1.
Cross
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A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally, a cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is also termed a saltire in heraldic terminology. The word [[wikt, cross|crossded from Old Irish, possibly via Old Norse, ultimately from the Latin crux, stake, the English verb to cross arises from the noun c. 1200, first in the sense to make the sign of the cross, the Latin word was, however, influenced by popular etymology by a native Germanic word reconstructed as*krukjo. This word, by conflation with Latin crux, gave rise to Old French crocier, Latin crux referred to the gibbet where criminals were executed, a stake or pole, but not necessarily to intersecting or cruciform beams. The Latin word derived from the verb crucio to torture, Latin crux originally referred to the tree or stake on which criminals were crucified in the pre-imperial period. This was later specified as crux acuta or crux simplex, the method of execution may have been adopted from the Phoenicians. The addition of a bar, to which the criminal would be fastened with nails or cords. The Latin name of the cross is crux decussata, the heraldic term saltire is introduced only towards the end of the medieval period. The Greek equivalent of Latin crux stake, gibbet is σταυρός stauros stake, the letter Tau was associated with the stauros or crux, while the notion of cruciform shapes, i. e. intersecting lines, were associated with the letter Chi. The Greek term for crossing was χίασμα chiasma, from a verb χιάζω chiázō to shape like the letter Chi, Latin had the comparable decussatus shaped like the numeral ten. Also of prehistoric age are numerous variants of the cross mark, including the crux gammata with curving or angular lines. Speculation of this kind became popular in the mid- to late-19th century in the context of comparative mythology seeking to tie Christian mythology to ancient cosmological myths. Influential works in this vein included G. de Mortillet, L. Müller, W. W. Blake, Ansault, in the European Bronze Age the cross symbol appeared to carry a religious meaning, perhaps as a symbol of consecration, especially pertaining to burial. The cross sign occurs trivially in tally marks, and develops into a number symbol independently in the Roman numerals, the Chinese rod numerals and the Brahmi numerals. In the Phoenician alphabet and derived scripts, the symbol represented the phoneme /t/, i. e. the letter taw. The letter name taw means mark, presumably continuing the Egyptian hieroglyph two crossed sticks, according to W. E. Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, worshippers of Tammuz in Chaldea and thereabouts used the cross as symbol of that god. The shape of the cross, as represented by the letter T, clements contemporary Tertullian rejects the accusation that Christians are crucis religiosi, and returns the accusation by likening the worship of pagan idols to the worship of poles or stakes
2.
Impalement (heraldry)
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An impaled shield is bisected in pale, that is by a vertical line. The husbands arms are shown in the half, being the place of honour. For this purpose alone the two halves of the shield are called baron and femme, from ancient Norman-French usage. The sinister side may thus be divided more than twice in similar fashion where required. The use of impaled arms serves to identify with precision which member of the line of a family is represented, if the identity of his wife is known. Frequently impaled arms appear sculpted on ancient buildings, thus allowing architectural historians to identify the builder, impaled arms also appear frequently on monuments in parish churches, and again facilitate identification of the person for whom erected. Also, is pourtraited kneeling in his robes together with his own match, for same-sex married couples, the College of Arms in 2014 decreed that male couples may impale their arms together but that each individual will have distinguished arms and crests of their own. Slightly different rules applies to couples and heraldic heiresses. Likewise, this extends to senior civic office holders, for example Mayors, Masters of Livery Companies. A rare use of impalement is that where a union is believed to exist between the two parties. Such was the case with King Richard II who had a devotion to the saint King Edward the Confessor. The Confessors arms were shown in the position of honour. A rare form of impalement which allows for the juxtaposition of three armorials is tiercing and this is occasionally used where a man has married twice. The personal arms occupy the place of least honour at sinister whilst the representation of the Body of Christ occupies the place of greatest honour at dexter, shields depicting a pelican in her piety were used by various bishops, for example by Robert Sherborne, by Cranmer and Foxe. The dexter part relates to his first wife Elizabeth the daughter of James Walsh of Alverdiscot in Devon, the sinister part relates to his second wife Elizabeth the daughter of Sir Francis Godolphin of Godolphin in Cornwall, England, UK, and shows the arms of Godolphin. Courtoisie Dimidiation Division of the field
3.
Quartering (heraldry)
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Quartering in heraldry is a method of joining several different coats of arms together in one shield by dividing the shield into equal parts and placing different coats of arms in each division. Typically, a quartering consists of a division into four equal parts, however, in most traditions there is no limit on the number of divisions allowed, and the records of the College of Arms include a shield of 323 quarterings for the family of Lloyd of Stockton. These 323 quarterings include numerous repeated attributed arms assigned to Welsh chieftains from the 9th century or earlier, another example of a shield of many quarterings is the coat of arms of the Powys-Lybbe family, which contains 64 quarterings. Different rules apply in Scottish heraldry, and may apply in other jurisdictions like Canada. The arms of the Queen of the United Kingdom are arms of dominion, however, the vast majority of quarterly coats of arms display arms which are claimed by descent, in other words, they join together coats of arms of the ancestors of the bearer of the arms. Strict rules apply, both as to what arms may be displayed by way of quarterings, and the order in which they may be displayed. An exception is made, however, if the female who breaks the line of descent is a heraldic heiress—a woman who has no brothers. Such a woman is entitled to transmit her fathers arms to her own children, if her father was himself entitled to one or more quarterings, these will pass to his daughters children as quarterings as well. Quarterings are displayed in the order in which they are acquired by a family by marriage, the larger the number of quarterings, the smaller the space available for each coat of arms, so that most families entitled to many quarterings make a selection of those they ordinarily use. The Duke of Norfolk, for example, uses only four quarterings, in Scotland in some cases the plain unquartered coat is the more prized, as entitlement to its use can indicate who is chief of the name and arms and holds the headship of a clan. For example, Flora Fraser, Lady Saltoun of Abernethy has arms as chief of Fraser — the plain coat of azure, the Powys-Lybbe family appear, likewise, to usually use only the quarterings of Powys and Lybbe. Division of the field Ottfried Neubecker
4.
