In London, Francis Jermy, generally described latterly as being 'of St Margaret's, Westminster', must have become sufficiently well off by about 1720 to ensure his children would (through the later guidance of their mother and/or Roger Furner) receive adequate educations and apprenticeships - although not at University or Inns of Court level. His eldest son Francis Jermy completed an apprenticeship in Bookbinding (between about 1718 and 1724) which he must have soon abandoned for he somehow took up a career in banking and commerce and apparently before 1730 was operating as a 'Factor’ in the English settlement in Legorno, Italy - where he did very well. (One is curious to know how he made this unlikely transition as a 28 year old Bookbinder in London, around 1726, say, to a Banker in Italy which would require considerable financial backing from the start.) He was to live there until 1781, aged about 73, and left a considerable amount, although no major property. He never married.
In his Will (written 4 June 1781), it is noteworthy that he described himself as ‘Francis Jermy, Esq - the eldest son and heir of Francis Jermy, Esq of Haynford , Norfolk, deceased…”. That is, he was then quite aware of his father’s origins and thus one wonders what he knew of his former life and of his own descent and legitimacy? He left between 200 and 1000 ‘Tenkins’ each (an Italian currency then?) to two Earls (Tylney and Cowper), a Baronet (Horace Mann), a Countess Agostini and a Naval friend - Charles Proby, Esq - ‘His Majesty’s Commissioner at Chatham, Kent’ (each of whom may well have placed business Francis’s way), as well as a noteworthy £1000 and the residue of his estate to the latter man’s son - Henry Francis Proby (if he added the Arms and surname of Jermy to his own - which he soon did - aged just 12, while at Westminster School). He also left £500 Sterling to ‘Mrs Elizabeth Denn of Garveston, Norfolk - only child of my brother John Jermy, late Captain in H.M. Navy’. He asked that his houses at Monte Nero with vinyards, cattle, etc be let out annually and the rent devoted to paying a Clergyman to officiate at the English Chapel in Legorno; and his boxes at two theatres there be available to British subjects and the poor. By a Codicil of 27 Oct 1781, he left an amazing £5000 (!) to John Udny Snr - the Consul at Legorno - and £500 to John Udney Jnr - the Vice Consul - just 3 days before he died - ‘at 11 o’clock in the morning of 30 Oct 1781’. The Will was ‘opened and made public’ that same day and he was buried in the English Cemetery in Legorno on November 1st - by John Udney. A marble Obelisk with inscription was to be erected. (Is it still there and what did it say?)
The next day - 2 Nov 1781 - a diary entry or letter was written by one Maj Gen Henry Pringle (see Pringle Colln, Soc of Gen - Letters 1747-82) thus: “At Leghorn - On board ship: ‘Three days ago there died in this town, Mr Francis Jeremy (sic) a Banker and Merchant (the principal one here) who has been making money here these past 55 years - yet died worth only about £30,000. He had few relations - to whom he has left nothing* - but bequeathed it to friends - the most part to a son of Admiral Proby, because the Admiral, when in Command in the Mediterranean, was ‘useful’ to him. He also left £5500 to the Consul here - a Mr Udney - whom he did not know above 4 or 5 years. He was buried yesterday and, as he had never been married, we all got white silk scarfs.” [My gratitude to Isabelle Charlton for this item.] It seems ironical that our story began around 1200 in coastal Kessingland with a Thomas ‘Jeremy’ and ends as we approach 1800 with this same mis-spelling - and, again, in a port. [* In fact, he did leave a little to some of his family.]
His Will was proved twice: first locally - on 18 Dec 1781 on the Oath of one of the Executors - Charles Proby Snr - and then in London - on 23 Feb 1782 - on the Oath of the other Executor - John Udny Snr, the previous Consul. Clearly, this last of the Jermys (aware of the family Arms and thus possibly of his place at the end of their ancient lineage) was a most succesful man in his own sphere and very well off - thereby proving Gunton, in the final analysis, to be the equal of the other Norfolk branch - that of Bayfield (both financially and in longevity) - after a few setbacks and detours along the way!
Thus Francis Jermy died just a decade before Frances Michell (nee Preston) was to do in London (1791) and so any rights he may have had as being ‘nearest in blood’ to William Jermy of that Bayfield line that year didn’t arise - if he was even aware or concerned of this possibility - eg if he had had any son, say. One wonders however what the legality of any such inheritance would be - for an illegitimate heir then - even if his paternity was seemingly admitted and widely accepted. The same would apply to any male issue of his two brothers. In any case, this Francis Jermy appears to be the last male of the ancient family of Jermy - of any branch - that we have traced from about 1200.
