HeantonSatchvilleFacade1716ByEdmundPrideaux

HeantonSatchvilleHallLeftWing1716ByEdmundPrideaux

Heanton Satchville was a historic manor in the parish of

Petrockstowe Petrockstowe (or Petrockstow) is a small village and civil parish in the district of Torridge in Northern Devon, England. Its population in 2001 was 379, hardly different from the figure of 385 recorded in 1901. The southern boundary of the pa ...

, North

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

, 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 successively by the Rolle, Walpole and Trefusis families. The mansion house was destroyed by fire in 1795. In 1812 Lord Clinton purchased the manor and mansion of nearby Huish, renamed it Heanton Satchville, and made it his seat. The nearly-forgotten house was featured in the 2005 edition of Rosemary Lauder's "Vanished Houses of North Devon". A farmhouse now occupies the former stable block with a large tractor shed where the house once stood. The political power-base of the Rolle family of Heanton Satchville was the

pocket borough A rotten or pocket borough, also known as a nomination borough or proprietorial borough, was a parliamentary borough or constituency in England, Great Britain, or the United Kingdom before the Reform Act of 1832, which had a very small electo ...

seat of Callington in Cornwall, acquired in 1601 when Robert Rolle (died 1633) purchased the manor of Callington.Hunneyball (2010)

Description of mansion

The mansion was at one time "one of the most imposing houses ever to exist in Devon". The

Hearth Tax A hearth tax was a property tax in certain countries during the medieval and early modern period, levied on each hearth, thus by proxy on wealth. It was calculated based on the number of hearths, or fireplaces, within a municipal area and is con ...

return of 1674 recorded 26

hearth A hearth () is the place in a home where a fire is or was traditionally kept for home heating and for cooking, usually constituted by a horizontal hearthstone and often enclosed to varying degrees by any combination of reredos (a low, partial ...

s for the house, making it the second largest house in Devon after Werrington. It was described by Rev.

John Swete Rev. John Swete (born John Tripe) (baptised 13 August 1752 – 25 October 1821) of Oxton, Kenton, Oxton House, Kenton, Devon, Kenton in Devon, was a clergyman, landowner, artist, antiquary, historian and topographer and author of the ''Picturesqu ...

in 1789. Referring to it as a "vast pile built at different times", he noted a carved date of 1639 which he concluded was not the earliest date of the building but only served to date the portal above which it was located. The parapet walls, the mullions of the windows and the pavement were all made of moorstone. The south side of the house had a "most noble terrace" of 130 paces in width, with a bowling green and adjacent walks. The property afforded views of several churches and the house of Sir James Innes in Huish to the east of the property.Gray (1997), pp. 25-27.

Descent of the manor

Normans

The manor of "Hantone" is listed 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 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

of 1086 as the 35th of the 176 Devonshire holdings of Baldwin the Sheriff, feudal baron of Okehampton. His tenant was Ralph of Bruyère, from Bruyère in

Calvados Calvados (, , ) is a brandy from Normandy in France, made from apples and/or pears. History In France Apple orchards and brewers are mentioned as far back as the 8th century by Charlemagne. The first known record of Norman distillation was ma ...

, Normandy, who also held from Baldwin the manors of Dunterton, Broad Nymett,

Appledore Appledore may refer to: Places England * Appledore, Kent ** Appledore (Kent) railway station * Appledore, Mid Devon, near Tiverton * Appledore, Torridge, North Devon, near Bideford United States * Appledore Island, off the coast of Maine In fic ...

, Teignrace and

Wolborough Wolborough is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Newton Abbot, in the Teignbridge district, in the county of Devon, England. Today the village forms a southern suburb of the town of Newton Abbot. The parish of Wolborough his ...

. Before 1066 the lord of the manor had been Edwin. It was in

Shebbear hundred Shebbear Hundred was the name of one of the thirty-two 19th century hundreds of Devon, England. The hundred of Shebbear was organized by the 13th century with many of the parishes of the ancient Domesday hundred of Merton.Thorn, Caroline & Frank, part 2, 16,35

Sachville

According to ''

Magna Britannia ''Magna Britannia, being a concise topographical account of the several counties of Great Britain'' was a topographical and historical survey published by the antiquarians Daniel Lysons and his brother Samuel Lysons in several volumes between 180 ...

