The English ancestry of Reinold and Matthew Marvin of Hartford, Ct ...

24 The English Ancestry of
our currency. In 1400 the Cavendishes had the presenta-
tion, and in 1457
it was held by Sir Gilbert Debenham.*
The Parish now has a small population, — less than 600 in
1895, when the Rev. William Fred. Clark was Rector.
The curious old Sparrow House, a building of great local
interest, famous for a secret chamber where Charles II was
once concealed, adjoins the Church; it was built in 1567,
after the Marvins had left the place ; some views of this
ancient edifice are to be found in the histories of the town,
and one of these has a glimpse of portions of St. Stephen's.
Many pictures of the interesting old buildings in Ipswich,
dating from the fifteenth century or earlier, will be found in
"In and About Ancient Ipswich." f It is said that no town
in England has more of these quaint and curious relics.
The only child of Roger and Matilda Marvin named in his
Will % is
2 John, 2 who was born about 1453, or possibly earlier, as will
be seen below.
ABSTRACT OF THE WILL OF ROGER MERVYN.
In Det Nomine, &men. I, Roger Mervyn, of Ipswich, on Sun-
day next after the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, 1475, do mak e my Will as follows : —
To be buried in the Parish Church of St. Stephen's, Ipswich.
To the high altar of the said Church, for my tithes forgotten, \\y.
\\\)d. ; for the repairs of the said Church, xxs.
* See " The History and Description of the Town and Borough of Ipswich," by G.
R. Clarke, Ipswich, 1830. t By Dr. J. E. Taylor, London, 1888.
t Suffolk Wills, recorded at Ipswich, Book II (1458-77), fo. 289.