Parish Records St. Edburgha, Yardley, Birmingham
Henry Greswolde the sonne of Mr Humphrey Greswolde was baptized the 14th day of December 1628
Elizabeth Greswolde the daughter of Mr Humphrey Greswolde was baptized the 14th day of December 1628

from Malvern Hall and the Greswolds
Posted [on Ancestry] by Georgina Moody April 11, 2022
Malvern Hall was built some 300 years ago on the site of Malvern Farm. The farm was sold by Robert, Lord Brooke to a Mr Aglionby of Balsall about 1640. Mr Aglionby sold the farm to Job and Ann Murcott in 1657 and they, in turn, sold the estate to the Rev. Henry Greswold (1628-1700) in 1680. It was Henry’s eldest son, Humphrey, who built Malvern Hall.
Rev. Henry Greswold was baptised at Yardley in 1628 and was the fourth son of Humphrey Greswold (1594-1660) and Elizabeth Bourne. After studying at Trinity College, Cambridge (1645-49) and being admitted to Gray’s Inn (1656), Henry became the Rector of Solihull in 1660 and held the living until his death in 1700. His three older brothers predeceased him and he inherited estates from his eldest brother Humphrey Greswold (1622-1671) who had been married twice but had no children.
Henry Greswold married Ann Marshall in 1667 and they had 13 children (eight daughters and five sons).
Family of Henry Greswold and Ann Marshall
Henry Greswold’s will makes no specific mention of the Malvern estate but settles his real estate equally between his four surviving sons – Humphrey, Henry, Marshall and John.
Humphrey, who built Malvern Hall, died unmarried in 1712 and left  to his brother, “Marshall Greswold and to his heirs and Assigns for ever all that my Messuage or Tenement which I lately built lying and being at Malvern in the Parish of Solihull aforesaid and all houses, outhouses, Barns, Stables and appurtenances threreunto belonging and all my Estate and Tithe in and to the same And also to him I give and bequeath all my Goods household stuff and implements of household in and about the same Messuage or Tenement.”
Rev. Marshall Greswold and family
Rev. Marshall Greswold (1673-1728) inherited the Malvern Hall estate from his brother, Humphrey, in 1712. He married his first cousin once removed, Martha Makepeace in 1719, when he was 45 years old and she was 23, and they had seven children (five sons and two daughters).
Two of the sons died in infancy. The remaining three sons each inherited Malvern Hall in turn before the estate passed to their sister’s son and out of the direct male Greswold line.
Family of Marshall Greswold and Martha Makepeace
Marshall died on 8th February 1728, aged 55, and is buried at St Edburgha’s Church, Yardley. There is a memorial inside the church, erected by his wife to “the best of husbands“, describing him as “a good husband and a tender father, a good landlord, master, and neighbour, and exceeding charitable to the poor. He was beautiful in his person, of a mild and compassionate temper, and greatly lamented by all that new him.” His grave was uncovered in 2014 during repairs to the church.
Marshall left Malvern Hall itself to his widow, Martha, and the remainder of the Malvern Hall estate to their eldest child, Humphrey. Martha felt hard done by in terms of her inheritance and contested her husband’s Will in the Court of Chancery.  This meant that a grant of probate of Marshall Greswold’s estate was delayed until 1744 – some 16 years after his death. She did win a greater financial settlement but the distribution of Marshall’s estates appears to have been unaffected by the litigation.
Martha settled Malvern Hall itself on her eldest daughter, Mary Greswold (1724-1757) upon Mary’s marriage to David Lewis in 1744. It seems that Martha continued to live at Malvern Hall until her death in 1755. After a brief period of living in Meriden following their marriage, David and Mary Lewis apparently moved to Malvern Hall and lived there with Mary’s mother, Martha.
Martha’s son Humphrey Greswold (1720-1746) had inherited the remainder of the estate (not including Malvern Hall itself) from his father, Marshall. Humphrey died unmarried and without children and stipulated in his Will that his share of the Malvern Hall estate should be held by his Trustees with £1000 being set aside for his youngest sister Martha, as she had not been remembered in their father’s Will. Whilst a minor, she would benefit from the interest on this sum before being paid the £1000 on attaining the age of 21.
Once this legacy was paid, the Malvern Hall Estate would go to Humphrey’s brother, Marshall (1721-1749) and the heirs of his body, with a special condition that their brother John and his heirs be allowed to hold and enjoy the premises. If Marshall died without issue or refused to ratify John’s rights, then the estate would pass instead to their brother, John.
Marshall obtained Letters of Administration on 21st October 1746 to deal with the estate of his late brother, Humphrey. It would seem that Marshall was unable to complete the administration of the estate before his own death in 1749 and his brother, John, obtained a grant on 5th April 1749 to deal with Humphrey’s estate left unadministered by Marshall.
It appears that their sister, Martha, attained the age of 21 in 1749 so, presumably, she then received the £1000 from her late brother Humphrey’s estate. She died unmarried in 1755.
Marshall Greswold also died in 1749 and his Will appointed as Trustees his brother, John Greswold, as well as his cousin, Benjamin Palmer (1712-1772) of Olton End, and William Shakespear of Knowle, to manage his estates for his young son, Humphrey Greswold (1747-1756). Humphrey died at the age of just nine so, under the terms of his father’s Will, the Malvern Hall Estate then went to Marshall’s brother John Greswold (1727-1760) who had previously been granted the right to live there.
John died unmarried and without children so the male Greswold line in this branch of the family now became extinct and the name continued at Malvern Hall only as a forename or as a surname adopted in order to inherit the estate.
John’s will, dated 4th December 1759, appointed his brother-in-law, David Lewis, as his sole executor. He also appointed his cousin, Benjamin Palmer of Olton and David Lewis as his Trustees to manage his estate until the beneficiaries came of age. He made some minor bequests: £100 to his godson, Charles Steward (son of Thomas Steward of Birmingham); £50 to his servant Adam Snape (on top of any wages owing to him); and a year’s wages to each of his other servants (over and above any wages due to them).
He also left £2000 each to his nieces, the three daughters of David and Mary Lewis – Anna Maria, Magdalene and Elizabeth, to be paid when they reached the age of 21 or upon the day of their marriage.
He also left to their brother, Henry Greswold Lewis, the sum of £100 per annum, divided into four equal instalments, to be paid to him beginning three months after his 18th birthday and continuing until he inherited the rest of John’s estates on attaining the age of 21. John left all his goods, chattels and personal estate to his brother-in-law, David Lewis.
Malvern Hall was built some 300 years ago on the site of Malvern Farm. The farm was sold by Robert, Lord Brooke to a Mr Aglionby of Balsall about 1640. Mr Aglionby sold the farm to Job and Ann Murcott in 1657 and they, in turn, sold the estate to the Rev. Henry Greswold (1628-1700) in 1680. It was Henry’s eldest son, Humphrey, who built Malvern Hall.

The full story of Malvern Hall can be read at this link:  https://solihulllife.org/2020/09/08/malvern-hall/