'' (1822), between the reigns of Kings

Richard I Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199), known as Richard the Lionheart or Richard Cœur de Lion () because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior, was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ru ...

(1189-1199) and Henry III (1216-1272), the manor of Heanton Sachville was

held Held may refer to: Places * Held Glacier People Arts and media * Adolph Held (1885–1969), U.S. newspaper editor, banker, labor activist *Al Held (1928–2005), U.S. abstract expressionist painter. *Alexander Held (born 1958), German television ...

by members of the Sachville family,Powlett, p. 398. originally from Sageuile, France. The

Book of Fees The ''Book of Fees'' is the colloquial title of a modern edition, transcript, rearrangement and enhancement of the medieval (Latin: 'Book of Fiefs') which is a listing of feudal landholdings or fief (Middle English ), compiled in about 1302, bu ...

lists ''Yauntone'' as held by John ''de Sicca Villa'' (the Latinized form of the name) from the

feudal barony of Okehampton The feudal barony of Okehampton was a very large feudal barony, the largest mediaeval fiefdom in the county of Devon, England,Thorn & Thorn, part 2, chapter 16 whose '' caput'' was Okehampton Castle and manor. It was one of eight feudal baron ...

, whose lord was the Courtenay family, later

Earls of Devon Earl of Devon is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of England. It was possessed first (after the Norman Conquest of 1066) by the Redvers family (''alias'' de Reviers, Revieres, etc.), and later by the Courtenay family. ...

Killigrew

It later passed to the Killigrew family, a prominent Cornish family.

Yeo

The manor came into the Yeo family at the beginning of the reign of King

Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...

(1327-1377) when Nicholas Yeo, son of William Yeo, married Elizabeth Killigrew, daughter and heiress of Henry Killigrew of Heanton Sachville. The descent was as follows: *Nicholas Yeo, husband of Elizabeth Killigrew, daughter and heiress of Henry Killigrew of Heanton Sachville *John Yeo (son), who married a certain Alice *William Yeo (son),

Sheriff of Devon The High Sheriff of Devon is the Kings'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 1359, who married Anne Esse, daughter of John Esse (or Ashe) of Westo in Devon. *Robert Yeo (fl.1410) (son), who married Jone Pyne, daughter and heiress of William Pyne of Bradwell, Devon *Robert Yeo (died 1399) (son), husband of Isabell Brightley daughter and heiress of John Brightley of Brightley in Devon. *John Yeo (born 1380), married Alice Jewe, daughter and part inheratrix of William Jewe of Cotly, Devon *William Yeo, (son) married Eilin Grenville, a daughter of William Grenville of Stowe in Cornwall and

Bideford Bideford ( ) is a historic port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon, South West England. It is the main town of the Torridge District, Torridge Districts of England, local government district. Toponymy In ancient records Bi ...

in Devon. *Robert Yeo (son), husband of Alice Walrond, daughter of John Walrond of Bradfield, Devon *William Yeo (son), who married Joane Fulford, daughter of Sir Thomas Fulford of Fulford, Devon *Robert Yeo (son), who married Mary Fortescue, a daughter of Bartholomew Fortescue of

Filleigh Filleigh is a small village, civil parish and former manor in North Devon, on the southern edge of Exmoor, west of South Molton. The village centre's street was, until the 1980s opening of the North Devon Link Road, the main highway between ...

*Margaret Yeo, (daughter and sole heiress), who married Henry Rolle (died ''circa'' 1620,Lysons, p. ccxxv) the 3rd or 4th son of George Rolle (died 1552) of

Stevenstone Stevenstone is a former Manorialism, manor within the parish of St Giles in the Wood, near Great Torrington, North Devon. It was the chief seat of the Rolle family, one of the most influential and wealthy of Devon families, from c. 1524 un ...

, Devon

Rolle

Henry Rolle (died c. 1620)

Henry Rolle (died c. 1620,), 3rd son of

George Rolle George Rolle (c. 1486 – 20 November 1552) of Stevenstone in the parish of St Giles in the Wood near Great Torrington in Devon, was the founder of the wealthy, influential and widespread Rolle family of Devon, who by 1842 had become the larges ...