Dexter and sinister
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Dexter and sinister are terms used in heraldry to refer to specific locations in an escutcheon bearing a coat of arms, and to the other elements of an achievement. Dexter means to the right from the viewpoint of the bearer of the shield, i. e. the bearers proper right, sinister means to the left from the viewpoint of the bearer, the bearers proper left, to the right from that of the viewer. The dexter side is considered the side of honour, for example when impaling two arms. Thus, by tradition, a husbands arms occupy the dexter half of his shield, the shield of a bishop shows the arms of his see in the dexter half, his personal arms in the sinister half. King Richard II adopted arms showing the arms of Edward the Confessor in the dexter half. More generally, by ancient tradition, the guest of greatest honour at a banquet sits at the hand of the host. The Bible is replete with passages referring to being at the hand of God. Sinister is used to mark that an ordinary or other charge is turned to the left of the shield. A bend sinister is a bend which runs from the top left to bottom right. As the shield would have carried with the design facing outwards from the bearer. This division is key to dimidiation, a method of joining two coats of arms by placing the dexter half of one coat of arms alongside the sinister half of the other. In the case of marriage, the half of the husbands arms would be placed alongside the sinister half of the wifes. The Great Seal of the United States features an eagle clutching an olive branch in its talon and arrows in its sinister talon. The front of the shield was originally undecorated. Such usage may indeed have descended directly from Roman training techniques that were spread throughout Roman Europe and then continued during the age of chivalry, when heraldry came into use
5.
Red Hand of Ulster
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The Red Hand of Ulster is an Irish symbol used in heraldry to denote the Irish province of Ulster. It is a hand coloured red, with the fingers pointing upwards, the thumb held parallel to the fingers. It is usually shown as a hand, but is sometimes a left hand. The symbol is rooted in Irish Gaelic culture and its origins are attributed to the mythical Irish figure Labraid Lámh Dhearg and it was originally a symbol belonging to the Ulaid before being adopted into the flag of the Norman Earldom of Ulster. More recently, it has also used as an Ulster loyalist symbol. The original meaning of the Red Hand is unclear, the Red Hand has roots as an Irish Gaelic symbol and is believed to date back to pagan times. It was associated with a figure called Labraid Lámderg, or Labhraidh Lámh Dhearg. Labraid is said to be the son of the god Nuada, in Irish mythology, Nuada had his hand cut off in battle, forcing him to give up his position as king of the gods. However, it is replaced with a hand, which then transforms into a real hand. Alternatively, or perhaps later, the Red Hand came to symbolize the Hand of God in Christianity, an example of this motif can be seen on the 10th century Muiredachs High Cross at Monasterboice, County Louth. Another suggestion is that the Red Hand was associated with sovereignty, Gaelic chieftains and kings were elected from among a group of men who shared the same great-grandfather. The palm may represent the great-grandfather with the three jointed divisions of the fingers representing his sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons, there is a popular legend about the origin of the Red Hand, with many local variations, in which it is associated with sovereignty and kingship. According to the legend, the kingdom of Ulster had at one time no rightful heir. Because of this, it is agreed that a race should take place. One potential king so desires the kingship that, upon seeing that he is losing the race, he cuts off his hand, the hand is red to represent the fact that it would have been covered in blood. In some versions of the tale, the king who cuts off his hand belongs to the Uí Néill clan, or is Niall of the Nine Hostages himself, in other versions, the king is Érimón, one of the Milesians. Another tale tells of two fighting each other. One has his hand cut off by the other, and a red imprint of the hand is left on the rocks
6.
Newton St Cyres
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Newton St Cyres is a village and civil parish in Mid Devon, in the English county of Devon, located between Crediton and Exeter. It has a population of 867, reducing to 562 at the 2011 Census, the village is part of the Newbrooke electoral ward. The ward population at the census was 1,520. Almost destroyed by fire in the early 1960s, its point of interest is the Parish Church, built in the 15th century and dedicated to the martyrs St. Cyriac. Most of the church is in early Perpendicular style, built of local reddish trap, a stone from quarries at Posbury, with the exception of the nave pillars. It contains the monument with standing effigy of John Northcote of Hayne, Newton St Cyres railway station serves the Exeter to Barnstaple line. Newton St Cyres is home to two houses, the Crown and Sceptre and the Beer Engine. Traditional cheeses can be bought from the Quickes Farm shop, the village has a recreation ground with two football pitches, a cricket pitch and two tennis courts. Newton St Cyres at DMOZ Media related to Newton St Cyres at Wikimedia Commons
7.
King's Nympton
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The parish exceeds 5,500 acres in area and sits mostly on a promontory above the River Mole which forms nearly half of its parish boundary. Many of the outlying farmhouses date from the 15th and 16th centuries and the village has cottages, nearly all of its 5,540 acres are given over to agriculture with beef, sheep, dairy, arable and egg production forming the bulk of farming activity. Ancient British people settled here in groups on the higher ground. In around 980 AD the Church of St. James was established here by the Saxons, probably on the site of a pagan nymet”, a sanctuary or holy grove. At the time of the Domesday Book of 1086, the manor of Nimetone, in the hundred of Witheridge, belonged to the King. The Northcote family held the manor until 1740 when it was sold to James Buller whose family held it until 1842 when it was purchased by James Tanner, Kings Nympton Park is a Grade I listed building. In 1872 it belonged to James Tanner, Esq. although the lord of the manor of Kings Nympton was H. M. Byne, Esq. An on-site auction sale held by Kivells auctioneers occurred at Park Farm on the Kingsnympton Park Estate on 25 January 2010, which included pedigree North Devon cattle, sheep and machinery. The village gives its name to the Kings Nympton railway station, although the station itself is situated 2.5 miles from the village in the civil parish of Chulmleigh
8.
