CALVERLEY, George (c.1532-85), of Lea, Cheshire.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1558-1603, ed. P.W. Hasler, 1981
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

Family and Education

b. c.1532, 1st s. of Sir Hugh Calverley by Eleanor, da. and h. of Thomas Tattenhall of Bulkeley and Harthill. m. (1) Margaret, da. of William Morton of Morton, s.p.; (2) by 1561, Agnes, da. and h. of Anthony Woodhull or Wahull, wid. of Richard Chetwode, 2s. (d.v.p.). suc. fa. 1558. Kntd. 1571.1

Offices Held

J.p. Cheshire from 1559, sheriff 1567-8, 1579-80; commr. musters.

Biography

Calverley owned the manors of Lea, Mottram St. Andrew, Handley, Buckley and property in Whorepoole, Egerton, Horton and Scalford; also property at Saxby in Leicestershire and Grimstone in Flintshire, together with a salt-pan at Droitwich. He was active in Cheshire local government and in matters concerning the soldiers proceeding on service in Ireland. In 1581 he was among those ordered by the Privy Council to appease a mutiny among the soldiers at Liverpool and Chester. Accusations of assault brought by his brother-in-law John Dutton of Dutton resulted in a case in Star Chamber. Calverley in turn accused Dutton of conspiring to kill him and Dutton’s own wife in order that Dutton might marry Calverley’s widow, and of enlisting the services of ‘a notable conjuror’ who practised ‘by conjuries, sorceries and other devilish and magical practices’.

Calverley died 5 Aug. 1585 and was succeeded by his brother Hugh.2

Ref Volumes: 1558-1603

Author: M.N.

Notes

  • 1. Wards 7/100/9; Vis. Cheshire (Harl. Soc. xviii, 60); CPR, 1560-3, pp. 132-3; Ormerod, Cheshire, ii. 769.
  • 2. Wards 7/21/84; Ormerod, ii. 766-9; APC, viii. 40-1, 119; ix. 308-9; xii. 341; xiii. 64; Lansd. 56, f. 168 seq.; St. Ch. 5/D1/13.