Lyneham in the parish of

Yealmpton Yealmpton () is a village and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is located in the South Hams on the A379 Plymouth to Kingsbridge road and is about from Plymouth. Its name derives from the River Yealm that flows through the vill ...

in Devon, is an historic estate. The surviving grand mansion house known as ''Lyneham House'' is a grade I listed building.Listed building text
/ref> It was built c.1699-1703 by Sir Courtenay Croker (died 1740), MP for Plympton Morice in 1699. A drawing of Lyneham House dated 1716 by Edmund Prideaux (1693–1745) of

Prideaux Place Prideaux Place is a grade I listed Elizabethan country house in the parish of Padstow, Cornwall, England. It has been the home of the Prideaux family for over 400 years. The house was built in 1592 by Sir Nicholas Prideaux (1550–1627), a dist ...

Padstow Padstow (; kw, Lannwedhenek) is a town, civil parish and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England. The town is situated on the west bank of the River Camel estuary approximately northwest of Wadebridge, northwest of Bodmin and ...

, Cornwall, survives at Prideaux Place. It shows formal gardens in front with flanking pavilions and an

orangery An orangery or orangerie was a room or a dedicated building on the grounds of fashionable residences of Northern Europe from the 17th to the 19th centuries where orange and other fruit trees were protected during the winter, as a very lar ...

. The estate was,Cherry & Pevsner, p.553 after Crocker's Hele,Vivian, p.254 in the parish of

Meeth Meeth is a small village roughly north-northwest of Okehampton and west-northwest of Exeter. It lies to the west of the River Torridge. In the past, ball clay mines were a major source of employment in the village, lying just to the west, howev ...

,Hoskins, p.434Pole, p.379; Risdon, p.261 the second earliest known Devonshire home of the Croker family, one of the most ancient in Devon according to ''"that old saw often used among us in discourse"'', the traditional rhyme related by

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...

(died 1723):

''"Crocker, Cruwys, and Coplestone'',
''When the Conqueror came were at home"''

The last male of the Crocker family of Lyneham was Courtenay Crocker (died 1740), several times MP for Plympton.Prince, p.273 The Cruwys family in 2014 still resides in its ancient

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals w ...

at Cruwys Morchard where, despite the traditional rhyme which seeks to give it Anglo-Saxon origins, it is first recorded in the reign of King

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

(1199–1216), or possibly a little earlier. The senior branch of the Copleston family died out in the male line in 1632, but the Coplestons of

Bowden Bowden may refer to: Places Australia * Bowden Island, one of the Family Islands in Queensland * Bowden, South Australia, northwestern suburb of Adelaide * Bowden railway station Canada * Bowden, Alberta, town in central Alberta England * Bowde ...

in the parish of

Ashprington Ashprington is a village and civil parish in the South Hams district of Devon, England. The village is not far from the River Dart, but high above it, and is about three miles south of Totnes. There is a local pub, hotel and phonebox. The ci ...

survived a further century until the death without children of Thomas Copleston (1688–1748), MP, whose heirs in 1753 sold Bowden to William Pollexfen Bastard of Kitley.Risdon, p.389

Descent

de Lineham

Lynham is not listed as an estate or manor in the

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manus ...

of 1086, which does however list the manor of Yealmpton, one of 72 royal manors or other holdings in Devon belonging to King

William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...

. It is likely that the one hide within that manor which the Domesday Book states the king had granted in

frankalmoin Frank almoin, frankalmoign or frankalmoigne () was one of the feudal land tenures in feudal England. Its literal meaning is 'free pity/mercy', from Norman French , 'free alms', from Late Latin , from Greek (), 'pity, alms', from () 'merciful', ...

age to "the clergy of the same village" (''clerici ei(us)d(em) villae'') was Lynham.Thorn & Thorn, part 2 (notes): 1,18 The mother church of these clergy was Salisbury Cathedral in Wiltshire. The ''de Lineham'' family, as was usual, took their surname from their seat. Raph de Lineham lived at Lyneham during the reign of King John (1199–1216) He was followed by Walter de Lineham, Richard de Lineham (living in 1272), Dion de Lineham (living in 1314), John de Lineham and his son Walter de Lineham (both living in 1340).