Sir Hugh Pollard, 2nd Baronet
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Sir Hugh Pollard, 2nd Baronet was an English soldier and MP elected for Bere Alston in 1640, Callington in 1660, and Devon in 1661. He supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War, Pollard was the eldest son and heir of Sir Lewis Pollard, 1st Baronet of Kings Nympton, Devonshire, by his wife Margaret Berkeley, daughter of Sir Henry Berkeley, Knight, of Bruton, Somerset. He joined the army and by 1639 was a captain engaged in raising troops in Devon for the Scottish wars, the following year he was ordered to Scotland and was probably present at the Battle of Newburn. In November 1640 Pollard was elected Member of Parliament for Bere Alston in the Long Parliament and he became involved in the Royalist army plots of 1641 and, after being found guilty of misprision, was expelled from the House of Commons. He succeeded to the baronetcy that same year, during the Civil war Pollard mainly served with the kings army in Devonshire and Cornwall and in 1645 was made governor of Dartmouth. Fairfaxs Parliamentary troops besieged the town in January 1645/6 and Pollard was captured, in 1653 he was fined £518 for his delinquency. After the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660 Pollard was elected MP for the Cornish seat, no doubt this was due to the Rolle influence exerted by Pollards second wife Mary Stevens, widow of Henry Rolle of Stevenstone. He was appointed a JP, a Deputy Lieutenant, and Vice Admiral of Devon, in 1661 he was elected MP for Devon in the Cavalier Parliament, with as his co-MP Sir John Rolle, KB, the cousin and heir of Henry Rolle. He was appointed in 1661 Governor of Guernsey and in 1662 Comptroller of the Royal Household, Pollard married twice, Firstly to Lady Bridget de Vere, a daughter of Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford and widow of Francis Norris, 1st Earl of Berkshire. By her he left a daughter, Bridget Pollard. William Stevens was the founder of the Devon branch of the influential Stevens family of Vielstone in the parish of Buckland Brewer, of Cross in Little Torrington and of Winscott in Peters Marland. The Cornish seat of Callington was controlled by the Rolle family, Mary Stevens was buried at St Giles in the Wood, the parish church of Stevenstone. Pollard died on 27 November 1666 at Whitehall at the age of about 63 and was buried in Westminster Abbey, on his death without male progeny the baronetcy passed to his younger brother Sir Amyas Pollard, 3rd Baronet, of Abbots Bickington, Devon. Upon the death of Sir Amyas unmarried and without male heir. Helms, M. W. & Ferris, John, the Visitations of the County of Devon, Comprising the Heralds Visitations of 1531,1564 &1620, Exeter,1895, pp. 597–599, Pollard pedigree, p.598 Sir Hugh Pollard, 2nd Bt
9.
Sir John Northcote, 1st Baronet
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Sir John Northcote, 1st Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1640 and 1676. He supported the Parliamentarian cause in the English Civil War, Northcote was the eldest surviving son of John Northcote of Hayne, Newton St Cyres, near Crediton, Devon, by his second wife Susanna Pollard, daughter of Sir Hugh II Pollard of Kings Nympton. The family of Northcote originated in Devon at the Domesday Book manor of Northcote in the parish of East Down in North Devon, the Heraldic Visitations of Devon lists the founder of the family as Galfridus de Northcote, Miles, living in 1103. The family later in the 16th century made its fortune as cloth merchants at Crediton He matriculated at Exeter College, Oxford on 9 May 1617, in November 1640 he was elected Member of Parliament for the newly re-established borough of Ashburton in the Long Parliament. On 16 July 1641, he was created a baronet, having Presbyterian sympathies, on the outbreak of the Civil War, he declared for Parliament, and used his considerable wealth and influence to aid the cause. In 1642 he provided £450 to finance military action in Ireland and his actions were sufficiently notable for him to be excluded by name from the general pardon issued in November 1642 by King Charles I. In 1643 Sir John was leading a regiment of 1,200 men in Devon, Northcote was kept captive until the autumn of 1644, when he was exchanged, and resumed his Parliamentary seat in May 1645. In the Convention Parliament of 1660 he was elected both for Devon and for Helston, though his return for the latter was ruled void and he subsequently sat also for Barnstaple from 1667 until his death. A manuscript purporting to be the Notebook of Sir John Northcote, however, its authenticity was challenged on the grounds that it covered a period before Sir John had a seat in the House. Northcote married Grace Halswell, a daughter and heiress of Hugh Halswell of Chamberlain Street, Wells, Somerset, by his wife, Hugh was the son of Richard Halswell and Cicely Reeves, and grandson of Robert Halswell of Halswell, Somerset. Northcote had by Grace seven sons and four daughters, Sir Arthur Northcote, 2nd Baronet, eldest son, John Northcote, 2nd son, married Catherine Foljambe. Lewis Northcote, 3rd son, married Jane Copleston Hugh Northcote, apparently died young Halswell Northcote, 4th son and their only son Robert Fortescue, died an infant, whose mural monument exists in Newton St Cyres Church. The daughter from Robert Fortescues first marriage to Grace Grenville, daughter of Sir Bevil Grenville was Grace Fortescue who married Sir Halswell Tynte, 1st Baronet, MP for Bridgwater 1679–1689. Tynte was a cousin of Grace Halswell, being the son of Jane Halswell, Grace I Northcote, died young Elizabeth Northcote, married Thomas Pointingdon
10.
Wells, Somerset
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Wells is a cathedral city and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset, on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills. Often described as Englands smallest city, it is only to the City of London in area and population. Wells is named from three wells dedicated to Saint Andrew, one in the place and two within the grounds of the Bishops Palace and cathedral. A small Roman settlement surrounded them, which grew in importance, the community became a trading centre based on cloth making and Wells is notable for its 17th century involvement in both the English Civil War and Monmouth Rebellion. In the 19th century, transport infrastructure improved with stations on three different railway lines, however, since 1964 the city has been without a railway link. The cathedral and the religious and medieval architectural history provide much of the employment. The historic architecture of the city has also used as a location for filming an increasing number of movies. The city was a Roman settlement that became an important centre under the Anglo-Saxons when King Ine of Wessex founded a church in 704. Two hundred years later, in 909, it became the seat of the bishopric of Wells, but in 1090. The move caused severe arguments between the canons of Wells and the monks of Bath until 1245 when the bishopric was renamed the Diocese of Bath and Wells, to be elected by both religious houses. Wells was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Welle, from the Old English wiells, not as a town but as four manors with a population of 132, which implies a population of 500–600. Earlier names for the settlement have been identified which include Fontanetum, in a charter of 725 granted by King Ina to Glastonbury, tidesput or Tithesput furlang relates to the area east of the bishops garden in 1245. Wells was part of, and gave its name to, the hundred of Wells Forum, Wells had been granted charters to hold markets by Bishop Robert and free burgage tenure was granted by Bishop Reginald. Wells was recognised as a borough by a Royal charter of King John in 1201. The city remained under control until its charter of incorporation from Queen Elizabeth I in 1589. During the English Civil War, at what became known as the Siege of Wells, col. William Strode had 2,000 men and 150 horse. Parliamentarian troops then used the cathedral to stable their horses and damaged much of the sculpture by using it for firing practice. William Penn stayed in Wells shortly before leaving for America, spending a night at The Crown Inn, here he was briefly arrested for addressing a large crowd in the market place, but released on the intervention of the Bishop of Bath and Wells
11.