The youngest brother Edward William Jermy became a legal clerk and/or attorney’s writer - probably around 1730 or so. He appears to have died, unmarried, by the 1770s (being unmentioned in his older brother’s Will.) He was described in a legal document of 1752 as ‘late of Salter’s Hall, City of London’. The London daughter of Francis - Diana Jermy - apparently married firstly (c1732) one Paul Loot van Schooten of St Paul’s, Covent Garden - a bachelor, aged about 22, and later to a ?Richard Ferryman - who also pre-deceased her - she being a widow before 1752 when described similarly as ‘Mrs Diana Ferryman - late of Red Lyon Street, Holborn’. She too is not mentioned in the 1781 Will. The first marriage was to follow a marriage licence application by her and her then guardian - one Benjamin Scott of St Mary le Savoy (a Grocer) - dated 22 Feb 1731/32, when she was 19 and still of St Margaret’s, Westminster - to marry at St Mary’s or at All Hallows the Wall. (This yet to be confirmed) During the litigation of 1752, both she and her brother Edward were described (wrongly it would appear) as being of lowly circumstances whereas they convinced the Court of their bona fides and that they were, in fact, both then of genteel and middling status - having much assisted their brother John’s daughter during her minority. Presumably, they continued to care for her over the following decade - somewhere in or near the City - before she married there - in 1763 (see below).
That middle brother John Jermy (born in 1710) had several apprenticeship experiences (ca 1721-25) in such as Clog-making/Shoemaking (one in Leicestershire) before he tried his hand at the Navy - in 1726 - where he too prospered. (It may be noteworthy that just after he died, Francis’s sons were placed in such relatively ‘working class’ trades - suggesting that his wife wasn’t left that well off. However, by their own initiative (and inherited abilities?), they seem to have eventually realised their truer potentials. We may recall that another John Jermy - he possibly of the Yarmouth family - was apparently marrying and trying to survive - eg in a southern part of rural mid-England - about this same time (1730s) - without benefit of even that level of apprenticeship.)
The London John was also married about then - to one Salome Hely - when in port at Wapping in 1738 (she possibly the sister of a fellow seaman?). They had their only child - the daughter Elizabeth Jermy - in 1741 before John, as first a Lieutenent (1742) and later Captain (1745), R.N., served with distinction in several actions in the Navy. (See article by Kenneth Jermy in the Norfolk Ancestor - Sept 1987.) He later had an address in London on Park Street, Grosvenor Square. His last posting was as Captain of a Sloop of War - ‘the Swan’, and while sailing off the coast of Africa, became ill and wrote his Will on 28 Aug 1751, dying a few days later (between the deaths of Elizabeth and William Jermy of the disputed Will). He left his estate to his only child Elizabeth (including £1750 in Bank Stocks and Annuities), with his brother Edward and sister Diana named as joint guardians. This Will (not proved until 2 June 1752 after an initial Administration in March before the Will was found) was later challenged - unsuccessfully - by relatives of John’s deceased wife (c1752-54). It is interesting to recall that this was the same period when William Jermy’s Will was also being actively considered - in Norfolk - by Isaac Preston - vis a vis John Jermy of Yarmouth, as well as by the Mallisons and Lacams. Did any of them know about this London off-shoot of the Jermy family? Or, indeed, about any John Jermy in Oxfordshire having one or more sons there?