Topcliff

In 1374 Lyneham was the residence of Robert Topcliff, who was followed by his son Thomas Topcliff.

Croker

John Croker of Lyneham (son of John Croker of Hele (now "Crocker's Hele", a 7-acre solar farm)in the parish of

, Devon, MP for Tavistock in 1394 and Portreve of Tavistock, son of William Crocker, MP, of Hele, living during the reign of King Edward III (the earliest member of the family recorded in the

Heraldic Visitations Heraldic visitations were tours of inspection undertaken by Kings of Arms (or alternatively by heralds, or junior officers of arms, acting as their deputies) throughout England, Wales and Ireland. Their purpose was to register and regulate the ...

of Devon.)) is the first member of the Croker family to be seated at Lyneham. John Croker married Alice Gambon, daughter and heiress of John Gambon of Lyneham,See footnote
/ref> and thus acquired that estate. He was followed by his son John Croker, who was followed by his son Sir John Croker (died 1508), a

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

for

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...

in 1491 (whose inscribed monumental brass showing him dressed in armour survives in Yealmpton Church) who married twice, firstly to Elizabeth Yeo, a daughter of Robert Yeo of

Heanton Satchville, Petrockstowe Heanton Satchville was a historic manor in the parish of Petrockstowe, North Devon, England. With origins in the Domesday manor of Hantone, it was first recorded as belonging to the Yeo family in the mid-14th century and was then owned succ ...

, secondly to Elizabeth Fortescue, daughter of Sir Richard Fortescue and widow of a certain Elliott. He was followed by his son John Croker, by his first wife Elizabeth Yeo. This John Croker married twice, firstly to Jone Arundell, daughter of Humphry Arundell of "Selley", without children, and secondly to Elizabeth Pollard, a daughter of Sir

Lewis Pollard Sir Lewis Pollard (c. 1465 – 21 October 1526) of Grilstone in the parish of Bishop's Nympton, Devon, was Justice of the Common Pleas from 1514 to 1526 and served as MP for Totnes in 1491 and was a JP in Devon in 1492. He was knighted a ...

(c. 1465 – 1526) of Grilstone in the parish of

Bishop's Nympton Bishop's Nympton is a village and civil parish in the North Devon district of Devon, England, about three miles east of South Molton. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 932. The electoral ward has the same name but covers the ...

, a

Justice of the Common Pleas Justice of the Common Pleas was a puisne judicial position within the Court of Common Pleas of England and Wales, under the Chief Justice. The Common Pleas was the primary court of common law within England and Wales, dealing with "common" pleas ...

and

for

Totnes Totnes ( or ) is a market town and civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England, within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is about west of Paignton, about west-southwest of Torquay and abo ...

. She survived him and remarried to Sir Hugh Trevanion. He was followed by another John Croker (the sixth, who died in 1560), his son by Elizabeth Pollard, who married Elizabeth Strode, a daughter of Richard Strode (died 1552) of Newnham in the parish of Plympton St Mary, who in 1538 following the Dissolution of the Monasteries purchased the demesne lands of

Plympton Priory Plympton Priory was a priory in Devon, England. Its history is recorded in the Annales Plymptonienses. History The site of an Anglo-Saxon minster, Plympton Priory was re-founded as an Augustinian house by Bishop William Warelwast in 1121. The f ...

, the second wealthiest monastery in Devon. His son was the seventh John Croker (1652–1614) who married Agnes Servington, daughter of John Servington of

Tavistock Tavistock ( ) is an ancient stannary and market town within West Devon, England. It is situated on the River Tavy from which its name derives. At the 2011 census the three electoral wards (North, South and South West) had a population of 13 ...