Halswell House
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Halswell House is a Grade I listed country house in Goathurst, Somerset, England. The Domesday Book of 1086 lists the holder of the manor of Halswell as Roger Arundel and it descended from Roger to Henry de Newburgh, whose tenant in 1285 was Taunton Priory. Peter de Halswell was the holder in 1285, and held by the tenure of 1/4 of a knights fee. William de Halswell held the manor in 1303 as 1/8 of a knights fee, william Halswell was living in 1394 and appears to have been the holder in 1428. The descent is uncertain thereafter until Nicholas Halswell, MP for Bridgwater in 1553 and 1563, Nicholas son by his wife Margery Tremayle was Robert Halswell, who built Halswell House, whose eldest son by his wife Susan Brouncker was Sir Nicholas Halswell, MP for Bridgwater in 1604. His eldest son Robert Halswell, MP for Bridgwater in 1614, predeceased him, Sir Nicholas had settled much of his property, including Halswell, onto Henry in 1628 in order to escape his creditors. Henry died unmarried and without progeny when his heir became his brother Rev, hugh Halswell, rector of Cheriton, Hampshire and proctor of Oxford University, who left a sole daughter Jane Halswell his sole heiress. Jane married John Tynte of Chelvey Court, Brockley, Somerset, in 1667 the manor was put into trust for Jane Halswells son Sir Halswell Tynte, 1st Baronet, MP for Bridgwater 1679–1689. Sir John Tynte, 2nd Baronet, rector of Goathurst, married Jane Kemeys of the Kemeys family of Cefn Mably, in 1916 the Kemeys-Tyntes reclaimed the dormant Barony of Wharton through petition to the House of Lords. The Halswell estate was sold by Lord Wharton and broken up through as series of auctions between 1948 and 1950. The Baroque house, too large and draughty for such habitation was left untouched and used as a warehouse and this has been re-planted with trees and the follies are being restored. Halswell Park was developed between 1745 and 1785 as a setting for Halswell House, the 17-acre pleasure garden was created by Sir Charles Kemeys Tynte, and ranks in importance with some of the finest landscape gardens in Europe. In 1740 the grounds covered 30 acres but this had expanded to 132 acres by 1800. It included tree plantations and avenues with a canal later converted into a lake, the park, which is listed, Grade II, on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England, is on the Heritage at Risk register. The grounds contain many buildings, fish ponds, cascades and bridges. Completed in 1767, it is Grade II listed and has fully restored. It is open to the public on Sundays from May until September, the contents of the house were sold in 1948, and the house itself in 1950 when the rest of the estate was auctioned off. Part of the house was converted into flats, the Halswell Park Trust was established with the aim of acquiring the buildings and surrounding land of Halswell Park, restoring them and opening them to the public
12.
Domesday Book
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Domesday 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 the Conqueror. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle states, Then, at the midwinter, was the king in Glocester with his council. After this had the king a large meeting, and very deep consultation with his council, about this land, how it was occupied and it was written in Medieval Latin, was highly abbreviated, and included some vernacular native terms without Latin equivalents. The assessors reckoning of a mans holdings and their values, as recorded in Domesday Book, was dispositive, the name Domesday Book came into use in the 12th century. As Richard FitzNeal wrote in the Dialogus de Scaccario, for as the sentence of that strict and terrible last account cannot be evaded by any skilful subterfuge and its sentence cannot be quashed or set aside with impunity. That is why we have called the book the Book of Judgement, because its decisions, like those of the Last Judgement, are unalterable. The manuscript is held at The National Archives at Kew, London, in 2011, the Open Domesday site made the manuscript available online. The book is a primary source for modern historians and historical economists. Domesday Book encompasses two independent works, Little Domesday and Great Domesday, no surveys were made of the City of London, Winchester, or some other towns, probably due to their tax-exempt status. Most of Cumberland and Westmorland are missing, the omission of the other counties and towns is not fully explained, although in particular Cumberland and Westmorland had yet to be fully conquered. Little Domesday – so named because its format is smaller than its companions – is the more detailed survey. It may have represented the first attempt, resulting in a decision to avoid such level of detail in Great Domesday, some of the largest such magnates held several hundred fees, in a few cases in more than one county. For example, the chapter of the Domesday Book Devonshire section concerning Baldwin the Sheriff lists 176 holdings held in-chief by him, as a review of taxes owed, it was highly unpopular. Each countys list opened with the demesne lands. It should be borne in mind that under the system the king was the only true owner of land in England. He was thus the ultimate overlord and even the greatest magnate could do no more than hold land from him as a tenant under one of the contracts of feudal land tenure. In some counties, one or more principal towns formed the subject of a separate section and this principle applies more specially to the larger volume, in the smaller one, the system is more confused, the execution less perfect. Domesday names a total of 13,418 places and these include fragments of custumals, records of the military service due, of markets, mints, and so forth
13.
East Down, Devon
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East Down is a village and civil parish in the Barnstaple district of Devon, England. It includes the hamlets of Churchill, Shortacombe, Brockham and Clifton, the parish contains a church, pub and manor house. The Heraldic Visitations of Devon lists the founder of the family as Galfridus de Northcote, Miles, the family later in the 16th century made its fortune as cloth merchants at Crediton Media related to East Down, Devon at Wikimedia Commons
14.
