The Everall Family in Shropshire.

The origins of the name “Everall” are uncertain. The first part was probably from either “efer” meaning “wild boar” or from “ofer” meaning “a defensive site on a hill top” and the second part from “halh” meaning “nook or pocket or enclosed space. The earliest record found so far occurred in the index of wills in the court books of the Bishop of Hereford. On 10^th October 1472, the will of Johannes Tedur of Pontesbury was proved at Pontesbury and the executor was one Thomas Everall. At the same time, the will of William Adamys of Pontesbury was also proved and the executors were John Adamys and Richard Everall.

In the sixteenth century, the evidence is incomplete since most of the parish registers do not start as early as this. Still what evidence there is suggests that most of the family lived to the north-west of the Long Mynd and many of them were probably engaged in sheep farming. The area in which the earliest records for the Everalls were found lay mainly in the valley between the Long Mynd and the Stiperstones. Pontesbury is one of the exceptions and these records show the presence of a family of Everalls living in the parish. There were also other Everalls living in the nearby parishes for which we do not have early records.

The Lay Subsidy of 1524 was levied on everyone with goods or lands worth £40 or more. Two Everalls appeared in it, suggesting the others were (or appeared to be) less wealthy. John Everall and Thomas Everall paid the 1524 subsidy in Plealey and the 1525 subsidy in Pontesbury - probably they moved into Pontesbury between these dates. However there are many gaps in the surviving Subsidy records, so other Everalls may have been taxed whose records have since been lost. A John Everall was buried in Pontesbury in 1540, probably the John Everall who appeared in the 1624 & 1625 Subsidy lists. He was probably born in the 1480s.

The records for Pontesbury commenced in 1538 and Hugh Everall (born around 1540) and his family were resident there between 1568 and 1637. Some of them may have moved to Ludlow (between 1617 and 1628) and Habberley (between 1617 and 1629).
Robert Everall of Alberbury made his will on 9th October 1552. The executors were his wife Elizabeth and his son John. The beneficiaries were his sons Richard, Edward the elder, Edward the younger, and his grandchildren - Elyzabeth daughter of Richard Everall and Hugh son of Edward Everall. The witnesses included Thomas Alcoke, Vicar of Alberbury, and Edward Everall. Thomas Everall of the Stytt made his will on 8th March 1559.

Some Shrewsbury records started early enough to give information about this period. The Shrewsbury Burgess Roll included two sons of William Everall of Stapleton, yeoman - Thomas Everall, shoemaker, who became a burgess in 1579 and his brother Richard Everall, glover, who became a burgess in 1581. The Stapleton registers also mentioned a Robert Everall who married Alice Poyner in Stapleton in June 1581, and died in the spring of 1597 since an inventory, dated 1st April 1597, for a Robert Everall “recently deceased” has survived - it showed goods to the value of £12-8-10d. Anne Everall, widow, who was buried in Smethcote in August 1613 may have been William’s widow. Sylvanus Everall, born around 1665, moved from the Wentnor, Norbury area into Shrewsbury where he worked as a glover.

Rychard Everall of the Stytt made his will on 20th August 1581. He mentioned three children (Henry, Rowland and Alys) and his wife as well as brothers Rowland and Wylliam and a son-in-law George Wellyns.

One centre for the family was the Beach Farm, which lies on the side of Linley Hill looking across the valley to the Stiperstones. The parish of More was just on the English side of the border with Wales in a very vulnerable position when there was raiding across the border. Many properties, including the Beach, belonged to Haughmond Abbey and on at least one occasion the Beach had to be rebuilt following a Welsh incursion. In 1546 it belonged to William Acton and in 1583 Edward Gethyn sold it to Robert More of Linley Hall for £226-13-4d.

The Beach Farm in More.

John Everall (born around 1560), his wife Alice, and his family moved into the Beach about 1585, but were not the first tenants. He was followed at the Beach by his son Richard (born around 1586) and his son Richard (born 1622). His son Robert (born 1650) married Joan Sankey from Cardington and the family split between the Beach and farms in Cardington/Leebotwood, while Robert’s younger brother Jonathan (born 1654) moved to Bridgnorth. Robert’s eldest son, another Robert (born 1677) remained at the Beach while his brothers Richard and John (born 1680) moved to Leebotwood. John’s eldest son John remained in Leebotwood, while his younger brothers Francis (born 1721) and Edward (born 1723) moved to Woolstaston and the youngest brother Benjamin (born 1733) moved to Condover.

Robert’s son Robert (born 1706) lived at the Beach and raised a large family. His son Robert (born 1742) lived at Hyssington and Shelve and was drowned in a flood near his home so that his son John was born in 1778, after his father’s death and later lived at the Nind in More. His family remained at the Nind for many years, but his grandson John (born 1841) moved to the Brow Farm in Norbury.

Robert’s brother John (born 1744) lived in More and Shrewsbury and his son Robert (born 1786) lived at Yew Tree Farm in Hyssington. The third brother Richard (born 1749) lived at the Beach with his wife Margaret. Richard’s eldest son, another Richard (born circa 1778) lived at the Ridge Farm while his youngest son Thomas (born 1801) left the Beach and lived at Leebotwood and later at Halford. Thomas’ daughter Elizabeth (born 1829) was my great-grandmother and I have information about her children Thomas (born 1849), Lucy (born 1854), Alfred (born 1865) and my grandmother Alice (born 1869).

Another branch of the family was found in Woolstaston, starting with Thomas Everall (born around 1620, possibly in Wentnor) in 1647. His son William Everall moved to the next parish, Leebotwood and his sons Thomas and Richard remained there. Richard’s eldest son Peter Everall returned to Hall farm, Woolstaston in the 1770s and his younger son Richard remained in Leebotwood. Thomas’s son Charles Everall moved to Acton Burnell and his other sons remained in Leebotwood. Richard Everall of Longnor was born around 1785, but his baptism has not been found.

Woolstaston Church.

Another branch, starting with another John Everall (born around 1649) and his wife Mary, moved from Halford and Sibdon Carwood to Wentnor and finally to Ratlinghope. Daniel Everall had been in Ratlinghope before this, but none of his children survived. William Everall, a son of John’s, settled in Hope Bagot, but it was his son Nicholas Everall who remained in Ratlinghope and had a large family. Two of Nicholas’ sons remained in the Ratlinghope area - they were Samuel Everall and John Everall. A third son, Edward Everall, moved to Culmington.

Before this, the family was found in Wentnor and Ratlinghope. William Everall of the Cotes was born around 1550 and made his will in 1608. His widow Johane made her will in 1620 and this gave more information about the family. William’s eldest son Rowland Everall lived at The Overs and was there in 1625 while his widow Margaret was still living there in 1637 when she made her will. John Everall of Wentnor, born around 1570, may also have been living at the Overs when he made his will in 1631.

Looking towards Ratlinghope from the Cotes.