1. John Adey was born about 1640. He died after 1697.
It seems that John's parents did not come from Painswick and he was not born in Painswick. The 1608 listing of Men of Arms in Painswick, the 1623 Visitation of the Heralds and the 1641 Tax Assessment do not include anyone with the name Adey (or similar) in or around Painswick.
There are surviving records for a number of baptisms for John Adey, with various spellings, between 1630 and 1653 throughout the country but only 4 in Gloucestershire.
1 - Johannes Adie, son of Henrici Adie christened Dursley, 6th March 1631. This christening relates to one of the earliest known members the Adey family who later were in Wotton-under-Edge.
2 - John Adye, son of William Adye christened North Nibley, 10th February 1632. Apart from the date of the christening there is no reason to is consider this to be related to our Adey family. This christening almost certainly relates to another early member of the Adey family who were later in Wotton-under-Edge.
3 - John Ady, son of Richard Ady, christened Oldbury upon Severn, 22nd October 1637. The names Richard and John appear in our family tree for several generations. John's grandson John Adey is buried in Painswick church yard, the inscription of the grave stone appears to read "John Ady".
4 - John Addye, son of William Addye christened Bristol, 16th January 1641. Apart from the date of the christening there is no reason to consider this to be related to our Adey family.
5 - John, son of John Adey? christened Painswick, 23rd November 1653. The writing on this record is unclear and the name may not actually be Adey.
Painswick Parish records show that on 16th July 1655 John Adey of Painswyck married Joan Harding? of Painswyck. Depending on his birth date this could be the marriage of our John Adey.
Family records now lost say that John was possibly the son or grandson of a Roundhead soldier. He was born close to the time that the struggle between the King and Parliament began and he lived through the Civil War in 1642, the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, the plague outbreak of 1665 and the Gloucester smallpox outbreak of 1687. Family tradition says that he was the 12th wealthiest in Painswick in 1685. According to "Glimpses of the history of Painswick" by F. A. Hyett in 1700 there were 186 families in Painswick.
John obtained Ifold (now Highfold) from widow Cooke some time after 1684. Ifold is also the site of a Roman villa. John Ady of Ifold was an overseer of the poor for Edge Tithing in 1686/1687. A hearth tax receipt for 1686 was still with Edward Henry Adey c 1950 but unfortunately cannot be found at present. He was a constable in 1695 and churchwarden in 1697. His signature or his sons is on the inspection of the parish accounts 24th April 1701. Stone from his estate was used in the building of the Congregationalist Chapel in 1705.
According to a calandar of wills proved in the Consistory Court of the Bishop of Gloucester the will of a John Ady of Painswick was proved in 1714.
He had the following children:
+ 2 M i John Adey