. His son was Hugh Croker (died before 1614), who pre-deceased his father, having married Agnes Bonville, only daughter and heiress of Richard Bonville of

Modbury Modbury is a large village, ecclesiastical parish, civil parish and former manor situated in the South Hams district of the county of Devon in England. Today due to its large size it is generally referred to as a "town" although the parish co ...

, a descendant of John Bonville (died 1491), lord of the manor of

Combe Raleigh Combe Raleigh () is a village and civil parish in the county of Devon, England. The village lies about 1.5 miles north of the town of Honiton, and the parish is surrounded, clockwise from the north, by the parishes of Luppitt, Honiton Honito ...

, Devon, and bastard son of the magnate

William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville (12 or 31 August 1392 – 18 February 1461), was an English nobleman and an important, powerful landowner in south-west England during the Late Middle Ages. Bonville's father died before Bonville reached ...

(died 1461). His son was John Croker (born 1589), heir to his grandfather, the seventh John Croker. He married a member of the Lee family. His son was also named John (1610–1633/4), who died unmarried and predeceased his father.

John Croker (fl.1657)

The next heir was another John Croker, the son of Francis Croker of Lyneham (heir to his brother John Croker of Lyneham). In 1657 he married Jane Pole (born 1625), 4th daughter of

Sir John Pole, 1st Baronet ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as p ...

(died 1658)Vivian, p.603, pedigree of Pole of Shute and Bromley St Leonard, Middlesex, and sister of

Sir Courtenay Pole, 2nd Baronet Sir Courtenay Pole, 2nd Baronet (1619–1695), of Shute, Devon, was an English politician, who is best remembered as the sponsor of the hearth tax, which earned him the jeering nickname "Sir Chimney Pole". Background He was the second son of ...

. Mary Pole, the eldest daughter of Sir John Pole, 1st Baronet, and aunt of Sir Courtenay Pole, 2nd Baronet, in 1606 married (as her second husband) Francis Courtenay (1576–1638), ''de jure'' 4th

Earl of Devon Earl of Devon was created several times in the English peerage, and was possessed first (after the Norman Conquest of 1066) by the de Redvers (''alias'' de Reviers, Revieres, etc.) family, and later by the Courtenay family. It is not to be co ...

, lord of the

manor of Powderham Powderham Castle is a fortified manor house situated within the parish and former manor of Powderham, within the former hundred of Exminster, Devon, about south of the city of Exeter and mile (0.4 km) north-east of the village of ...

, but produced no children. There was no immediate blood connection to the Courtenay family which could be claimed by either the Poles or Crokers, and this connection to Francis Courtenay seemingly accounts for the adoption of the first name "Courtenay" in the Pole, Croker and Bulteel families. The first name "Courtenay" was commonly adopted amongst the Devonshire gentry, but usually as a result of descent from a Courtenay daughter.

Sir Courtenay Croker (died 1740)

The son of this marriage was Sir Courtenay Croker (1660–1740), MP for Plympton Morice (1695–1702) (''alias'' Plympton Erle) and the "last male of the name". The first name Courtenay was often adopted by descendants via a female line of the prominent Courtenay family lords of the

in Devon, a junior line of the extinct Courtenay Earls of Devon of Tiverton Castle. However neither Croker himself nor his uncle Sir Courtenay Pole, 2nd Baronet, could claim this distinction. In 1699 Prince reported that:

As to the present seat of the family, Lineham aforesaid, it is an antient house, which being grown weak and descript thro’ age, is now a repairing, or rather rebuilding, by the present possessor, Courtenay Crocker aforementioned, who is a justice of peace for the county, and a burgess of parliament, this present year 1699, for the burrough of Plimton Morice, in this shire

The house he built survives largely intact today. Sir Courtenay Croker married twice: firstly on about 1691 to Catharine Hillersdon, daughter and co-heiress of Richard Hillersdon of Membland in the parish of

Holbeton Holbeton is a civil parish and village located 9 miles south east of Plymouth in the South Hams district of Devon, England. At the 2001 census the parish had a population of 579, down from 850 in 1901. By 2011 it had increased to 619. The south ...

