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From Leveson to Leveson-Gower, 1598-1691
The Leveson family made several advantageous marriages in this period. Rachel Leveson, the sister of Sir Richard (1598-1661), married Richard Newport, 1st Baron Newport of High Ercall, and her correspondence with her brother provides a fascinating insight into social life in London during the seventeenth century. Sir Richard Leveson is remembered for his role in the Civil War in Staffordshire (1642-1646). The Sutherland Papers contain many documents relating to his involvement in the conflict, including letters he received from Sir Thomas Gower and his nephew Francis Newport (1619-1708), relating stories of military tactics and political developments. Sir Richard was closely associated with many prominent men of the time, including the antiquarian William Dugdale who sent letters and books to Sir Richard at Trentham Hall.
In 1631 Sir Thomas Gower, 2nd Baronet, (1605-1672) married Frances Leveson, the granddaughter of Sir John Leveson of Halling (1555-1615) and niece of Sir Richard (1598-1661). This marriage united Leveson wealth to one of England’s oldest families and created the surname Leveson-Gower which was first adopted by the couple’s second son Sir William Leveson-Gower (1636-1691). The early deaths of Sir William’s brother and nephew (the 3rd Baronet) made him the sole heir to his father. He was also, in his own right, the ultimate beneficiary of the will of his great-uncle Sir Richard (1598-1661), from whom he received the Leveson family estates in Staffordshire and Shropshire. Sir William married Lady Jane Granville, the daughter of the 1st Earl of Bath in 1669. Trentham Hall was named as the site of a treasonable conspiracy in the 1680s when Sir William Leveson-Gower was accused of colluding with the Duke of Monmouth. Legal documents in the Sutherland Papers convey the atmosphere of suspicion and fear of rebellion which overshadowed the end of the seventeenth century.
Click on the links below to learn about the Leveson-Gower family in the seventeenth century.
 Browse from Leveson to Leveson-Gower documents in the Sutherland Papers
Sir Richard Leveson (1598-1661)
Click here to see documents relating to Sir Richard Leveson (1598-1661)
Click here to read a brief biography of Sir Richard Leveson (1598-1661)
Sir Thomas Gower, 2nd Baronet Gower of Stittenham (1605-1672)
Click here to see documents relating to Sir Thomas Gower (1605-1672)
Click here to read a brief biography of Sir Thomas Gower (1605-1672)
Sir William Leveson-Gower, 4th Baronet Gower of Stittenham (1636-1691)
Click here to see documents relating to Sir William Leveson-Gower (1636-1691)
Click here to read a brief biography of Sir William Leveson-Gower (1636-1691)
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