Thomas Ryves F.R.S.

THOMAS RYVES was the 2nd son of Captain THOMAS RYVES of London and Bombay and his wife ELIZABETH GLYNN, widow of William Kyffin Governor of Fort Anjengo. He was born in London in 1721 and baptized at St.Andrews Church in Holborn on the 16th of May.

In 1723 when Thomas was 2 years old his father died in Bombay. Then his mother died less than 6 months later. There was a smallpox epidemic at the time. Thomas and his elder brother George and their two surviving sisters Elizabeth and Susanna were orphaned.

They were presumably brought up by their uncle GEORGE RYVES, who owned the large estate of Ranston near Blandford Forum in Dorset. When George died in 1729 leaving no surviving male heirs (his twin infant sons were born and died in 1718) Thomas' brother George succeeded to that estate. However when George died unmarried in 1739 the Ranston estate passed to Thomas. Although possessed of that estate, he seems to have spent much time in the city, for in the 1740's he was living in the Parish of St.Marylebone in London.

On 17th April 1749 in the Chapel Royal at Hampton in Middlesex, Thomas married ELIZABETH, 2nd daughter and co-heir of Sir ANTHONY THOMAS ABDY, 3rd Baronet of Felix Hall in Essex, by his 2nd wife CHARLOTTE, youngest daughter and co-heir of Sir THOMAS BARNARDISTON, 3rd Baronet of Kedington in Suffolk. Elizabeth died on 27th January 1755 and was buried at Shroton in Dorset on the 8th of February leaving issue

1?. THOMAS RYVES. Eldest? son, who seemed to have had a troubled relationship with his father.
2?. John Ryves, who probably entered into maritime service with the Royal Navy or the East India Company. At any rate, John died a teenager in the East Indies in 1768, probably unmarried.
1. Elizabeth Ryves, still unmarried at the time her father wrote his will in 1787. She probably died childless.
2. Charlotte Ryves, who was on 26th May 1780 to marry her first cousin James Williams of Spettisbury and Chettle in Dorset. They had four children before she died on 8th June 1785.

On 22nd September 1757 at St.James' in Westminster Thomas Ryves remarried, this time to Anna Maria, younger daughter of the Royal Apothecary Daniel Graham of St.James' in Westminster and Harrow on the Hill, being the only daughter by his 2nd wife Mary Crisp. By her Thomas had further issue

3. George Frederick Ryves, born on 8th September 1758 and educated at Harrow. He entered the Royal Navy in February 1774, serving in the East and West Indies. Rose to the rank of Rear-Admiral. For details of his life see the Dictionary of National Biography. He married 1stly on 3rd January 1792 (at Berwick St.John's in Wiltshire) Katherine Elizabeth youngest daughter of the Hon. James Everard Arundell of Ashcombe in Wiltshire by his wife Ann daughter and heir of John Wyndham of Ashcombe. She, who was sister of James 9th Baron Arundell of Wardour, died aged 44 on 21st December 1803 leaving issue

i. George Frederick Ryves, born 25th September 1792. A Captain of the Royal Navy, he resided at Berkeley Lodge or Shroton Cottage, Dorset. He married on 27th June 1827 (at St.Clement Danes, Westminster) Charity 3rd daughter of Thomas Theobald of Grays in Essex. He died in July 1858 leaving issue

(1) George Arundell Ryves, born at Shroton Cottage in Dorset on 21st May 1828. He died in April 1835.
(2) George Frederick Ryves, born 21st May 1842.
(1) Charity Catherine Ryves, born in 1841. She appears to have died in 1868, presumably unmarried.

ii. Henry Wyndham Ryves, born in 1795. Served in the Royal Artillery.
i. Harriet Ryves, born in 1794.
ii. Katherine Elizabeth Ryves, born about 1801. She married her cousin George Frederick Symes (see below). At the time of the 1851 census she was living at Spring Cottage, Uplyme Road, Lyme Regis in Dorset. They had issue.

George Frederick Ryves married 2ndly in 1806 his cousin Emma daughter of Richard Robert Graham, apothecary of Chelsea College, by his wife Ann daughter of Charles Bowles. George Frederick died at Shroton House in Dorset on 20th May 1826. His will pr. 20th July 1826 (P.C.C. Swabey 351). Emma, who was born in 1781, died in 1842 and was buried at Parkstone in Dorset. Her will pr. 28th November 1842. By her he had further issue

iii. Charles Graham Ryves, born at Shroton on 26th March 1807 and baptized on 29th July 1807. A Captain in the Royal Navy. In the 1881 census he was lodging at 25 Vale Street, Denbigh, along with his brother Herbert. He died on 2nd May 1881, probably unmarried.
iv. Walter Robert Ryves, born 29th February 1808 and baptized on 29th July 1808. Served in the Royal Navy. He drowned.
v. Edward Augustus Ryves, born 27th May 1809 and baptized 30th August 1809. Served in the Royal Navy. He died at sea.
vi. Herbert Thomas Ryves born at Shroton on 30th November 1812 and baptized 1st January 1813. A Commander of the Royal Navy. In 1849 he married Eliza Amelia daughter of Charles Fowke by his wife Ann Prosser. Eliza died on 12th December 1872. At the time of the 1881 census Herbert was widowed and lodging at 25 Vale Street, Denbigh along with his brother Charles. He had known issue