, by whom he had one daughter and sole heiress Mary Croker, wife of James Bulteel. Secondly in 1696 he married Katherine Tucker, a daughter and co-heiress of John Tucker of Exeter, without children. He died in 1740 with no sons, when his only daughter Mary Croker (who in 1718 had married James Bulteel (1676–1757), since 1716 lord of the

manor of Flete Flete (anciently Flete Damarell) in the parish of Holbeton in Devon is an historic manor. In 1810 it was called "one of the finest estates in the county of Devon".Risdon, p.387 The present manor house known as Flete House was built in the 19th c ...

, MP for Tavistock) became his sole heiress.

Bulteel

John Bulteel (died 1669) of

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, B ...

, who died unmarried, served twice as a

for

Lostwithiel Lostwithiel (; kw, Lostwydhyel) is a civil parishes in England, civil parish and small town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom at the head of the estuary of the River Fowey. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,739, increas ...

in Cornwall, from 1661 to 1669. Between c.1658 and 1667 he was Secretary to

Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon (18 February 16099 December 1674), was an English statesman, lawyer, diplomat and historian who served as chief advisor to Charles I during the First English Civil War, and Lord Chancellor to Charles II fro ...

Lord Chancellor The lord chancellor, formally the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, is the highest-ranking traditional minister among the Great Officers of State in Scotland and England in the United Kingdom, nominally outranking the prime minister. Th ...

to King Charles II from 1658, two years before the Restoration of the Monarchy, until 1667. In 1660 the Garter King of Arms confirmed to him the right to bear arms as follows: ''Argent semy of billets and a bend gules'', with crest: ''Out of a crowne gules two wings argent billetté of the first''.Balliol College Archives & Manuscripts
Conroy Collection: Catalogue 1 - 17, 9C.3
/ref> This family descended from James Bulteel of Tournay in Hainault. These are the same arms as are visible in Holbeton Church on Bulteel monuments. Samuel Bulteel of Sligo, Ireland (Collector of Sligo in 1792, a cousin of Admiral Rowley Bulteel of Mount Pleasant near Plymouth), wrote as follows in about 1820:

Three brothers, James, Dominick and Samuel Bulteel were obliged to fly from Tourney in French Flanders during the persecutions of the Protestants. They came for refuge to England about the latter end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth. James settled in Tavistock in Devonshire. Dominick was in priest's orders, and died without issue. Samuel settled at Plymouth. Some part of his issue went to Ireland and settled there and had issue.

The pedigree of Bulteel printed in

Burke's Landed Gentry ''Burke's Landed Gentry'' (originally titled ''Burke's Commoners'') is a reference work listing families in Great Britain and Ireland who have owned rural estates of some size. The work has been in existence from the first half of the 19th cen ...

commences with Samuel Bulteel (died 1682) of

in Devon, a

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...

refugee from France, whose son was James Bulteel (1676–1757) of Tavistock, MP for

1703-8 and 1711–15, who married Mary Crocker, daughter and heiress of Courtenay Crocker (died 1740), of Lyneham. He was followed by John Bulteel (1733–1801). The son of John Bulteel (died 1801) was John Bulteel (1763–1837) of Flete in the parish of

and of Lyneham,

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 1807/8. He married Elizabeth Perring (died 1835), whose monument survives in the chancel of All Saints Church, Holbeton, daughter of Thomas Perring (1732–1791), a merchant of Modbury in Devon and of London. John Bulteel (died 1837) was followed by his son

John Crocker Bulteel John Crocker Bulteel (1793–1843) of Fleet, Holbeton, in South Devon, was a Whig MP for South Devon 1832-4 and was Sheriff of Devon in 1841. He was Master of the Dartmoor Foxhounds and bred the finest pack of hounds in England. Origins He ...