(c. 1486-1552), Keeper of the Records of the

Court of Common Pleas A court of common pleas is a common kind of court structure found in various common law jurisdictions. The form originated with the Court of Common Pleas at Westminster, which was created to permit individuals to press civil grievances against one ...

and MP for

Barnstaple Barnstaple ( or ) is a river-port town and civil parish in the North Devon district of Devon, England. The town lies at the River Taw's lowest crossing point before the Bristol Channel. From the 14th century, it was licensed to export wool from ...

in 1542 and 1545, of

near

Great Torrington Great Torrington (often abbreviated to Torrington, though the villages of Little Torrington and Black Torrington are situated in the same region) is a market town in Devon, England. Parts of it are sited on high ground with steep drops down to ...

, Devon, situated about 5 1/2 miles north-east of Heanton Satchville. Henry married Margaret Yeo, daughter and heiress of Robert Yeo of Heanton Satchville. He also held much land on

Exmoor Exmoor () is loosely defined as an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England. It is named after the River Exe, the source of which is situated in the centre of the area, two miles north-west of Simons ...

including the Somerset manors of Exton, Hawkridge and Withypool.

=Rolle and Yeo brasses

= On the north wall of Petrockstowe parish church are affixed two

monumental brass A monumental brass is a type of engraved church monument, sepulchral memorial once found through Western Europe, which in the 13th century began to partially take the place of three-dimensional church monument, monuments and effigy, effigies carve ...

es of Henry Rolle (left, westernmost) and his wife Margaret Yeo (died 1591), (right, easternmost) the heiress of Heanton Satchville. These are not in their original positions, but are likely originally to have been joined together. The two halves of the shields when joined would show the arms of Rolle impaling Yeo.

Brass of Henry Rolle

Inscribed in Roman capitals below is the following text: "Here lyeth the body of Henry Rolle Esquieer fourth sonne of George Rolle of Stevenston who maryed Margaret Yeo daughter and sole heire unto Robert Yeo Esquir decesed and had issue by hir sonnes & doughters nyneteene". On a speech scroll issuing from Henry Rolle's mouth the words ''MORS MIHI LUCRUM'', from St Paul's

Epistle to the Philippians The Epistle to the Philippians is a Pauline epistle of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The epistle is attributed to Paul the Apostle and Saint Timothy, Timothy is named with him as co-author or co-sender. The letter is addressed to ...

, 1:21 (''Mihi enim vivere Christus est et mori lucrum'', translated in the

King James Bible The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version (AV), is an Early Modern English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611, by ...

as: "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain"). The Rolle arms are shown each side of him.

Brass of Margaret Yeo

Affixed in modern times immediately to the right of the brass of Henry Rolle is that of his wife Margaret Yeo, heiress of Petrockstowe manor. Inscribed below is the following Gothic text: "Here lyeth the bodye of Margaret the wife of Henry Rolle Esquier, daughter and hayre of Robert Yeo Esquire who deceased the Vth day of January and in ye yeare of Our Lorde God 1591". From her mouth issues a speech scroll inscribed: "My children feare the lorde", referring to

Psalms The Book of Psalms ( , ; ; ; ; , in Islam also called Zabur, ), also known as the Psalter, is the first book of the third section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) called ('Writings'), and a book of the Old Testament. The book is an anthology of B ...

34:11: "Come ye children hearken unto me I will teach you the fear of the Lord" A human skull is shown directly in front of her face, symbolising death, and perhaps her contemplation of that event. Shown either side of Margaret is a shield bearing the arms of Yeo: ''Argent, a chevron sable between three drakes azure'', which arms can be seen in stained glass reset in incomplete form in the vestry window.

Robert Rolle (died 1633)

Robert Rolle (died 1633) (eldest son), who in 1601 purchased the manor of Callington in Cornwall, thereby gaining the

seat of Callington in Parliament, which in future served to promote the careers of many Rolles. He nominated to this seat his brother William Rolle (died 1652) in 1604 and 1614, his son Sir Henry Rolle (1589–1656), of Shapwick, in 1620 and 1624, his son-in-law Thomas Wise (died March 1641) of

Sydenham Sydenham may refer to: Places Australia * Sydenham, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney ** Sydenham railway station, Sydney * Sydenham, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne ** Sydenham railway line, the name of the Sunbury railway line, Melbourne un ...

in Devon, in 1625, and another son John Rolle (1598–1648), in 1626 and 1628. He married Joane Hele (died 1634), daughter of Thomas Hele of Fleete. He produced three distinguished sons, the younger two of whom were: **Sir Henry Rolle (1589–1656), of Shapwick in Somerset, Chief Justice of the King’s Bench and MP for Callington, Cornwall, (1614-1623-4) and for

Truro Truro (; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Cornwall, England; it is the southernmost city in the United Kingdom, just under west-south-west of Charing Cross in London. It is Cornwall's county town, s ...

