Item 17 - Case and opinion in the case of Blosset v Dalziell relating to property originally devised under the will of Sir John Chardin

John Mayor, son of Thomas, was vicar of Shawbury in Shropshire. His son, Joseph Mayor was fellow of St John's College, Cambridge from 1812 to 1814 and later Rector of South Collingham in Nottinghamshire. Another son was Robert Mayor who married Charlotte Bickersteth and was one of the first missionaries in Ceylon before returning to England on health grounds and eventually becoming Rector of Acton near Nantwitch. Three of Robert's sons went up to and became fellows of St John's College: Robert Bickersteth Mayor, who became Mathematical Master at Rugby and was Rector of Frating; John Eyton Bickersteth Mayor, who was University Librarian, [Kennedy] Professor of Latin and a great proponent of vegetarianism; and Joseph Bickersteth Mayor, who became Professor of Classics at King's College London. It was the latter who married Alexandrina Jessie Grote and connected the family with another of renown. Robert and Jessie's children included R. J. G Mayor, fellow of King's and Flora Macdonald Mayor, author.

The Grote family came over to England in the eighteenth century. By profession they were bankers, Andreas (known as Andrew in Britain) moved to London and established himself as a merchant before becoming a founder member of Prescott, Grote, Culverden and Hollingsworth.His sons Joseph and George Grote senior followed him into the bank. George senior married Selina Mary Peckwell, establishing a link with the Peckwell, Blossett, de Salis and Le Coq St Leger families. George and Selina had 11 children. The oldest, George, originally followed this father into banking, and sat as MP for the City of London from 1831 to 1841. His great literary achievement was his voluminous history of Greece, but he also wrote on other classical and philosophical subjects. Four of George junior's brothers joined the Indian civil service; one, Andrew, married Isabella Macdonald. A further brother, John was fellow of Trinity College, Knightbridge Professor of Moral Philosophy and Vicar of Trumpington.