Prideaux Place is a

grade I listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

Elizabethan The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The symbol of Britannia (a female personifi ...

country house An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a town house. This allowed them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these peopl ...

in the parish of

Padstow Padstow (; kw, Lannwedhenek) is a town, civil parishes in England, 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, ...

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. 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 distinguished lawyer,Prideaux Place website
/ref> and was enlarged and modified by successive generations, most notably by his great-great-grandson Edmund Prideaux (1693–1745) and by the latter's grandson Rev. Charles Prideaux-Brune (1760–1833). The present building, containing 81 rooms, combines the traditional E-shape of

Elizabethan architecture Elizabethan architecture refers to buildings of a certain style constructed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland from 1558–1603. Historically, the era sits between the long era of the dominant architectural style o ...

with the 18th-century exuberance of

Horace Walpole Horatio Walpole (), 4th Earl of Orford (24 September 1717 – 2 March 1797), better known as Horace Walpole, was an English writer, art historian, man of letters, antiquarian, and Whigs (British political party), Whig politician. He had Strawb ...

’s

Strawberry Hill Gothic Strawberry Hill House—often called simply Strawberry Hill—is a Gothic Revival architecture, Gothic Revival villa that was built in Twickenham, London, by Horace Walpole (1717–1797) from 1749 onward. It is a typical example of the "#Strawb ...

. The house contains a fine collection of works of art, including royal and family portraits, fine furniture and the Prideaux Porcelain Collection. The recently uncovered ceiling in the Great Chamber is a masterpiece of the art of the Elizabethan plasterer. In 1968 the estate comprised about 3,500 acres, excluding the

St Breock St Breock ( kw, Nanssans) is a village and a civil parish in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The spelling St Breoke was also formerly in use. Geography St Breock village is 1 mile (1.6 km) west of Wadebridge immediately to the sou ...

estate situated about ten miles away, also in the family's ownership, inherited from the Viell family in the 17th century. The deer park is one of the most ancient in England, containing in 1968 about 100

fallow deer ''Dama'' is a genus of deer in the subfamily Cervinae, commonly referred to as fallow deer. Name The name fallow is derived from the deer's pale brown colour. The Latin word ''dāma'' or ''damma'', used for roe deer, gazelles, and antelopes, ...

, increased from only about six in 1946 following World War II.

History

Until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century, the manor of Padstow, within which was later established the manor of Prideaux Place, was held by Bodmin Priory. Having foreseen King Henry VIII's intention to dissolve religious houses, Prior Thomas Mundy, a son of Sir John Mundy (died 1537)

Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the mayor of the City of London and the leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded precedence over all individuals except the sovereign and retains various traditional powe ...

in 1522, made plans to place the assets of his priory beyond the king's reach, which he did by granting to his friends and relations at nominal ground-rents long leases of the priory's possessions. The manor of Padstow he leased for 99 years at an annual rent of £10 to his niece Johanna Mundy and her husband, William Prideaux (died 1564) of Trevose, St Merryn, Cornwall, a younger son of Humphrey Prideaux (1487–1550) of Theuborough, the latter who together with his lawyer brother Nicholas Prideaux (died 1560), had acted as business adviser to the prior. Bodmin Priory was surrendered to the crown by the prior in 1539. The freehold of Padstow was obtained by Nicholas Prideaux (died 1560), by the artificial transaction of William Prideaux (died 1564) conveying the lease to a third party, John Pope of London, for the sum of £1,550, who then obtained a royal licence to alienate it to Nicholas Prideaux (died 1560), for sum unstated in the deed of sale.The Acorn Archive, ''The Acquisition of Place, Padstow, Cornwall''
/ref> By tradition it is said that the Prideaux family viewed their obtaining of the estate at a favourable price as compensation for "an unpleasant wife", namely the prior's niece.

Prideaux

The Prideaux family is believed to be of Norman origin and to have first settled in England at some time 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 ...

of 1066 at

Prideaux Castle Prideaux Castle is a multivallate Iron Age hillfort situated atop a 133 m (435 ft) high conical hill near the southern boundary of the parish of Luxulyan, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is also sometimes referred to as ''Pridea ...

, near

Fowey Fowey ( ; kw, Fowydh, meaning 'Beech Trees') is a port town and civil parish at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town has been in existence since well before the Norman invasion, with the local ch ...