, Cornwall (1625- 1629) ** John Rolle (1598–1648) a Turkey Merchant and MP for Callington, Cornwall, in 1626 and 1628 and for

, Cornwall, in 1640 for the

Short Parliament The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that was summoned by King Charles I of England on 20 February 1640 and sat from 13 April to 5 May 1640. It was so called because of its short session of only three weeks. After 11 years of per ...

and in November 1640 for the

Long Parliament The Long Parliament was an Parliament of England, English Parliament which lasted from 1640 until 1660, making it the longest-lasting Parliament in English and British history. It followed the fiasco of the Short Parliament, which had convened f ...

. A supporter of the Parliamentarian side in the

English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...

Sir Samuel Rolle (c. 1588-1647)

Sir Samuel Rolle (c. 1588-1647) (eldest son and heir) of Heanton Satchville, Member of Parliament for Callington, Cornwall in 1640 and for

1641-1647 and a supporter of the

parliamentary In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

side in the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, 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.J ...

Robert Rolle (died 1660)

Robert Rolle, MP, eldest son and heir (died 1660). He married Lady Arabella Clinton (died 1667), second daughter and co-heiress in her issue of Theophilus Clinton, 4th Earl of Lincoln and 12th Baron Clinton.

Samuel Rolle (died 1717)

Samuel Rolle (died 1717) (eldest son and heir), elected to Parliament 18 times. He married as his second wife Margaret Tuckfield and had surviving issue a daughter and sole heiress Margaret Rolle, 15th Baroness Clinton (1709-1781). The scale of the wealth of Samuel Rolle of Heanton Satchville is indicated by the list of properties comprised in a peppercorn lease ("Consideration: 5 shillings") of one year dated 1704 to trustees of his second wife Margaret Tuckfield, namely William Davie of Creedy, Devon, Margaret Tuckfield of Raddon Court, Devon, Roger Tuckfield of Raddon Court, Devon and John Tuckfield of Exeter. Included is the

Rotten Borough A rotten or pocket borough, also known as a nomination borough or proprietorial borough, was a parliamentary borough or Electoral district, constituency in Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, or the United Kin ...

of Callington in Cornwall, the political power-base of the Rolle family:

"Manor, rectory and hundred of Puddletown, including Druce and Willoughbys farms; manors of West Anstey and Town, rnall, Cotleigh, Culbeer in Offwell, Bradwell in West Down and Ilfracombe, Heanton Satchville with the Barton farm and Hall Moor, Hele Territt alias Flemings Hele, and a tenement called Cuddimors, manor and advowson of Petrockstow, manor of Broom Park Yeate n Heanton Satchville manor and advowson of West Putford, manor of Buckish, manor of Nuton in East Putford manor of Hartleigh n Buckland Filleigh manor of Sheepwash, manor of Newcourt in Holsworthy manor of Gortleigh n Sheepwash manor of Merton, manor of Shebbear with property in Langtree, manor of Welcombe, and properties in Ashwater, Ringsash ( Ashreigney), Great Torrington, Sheepwash, Shebbear, Langtree, Buckland Filleigh, Petrockstow, Peters Marland, West Putford, East Putford, Hartland, Woolfardisworthy, Highhampton, Hatherleigh, Jacobstowe, West Down, Ilfracombe, West Anstey, Cotleigh, Culbeer n Offwell Monkton, Offwell, Combe Raleigh, Bere Alston, Damierton Derriton and Merton, all in Devon; manors of Norton Rolle, Marhamchurch; manor and borough of Callington; manors of Fursden, Nethercott, Trethavie; manor and rectory of Moorewinstow; properties in Maker, Millbrook, St John, Anthony, Sheviock, Calstock, St Neot, Garrans, Liskeard, Menheniot, St Cleer, Callington, South Hill, St Dominick, Tintagel, Morwenstow, Week St Mary and St Stephen's, and the manor of Barton and Inswork in Millbrook, Maker, St John and Anthony, all in Cornwall".