Capt John Jermy’s daughter Elizabeth Jermy was married - on 15 Dec 1763 - to one Christopher Jeffries Denn - in All Hallows Staining, London. They likely met in London through the auspices of her guardians. He was of a non-gentry family of Shipdham and Garveston, Norfolk (neighbouring parishes in the south-west of that county) who nevertheless held some property. Their families' mutual origins in Norfolk was probably a pure coincidence, however - this part of the county having no relevance at all to the landed Jermys and Elizabeth having no former contacts with that county at all. Christopher, who was born to Thomas and Mary Denn on 22 June 1736 in Shipdham, Norfolk, appears to have fallen out with his father who, nevertheless, did consider Elizabeth in his Will - dated 11 Jan 1764, in which he states: “…and whereas my son Christopher Jeffries Denn is lately married, but greatly indebted to me, I now, in order to make some provision for his said wife, do hereby - on his payment to my Executors hereafter named the sum of £300 - give and bequeath to the said Christopher and his heirs, but not otherwise, all that my messuage and lands belonging thereto situated in Shipdham - subject nevertheless to such Settlement as I may make thereof to his said wife, or to some other person in trust for her…. And I also give and bequeath (via his Executors) rent from my land in East Dereham for the benefit of…(his own daughter Mary Hall, a widow, and to a son-in-law (?name) and the remainder of my estate to my two (older) sons Thomas and William Denn…”. It was witnesses by a Robert and Elizabeth Denn (possibly his brother and sister-in-law) and a Rhoda ?Storland). He died 11 Aug 1767 and was buried in Shipdham - the Will proved Oct 8th that year. (Note: A ‘Geoffrey Denn’ was buried in Garveston on 20 Oct 1796 - described as ‘from Shipdham’. A Will in this name was written on 13 Oct 1795 and proved 22 Oct 1796 but appears not to be that of Christopher Jeffries Denn; it may have been that of an older cousin. It has not yet been read.)
One wonders if Christopher ever re-paid the £300 owed to his father or if there was any issue of this union. Elizabeth was described as being of Garveston in the Will of her uncle in 1781 but there appears to be no relevant burials subsequently registered locally for either Christopher or Elizabeth Denn (this needs confirmation). They may have returned to the London area after this - Elizabeth's £500 giving her at least additional independence. But, whenever and wherever she died, she appears to be the very last Jermy - born as such - at least of the Norfolk Jermys (but possibly of the entire family) - and may have lived into the early 1800s. Did she leave a Will ? I shall try to locate one. [No, not of the entire family. I have recently discovered that a descendant of Capt Seth Jermy (and of his son also Seth) - one Anne Jermy, spinster - born the same year as Elizabeth (1741) seemingly, lived until 1810, leaving a Will. She may have died in Bath - quite possibly the very last Jermy of this ancient family. One wonders if she appreciated that? Further details are shown near the end of the section on the Later Jermys of Suffolk.]
[NB A Will has now been located - at least for an 'Elizabeth Denn, Widow' - dated not at Shipdham or Garveston, Norfolk but in Dulwich, Surrey - on 5th July 1787, with a Codicil of 17th April 1788. It was proved in London (PCC) on 11th February 1789 by her Executrix - one Mary Morland, spinster - whom she described as her 'great niece'. This indicates that Elizabeth probably died in about January 1789 and thus didn't quite extend the Norfolk Jermys into the 1800s - as suggested. As the Elizabeth Jermy who married Christopher J. Denn was born in 1741, she would be aged just 46 when she wrote such a Will in 1787. To have a great niece old enough to be named her Executrix that year - at say 21 or so (and so born no later than 1765) - implies that the latter lady's mother or father - ie Elizabeth's nephew or niece - would themselves have to be about the same age as Elizabeth - ie born about 1740. Normally, this would imply that she had a sibling, a sister say, born about 20 years before her (possibly to a first wife of her father) - in about 1720 or so - who later married a Mr Morland - around 1741 say and then had Elizabeth's nephew - as eg a John Morland - ca 1742 (making him slightly younger than Elizabeth). It would be the daughter of such a nephew, born about 1764, say, who could represent Elizabeth's great niece and executrix Mary Morland. The difficulty here is that as far as we know, Elizabeth Jermy had no such sibling or half-sibling, either older or otherwise - whether sister or brother. Moreover, her father would not be old enough to marry before 1730 or so and certainly not by 1720. On this basis at least, we would seem to have the wrong Elizabeth Denn.
However, while the Will sadly includes no references whatsoever to link her with the Jermy family of Norfolk (all then deceased) or even to her deceased husband's family (the Denns), or their Norfolk origins (directly), there is one intriguing reference in the Will to a Hannah Young (to whom she leaves a small bequest). She is described as 'the daughter of David Long of Shipdam (sic) in Norfolk' (more typically spelt 'Shipdham'). The reference to Shipdham, the very parish where her husband's family resided seems on the face of it too unlikely to be accounted for by anything other than that the Elizabeth of this Will was indeed the Elizabeth Jermy who married into the Denn family of that same parish - albeit in London. Further support for this view is provided when one examines the Will of Christopher J. Denn's father Thomas Denn in which he refers not only to Christopher's then recently acquired wife but, crucially, to his own son-in-law 'David Long'. The only way that this might not be the case, would be if one of Thomas Denn's other sons (or one of his brother's sons?) had also married an Elizabeth - who, on being widowed herself (ca 1770s, say), then resided in Dulwich - to be known similarly (and appropriately) as 'Elizabeth Denn, Widow'. If such a brother was older than Christopher, it may provide greater scope for such as nephews and great-nieces to be rather younger than their aunt and great aunt (who might be born by 1730, say) than seems the case where the Elizabeth concerned was indeed nee Jermy and born only in 1741.