, in Cornwall. It abandoned that seat and moved to Devon, where it spread out in various branches. ;William Prideaux (died 1564) of Trevose, St Meryn, Cornwall :On 20 October 1537 he received a 99-year lease of the manor of Padstow from his uncle by marriage Thomas Munday, the last Prior of Bodmin. He was the second son of Humphrey Prideaux (1487–1550) of Theuborough in the parish of

Sutcombe Sutcombe is a village and civil parish in the local government district of Torridge, Devon, England. The parish, which lies about 5.5 miles north of the town of Holsworthy, is surrounded clockwise from the north by the parishes of West Putford ...

, by his first wife Joane Fowell, daughter of Richard Fowell of Fowell's Combe. His father had acquired for him the marriage of Johanna Munday (died 1561), daughter of John Munday of Rialton, the niece of the last Prior of Bodmin, Thomas Mundey, and he married Johanna Munday in 1537. The couple resided at Trevose for as yet no grand manor house existed at Padstow. His son John Prideaux (born 1547) received a lease in 1583 of premises in Padstow from Oliver Polwhele, and his own son John Prideaux (died 1633) was buried in Padstow. The paternal estate of Theuborough was inherited by William's eldest brother Richard Prideaux (1520–1603), of Theuborough. ;Nicholas Prideaux (died 1560) :Uncle of William Prideaux (died 1564), obtained the freehold of the manor of Padstow, together with the remainder of the 99-year lease, which his nephew William had sold to a third party, perhaps as a related transaction. He also acquired the estate of Soldon near

Holsworthy Holsworthy is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Torridge District, Torridge district of Devon, England, some west of Exeter. The River Deer, a tributary of the River Tamar, forms the western boundary of the paris ...

in Devon. He died childless and selected as his heir his nephew Roger Prideaux (died 1582) of Soldon, the younger brother of William Prideaux (died 1564), the former leaseholder of Padstow. ; Roger Prideaux (c.1524–1582) :Third son of Humphrey Prideaux (1487–1550) of Theuborough. He was

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 of ...

for

Totnes Totnes ( or ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, 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-so ...

in Devon in 1545 and 1547.

History of Parliament The History of Parliament is a project to write a complete history of the United Kingdom Parliament and its predecessors, the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of England. The history will principally consist of a prosopography, in w ...

biography of Roger Prideaux (died 158

/ref> He served as

Escheat Escheat is a common law doctrine that transfers the real property of a person who has died without heirs to the crown or state. It serves to ensure that property is not left in "limbo" without recognized ownership. It originally applied to a ...

or of Devon and Cornwall in 1550 and as

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 1577. He purchased lands in Devon and Dorset, the manor of Launcells in Cornwall, and other properties in Essex, Devon and Somerset. He married Phillippa Yorke (died 1597), daughter of Richard (or Roger) Yorke,

Serjeant-at-Law A Serjeant-at-Law (SL), commonly known simply as a Serjeant, was a member of an order of barristers at the English and Irish Bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law (''servientes ad legem''), or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are writ ...

. ;Sir Nicholas Prideaux (1550–1627) :Eldest son and heir, MP for

Camelford Camelford ( kw, Reskammel) is a town and civil parish in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, situated in the River Camel valley northwest of Bodmin Moor. The town is approximately ten miles (16 km) north of Bodmin and is governed ...

1571

biography of Nicholas Prideaux (1550–162

/ref> and

Sheriff of Cornwall Sheriffs and high sheriffs of Cornwall: a chronological list: The right to choose high sheriffs each year is vested in the Duchy of Cornwall. The Privy Council, chaired by the sovereign, chooses the sheriffs of all other English counties, othe ...

in 1605. He inherited from his father the manors of Padstow, and the Devon manors of Holsworthy, Chesworthy, as well as his seat of Solden, in Holsworthy. He married twice, firstly to Thomasine Henscott and secondly in 1576 he married Cheston Viell (died 1610), 2nd daughter and co-heiress of William Viell of St Breock in Cornwall. He built the present mansion house at Prideaux Place in 1592, and moved his residence there after 1600 when he granted Solden to his eldest son Humphrey on the latter's marriage to Honor Fortescue. Prideaux Place was built just above the fishing-port village of Padstow and in about 1602 the historian of Cornwall Richard Carew wrote: :His younger brother was Sir Edmund Prideaux, 1st Baronet (died 1628), who also built a new mansion for himself, at

