Richard Bevys became Sheriff in 1591, Governor of the Guild of Merchant Adventurers in 1591, and Mayor in 1602, dying on 26 August [Izacke]. He made a deed of trust, 16 June, 1602, to William Tickle and John Marshall ,gent, for a benefaction to provide marriage portions during future years to worthy young women of several parishes [Brice]. "He bears azure, three helmets argen't, attired or" [Brice]. The same coat was painted in his memory on one of the windows of Exeter Cathedral, among similar memorials of high officials of the city; but all were hidden for two centuries under coats of whitewash, which when removed revealed traces enough to enable lists and descriptions [H. D.] to be made before the windows themselves were replaced by new glass.
It is more difficult to trace the Bevys family back to early times than it was when Lyson spoke of it as already done. Perhaps the property in the parish of St. Mary Church. devised by Richard's daughter Alice, may give a clue to Richard's birthplace, though he or she may have bought it, or taken it for a debt. The early parish registers have been destroyed. I find no Bevys will in E. P., D. W., S. W., W. G., or in the P. C. C. published calendars, except that of Nicholas Bevys (so spelled), son of Richard and merchant of Exeter, dated 8 November, 1612, and proved 2 June. 1613 [W. G., p. 1071]. Two of the executors named are "my brother John Marshall and my cousin Ignatius Jourdenn." The latter was Ignatius Jurdaine, baptized at Lyme Regis, 17 August, 1561, son of William. He became Mayor of Exeter and a member of two parliaments. A son-in-law of Jurdaine was William Hill of Lyme Regis and Exeter, later of Dorchester in Massachusetts, arid Fairfield in Connecticut. It may he that William Jurdaine married a sister of Richard Bevys or of his wife. One Elizabeth Bevys, married [R. M. A.] 28 June, 1580, to Richard Denys, must probably have been related to Richard. His daughter Elizabeth was buried 5 February, 1588/9. The other entries concerning his children are scanty and unimportant.
It would seem that Richard Bevys had two wives. On 6 March, 1566/7 [R. M. A.], he married Elizabeth Provs (apparently so written) or Prous, and on 12 July, 1585, "Elizabeth Bevys " was buried. His daughter Alice's will of 1630 names her "mother in law Mistress Jane Martyn." This may be assumed to have been her father's second wife, mother of Peter Bevys. It could not have been her late husband's mother Joan, who was not mentioned in his will, who was apparently married about 80 years before 1630, and who had been left a widow 54 years before that date. Elizabeth Prous (Prouz, Prowse) was probably a relative of Richard Prowse, Mayor of Exeter in 1578 [lzacke). According to the pedigree of Prouz of Chagford, near Exeter, a very old family [Tuckett], Richard the Mayor was second son of Lawrence Prouz of Exeter and Chagford, the estate of Chagford going to Lawrence's eldest son John, who had a daughter Elizabeth, apparently of about the age of the Elizabeth married to Richard Bevys.
Printed from NEHG Register, Volume 59, July 1905, New England Historic Genealogical Society & Broderbund Software, Inc., Banner Blue Division, March 18, 2001