In either case, it would be most useful if we could identify (and place within her family) the various legatees referred to in the Will of this Elizabeth Denn, Widow of Dulwich, in addition to Hannah Young and her siblings. To this end, a Vicar-General marriage licence allegation in respect of an intended union in 1762 between a bride and groom with the surnames Morland and Wheatley, respectively, could provide us with possible clues in this regard - as should become clear after the essential detail of the Will (shorn of its legalese) has been perused as below:
The Will begins: "THIS is the Last Will and Testament of me Elizabeth Denn of Dulwich in the County of Surrey, Widow, made this 5th day of 1787...etc ". She then leaves £50 to two Trustees - her Great-niece Mary Morland [of where sadly not given] and her good friend John Pond of Dulwich - upon Trust for Hannah Young - daughter of David Young, late of Shipdam, Norfolk, deceased. She also leaves another £80 via the same two Trustees - for any other children of David Long. [As mentioned, this man was also mentioned in the Will of Christopher Denn's father Thomas - as 'his son-in-law' - implying he had married one of his daughters. This appears to have been Hannah, born to Thomas in Shipdham in 1725.] She leaves £20 to her Great-nephew John Morland, eldest son of her Nephew John Morland, a Cabinetmaker of Shadwell, near Wapping and Stepney in London. The above Hannah Young (nee Long) would be Elizabeth's 'niece' (in-law) but oddly this relationship term is never used for her, while such terms (presumably also of 'in-law' implication) are frequently used with respect to her apparent Morland 'relations'.]
She then directs that her two Trustees purchase Capital Stock in Public Funds of an amount that will produce £49 a year interest (although does not specify from what source she leaves them the money to do so). [This annual interest would require capital of about £1250 at that time; we may recall that Elizabeth Jermy's father Capt John Jermy left her about £1500 (and her uncle Francis Jermy another £500) that would likely cover this - possibly also held in such Stock via her guardians.] The £49 per annum is then to provide Three Annuities - of £25, £10 and £14, respectively - for her Niece Rhoda Wheatley, her Nephew John Morland Snr of Shadwell, and for the latter's younger children (for their education). Rhoda Wheatley was also to get a one-off payment of £10 for her own use. [This often implies that she was then married (and thus was not born a Wheatley) and her husband was not to have access to such funds. Was she nee Morland and was it her marriage that was the subject of a Marriage Licence application in these two surnames in 1762? This proved to be the case: a Rhoda Morland (born in 1738 to a Charles Morland in St Botolph's Aldgate) married a William Wheatley (born 1741 and of Warley, Essex) in St Mary's Whitechapel (a neighbouring parish) on 2 Sept 1762, the day after obtaining the marriage licence. On the deaths of her Niece and Nephew (Rhoda Wheatley and John Morland Snr), their respective Annuities were to provide £20 to each of their children, as they reached 21 (excepting John's eldest son - John Jnr (her Great-nephew).
Finally, she refers to her Great-nephew - yet another John Morland - of Birmingham, Warwickshire - to whom she leaves £100 as well as cancelling a debt he owes her of £50 or, if he happens to have paid this off (with interest) before her decease, she leaves him a further $50 in any case. She then leaves the residue of her estate to Mary Morland and names her as the Executrix of her Will. Before adding a Codicil about 10 months later, she signed the foregoing Will (witnessed by two seeming friends Sarah Miller and Sarah Steel) and afixes her Seal (on the original, not yet seen; could this prove useful in identifying her - if it includes any remnants of the Jermy Arms, say)?
