between yor father and mother and what added to itt, That their children should be the greatest sharers in that misfortune and fall a sacrifice to their resentments. My living in these remote parts of the world and having left England upwards of 26 years, excepting 3 months (I was there 13 years ago) and then, not seeing your father, I never came to the knowledge of what occasioned the wideness of ye breech, but what ever itt was, I find by yr lettr that the Children are the greatest sufferers, their revenge (if I may so properly call it) fall only upon them. You tell me that yor brother Ashfield has been at law with Sir Henry Goodrich ever since the death of yor mother (I take him to be yor half brother, and not the son of my brother), and that he and Sir Henry are come to an accommodation, the former consenting in six months yt 855£ should be paid to Sr Henry for yr maintenance, who this Sr Henry Goodrich is I know not, butt I take him to be a person yt my sister, yor mother, put a trust in to do something for you and yor own brother. He and you would have been kind to have let me a little into the nature of the difference and how you have been educated, both yor ages, how taken care off, and where yor brothr lives, and whom he marryed, and what fortune, and whither he suffered the Estate of his fathers Estate to be cutt off, and if he did that he will send me a copy of all the writings relating thereto, and that I may know what his father did for him for that consideration, what Estate he has, his profession, and what be follows, and the amount of the money you mention you intend to putt out on an annuity. It may doe well enough, butt itt requires a faithfull friend to se that the writings are effectually drawn and the annuity well secured (were I att home I should endeavour to putt itt into a good nationall fund, many of them allowing 10 per Cent., and the interest paid every six months).

I accept of yor duty to myself & your aunt kindly,- My son William has been in England these twelve years, has been at Pembroke Hall these three years in Cambridge, is near twenty years of age, his sister is with me named Alice about 14 years old being all my Childring, I intend her home in a small time, and if am able shall see Europe once more butt I expect my nephew writes to me often and yor leftr shall be welcome,- When you write direct yor lettrs for me att Antigua, and putt them under cover to Mr Nathl Carpenter mercht in London. In short I expect an exact accot of yor family for my information and government - my deare Nevw, I affectionately wish you and yor brother prosperity and am
Your true friend & loving Uncle,
W. GLANVILE.
I red both the lettrs and you had best direct yor lett under cover to my son att Pembroke Hall in Cambridge, but dont mention anything that I ordrd you so to doe.

     In 1705 he was named in his mother's will.