Description:James Leveson was the younger brother of Nicholas Leveson, son of Richard Leveson (d. 1503)and his wife Jane Bradbury. James Leveson is extremely significant in the history of the Leveson family, as he used the fortune he accumulated in the wool trade to purchase land and property in Staffordshire and Shropshire.
Although James’s father Richard had owned enough land so that the Leveson family could aspire to gentry status, it was James’s purchases which consolidated the family’s position in society and lay the foundations of the Leveson family's wealth.
James’s will reflects the extent of his land purchases in Staffordshire, telling us much about his family, and the places and property which he valued.
The image above shows James Leveson's will. Click on the images on the left to learn more about this document.