Reveal, Revell, Revill Study
Revell of Derbyshire
The visitation of the Heralds in 1569 makes the Derby families descend from Simon third son of Sir William Revel, Bart., John the elder son of John the progenitor of the family, who came into Derbyshire in the 14th century. In Glover's Derbyshire mention is made of Francis Revell, Esq., as one of the Committee of Sequestrators appointed by Parliament for Derbyshire, 31st of March, 1643. The other members were Sir John Curzon, Sir John Gell, Bart., Sir John Coke, Knight, Nath. Hallowes, Esq., and James Abney, Esq. In British Museum Records No. 6705, page 103, and 6672, page 409, dated May 15, 1504, are copies of all papers of interest kept at Carnfield Hall made by permission of Col. Tristram Revell of Carnfield and signed by J. Reynolds, 15 Feb'y, 1777. Source: An Historical Narrative of the Ely, Revell and Stacye Families
The following research completed by Stanley C. Taylor(b.1905) before his death.
The arms of Revell of Carnfield, Derbyshire were granted in 1569.
Ermine on a chevron gules three mullets
or within a bordure engrailed sable all
within another compony of the third and fourth
The name Revill is not one which originates within the county of Derbyshire, but is, nevertheless, frequently to be found within its borders. The reason seems to be the migration of John, son of Simon Revell, from the West Midlands in the 15th century. Simon was allegedly the third son of Sir William Revell of Newbold Revell Warwickshire, although proof is lacking. Sir William Dugdale, historian, mentions the two elder brothers of Sir William, but not Simon. Chaloner's pedigree of 1613 (Derby MS 6341) gives a quite different descent - albeit from the same family - whereby a younger son in the 15th century married an heiress of the otherwise unknown Doveridge branch of the Folchers.
The first of the family in Derbyshire about whom we know anything positive is John Revell's son, Thomas, who served as Sergeant-at-Law, and who died about 1474. He was of Derby and Carnfield, where the family's ancient seat, Carnfield Hall, still stands, and married an heiress who brought to him an estate at Higham.
Their eldest son was of Ogston Hall, the oldest parts of which date from about this period and he founded a line which remained there until 1706, when William Revell of Ogston died, leaving two sisters and heiresses. Mary, the elder married Richard Turbutt, who inherited the Ogston estate and whose descendants held it until quite recently. Nevertheless the intervening generations had lacked nothing in fecundicity and surviving younger sons abounded in most generations. One founded a line of farmers which settled at Hognaston in 1569 and another started a dynasty at Coal Aston in 1598. A further branch stemming from Thomas, second son of John, first of Ogston, settled at Scarcliffe¹, farming there until about 1700. Others of Thomas's blood were of Revell Farm, Woolley¹, close to Ogston, and at Wooley Moor - both well into the last century. There was also a junior branch of the Ogston Revells settled at Normanton in the 16th century, as was the posterity of John, a natural son of Robert Revell of Ogston, living 1550.
Hugh Revell, third son of Thomas the sergeant-at-law, died in 1504 as Lord of Carnfield. His younger son held Shirland, the elder, succeeding to Carnfield. There were also Randle Revell and Joan Tansley acknowledged by Hugh as his bastards - something of a tradition in this branch of the Revell family. The legitimate male line ended in 1639, with the decease of Hugh's great-great grandson Edward. However, by Alice Adiman, a lady who apparently hailed from Lancashire, he left as his declared, Francis Adamant (or Adiman) alias Revell, and a daughter, Mary. The latter married Randolph Ashenhurst of Beard Hall, and her brother, to the exclusion of the legitimate heir, Tristram, son of Adam Revell, a cousin, succeeded to Carnfield being granted the family arms differenced with a bordure compony. His second wife, incidentally, was the daughter of a direct ancestor of the later Sir Clough Williams-Ellis. This branch ended in 1748 on the death of Rev. Francis Revell, rector of South Normanton and vicar of Youlgreave. He left a natural daughter by a Miss Barber, and yet another by a sister of Heath, the Derby banker who also bore him a son, the later Col. Tristram Revell, alias Heath, who succeeded to Carnfield - again to the exclusion of a cousin: this time Edward Revell of Heath who died in 1770. Col. Tristam Revell died without issue, legitimate or otherwise, in 1797, and the estates, by this time much reduced and encumbered, passed via a distant heiress to the Wilmots.
Despite the constant failures in the legitimate male line of the Carnfield Revells, younger sons survived and left posterity at Brampton , Chesterfield and West Hallam. Doubtless too, one or two lines descended from the natural children sired by this branch also survived. Thus, Revells are still amongst us in some numbers and although some of those who bear the name today must be later migrants from elsewhere, the majority may well be proud to count members of this distinguished local family among their forebears.
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