(1) Laura Amelia Ryves, born 9th March 1849. On 10th December 1868 she married Charles George Henry Furlonge, son of Major Furlonge of Bath in Somerset. She died on 13th June 1928 leaving issue.
(2) Emma Fanny Ryves, born at Newhaven in Sussex in August 1853. In March 1876 she married Hugh Pierce, a farmer of Yscubor Newydd in Wales. They had issue.

vii. William Henry Graham Ryves, born on 13th April 1819 and baptized the following day. He entered service with the Royal Navy, and died at sea.
viii. George Arundell Ryves, baptized on 19th January 1827.
iii. Mary Emma Ryves, baptized at Shroton on 6th January 1815. At the time of the 1851 census she was visiting her half-sister Katherine in Lyme Regis. She died in 1873.
iv. Laura Matilda Ryves, born in 1823. On 20th June 1845 at Bryanston in Dorset she married William Grey Pitt, formerly of Kingston House in the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, only son and heir of William Morton Pitt M.P. (1754-1836) by his 2nd wife Grace Amelia daughter of Henry Seymer (1745-1800) of Hanford in Dorset. He, who was half-brother of Sophia Pitt 1st wife of Charles Marsham 2nd Earl of Romney, had sold much property in Swanage and elsewhere in 1838 to cover the familys debts, and re-mortgaged Kingston House to the tune of £55,000 to provide his sisters with an annuity for life. Around the time of their marriage he sold Kingston House and newlywed couple then lived at Claremont House, Milbrook in Hampshire. Laura Matilda may have died in 1853. William died in 1867. Said by some to have died childless, and by others to have left three sons.

4. Henry Pleydell Ryves, baptized at Shroton on 24th August 1759. Educated at Harrow 1770-76. He then studied at Merton College, Oxford. In 1781 he gifted a copy of Quintus Horatius Flaccus's Opera to William Bradley of Corpus Christi College. In 1790 at Godalming in Surrey he married Sarah Hall, but I do not know if they had any children.
5. Robert Graham Ryves, baptized at Shroton on 14th October 1760. He died the following year.
6. Richard Ryves, born and died in 1762.
3. Diana Maria Ryves, born and died in 1765.
4. Mariana Georgina Ryves, born 25th August 1766. She was to elope with, and later marry William Leigh Symes of Esher in Surrey. He appears to have died in Jamaica around 1796 having had seven known children including a third son,

iii. George Frederick Symes, born at Richmond in Surrey on 24th December 1794. He married his cousin Katherine Elizabeth, 2nd daughter of Admiral George Frederick Ryves by his 1st wife Katherine Elizabeth Arundell (see above). Sometime a Captain of the Madras Artillery, he died on 15th April 1851 as the result of a blow to the head delivered whilst trying to stop an argument between two drunken tramps in the road near his home at Spring Cottage, Uplyme Road, Lyme Regis in Devon. They had issue.

Late in 1798 Mariana Georgina married again, this time to her cousin Sydenham Malthus of Albury in Surrey. They had five known children. Sydenham died on 20th December 1821 and was buried at Albury in Surrey. His will pr. 21st January 1822. Mariana Georgina died on 18th November 1830 and was also buried at Albury. Her will pr. 18th March 1831 (P.C.C. Tebbs 151).
5. Henrietta Ryves, born in 1768. She probably died young.
6. Anne Ryves, born in 1770. She probably died young.
7. Lucy Graham Ryves, born in 1771. She died the following year.
8. Louisa Maria Ryves, born and died in 1774.

In 1760 Thomas Ryves was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Sciences and he exhibited some watercolours before the society. He also rebuilt Ranston Hall, giving it its present appearance (see right).

However in 1781, undoubtedly for financial reasons relating to his eldest son Thomas, he had to sell this estate which had been in the family for almost 240 years. He then seems to have taken out a 21-year lease on The Belvedere in Surrey, probably the house of that name which stood on the south bank of the Thames to the north of Lambeth Palace.

Thomas also had land or property at Queen Square in Bloomsbury, and Smithfields in London ; and in Lincolnshire. Some of this he obtained by marriage to his first wife, Elizabeth Abdy. However, it passed under the terms of his will to his sons by his second wife, Anna Maria Graham. This was to be the underlying cause of the Ryves vs. Ryves court case in 1797. See the account of his eldest son THOMAS RYVES for more details.

In his will Thomas Ryves requests that he be buried where he should die. Thomas died on 23rd July 1788 in his 68th year, and there is a wall plaque to his memory in St.Mary's Church, Harrow on the Hill (see left). This memorial in Harrow may lead one to assume that he died there, however he actually died at Albury in Surrey! Is it possible that his body rests in Albury in accordance with the terms of his will?

The inscribed verse on the plaque in Harrow reads -

When sorrow weeps o'er Virtues Sacred dust
Our Tears become us, and our Grief is just
Such were the Tears She Shed, who Gratefull pays
This last Sad tribute of her Love and Praise.

Perhaps more intriguing is the large blank area on the plaque below the verse!

It has been remarked that there was nothing outstanding about the quality of verse inscribed on the above plaque. However it is said that the poet Byron, during his schooldays at Harrow, gazed at the plaque whilst bored during the Church service in St.Mary's every Sunday. Byron was later to request that his illegitimate daughter Allegra be buried nearby, a request which was at that time denied (see the extract from Byron's letter below for more details). In 1980 however, a small plaque to her memory was placed outside the front door of the church by the Byron Society (see right).

Copyright © 2005-8. All rights reserved.
Revised: 17-Nov-2009.