Margaret Rolle, 15th Baroness Clinton (1709-1781)

Margaret Rolle, ''suo jure'' 15th Baroness Clinton (1709-1781) (daughter and sole heiress). She inherited the title Baroness Clinton from her childless cousin Hugh Fortescue, 14th Baron Clinton, 1st Baron Fortescue and 1st Earl Clinton (died 1751), of

, Devon.

Walpole

Robert Walpole, 2nd Earl of Orford Robert Walpole, 2nd Earl of Orford, Knight of the Bath, KB (1701 – 31 March 1751), was a British Peerage, peer and politician, styled Lord Walpole from 1723 to 1745. Origins He was the eldest son of Sir Robert Walpole (1676–1745), the Ki ...

, whom in 1724 Margaret Rolle had married as her first husband,Lysons, p. 387. eldest son of

Robert Walpole Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford (; 26 August 1676 – 18 March 1745), known between 1725 and 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole, was a British Whigs (British political party), Whig statesman who is generally regarded as the ''de facto'' first Prim ...

the first

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

. She lived briefly at

Houghton Hall Houghton Hall ( ) is a country house in the parish of Houghton in Norfolk, England. It is the residence of the 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley. It was commissioned by the '' de facto'' first British Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole, in 1722, ...

in Norfolk, built by Robert Walpole in 1722, but on the failure of her marriage she moved abroad to Italy. *

George Walpole, 3rd Earl of Orford George Walpole, 3rd Earl of Orford (2 April 1730 – 5 December 1791), was a British administrator, politician, and peer. Life Lord Orford was the only child of the 2nd Earl of Orford and his wife Margaret Rolle, who was Baroness Clinton in ...

(died 1791) (only son). He died without progeny and was said never to have visited his Devon seat of Heanton Satchville.

Trefusis

The manor was then inherited by the Trefusis family together with the barony of Clinton and Say, in the person of George William Trefusis, according to Lysons. Robert George William Trefusis (1764–1797) successfully claimed the title 17th Baron Clinton in 1794. In 1795, the house was destroyed by fire and Rev. John Swete reported in his journal of 1797, when he was visiting John Inglett Fortescue at nearby Buckland Filleigh, that he had seen a painting by

Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens ( ; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat. He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradition. Rubens' highly charged compositions reference erudite aspects of clas ...

that Baron Clinton had himself rescued from the fire and had sent to Fortescue to look after while he was still homeless. Swete also reported that in the same fire Mr Fortescue had lost a much-valued family portrait of an ancestor which he had sent to Heanton Satchville to be restored by Lord Clinton's picture restorer.Gray (1999), p. 113. In 1797, the 17th Baron died, leaving his son and heir Robert Cotton St John Trefusis, 18th Baron Clinton (1787–1832) a minor aged ten. Next, George Cholmondeley, 4th Earl of Cholmondeley (1749–1827), later 1st Marquess, who was heir to the Walpole estates, launched a legal suit against the young Robert Trefusis for possession of the former Rolle estates. Although the legal case took nine years to resolve, it was decided in favour of Baron Clinton.Lauder (2002), p. 69. The house at Petrockstowe was never rebuilt, but in 1812 the 18th Baron purchased the contiguous manor of Huish to the east together with its capital mansion Innes House, made it the new family seat, and renamed it Heanton Satchville. StonePillarHeantonBartonPetrockstowe

Samuel Lysons wrote in 1822: "Heanton Sachville, which was some time a seat of the Rolles, and afterwards of the Earls of Orford, was burnt down several years ago. A farm-house has been fitted up out of the ruins. The deer-park is still kept up". The only remnant of the original mansion is the stable block, now the site of a modern farmhouse called Heanton Barton. A large modern tractor shed occupies the flat site of the former mansion house.Lauder (2005), p. 53.

Notes

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{coord, 50.8766, -4.1317, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Country houses in Devon Rolle family Former manors in Devon