Description:During the thirteenth century the Leveson family lived in Willenhall, near Wolverhampton. During the late 1290s Richard Leveson married a lady called Margery who was the heiress of Henry, son of Clement de Wolverhampton. The marriage meant that the Leveson family acquired a considerable amount of land and property in Wolverhampton, allowing them to leave their three sons estates in Willenhall and Wolverhampton.
Early Wolverhampton and the Leveson Family, 1299
The Sutherland Papers contain an Agreement from 1299 which was made between Henry, the son of Clement de Wolverhampton, Richard Leveson and his wife Margery who was Henry’s heiress. This document, made during the reign of King Edward, states that Henry granted all of his lands, rents, holdings and moveable goods in the Manor of Wolverhampton to Richard and Margery and their heirs.
In 1299 Richard Leveson already owned lands in nearby Willenhall. Through his marriage to Margery, heiress of Henry, son of Clement de Wolverhampton, Richard acquired a considerable amount of landed property in Wolverhampton.
In exchange for his lands in Wolverhampton, Henry was to be given twenty pounds of silver. The document states that Richard Leveson was also to provide Henry with food and drink at his table and a room for him to live in. If Richard failed to provide Henry with suitable food and accommodation, the document tells us that Henry would be provided with clothing. In addition to a robe equivalent to his station, two pairs of hose and a tabard every other year, Henry was to be given numerous pairs of shoes including a pair suitable for wearing in the Summer.
This intriguing document was made early in Wolverhampton’s history and is interesting for the spelling of the name ‘Wolvernehampton’. This demonstrates the evolution of the original Wulfrune-hampton into the modern form.
Local man Geoffrey of Bilston and Henry’s brother Simon witnessed the making of the agreement between Henry and Richard which began the Leveson family’s dominance as landowners in Wolverhampton.
Contextual Information from: R. F. Wisker ‘The Estates of James Leveson of Wolverhampton (d. 1547)’, Staffordshire Archeological Transactions, Volume 37 (1998)