Heraldic visitation
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Heraldic visitations were tours of inspection undertaken by Kings of Arms throughout England, Wales and Ireland. Their purpose was to regulate and register the coats of arms of nobility and gentry and boroughs and they took place from 1530 to 1688, and their records provide important source material for historians and genealogists. By the fifteenth century, the use and abuse of coats of arms was becoming widespread in England, the first provincial visitations were carried out under warrant granted by Henry VIII to Thomas Benolt, Clarenceux King of Arms dated 6 April 1530. He was commissioned to travel throughout his province with authority to enter all homes and churches, upon entering these premises, he was authorized to put down or otherwise deface at his discretion. He was also required to enquire into all those using the titles of knight, esquire, or gentleman and decided if they were being lawfully used. By this writ, Henry VIII also compelled the sheriffs and mayors of each county or city visited by the officers of arms to give aid, the Sheriff would collect from the bailiff of each hundred within his county a list of all people using titles or arms. They were to bring their arms, and proof of their right to use them, most often by way of detailing their ancestral right to them, where an official grant of arms had been made, this was also recorded. Other ancient arms, many of which predated the establishment of the College of Arms, were confirmed, the officer would record the information clearly and make detailed notes that could be entered into the records of the College of Arms when the party returned to London. These volumes now make up the collection of Visitation Books at the College, the visitations were not always popular with members of the landed gentry, who were required to present proof of their gentility. Following the accession of William III in 1689, no further commissions to carry out visitations were commanded, the reasons behind this cessation of the programme have been a matter of debate among historians. However, Janet Verasano has challenged this interpretation, finding that gentry enthusiasm for coats of arms as an enhancement to social standing persisted to the end of the 17th century. The end of the visitations did not have effect on those counties far removed from London. There was never a systematic visitation of Wales, there were four visitations in the principality, and on 9 June 1551, Fulk ap Hywel, Lancaster Herald of Arms in Ordinary was given a commission to visit all of Wales. This was not carried out, however, as he was degraded and executed for counterfeiting the seal of Clarenceux King of Arms and this is regrettable, since no visitation of all Wales was ever made by the officers of arms. The principal records to emerge from the visitations were pedigrees, initially recorded on sheets of paper. In some cases, the sheets would include blank shields which had drawn in advance. The persons whose pedigrees were recorded were required to them by signature. The signed copies were taken back to the College of Arms, as a result, a number of variant manuscript copies of any one visitation record may now survive, possessing varying degrees of accuracy and authority
15.
Crediton
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Crediton is a town and civil parish in the Mid Devon district of Devon in England. It stands on the A377 Exeter to Barnstaple road at the junction with the A3072 road to Tiverton and it has a population of 6,837, increasing to 7,835 at the 2011 Census. The combined population of these wards at the 2011 Census was 7,600, the town is situated in the narrow vale of the River Creedy, between two steep hills and is divided into two parts, the east or old town and the west or new town. The first indication of settlement at Crediton is the knowledge that Winfrith or Saint Boniface was born here in c and he propagated Christianity in the Frankish Empire during the 8th century and is the patron saint of both Germany and the Netherlands. In 909 a see was established here with Edwulf as the first bishop, nine more bishops ruled here until 1050, when Leofric obtained papal permission from Pope Leo IX to transfer the seat to Exeter, a more culturally aware, larger and walled town. Since 1897 Crediton has been the seat of a bishopric in the Diocese of Exeter, from 2004 until 2012 this was Robert Evens. Two years later there was a riot against the increase of copyhold. The jury of the borough are mentioned in 1275, and Crediton returned two members to parliament during the reign of Edward I, in 1306-07, though it was never afterwards represented again. A borough seal dated 1469 is extant, but the corporation is not mentioned in the grant made by Edward VI of the church to twelve principal inhabitants. The wool trade was established by 1249, and the manufacture and trading of cloth, especially serge. In 1630 the market for kerseys was mentioned in conjunction with a saying as fine as Kirton spinning, the woollen textile trade declined after the mid 18th century. During the English Civil War the Earl of Essex passed through the town on 20 July 1644 on his way towards Cornwall, and evidently left the town and surrounding countryside in some disarray. He was closely followed by Charles I who arrived in the town on 27 July to review the army gathered there by his nephew, Prince Maurice, the following Sunday, the King spent the night at Crediton and then began his expedition of Essex-catching. On Sunday 14 August 1743, a fire started, completely destroying High Street. At that period of time it was the second largest fire in the country, sixteen people lost their lives, with over 2,000 made homeless and 450 houses destroyed. Other large fires occurred in 1766,1769 and 1772, the town is twinned with Avranches, France. In the early 20th century shoe-making, tanning, agricultural trade, tin-plating, every day, a train of three or more Milk Tank Wagons would be filled from lorries, and then taken to London by either the Great Western Railway or the Southern Railway. Express Dairies sold the creamery and a unit in Kirkcudbright, Scotland in July 2002 to Milk Link
16.
Lord Edward Seymour (died 1593)
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Lord Edward Seymour, knight, of Berry Pomeroy, Devon, was Sheriff of Devon in 1583 and was knighted by his father the Duke of Somerset on the battlefield of Pinkie Cleugh on 10 September 1547. He was the eldest son of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset by his first wife Catherine Fillol a daughter and co-heiress of Sir William Fillol, of Fillols Hall, Essex and Woodlands, Horton, Dorset. By an entail made during the time of his marriage the Duke excluded from the inheritance of his estates the children of his first marriage. It has been alleged that adultery between Catherine Fillol and her father-in-law Sir John Seymour ended the Dukes first marriage, in June 1553 he received the manor of Berry Pomeroy, Devon, including Berry Pomeroy Castle. A monument to Lord Edward Seymour survives in St Marys Church, Berry Pomeroy and it was described by the architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner as, The figure carving astonishingly naive. To think that the children of Lord Protector Somerset were satisfied with this, hoskins on the contrary called it fine. Demonstrating perspective, the increase in size from the topmost step furthest from the viewer. The two male figures occupying the topmost two steps are bare-headed and dressed in armour with breastplates. On the top step is Lord Edward Seymour, holding in his hand the ceremonial baton of Sheriff of Devon. On the ground near his shoulder is his helmet, on the middle step is the effigy of Lord Edwards son, Sir Edward Seymour, 1st Baronet, head propped up on his hand, with the latters wife, Elizabeth Champernowne, occupying the lowest step. At the head end of Lady Elizabeth is a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, at the apex of the arch, below the entablature is an escutcheon showing the arms of Seymour impaling Welshe, the wife of Lord Edward. On the very top of the monument, within a scroll pediment and above a puttos head, is an escutcheon showing the arms of Seymour alone, with mantling
17.