Netherton, Farway Netherton in the parish of Farway in Devon is an historic estate situated about 3 1/2 miles south-east of Honiton. The present mansion house known as Netherton Hall was built in 1607 in the Jacobean style, restored and rebuilt 1836-44, and is a ...

in Devon, where his family was seated until 1875. ;John Prideaux (1583–1649) :Second son, who inherited Prideaux Place, whilst Soldon was inherited by his elder half-brother Humphrey Prideaux. John married Anne Moyle, but died childless, when Prideaux Place was inherited by his half-nephew Edmund Prideaux (died 1683), Sheriff of Cornwall in 1664, third son of his elder half-brother Humphrey Prideaux by his wife Honor Fortescue. ; Edmund Prideaux (1606–1683) :MP for

Saltash Saltash (Cornish: Essa) is a town and civil parish in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It had a population of 16,184 in 2011 census. Saltash faces the city of Plymouth over the River Tamar and is popularly known as "the Gateway to Corn ...

in the

Third Protectorate Parliament The Third Protectorate Parliament sat for one session, from 27 January 1659 until 22 April 1659, with Chaloner Chute and Thomas Bampfylde as the Speakers of the House of Commons. It was a bicameral Parliament, with an Upper House having a po ...

of January 1659 and Sheriff of Cornwall in 1664. He was the third son of Humphrey Prideaux of Soldon by his wife Honor Fortescue. He inherited Prideaux place from his childless half-uncle John Prideaux (1583–1649). During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

he supported the Parliamentarians, and after the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660 his return to royal favour may have been due to the fact that his sister Elizabeth Prideaux was the wife of Sir William Morice (1602–1676) of Werrington, Devon, Secretary of State to King Charles II. 43 letters between Edmund Prideaux and Morrice survive in the library at Prideaux Place. His mother Honor Fortescue is said by tradition to have jumped to her death from the staircase at Prideaux Place, and her ghost, known as "The Green Lady" is said to remain at the house. He married Bridget Moyle. His third son was Very Rev.

Humphrey Prideaux Humphrey Prideaux (3 May 1648 – 1 November 1724) was a Cornish churchman and orientalist, Dean of Norwich from 1702. His sympathies inclined to Low Churchism in religion and to Whiggism in politics. Life The third son of Edmond Prideaux, he wa ...

(1648–1724),

Dean of Norwich The Dean of Norwich is the head of the Chapter of Norwich Cathedral in Norwich, England. The role is vacant since Jane Hedges' retirement on 1 May 2022. List of deans Early modern *1538–1539 William Castleton (last prior) *1539–1554 J ...

, whose son Edmund Prideaux (1693–1745) eventually inherited Prideaux Place. ;John Prideaux :Eldest son, who married Anne Mallock. ;Edmund Prideaux (died 1728) :Eldest son, who died childless. His heir was his first cousin Edmund Prideaux (1693–1745). William Aikman (1682-1731) - Edmund Prideaux (1693–1745) (detail) - 355554 - National Trust

William Aikman (1682-1731) - Edmund Prideaux (1693–1745) (detail) - 355554 - National Trust

; Edmund Prideaux (1693–1745) :Son of Very Rev.

(1648–1724),

, by his wife Bridget Bokenham (died 1700). He was brought up in Norfolk, and in 1728, inherited Prideaux Place from his childless first cousin Edmund Prideaux. He was a connoiseur of art and architecture and went on a

grand tour The Grand Tour was the principally 17th- to early 19th-century custom of a traditional trip through Europe, with Italy as a key destination, undertaken by upper-class young European men of sufficient means and rank (typically accompanied by a tuto ...

of Italy late in life. He visited many of the great country houses of Devon, Cornwall, Norfolk and elsewhere and made architectural drawings of them, which today are preserved at Prideaux Place. Amongst his drawings are several of Prideaux Place, of Netherton, the seat of his cousins, and of Stowe House, Kilkhampton, in Cornwall, seat of the Grenville

Earls of Bath Earl of Bath was a title that was created five times in British history, three times in the Peerage of England, once in the Peerage of Great Britain and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It is now extinct. Earls of Bath; First creati ...

