John (Sparrow) Port (bef. 1737 - 1807)

Born before 25 Feb 1737 in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (D'Ewes) Port — married 4 Dec 1770 in Upton cum Chalvey, Buckinghamshire, England

Descendants

Died 9 Aug 1807 after age 70 in Calwich, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom

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Biography

John was baptised on 25 Feb 1737 . He passed away aged 71 in 1807.

He changed his surname from 'Sparrow' to 'Port' when he inherited his uncle George Port's estate at Ilam, Staffordshire in 1769. (The inheritance came via his mother's Frances Newell's family, her brother Rowe Newell having himself inherited the Ilam estate and changing his name to 'Port'.)

Like his father and grandfather before him he was owner of several coal mines. (See paper by King PW, ref. below.)

When he wrote his will in October 1805 he was living at Clifton in Gloucestershire.

Notes

While some sources state that John inherited his estate from a John Port, from his own will and other correspondence in 1776 it was in fact inherited from his uncle George Port.

• In his will he specifically asks to be buried alongside his uncle George. (This would also seem to be supported by the fact that a George Port was buried at Ilam in 1769.)

• A letter of 1776 in the Eyton family papers in the Shropshire Archives reads as follows: " John Sparrow of Wolverhampton took the name of Port on inheriting the Ilam estate under the will of his uncle George Port of Ilam."

It has been difficult to establish precisely how John Sparrow was related to George Port.

Sources

• FindMyPast: Staffordshire Baptisms https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=GBPRS%2FSTAFF%2FBAP%2F34566

"England Marriages, 1538–1973 ", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N27Q-YX1 : 13 March 2020), Mary Dewes in entry for John Port, 1770.

• FindMyPast: Staffordshire Burials https://www.findmypast.com/transcript?id=GBPRS%2FSTAFF%2FBUR%2F285599
• BillionGraves: John Port Died: 9 Aug 1807 https://billiongraves.com/grave/John-Port/16255436
• Fraser M. 'The Waddingtons of Llanofer, 1791-1805 ', The National Library of Wales Journal 11/4 (1960), 285-329 https://journals.library.wales/view/1277425/1281449/2#?xywh=-2998%2C-233%2C9181%2C4658
• Burke, John & Bernard, 1851, The royal families of England, Scotland, and Wales : with their descendants, sovereigns and subjects, Vol. II, London : E. Churton, Pedigree XCIV Augusta Lady Hall, Archive.org: https://archive.org/details/royalfamiliesofe02burk_0/page/n3/mode/2up
• Geni.com: https://www.geni.com/people/John-Port-of-Ilam/6000000023479635159
• Sleigh, John, "The Old Ashburne Families" Journal of the Derbyshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, vol. III Jan 1881, p. 6 (Archives.org: https://archive.org/details/journalofderbysh03derb/page/n5/mode/2up/search/%22Burslem+Sparrow%22?q=%22Burslem+Sparrow%22)
• The National Archives: Letter: Eyton family.PART II.ESTATE AND FAMILY.Documents relating to persons outside the family and connections.Whitmore and Pennington families.Henrietta Pennington daughter of Henrietta & Joseph. friendship"

Held by: Shropshire Archives, Date: 14 October 1776, Reference: 665/5934 (https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q=John+Sparrow+Port+Ilam)

• King, PW. Black Country Mining before the Industrial Revolution, in Mining History - Bulletin of Peak District Mining History Society 16(6) (Winter 2007), pp. 34-49 (Acedemia.edu: https://www.academia.edu/11341041/Black_Country_mining_before_the_industrial_revolution?auto=download)