Clement-Jones family 12/22 - Person Sheet
Clement-Jones family 12/22 - Person Sheet
NameWilliam MORLEY, 1966
Birth1653
Death1679
FatherCol Harbert or Herbert MORLEY MP , 1965 (1615-1667)
MotherMary TREVOR , 1964 (1626-1656)
Spouses
Birth1657
FatherGeorge CLARKE , 11394
MotherElizabeth PALMER , 11395
Marriage1671
ChildrenAnna , 11397 (-1679)
Notes for William MORLEY
Died of Smallpox.

Bequeathed Glynde to his cousin John Trevor IV, with a life interest to his widow.

When Glynde was built at the end of the 1560s, it was the centre of an estate that had been held by the Morleys for four centuries. A previous William Morley, mixed local flint with bricks as materials with which to construct his house. The original house was laid out so as to surround a courtyard and externally has changed very little. The inside, chiefly the entrance hall, was remodeled in the mid-1780s by Richard Trevor, Bishop of Durham and younger brother of the 1st Viscount of the 1776 creation.

Morley emulated his father’s generosity to evicted ministers by taking into his household a preacher named Zachary Smith, who became his chaplain and died at Glynde shortly before himself. He was returned to the first Exclusion Parliament for Lewes, five miles from Glynde, and was marked ‘honest’ on Shaftesbury’s list. From his lodgings in Threadneedle Street he seems to have attended Parliament regularly, being appointed to the committee of elections and privileges on 18 Mar. 1679. He was in the House for the Sunday session on 11 May, at which it was resolved to bring in an exclusion bill, when he was taken ill with smallpox. He evidently sent word of his illness on the next day, for he was given leave to go into the country, but he was too ill to leave his lodgings, where he died 11 days later, the last of the family. Nevertheless he was listed as voting for the committal of the bill on 21 May. Subject to the interest of his wife and infant daughter (who did not long outlive him), he bequeathed all his property to his cousin on the mother’s side, the son of John Trevor, to the detriment of his aunt’s husband, John Fagg I, with whom he had quarrelled over another inheritance. Trevor immediately established his claim in Chancery, and in October married Morley’s widow. Their son, John Morley Trevor, was MP for Sussex 1705-8 and Lewes 1712-19.2

From the National Archives

William fell sick of smallpox in May 1679 during his attendance at the Commons as M.P. for Lewes. He is reported to have said to Dame Anna Dethick 'It was strange grandmother that I should give instructions for the making of my will on Fryday and should fall sick on the Sunday.' He died on 20 May 1679 at the house of Mr. Farmer in Threadneedle Street, London, having bequeathed by his will (15 May 1679, proved 31 May), his estate to his young daughter Anna, then to his wife Elizabeth for life with remainder to his cousin John Trevor IV. Immediately, on 30 May 1679, John Trevor filed a bill in Chancery against Elizabeth Morley, Anna Morley, Sir John Fagg and Mary his wife, to prevent their contesting the will and to rebutt their allegations that there were 'diverse ill and undue meanes used in and about the procuring and obtayning the said pretended writing' and that the testator was not of sound mind when he made the will. The outcome was favourable for Trevor; Anna Morley died and was buried 19 August 1679 and he married the widow on 23 October 1679 thus enjoying Glynde during her lifetime instead of waiting for her death before his remainder could take effect.
Last Modified 18 Apr 2014Created 4 Mar 2023 using Reunion for Macintosh