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
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Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset KG was Lord Protector of England from 1547 until 1549 during the minority of his nephew, King Edward VI. He was the eldest brother of Queen Jane Seymour, the wife of King Henry VIII. Edward Seymour was born circa 1500, the son of Sir John Seymour by his wife Margery Wentworth, in 1514 aged about 14 he received an appointment in the household of Mary Tudor. When Edwards sister Jane Seymour married King Henry VIII in 1536, he was created Viscount Beauchamp on 5 June 1536 and he became Warden of the Scottish Marches and continued in royal favour after his sisters death on 24 October 1537. Upon the death of Henry VIII, Seymours nephew became king as Edward VI. Henry VIIIs will named sixteen executors and these executors were supplemented by twelve men of counsail who would assist the executors when called on. The final state of Henry VIIIs will has occasioned controversy, some historians suggest that those close to the king manipulated either him or the will itself to ensure a shareout of power to their benefit, both material and religious. In this reading, the composition of the Privy Chamber shifted towards the end of 1546 in favour of the Protestant faction, in addition, two leading conservative Privy Councillors were removed from the centre of power. Stephen Gardiner was refused access to Henry during his last months, whatever the case, Henrys death was followed by a lavish hand-out of lands and honours to the new power group. Henry VIIIs will did not provide for the appointment of a Protector and it entrusted the government of the realm during his sons minority to a Regency Council that would rule collectively, by majority decision, with like and equal charge. Nevertheless, a few days after Henrys death, on 4 February, thirteen out of the sixteen agreed to his appointment as Protector, which they justified as their joint decision by virtue of the authority of Henrys will. Seymour may have done a deal with some of the executors and he is known to have done so with William Paget, private secretary to Henry VIII, and to have secured the support of Sir Anthony Browne of the Privy Chamber. Hertfords appointment was in keeping with historical precedent, and his eligibility for the role was reinforced by his successes in Scotland. In March 1547, he secured letters patent from King Edward granting him the almost monarchical right to appoint members to the Privy Council himself, in the words of historian G. R. Elton, from that moment his autocratic system was complete. He proceeded to rule largely by proclamation, calling on the Privy Council to do more than rubber-stamp his decisions. Somersets takeover of power was smooth and efficient, wriothesley, a religious conservative, objected to Somerset’s assumption of monarchical power over the Council. He then found himself dismissed from the chancellorship on charges of selling off some of his offices to delegates. Somerset faced less manageable opposition from his younger brother Thomas, who has described as a worm in the bud. As King Edwards uncle, Thomas Seymour demanded the governorship of the king’s person, Somerset tried to buy his brother off with a barony, an appointment to the Lord Admiralship, and a seat on the Privy Council—but Thomas was bent on scheming for power
18.
Berry Pomeroy
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Berry Pomeroy is a village, civil parish and former manor in the former hundred of Haytor, today within South Hams district of Devon, England, about two miles east of Totnes. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 973 and it was one of only eight feudal baronies in Devon. The family retained the barony until 1547 and it comprised almost 32 knights fees in the Cartae Baronum of 1166. The family came from La Pommeraye, Calvados, near Falaise in Normandy, Berry Pomeroy Castle, about one mile north-east of the village, was built as the home of the de la Pomeray family in the late 15th century. On 1 December 1547 Sir Thomas Pomeroy sold the castle, park and manor of Berry Pomeroy, with lands, to Edward Seymour. The duke gave it to his eldest son from his first marriage, the dukes second wife later persuaded him to exclude by entail the children of his first marriage from inheriting his main estates. However, on the expiry of the line of descent from this second marriage, the Castle was abandoned by the Seymour family in the late 17th century and was later considered a romantic ruin by the Victorians. It is still owned by the Duke of Somerset, but is now maintained by English Heritage, the castle is said to be haunted by several ghosts. There is a young lady, most likely a Pomeroy. An unidentified woman in a hooded cape will not rest till she finds the baby she smothered to death. It is said that the baby was sired by her own father, Parliament Cottage is a mile away from the village, in Longcombe. This was where William of Orange is said to have held his first Parliament after invading England in 1688, in 2005, Berry Pomeroy revived Queenes Day, the anniversary of the accession of Elizabeth the First on November 17. Celebrations begin with evensong in the church and culminate with a bonfire in the adjacent field. St. Marys Church, in the centre, has a rood screen forty-two feet long. The rood screen is very unusual in being complete from end to end but also has the original coving, cornice, between 1681 and 1834 the village was served by just three vicars, John Prince, John Fox and John Edwards. The church was visited by William III and more recently by the Duke of Kent. American soldiers were stationed in the village in the buildup to D-Day and were billeted in tents opposite the church, american veterans revisited Berry Pomeroy for the 60th anniversary of the invasion. The church features in the wedding scene of Ang Lees 1995 film Sense
19.
Fivehead
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Fivehead is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the Fivehead River,8 miles miles east of Taunton in the South Somerset district. In 2011 the parish, which includes the hamlet of Swell, had a population of 609, the name of the village comes from a Domesday manor which measured five hides (about 600 acres. Fivehead was part of the hundred of Abdick and Bulstone, Swell Court Farmhouse dates from the mid to late 15th century. Cathanger manor house dates from 1559, with Langford Manor having been built around the same period, nearby was RAF Merryfield, a World War II airfield. The parish council has responsibility for issues, including setting an annual precept to cover the council’s operating costs. The parish council evaluates local planning applications and works with the police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security. Conservation matters and environmental issues are also the responsibility of the council, the village falls within the Non-metropolitan district of South Somerset, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Langport Rural District. Fivehead is also part of a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, there are two nearby Sites of Special Scientific Interest at Fivehead Arable Fields and Fivehead Woods and Meadow. The Church of St. Catherine in Swell Lane dates from the 12th century, both are grade I listed buildings. John Barnwell - Somerset cricketer died in the village in 1998, stuart Morling — Wheelchair designer and entrepreneur, designer of the hugely successful Neo Wheelbase tm Fivehead village website
20.
Alverdiscott
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Alverdiscott is a village and civil parish in the Torridge district of Devon, centred 5.5 miles SSW of Barnstaple. A rural population – having 105 homes – Alverdiscotts population increased by five in the ten years to 2011 according to the census of that year. The B3232 skirts the nucleus of the village, the road between Great Torrington and Barnstaple though not from the town to points east and west of Barnstaple being served by A-roads. Alverdiscott has settled low unemployment, agriculture, home-working, commuting to Barnstaple, beaches and within easy reach of visitor gardens and golf courses along the River Torridge. An adventure activities centre is to the south at Southdown in the parish of Huntshaw. A Scheduled Ancient Monument is associated with the place, a Roman marching camp fort in the west of the area, the church is built of granite with sloped slate roofs over the main body and squatter extension to the nave. It has an archetypal Norman font, Norman doorway, tall tower and sixteenth-century pulpit and is a listed building architecturally in the middle category, within the parish is the historic estate of Webbery, listed in the Domesday Book as WIBERIE. List of places in England with counterintuitive pronunciations, A–L Devon Local Studies - Alverdiscott community page Alverdiscott at GENUKI Alverdiscott in the Domesday Book
21.
