Percival Levett

Percival Levett (1560–1625) was an early merchant and innkeeper

of York, England, Sheriff of the city,[1] member of the Eastland
Company and father of English explorer Capt. Christopher Levett.

Levett was born in Harewood, Yorkshire, and removed early to the

city of York, where he was listed as a freeman in 1581, and where he
served the city as chamberlain and subsequently Sheriff in 1597.[2]
His daughter Ann married another York Sheriff, Christopher Topham
(father of Member of Parliament Christopher Topham), and on his
death married Dr. Joseph Micklethwaite.[3][4]

The ancestors of Percival Levett came from Bolton Percy, Yorkshire,

and they shared a coat-of-arms with the Levetts of Normanton,[5]
High Melton and Hooton Levitt, Yorkshire, indicating that a cadet
York, England
branch of the family probably relocated to Bolton Percy during
medieval times.[6]

Levett was a contributor from York to the Queen's Loan in 1590.[7] He was a member of the Eastland
Company,[8] an English company established in the sixteenth century in an attempt to wrest Baltic
trade from the Hanseatic League.

Percival Levett was buried at St. Martin's Micklegate in York on 13 February 1625.[9] Levett had done
well enough as a merchant to acquire the title of gentleman, a title he assuredly was born without,[10]
and sold his home in Coppergate, in central York, to Matthew Hutton, Archbishop of York.[11] Levett's
sons, aside from Capt. Christopher the explorer, also became merchants, including his son Percival, a
merchant at Beverley and York.[12][13] Percival Levett's brother Richard Levett was a long-serving
mayor of Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

See also
Christopher Levett

References
1. History and description of the ancient city of York (https://books.googl
Ancestry of Percival Levett e.com/books?id=cbAuAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA323), William Hargrove,
of York, Visitation of Dorset, William Alexander, York, 1818.
1623 2. Walks through the city of York, by R. Davies, ed. by his widow (http
s://books.google.com/books?id=LboHAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA135),
Robert Davies, Chapman and Hall Limited, London, 1880
 3. The Register of Burials in York Minster, Robert H. Skaife, The Mount, York, GENUKI.ORG (http://w
ww.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/Misc/MIs/ARY/YorkMinsterBurials1a.html) Archived (https://web.arc
hive.org/web/20080116191246/http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/Misc/MIs/ARY/YorkMinsterB
urials1a.html) 16 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine
4. A Genealogical History of the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited and Extinct Peerages of the British
Empire, Sir Bernard Burke, Printed by Harrison, London, 1866 (https://books.google.com/books?id
=1DEGAAAAQAAJ&dq=levett+peerage&pg=PA367)
5. Miscellanea Genealogica et Heraldica, Vol. I, Third Series, G. Milner-Gibson-Cullum, Mitchell and
Hughes, London, 1896 (https://books.google.com/books?id=uVpIAAAAYAAJ&dq=gargrave+fairfax
+steeton&pg=PA117)
6. The arms of the Levetts of Bolton Percy (and subsequently of York) and those of the Levetts of
Normanton and High Melton were: Sable, a fess embattled, between 3 lions' heads erased,
argent.[1] (https://books.google.com/books?id=6qXkAAAAMAAJ&dq=%22robert+syward%22+mel
ton&pg=PA244)
7. Chapters in the History of Yorkshire, James Joel Cartwright, B.W. Allen, Wakefield, 1872 (https://b
ooks.google.com/books?id=-BgHAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22percivall+levet%22&pg=PA372)
8. The Acts and Ordinances of the Eastland Company, Maud Sellers, Offices of the Royal Historical
Society, London, 1906 (https://books.google.com/books?id=sL4KAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22eastland+c
ompany%22+levett&pg=PA64)
9. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Henry Fitz-Gilbert Waters, Vol. LXVII,
Published by the Society, Boston, 1913 (https://books.google.com/books?id=hkjQ90cX71oC&dq
=%22percival+levett%22&pg=PA76)
10. In deeds of covenant of about 1590, 'Percyvall Levitt' is referred to as 'yeoman.'[2] (http://www.eas
triding.gov.uk/dservea/advancedsearch/dserve.exe?dsqServer=defiant&dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqAp
p=Archive&dsqCmd=NaviTree.tcl&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqItem=zDDSC/19&dsqField=RefNo)
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20110609181308/http://www.eastriding.gov.uk/dservea/adv
ancedsearch/dserve.exe?dsqServer=defiant&dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=NaviT
ree.tcl&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqItem=zDDSC%2F19&dsqField=RefNo) 9 June 2011 at the Wayback
Machine By 20 May 1617, referring to Levett and his 'son and heir Christopher,' Percival Levett is
referred to as 'Gentleman.'
11. Archaeologia Aeliana, or Miscellaneous Tracts Relating to Antiquity, Vol. V, Society of Antiquaries
of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, J.G. Forster, 1861 (https://books.google.com/books?id=QTQGAAAAQA
AJ&dq=%22parcivall+levett%22&pg=PA55)
12. 'Percivallus Levett, mercator, fil. Percivalli Levett, generosi,' Register of the Freemen of the City of
York: Vol. 2: 1559-1759, Francis Collins, 1900, British History Online (http://www.british-history.ac.
uk/report.aspx?compid=48281)
13. The Publications of the Surtees Society, Wills & Administrations from the Knaresborough Court
Rolls, Vol. II, Published for the Society by Andrews & Co., Durham, 1905 (https://books.google.co
m/books?id=8RQpAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22percival+levitt%22&pg=PA188)

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