Stedman History

Stedman Cousins > Stedman History

The Stedmans of Corvedale – By Sandra Lee

This is a copy of an article written by Sandra Lee which was published in the Shropshire Family History Society Journal of March 2012:  The Stedmans of Corvedale

Fabian Stedman – Tercentenary Celebrations

Fabian Stedman 1640-1713

A report of the Tercentenary Celebrations by Pauline Wheatcroft

 Click here to view the report: Fabian Stedman 1640 – Tercentenary Celebrations

The Bank House Family Line

 

THE STEDMANS OF SHROPSHIRE

THE BANK HOUSE FAMILY LINE

 

The earliest known member of the Stedman family in the Corvedale area of Shropshire was the unfortunate John Stedman of Corfton recorded in The Shropshire Eyre of 1256, who was murdered.  The parish registers for Munslow record the first Stedman baptised there in 1538 Salomen (possibly – Solomon) who was probably a member of the main branch of the family from The White House.  Our particular interest is with the family from The Banke House from which members of ‘Stedman Cousins’ descend.

Generation 1

The first reference to the Banke House is in 1606 in the Will of John, known as John of The Banke. The site of the Banke House is not now identifiable.  However there are clear indications that it was at Aston Munslow and possibly shared the site of the White House. 

John who was born about 1545 was a Yeoman Farmer in the Corvedale area.  He married Joane in about 1570.  Of their known seven children, Thomas b. 1572 lived at Broadstone for a while before moving back to Aston Munslow, leaving Broadstone to his son Samuel.

There were a number of marriages between the Stedmans, Baldwins, Littleton and Child families, all old established families in the Corvedale area of gentry rank.

Generation 2

John and Joane’s eldest son, Thomas b. 1572 married Ann Owens with whom he had six children.  Ann died in 1639 and Thomas later married widow, Alice Jenkes (nee More, daughter of Thomas More and Katherine Jenkes). Alice had previously been married to Arthur Jenkes).  Thomas was 75 when he died in 1648.  His son and heir was John b.1607.

Generation 3

John and his wife Mary Downes lived at the Banke House and farmed in Aston Munslow.  Their eldest son John died in 1681 and the line continued through their youngest son Caleb (the Elder).

Generation 4

Caleb b. 1656, (known as Caleb the Elder), was the youngest son of John and Mary.  He married Anne Blucke in Diddlebury in 1690 settled, farmed and raised their family of twelve children in Diddlebury.

Generation 5

Caleb’s son Caleb the Younger (b.1700), married Phoebe Whitefoot (nee Page) a widow.  They married in Bromfield church in 1731.  Phoebe, daughter of Nicholas and Elizabeth (nee Richards) Page from Abdon, had previously been married to Edward Whitefoot, the Curate of Diddlebury, (and they  had one daughter, Elizabeth).  After his death in 1730, Phoebe married Caleb Stedman.  There were two sons from this marriage, Page b. 1732 and Caleb (III) b.1737.  The family made their home at Elsich Manor a substantial gentry house belonging to the Baldwin family and Caleb held several parish offices in Diddlebury.

Generation 6

a.  Their younger son Caleb (III) farmed at Coxhall, a hamlet (now in Herefordshire but in the parish of Bucknell).

Caleb married twice.  With his first wife, Ann Lowe they had one daughter, and with his second wife Margaret Probert, there were four children.

b.  Page, the eldest son, settled in Bucknell, where he farmed

Page, a gentleman farmer, inherited land not only from his Stedman ancestors, but from his mother Phoebe’s Page family too.  In 1756, Page married Sarah Smal(l)man (another old established South Shropshire family).    It is from Page and Sarah’s family that most of the ‘Stedman Cousins’ descend.  There were ten children that we have on record :

Page Smallman b. 1757 = A

John b. 1759                = B

Caleb b. 1761               = C

Edward b. 1763             = D

Elizabeth b. 1766          = E

Sarah b. 1768               = F

Mary b. 1771                = G

Richard b. 1773             = H

Ann b. 1775                  = I

James b. 1777               = J

 

Generation 7

Page Smallman (A) farmed at Bedstone and married Elizabeth Tudor at Brampton Bryan church in 1791. (Click on A for further information about this family’s descendents);

John (B) farmed at Bucknell and married Ann Jones at Bucknell in 1793 (Click on B for further information about this family’s descendents);

Caleb (C) went to live in London.  He was a mercer and married the daughter of the Rev.Reynolds of Oswestry,  and died about 1823,  (no further information on this line at present);

Edward (D) farmed in the Radnorshire Forest area and married twice (Click on D for further information about this family’s descendents);

Elizabeth (E) died at the age of 16 years;

Sarah (F) nothing known about Sarah;

Mary (G) nothing known about Mary to date;

Richard (H) went to live in Jamaica, nothing further known about him other than his death recorded as 1825.

Ann (I) had two sons, one of whom went to Jamaica (Click on I for further information about this family’s descendents);

James (J) farmed at Weston (between Bucknell and Stowe) and married Ann (Click on J for further information about this family’s descendents).

Loading

Like this article? Please share:

Leave a comment

NEED HELP?