(1793–1843) of

Fleet Fleet may refer to: Vehicles *Fishing fleet *Naval fleet *Fleet vehicles, a pool of motor vehicles *Fleet Aircraft, the aircraft manufacturing company Places Canada * Fleet, Alberta, Canada, a hamlet England * The Fleet Lagoon, at Chesil Beach ...

, in South

, a Whig MP for

South Devon South Devon is the southern part of Devon, England. Because Devon has its major population centres on its two coasts, the county is divided informally into North Devon and South Devon.For exampleNorth DevonanSouth Devonnews sites. In a narrower se ...

1832-4 and

in 1841. He was Master of the Dartmoor Foxhounds and bred the finest pack of hounds in England. In 1850 Lyneham was being used as a "farmhouse", occupied by a farmer tenant of Lady Bulteel.

Bastard

In 1902 Lyneham was the residence of William Edmund Pollexfen Bastard, JP, a member of the Bastard family long seated at Kitley, in the same parish of Yealmpton. Lyneham was sold by Captain John Bastard on 15 October 1962.

Later owners

Cadbury

Lyneham was briefly owned by

Peter Cadbury Peter Egbert Cadbury (6 February 1918 – 17 April 2006) was a British entrepreneur. Early life and education Cadbury was born at Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, the son of Sir Egbert Cadbury and his wife, Mary Forbes, the daughter of Rev. Forbes Ph ...

(1918–2006), a member of the Quaker chocolate-making dynasty and founder of

Westward Television Westward Television was the first ITV (TV network), ITV franchise-holder for the South West England, South West of England. It held the franchise from 29 April 1961 until 31 December 1981. After a difficult start, Westward Television provided a ...

. He sold his previous home, Preston Candover in Hampshire, to John Sainsbury, 1st Baron Sainsbury "of Preston Candover" and purchased Lyneham. He soon sold it, and moved to Upton Grey Lodge in Hampshire, stating that "police harassment had made his life there intolerable".Obituary
Daily Telegraph newspaper 18 Apr 2006 This related to his having "developed a particularly fierce animosity" towards the chief constable of Devon and Cornwall, whose appearances on Westward Television news programmes he had tried to censor. He also got into difficulties with that police force when he was charged with wasting police time in connection with an anonymous letter alleging local authority corruption in Plymouth, and for shooting a protected species of goose.

Harvey

Since 1996 Lyneham has been owned by Susan Mary McAlpine (born 1945) (Mrs Harvey), wife of Leonard Maxwell Harvey, and daughter of Malcolm Donnison McAlpine (1909–1982), a grandson of Sir Robert McAlpine, 1st Baronet, founder of the British construction company

Sir Robert McAlpine Sir Robert McAlpine Limited is a family-owned building and civil engineering company based in Hemel Hempstead, England. It carries out engineering and construction in the infrastructure, heritage, commercial, arena and stadium, healthcare, educa ...

. She has a game bird shoot on the estate.Evidence submitted to Devon County Council right of way enquiry in 2012: HTM/12/6, Public Rights of Way Committee, 1 March 2012, Definitive Map Review 2011 2012, Parish of Yealmpton, Report of the Head of Highways and Traffic Managemen

/ref>

References

Sources

* * William George Hoskins, Hoskins, W.G., ''A New Survey of England: Devon'', London, 1959 (first published 1954) * Pole, Sir William (died 1635), ''Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon'', Sir John-William de la Pole (ed.), London, 1791. * Prince, John, (1643–1723) ''The Worthies of Devon'', 1810 edition. *Risdon, Tristram (died 1640), ''Survey of Devon'', 1811 edition, London, 1811, with 1810 Additions. *Thorn, Caroline & Frank, (eds.) ''Domesday Book'', (Morris, John, gen.ed.) Vol. 9, Devon, Parts 1 & 2, Phillimore Press, Chichester, 1985 *{{cite book , editor=Vivian, J.L., editor-link=John Lambrick Vivian , title=The Visitations of the County of Devon, Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564, & 1620. With additions by Lieutenant-Colonel J. L. Vivian. , publisher=Henry S. Eland, location=Exeter , year=1895