18th Century

+ The Family in the 18th Century is almost exclusively centred on Bosham

 

+ Two entries in the Manorial Records of Bosham show that Francis KERVILL had an

interest in land on the Berkeley Estates in the Tithe of Creed -

 

In January 1704/5 Francis "surrenders" 1 acre of forrep (rough pasture)

 

In September 1711 he "surrenders" 2 and a half acres of field

 

Maybe this is the first indication we get that our oldest known ancestor was involved in farming/smallholding.

The area around Bosham and particularly Chidham was ideal for agriculture and included land reclaimed from the sea.

The sizes of the parcels of land indicate that Francis' enterprise may have grown over time. Maybe we have now found

the reason for Francis moving to this area

 

 

 

Agric worker circa 1700

+ One marriage in 1723, between Francis KERVELL (1695-1765), son of the original Francis, and

Jane HOBJIN (sometimes recorded as DODJIN)(1710-1743) took place in East Lavant, a village a

couple of parishes to the north of Bosham, and is the only known family christening, marriage

or burial outside of Bosham for the first 100 years

 

+ Two entries, one a Bosham burial record of 3 September 1708 for a Martha KERVILL daughter of

John and the other in the Chichester Archdeaconary Marriage Licence Index dated February 1728

for a John KERVILL and Mary SCREVENS of Angmering, Sussex and sponsored by a John KERVILL (presumably groom's father?) and Nich COOPER indicate that there was a John KERVILL living in

West Sussex and raising a family around the early 1700s. Who was this John? It is just about chronologically possible that he was a son from Francis' 1st marriage but appears more likely to

fit a possible younger (?) brother of our original Francis. Should this prove to be the case then it would be confirmation of the oft-repeated family folklore of our origins that "two brothers came

and settled in Bosham".

East Lavant Parish Church

+ The first spelling of our surname as KEARVELL in the Bosham parish registers is seen on 16 October 1752 when Elizabeth

KEARVELL (1728-1785) married John GARDNER (abt 1727-1786) although the Bishops Transcripts for Bosham record it in 1724.

+ A family Bible entry recounts the story of brothers Francis (1767-1844) and Richard (1768-1845) KERVELL, great-grandsons of

our original Francis, who set out to walk from Bosham to London in the late 1700s and were reputed to have settled in East

Sheen, Middlesex and Warfield, Berkshire. Well, Richard married Elizabeth HOBBS (1770-1845) in early 1793 at St. Dunstans,

Stepney, London and eventually settled in Warfield, Berkshire. Their first child, Francis, was christened in June 1793 at

Mortlake, Surrey and becomes the first known member of the family to be born outside the County of Sussex. Their other

children were all christened at Warfield, Berkshire. Richard's brother, Francis, eventually married in 1802 to Elizabeth HOAD (1773-1851) at Linchmere on the Surrey/Sussex border and settled there. Nine years before, in 1793, Francis and his

eventual wife Elizabeth had been witnesses to the Marriage Banns of Richard and Elizabeth called at the Parish Church in

Haslemere, Surrey

+ This century sees the first records to mention the occupations of family members. Not surprisingly we see Carpenters

and Wheelwrights mentioned

17th Century

19th Century