Barnstaple
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Barnstaple /ˈbɑːrnstəbəl/ or /ˈbɑːrnstəpəl/ is the main town of North Devon, England, and possibly the oldest borough in the United Kingdom. It is a former river-port, located at the lowest crossing-point of the River Taw, from the 14th century, it was licensed to export wool, since the merchants claimed that the town had been declared a free borough in Saxon times. This brought great wealth to Barnstaple, whose town centre still preserves a medieval layout, later the town became an importer of Irish wool, but its harbour silted up, and it developed other industries, such as shipbuilding, foundries and sawmills. Its Victorian market survives, with its glass and timber roof on iron columns. Barnstaple railway station is the terminus of a line from Exeter. Since 1974, Barnstaple has been a civil parish governed by town council, the parish itself had a population of 24,033 and including the satellite settlements known as the Barnstaple Town Area, it is 53,514. The old spelling Barnstable is now obsolete, but is retained by an American county, Barnstaple was formerly referred to as Barum, from a contraction of the Latin form of the name in Latin documents such as the episcopal registers of the Diocese of Exeter. Barum was mentioned by Shakespeare, and the name was revived and popularised in Victorian times, the name Barum is retained in the names of a football team, brewery, and of several local businesses. The former Brannam Pottery works which was sited in Litchdon Street was known for its trademark Barum etched on the base of its products, the earliest settlement in the area was probably at Pilton on the bank of the River Yeo, now a northern suburb of the present town. Barnstaple had its own mint before the Norman Conquest, the large feudal barony of Barnstaple had its caput at Barnstaple Castle. It was granted by William the Conqueror to Geoffrey de Montbray, the barony escheated to the crown in 1095 after Montbray had rebelled against King William II. William re-granted the barony to Juhel de Totnes, formerly feudal baron of Totnes, in about 1107, Juhel, who had already founded Totnes Priory, founded Barnstaple Priory, of the Cluniac order, dedicated to St Mary Magdalene. After Juhels son died without children, the barony was split into two, passing through the de Braose and Tracy families, before being reunited under Henry de Tracy. It then passed through other families, before ending up in the ownership of Margaret Beaufort. See Feudal barony of Barnstaple for full details, in the 1340s the merchants of the town claimed that the rights of a free borough had been granted to them by King Athelstan in a lost charter. Although this was challenged from time to time by subsequent lords of the manor, the towns wealth in the Middle Ages was founded on its being a staple port licensed to export wool. It had a merchant guild, known as the Guild of St. Nicholas. In the early 14th century it was the third richest town in Devon, behind Exeter and Plymouth and its wool trade was further aided by the towns port, from which in 1588 five ships were contributed to the force sent to fight the Spanish Armada
22.
Tristram Risdon
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Tristram Risdon was an English antiquarian and topographer, and the author of Survey of the County of Devon. He was able to devote most of his life to writing this work, after he completed it in about 1632 it circulated around interested people in several manuscript copies for almost 80 years before it was first published by Curll in a very inferior form. A full version was not published until 1811, Risdon also collected information about genealogy and heraldry in a note-book, this was edited and published in 1897. Risdon was born at Winscott, in the parish of St Giles in the Wood, near Great Torrington in Devon and he was the eldest son of William Risdon and his wife Joan. William was the son of Giles Risdon of Bableigh, in the parish of Parkham. Risdon also stated that the family originated in Gloucestershire, where during the reign of King Richard I they were lords of the manor of Risdon. After a local education, Tristram Risdon studied either at Broadgates Hall or at Exeter College in Oxford and this was supposedly because of the death of his half-sister, Thomazin Barry, upon which he inherited the family estate at Winscott, which required his personal attention. He married Pascoe Chafe, the daughter of Thomas Chafe of Exeter, on 2 December 1608 and they had four sons and three daughters. From about 1605 to the 1630s he devoted his time to the study of antiquities, especially those of Devon, and he died at Winscott in 1640 and was interred in St Giless church, his mother is commemorated by a monumental brass in the same church. According to John Prince, who had used the Survey as a source for his Worthies of Devon, Risdon started work on the Survey in 1605, internal evidence shows, however, that it was not completed until 1632 at the earliest. Risdon was one of a number of authors who wrote about the topography of Devon between the 17th and early 19th centuries. Risdon did, though, make additions and improvements of his own. Lastly, to notice of such remarkable things as the north parts afford. In its turn, Risdons Survey has been used as a source for later topographies, after the completion of the Survey, many copies of the manuscript entered into public circulation, none of them exactly agreeing with the others, each having something redundant or deficient. Ten copies of the manuscript are known to survive, details of which are published in Maxted, the Survey was first published in 1714 by Edmund Curll, the infamous London bookseller, who extracted the parts he thought would best suit his purpose, and printed them. Curll did this in the year, but it remained a very imperfect version. In 1785 William Chapple published the first part of his Review of Risdons Survey of Devon and it contained the general description of the county, but Chapple died before he could complete the work. The first complete edition of the Survey appeared in 1811 and included additions by uncredited editors
23.
Bratton Fleming
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Bratton Fleming is a large village, civil parish and former manor near Barnstaple, in Devon, England. The population in 2001 was 942, falling to 928 in 2011, the village is a few miles east-south-east of Exmoor. The parish is surrounded, clockwise from the north, by the parishes of Challacombe, Brayford, Stoke Rivers, Goodleigh, Shirwell, Loxhore, Arlington, there is an electoral ward with the same name. The ward population at the 2011 census was 2,117, the former Manor of Bratton Fleming was owned by a succession of families from the Norman Conquest to the 19th century. The Flemings had their seat at Chimwell, now a farmhouse called Chumhill, benton and Haxton were other small Domesday manors. The great jurist Henry de Bracton was probably born at Bratton, the village was once served by a railway station, supposedly the most beautiful in England, on the narrow gauge Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, the trackbed runs close to the village. The street names Station Road and Station Hill survive, St Peters Church was rebuilt on the site of a much older building, in 1861. He also gave £10 toward the Combination Room of that college, a mural monument exists in St Peters Church, Bratton Fleming, to Rev. Bartholomew Wortley, the first rector to be appointed by Gonville & Caius College. He was aged about 50 when appointed and remained in office until his death in 1749 aged 97, baron Slane Henry de Bracton Exmoor Steam Railway Devon by W. G. Hoskins et al. Bratton Fleming home page Bratton Fleming at GENUKI Bratton Fleming community page Media related to Bratton Fleming at Wikimedia Commons
24.
