Richard 2nd Spann Family History

Richard Spann Family
England

Richard Spann/Spanne
b. 18 Aug 1624 perhaps in Bromborough, Cheshire Co., England
christened: 23 Aug 1624 Bromborough, Cheshire Co., England
d. about 1688 Bromborough, Cheshire Co., England

m. Dorcas Broster 1647 Bromborough, Cheshire, England*
b. about 1625 probably in Cheshire, England
d.
father: ? mother:

his father - Edward Spanne
his mother- Margaret Harvie /Harvey

Children
Katherin Spanne*	b. 19 Sep 1648 christened: 27 Sep 1648 Bromborough, Cheshire Co., England
Edward Spanne*	christened: 2 Oct 1650 Bromborough, Cheshire, England	d.1653
Joseph Spanne*	b. 27 Mar 1652 christened: 4 Apr 1652 Bromborough, Cheshire, England	d. ?
Mary Spanne*	b. 9 Mar 1654 christened: 26 Mar 1654 Bromborough, Cheshire, England
Elizabeth Spanne*	b. 4 Jan 1655 christened: 19 Jan 1655 Bromborough, Cheshire, England
Benjamin Spanne*	b. 20 Jan 1658 christened: 24 Jan 1658 Bromborough, Cheshire Co., England		m. Catherine Smyth before 1689
Easter Spanne*	b. 31 Mar 1660 christened: 8 Apr 1660 Bromborough, Cheshire Co., England
Jonathan Spanne*	b. 12 Mar 1662 Chester, Cheshire Co., England christened: 4 Apr 1662 Bromborough, Cheshire Co., England
Richard Spanne*	b. 1664 Bromborough, Cheshire, England christened: 1666

                                           *birth and christening records extracted from parish records. [LDS records]

Richard Spann appears to have been a man of means. He was able to have a private education for his sons before sending them off to college.   We know that Benjamin was sent to Trinity College in Dublin by 1674. I suspect that Jonathan would have had a similar education making it possible for him to become a ships captain.   It took money and position to give the sons and any other children a good start in life.   There are undoubtedly numerous documents that will be discovered to verify this privileged life-style. I am still in the process of trying to sort out the relationship that seems to be indicated by the proximity of these records. Any assistance would be appreciated.

1666, 27 May - I'm unsure about who Thomas Spanne in the following will be but there seems to be at least a marriage relationship between John Cowles and Thomas Spanne, gent. This could be the father of Richard or a brother of Benjamin.   It takes place in Chester county which could make them part of the family.

A will of John Cowles of Chester, innholder --- ref p20/26/4/ coy 19 Jul. 1682,
Devises lands in Holt to his sisters Alice, wife of Thomas Pasnich, and Kathrine, wife of Joseph Powell, to pay 53s. 4d. yearly for use of poor of Holt; prem. in Chester to wife Margret for life and after her death to Richard Minshull and William Wilson, with legacies to Thomas Cowles of London, gent., kinsman Matthew Cowles of Chester, blacksmith, and his wife, goddau. Sarah Cowles, dau of Matthew, Ann Cowles, mother of Matthew; prem. in Stanney, Upton, Boughton to Richard Minshull and William Wilson, with legacies to John Browne alias Cowles, testator's reputed son, and churchwardens of St. Werburgh, St. John, St. Peter, Holy Trinity, St. Mary, St. Martin, St. Michael, St. Bridget, St. Olave, for use of poor widows, and Farndon for use of poor; bequests to John Plimley of Woodchurch and his wife, Peter Royle of London, gent., brother Samuel Royle, children of Thomas Spanne, gent., alderman Minshull and his wife, Jane Hall and her grandchild William Dod, godson John Johnson.
Exors: Margret Cowles, Richard Minshull, Thomas Spanne, Wiliam Wilson.
Wit: Thomas Heath, Richard Johnson, Henery Burrowes.
[Church of England, Chester St Mary Parish, Cheshire, Cheshire and Chester Archives, UK archives network]

Although I'm still trying to comfirm the statement of Joe Spann about his brother, it probably is based in fact. Benjamin Spann's brother was Jonathan Spann commander of the British Navy in the Caribbean. [Joe Spann, "Ancestor of Capt John Spann", GenForum.com - January 06, 2003]

1673 - A will is filed for Thomas Spann in Chester county, a gentleman.
[Cheshire County archives, http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/recordoffice/wills]

1674, May 16 - Benjamin Span(Spanne) is listed as an alumni of Trinity College in Dublin who entered the school at age 17. The following statment gives his birth place as Bromborough, Cheshire and his father being Richard Span, "a private gentleman" and comes from the "Alumni Dublinenses" by Burtchaell and Sadleir, Dublin 1935 in the collection of the Trinity College Library. It is a register of graduates of Trinity College from 1593-1862. It was provided to me by Caoimhe Ní Ghormáin, Assistant Librarian, Manuscripts Department, Trinity College Library, Dublin.

"Span (Spanne), Benjamin, a Pensioner (fee-paying student), entered the college on 16 May 1674, aged 17. Prior to that he was educated by a Mr Golburne in Cheshire, England. He was born in Bromborough, Cheshire. He became a scholar in 1675. A scholar was a student awarded special privileges for high achievement in examinations. He graduated a Bachelor of Arts in the spring of 1678 and was awarded a Masters degree in the summer of 1681. Benjamin was the son of Richard, a private gentleman."
[Burtchaell and Sadleir, Alumni Dublinenses]

1678 - Richard Spanne is listed as a church warden, He is (named in the Preface to PR)
         [Cheshire Parish Register Project, http://www.csc.liv.ac.uk/~cprdb/]

Benjamin had "the cure of a parish" in County Longford, Ireland. [Joe Spann, "Captain John Spann (1689-1769)", Rootsweb.com. 15 Jun 2005]

1682, March 12 - There is a memo of a gift of 10s from Richard Spanne for use of the poor. It is in the file of the Church of England, Bromborough Parish, Cheshire. file C.M. B. P59/1/1 c 1580-1782. parchment bound volume, entries very irregular. [National Archives of the United Kingdom]

1688- Will is filed for Richard Spann of Bromborough, Cheshire co., a yeoman or land owner.
           [Cheshire County archives, http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/recordoffice/wills]

1712 - It is possible that Jonathan Spann, son of Richard, is the person who died and left a will.
           It is listed as "Will of Jonathan Spann, Captain of Her Majesty's Ship Rupert" in the Records of the Perogative Court of Canterbury, Quire number 137-178, [National Archive of UK].

1717- John Spanne is listed as a church warden;
         [Cheshire Parish Register Project, http://www.csc.liv.ac.uk/~cprdb/]

1728- Will is filed for Elizabeth Spann, widow, of Bromborough, Cheshire Co., UK.
           [Cheshire County archives, http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/recordoffice/wills]

1729, Dec 20 - PROBATE COPY of the Will of John Spann of Brumbrough, gent.

Jemima Spann his wife sole executrix. Will proved 20 Dec. 1729.
[National Archive of the UK. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/].

Sources:

Burtchaell and Sadleir, Alumni Dublinenses, Dublin 1935
Caoimhe Ní Ghormáin , Assistant Librarian, Manuscripts Department, Trinity College Library, Dublin.
Cheshire and Chester Archives, UK archives network - http://www.a2a.org.uk
Spann, Joe - records as given in emails on Genforum, various dates. 1999-2005 - jspann@pclc.lib.fl.us http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.spann/560/mb.ashx
LDS records, birth and christening records for Cheshire Co., England,
National Archive of the UK. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline

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