AclandBartonLandkey ByEdwardAshworth 1851

John Acland (died 1553) was described as "the first of the clandfamily to emerge from the shadows of history as a visible human being".Acland, Anne, p. 1. His great-grandson was the Royalist colonel

Sir John Acland, 1st Baronet Sir John Acland, 1st Baronet (c. 1591 – 24 August 1647) of Acland in the parish of Landkey and of Columb John in Devon, England, was a Royalist commander in the Civil War, during the early part of which he maintained a garrison for the king ...

(died 1648) of Columb John. Little if anything is known of his life and career, he was possibly a minor Tudor official, but he is chiefly remembered for his surviving portrait which is displayed at Killerton House, the earliest surviving image of an Acland and one of the most cherished in that family's former collection, now owned by the

National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...

. He was seated at Acland Barton in the parish of

Landkey Landkey ( kw, Lannke) is a small village in the county of Devon in the south-west of England with a population of 2274, falling to 1,734 at the 2011 census. It is situated from the nearest town of Barnstaple. The village is a major part of t ...

, near

Barnstaple Barnstaple ( or ) is a river-port town in North Devon, England, at the River Taw's lowest crossing point before the Bristol Channel. From the 14th century, it was licensed to export wool and won great wealth. Later it imported Irish wool, bu ...

in North Devon, which had been the family's seat since 1155.Acland, Anne, p. 2; and foreword by

W. G. Hoskins William George Hoskins (22 May 1908 – 11 January 1992) was an English local historian who founded the first university department of English Local History. His great contribution to the study of history was in the field of landscape history. ...

. The Acland family is believed to have migrated to England from

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...

soon after the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conque ...

and were in the late 20th century probably the oldest surviving landed family in Devon, which by the 19th century possessed a huge estate in the West Country of almost 40,000 acres.

Origins

He was the eldest son and heir of the fifth John Acland of Acland by his wife Elizabeth Cruwys, daughter of John Cruwys of

Cruwys Morchard __NOTOC__ Cruwys Morchard is an ecclesiastical and civil parish in the Mid Devon district of the county of Devon in England. It is located about four to five miles west of Tiverton along the road to Witheridge. The parish covers about of land ...

, Devon,Vivian, p. 3, spelling modernised. another ancient Devon family that survives today and still occupies its ancient manor house. The fifth John had pre-deceased his father, the fourth John Acland (died 1539), and thus this John (the sixth) inherited his grandfather's estates at the age of about 17.

Marriage and children

John Acland married Margaret Radcliff, a daughter and co-heiress of Hugh Radcliff of Stepney. They had the following children:Vivian, p. 4. *Hugh Acland (c. 1543–1622) of Acland, eldest son and heir,

Sheriff of Devon The High Sheriff of Devon is the Queen's representative for the County of Devon, a territory known as his/her bailiwick. Selected from three nominated people, they hold the office for one year. They have judicial, ceremonial and administrative f ...

in 1611. At the age of about 70 he became heir to his wealthy and childless younger brother, Sir John Acland of Columb John, Broadclyst. He was buried in Landkey Church on 22 May 1622. * Sir John Acland (died 14 February 1620), knighted at the Tower of London 15 November 1603/4, MP for Devon in 1604, Sheriff of Devon in 1608. He purchased the estate of

Columb John Columb John (today "Columbjohn") in the parish of Broadclyst in Devon, England, is a historic estate that was briefly the seat of the prominent Acland family which later moved to the adjacent estate of Killerton. Nothing of the structure of the ...

in the parish of

Broadclyst Broadclyst is a village and civil parish in the East Devon local government district. It lies approximately 5 miles northeast of the city of Exeter, Devon, England, on the B3181. In 2001 its population was 2,830, reducing at the 2011 Census to 1 ...

, Devon. He is one of John Prince's ''Worthies of Devon''. *Gertrude Acland, married Guy Bonvile of Street, Somerset. *Dorothy Acland, married Robert Smith of Mucheney, Somerset. After Acland's death, Margaret remarried to John Brett of Whitestaunton.

Lands held

In addition to his estate of Acland, by the 1550s John Acland held lands in the parishes of Loxbeare, Chittlehampton, Tedburn St Mary, High Bray and Swimbridge.

Death and burial

The date 1554 on Acland's portrait is erroneous, probably a later addition. He died on 5 October 1553 and was buried in Landkey church. His will was proved by his widow on 1 June 1554 in the Consistory Court of the Bishop of Exeter.

References

Sources

*Acland, Anne. ''A Devon Family. The Story of the Aclands''. London and Chichester: Phillimore, 1981. * Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) ''The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620''. Exeter, 1895. {{DEFAULTSORT:Acland, John People from North Devon (district) 16th-century English people 1553 deaths Year of birth unknown John 1553