In the Codicil dated 17th April 1788, she directs that in the event that her Great-niece Mary Morland, named as her Trustee, Executrix and Residual legatee, should pre-decease her, then her Great-nephew John Morland of Birmingham shall replace her in all such duties and benefits. She also directs that whomever is in this position shall apply an additional £10 to the care and maintenance of the youngest daughter (unnamed) of John Morland of Shadwell - she being of a weak and infirm condition. She again signs and seals the Will - with the same two witnesses. It was proved in London just under a year later by Mary Morland, Spinster - on 11th Feb 1789. We may assume that Elizabeth Denn died a few weeks at most before this date although her date and place of burial have yet to be discovered. Her burial wasn't in the parish church (St Giles, Camberwell) in which parish Dulwich then fell. If ill latterly, she may have moved in with her nephew in Shadwell and the local parish church there can be checked for her possible final resting place (and thus that of the Jermys). A Chapel burial ground at Dulwich College is another possibility. [The parish church at Shadwell has now been checked; she wasn't buried there. Two other churches in that area may prove relevant (St Dunstan's and St George's East) as two of the Morland family resided nearby and any of these churches may have been used.]
[Since writing the foregoing, further relevant data has been found: the third witness of the Will of Thomas Denn proved not to be a Rhoda 'Storland' (as originally deciphered) but, significantly, Rhoda Morland. She was, however, not the Rhoda Morland who married William Wheatley in 1762 (to become Rhoda Wheatley - Elizabeth's married Niece), since Thomas's Will was witnessed - by a Rhoda Morland - in 1764. Rather, she was the spinster Aunt of the latter Rhoda and had left her own Will - written and proved in 1779 - when she resided in Stepney, near Shadwell. Usefully, she refers in her Will to many of the same people (Morlands) as would be mentioned by Elizabeth Denn 10 years later. This clarified a number of relationships and identities (see resume to be added below) but still does not allow us to be completely certain as to the identity of Elizabeth Denn, widow - of the 1787 Will. In addition, it appears that her fellow witnesses in 1764 - Robert and Elizabeth Denn - had a son Jeffries Denn in a City parish in 1723 and possibly another - Christopher Denn - in about 1725 who, with a wife Elizabeth, had a son Samuel Denn baptised in neighbouring St Mary's Whitechapel in 1752. It would seem that, for some reason, Thomas's brother Robert and his wife, plus Rhoda Morland, either came up to Norfolk to witness Thomas's Will in 1764 or, more likely, they did so in London where Thomas had it written up while visiting his brother. In either case, it implies some kind of relationship between the Morlands and the Denns at or before this point. There was one daughter of Thomas - an Anne Denn - not otherwise accounted for who could, conceivably be the link between them. The latter Norfolk family seem to have had contacts and some members active in the same area as the Morlands - that is, on the eastern edge of the City. Elizabeth Jermy and/or her guardians must also have known members of these same two families - ie in London. But awkwardly, she may not have been the only Elizabeth in this category - who could have been widowed (as a Denn) before 1787. The possession of the considerable funds disbursd by this Elizabeth would however seem to favour the Jermy identity.
The two forenames - Christopher and Jeffries - were (rather unusually) given by Robert's apparent brother Thomas to his own son - 'Christopher Jeffries Denn' - in 1736. If this was the case, it could allow the Elizabeth who was the widow of the elder Christopher (as a member of the Shipdham family), to represent the lady whose Will was proved in 1789 as much as she who was nee Jermy (assuming any issue the former may have had (as eg Samuel) had died beforehand, as no children are mentioned. [Note: There was as mentioned a Will proved in Norwich in 1796 in the name of a Geoffry Denn which might prove useful (as yet unread).] Whichever Elizabeth wrote the 1787 Will, there would have to be a marriage between one of the Denn daughters (in the same generation as that of the two Christophers) and a male Morland - eg one of the brothers of Rhoda Morland of the 1779 Will - seemingly born in the 1720s or '30s. Clearly, more information is needed concerning the marriage partners of the latter men in order finally to clarify this confusing situation one way or another. If the 1787 Will turns out not to be that of Elizabeth nee Jermy, we may have to search for a later Will or Wills - for her and/or her husband - in the PCC Will indexes for post-1800. These were previously not indexed within first letters of surnames (as they had been for some time for the 1700s) and thus very tedious to check but, usefully, they have now all been fully indexed. There was only one possibly relevant Will - for an Elizabeth Denne (spelt thus) after 1800, but sadly she was not the Elizabeth being sought. But, as mentioned, there is in any case little or no scope for any Will of the former Elizabeth Jermy to make reference to anything that pertains to the family of whom she may well not have realised she was possibly the last surviving member. [No; an Anne Jermy, spinster, who died in 1810, now appears to be the last certain Jermy of the ancient landed family (of the Suffolk branch via the Wighton and London offshoots), although both she and Elizabeth were apparently born the same year - 1741.]