. When Stowe was demolished in the 1720s, it was probably Edmund Prideaux who purchased many of the fittings and installed them at Prideaux Place, where he carried out substantial re-modelling. The present cantilevered staircase in the hall and the wood-panelled "Grenville Room" (or Reading Room) both came from Stowe House at that time. In 1717 he married Hannah Wrench (1697–1726), daughter of Sir Benjamin Wrench of the City of Norwich. She died 2 February 1726, aged 29 years, two years before her husband inherited Prideaux Place. ;Humphrey Prideaux (born 1719) :Sheriff of Cornwall in 1750. His second wife was Jenny Pleydell, daughter of Neville Morton Pleydell of Shitterton by his wife Betty Brune, only daughter and sole heiress of Charles Brune of Plumber in the parish of Sturminster Newton, Dorset. His son from his first marriage died before him and by his second wife Jenny Pleydell he had six sons and one daughter.

Prideaux-Brune

;Rev. Charles Prideaux-Brune (1760–1833), of Prideaux Place :Eldest son by his father's second marriage. In 1788 he married Frances Patten (died 1831) and in 1799, on succeeding to the Brune family estates and in accordance with the terms of the bequest, assumed by royal licence the surname Brune as a suffix to that of Prideaux. Between about 1810 and 1833Listed building text he substantially re-modelled the house in the

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

style of

Strawberry Hill House Strawberry Hill House—often called simply Strawberry Hill—is a Gothic Revival architecture, Gothic Revival villa that was built in Twickenham, London, by Horace Walpole (1717–1797) from 1749 onward. It is a typical example of the "#Strawb ...

Twickenham Twickenham is a suburban district in London, England. It is situated on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames since 1965, and the boroug ...

, Middlesex, built by

in 1749 ;Charles Prideaux-Brune (1821–1907) :Eldest son and heir, Sheriff of Cornwall in 1880 and a Deputy Lieutenant. In 1846 he married Hon. Helen Carew (died 1902), daughter of

Robert Shapland Carew, 1st Baron Carew Robert Shapland Carew, 1st Baron Carew KP (9 March 1787 – 2 June 1856) was an Irish Whig Party politician and landowner. He was born in Dublin, the son of Robert Shapland Carew, also an MP and landowner, and his wife Anne (née Pigott). He wa ...

(1787–1856). ;Col. Charles Robert Prideaux-Brune (1848–1936) :Eldest son and heir, Sheriff of Cornwall in 1916/17, Colonel of the Rifle Brigade. In 1883 he married Hon. Katharine Hugessen (died 1926), eldest daughter of

Edward Hugessen Knatchbull-Hugessen, 1st Baron Brabourne Edward Hugessen Knatchbull-Hugessen, 1st Baron Brabourne (29 April 1829 – 6 February 1893), known as E. H. Knatchbull-Hugessen, was a British Liberal and later Conservative politician. He served as Under-Secretary of State for the Home Departm ...

(1829–1893). He extended the service rooms in 1907. ;Fulke Knatchbull Prideaux-Brune (1887–1939) :Eldest son and heir, formerly of Highfield Dallington, Sussex. he was badly injured in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, in which he served with the 6th Inniskillen Dragoons. He was taken prisoner of war in 1918. He married Mary Kathleen Garvan of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia. ;John Charles Prideaux-Brune (1916–1988), :Eldest son and heir, and a musician. In 1944 Prideaux Place served as a base of the 121st Engineer Combat Battalion of the US Army, which marched from Prideaux to embark for the D-Day

Normandy landings The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...

. ;Peter Prideaux Brune (1944–) :Eldest son and heir, living in 2015 at Prideaux Place with his wife Elisabeth.

As film and television location

1975: Used for the episode ''

The Ash Tree "The Ash-tree" is a ghost story by British writer M.R. James, included in his 1904 collection '' Ghost Stories of an Antiquary''. Plot summary In 1690, the English county of Suffolk is wracked with a fear of witches. Many girls and women are ...

'' of the series ''

A Ghost Story for Christmas ''A Ghost Story for Christmas'' is a strand of annual British short television films originally broadcast on BBC One between 1971 and 1978, and revived sporadically by the BBC since 2005. With one exception, the original instalments were direc ...

.'' 2006: In 2006 the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

History

Prideaux

Prideaux-Brune

As film and television location

See also

References

Sources

Further reading

External links