Notes
Note N653
Index
In 1779, John was still a bachelor. His residence was Knockin Heath, Shropshire, England. From 1779-1786, his residence was Kinnaston, Knockin Heath, Shroopshire. From 1783 to 1786, his occupation was labourer.
Notes
Note N654
Index
John was Justice of the Peace for Shropshie. He succeeded to the Shropshire Estates (The Nursery) of John Freeman Milward Dovaston. His residence in 1881 census was the Nursery, Twyford, West Felton, Shropshire, England. He was listed as an annuitant - widower. At that time he employed a cook & housemaid. He continued as an annuitant - widower in the 1891 Census.
Notes
Note N655
Index
Said to be of Westfelton. Described as a "bad hat" but his mother died when he was 2 years old and his father when he was 17. He had a stepmother at age 5. Residence 1735 to 1743 was Twyford, West Felton, Shropshire, England. Residence 1745 to 1758 was West Felton, Shropshire, England. In 1740, he owned property known as "The Nursery". "It was one John Dovaston who built "The Nursery" in 1740 and is credited with having manufactured it himself and laid a great many of the bricks contained in it. And he planted the trees and landscaped the grounds. He planted such a variety of trees and saplings that he named it "The Nursery" on that account, and he recorded them, with colored illistrations in a ?? by Mr. D. G. Dovaston some years ago. Even this did not exhaust his talents, however. He built an organ which he installed in the house, also constructed telescopes and other optical instruments. The Nursery has in its time been a veritable treasure house, filled with historic and beautiful things. It has also been a centre of intellectual life, and contained a splendid Library. Among the people who regularly visited the Dovaston home were poets, artists, actors, musicians, doctors, divines, lawyers and other learned people". From a newspaper article written by Cynric Mytton-Davies concerning the demolition of the Nursery.
Notes
Note N656
Index
Said to be of Westfelton. Residence from 1683 to 1699 was West Felton, Shropshire, England.
Notes
Note N657
Index
Residence in 1781 was in Twyford, West Felton, Shropshire. Residence in 1808 was the Nursery, Twyford, West Felton, Shropshire. He had seven sisters and brothers whom he brought up; he being only 17 years old when his father died.
Notes
Note N658
Index
Residence was at the Nursery, Twyford, West Felton, Shropshire, England. He was educated at Shrewsbury School under Dr. butler, afterward Bishop of Lichfield. He then proceeded to Christ's church, Oxford; took a degree of M.A. Afterward, of the Inner Temple, London. His occupation was as an authority on Natural History and Welsh music, author of a volume of poems, and example of which is
"Hard handed men my fathers were,
Inured to drive the brightened share;
They ran their race in lowly lot,
Just streaked the stream and were forgot." - From "Fitzswarine"
John Succeeded to the Shropshire Estates upon the death of his father. He prepared his own grave in the grounds of the Nursery, but changed his mind in his last will and was buried at St. Michael's. He bequeathed his Shropshire Estates to John Dovaston (1824 - 1899), Justice of the Peace for Shropshire.
Gent. Mag. 1854, xlii, 395 published the following biography. "Dovaston, John Freeman Milward (1782 - 1854), miscellaneous writer, son of John Dovaston of West Felton, near Oswestry, Shropshire, England, the name of an estate which had been in the Dovaston family since the reign of Elizabeth, was born on 30 Dec 1782 and educated at Oswestry S? School and Christ Church, Oxford (B.A. 1804, M.A. 1807). He was called to the bar on 12 June 1807 at the Middle Temple. During his residence in London he acted for some time as dramatic critic for a morning paper. On the death of his father in 1808, he became possessed of the family estate, and spent the remainder of his life in literary retirement and rural pursuits. He died on 8 Aug 1854. Dovaston was a man of wide culture, and an ardent natur?. Among his friends were Thomas Bewick, the engraver, of whose life and character communicated sketches to the magazine and John Hamilton Reynolds. Bewick published an engraved portrait of him. Dovaston's publications were chiefly poetic, and of a very unambitious character. "I Gwarine, a ballad of the Welsh border of three cantos, with other Rhymes, legends , incidental and humorous," was issued in Shrewsbury in 1812, and is evident ?tation of 'Marmion". A second edition appeared in 1816 with numerous additions, a third in 1825. The third edition contains among other additions, a collection of songs entitled 'British Melodies'. Twenty-six of these were originally published in 18? under the patronage of the Princess Charlotte of Wales, with the music by Cleme? in two volumes, under the title of 'A Selection of British Melodies, with Symphonic Harmonies, and Accompaniments by ? Clifton.' "Floribella', a poem, followed, and 'Lectures on Natural History and National Melody' appeared in 1839. 'The Dov?' 91822) was a selection of old poems made by Dovaston, which were originally published in the 'Oswestry Herald'.