Monumental brass
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The Earl of Moray had been assassinated, and his monumental brass carries the Moray arms and figures representing Religion and Justice. The fine memorials of the house of Saxony in the cathedrals of Meissen and Freiberg are the most artistic. Among the 13th-century examples existing in German churches are the memorials of Yso von Welpe, Prince-Bishop of Verden. Many fine Flemish specimens exist in Belgium, especially at Bruges, the majority of extant memorial brasses are now found in England, where it is calculated that there may be about 4,000 still remaining in various churches. They are most abundant in the counties, and this fact has been frequently adduced in support of the opinion that they were of Flemish manufacture. Flemish brasses can be found in England, but they are not common, the Flemish examples have the figures engraved in the centre of a large plate, the background filled in with diapered or scroll work, and the inscription placed round the edge of the plate. The English examples have the cut out to the outline and inserted in corresponding cavities in the slab. This is not a distinction, however, as figure-brasses of Flemish origin are found both at Bruges and in England. Scarcely any of the brasses which now exist in England can be referred to the first half of the 13th century. The full-sized brass of Sir John dAubernon at Stoke dAbernon in Surrey has the decorations of the filled in with a species of enamel. A well-known 13th-century example is that of Sir Roger de Trumpington, about half a dozen examples of this stylistic feature are known. The 14th-century brasses are more numerous, and present a remarkable variety in their details. The finest specimen is that of Nicholas Lord Burnell in the church of Acton Burnell, in the 15th century the design and execution of monumental brasses had attained their highest excellence. The beautiful brass of Thomas de Beauchamp, 12th Earl of Warwick, and his wife Margaret, an interesting monumental brass of John Rudying dated 1481 in the Church of St Andrew in Biggleswade shows the figure of Death about to strike Archdeacon Rudying with a spear. It is only in the 16th century that the engraved representations become portraits, previous to that period the features were invariably represented conventionally, though sometimes personal peculiarities were added. A large number of brasses in England are palimpsests, the back of an ancient brass having been engraved for the more recent memorial. Thus a brass commemorative of Margaret Bulstrode at Hedgerley, on being removed from its position, was discovered to have been previously the memorial of Thomas Totyngton, abbot of St Edmundsbury. The abbey was surrendered to Henry VIII in 1539, so that before the year was out the work of spoliation had begun
25.
Strapwork
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In the history of art and design, strapwork is the use of stylised representations in ornament of ribbon-like forms. These may loosely imitate leather straps, parchment or metal cut into shapes, with piercings. In early examples there may or may not be three-dimensionality, either actual in curling relief ends of the elements, as the style continued, these curling elements became more prominent, often turning into scrollwork, where the ends curl into spirals or scrolls. By the Baroque scrollwork was an element in ornament, often partly submerged by other rich ornament. The Europeanized arabesque patterns called moresque are also often combined with strapwork. Scrollwork is a variant that tended to replace strapwork, almost completely so by the Baroque and it is less geometric and more organic, more three dimensional, and with emphasis on the curling ends of the straps. The Italian artists at the Palace of Fontainebleau had already moved onto this by the 1530s, where there is no suggestion of three dimensions — curling ends and the like — the decoration may also be called bandwork or interlaced bands, the more technically correct term. Peter Fuhring derives this style from Islamic ornament, floris developed the massive Fontainebleau strapwork into a yet more nightmarish style of his own, but also, with Bos, experimented with an altogether lighter, more elegant variety. Thereafter, spread by prints, it part of the vocabulary of Northern Mannerist ornament. Wollaton Hall outside Nottingham makes especially extensive, and for some excessive, use of strapwork inside, the patterns it used influenced European ornament in the Renaissance, through the Moresque style. Girih is an Islamic decorative art form used in architecture and handicrafts from the 8th century onwards and it consists of geometric lines that form an interlaced strapwork. Girih patterns are used in varied media including tilework, brickwork, stucco, wood and mosaic faience work
26.
Cadency
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In heraldry, cadency is any systematic way of distinguishing otherwise identical coats of arms belonging to members of the same family. Cadency is necessary in systems in which a given design may be owned by only one person at once. Because heraldic designs may be used by sons whilst their father is alive, some form of differencing is required so as not to usurp the fathers arms. Historically arms were only heritable by males and therefore cadency marks have no relevance to daughters, except in the era in Canadian. These differences are formed by adding to the small and inconspicuous marks called brisures, similar to charges. They are placed on the fess-point, or in-chief in the case of the label, brisures are generally exempt from the rule of tincture. One of the best examples of usage from the period is shown on the seven Beauchamp cadets in the stained-glass windows of St Marys Church. In heraldrys early period, uniqueness of arms was obtained by a variety of devices, including change of tincture. See Armorial of Capetians and Armorial of Plantagenet for an illustration of the variety, daughters have no special brisures, and normally use their fathers arms on a lozenge, together with any marks of cadency their father may use. This is because English heraldry has no requirement that womens arms be unique, in England, arms are generally the property of their owner from birth - subject to the use of the appropriate mark of cadency. In other words, it is not necessary to wait for the death of the generation before arms are inherited. The eldest son of an eldest son uses a label of five points, other grandchildren combine the brisure of their father with the relevant brisure of their own, which would in a short number of generations lead to confusion and complexity. However, in practice cadency marks are not much used in England and, even when they are, it is rare to see more than one or, at most, two of them on a coat of arms. Although textbooks on heraldry always agree on the English system of cadency set out above, nor have cadency marks usually been insisted upon by the College of Arms. Cadency marks may be used to identify the arms of brothers, in a said to have been invented by John Writhe, Garter. Small symbols are painted on the shield, usually in a contrasting tincture at the top, … It does not say that such marks must be used. In correspondence published in the Heraldry Societys newsletter, Garter King of Arms Peter Gwynn-Jones firmly rejected a suggestion that cadency marks should be strictly enforced. He said, I have never favoured the system of cadency unless there is a need to mark out distinct branches of a particular family
27.
Heir apparent
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An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. An heir presumptive, by contrast, is someone who is first in line to inherit a title, today these terms most commonly describe heirs to hereditary titles, particularly monarchies. They are also used metaphorically to indicate an anointed successor to any position of power, in France the title was le Dauphin. See crown prince for more examples and this article primarily describes the term heir apparent in a hereditary system regulated by laws of primogeniture—as opposed to cases where a monarch has a say in naming the heir. An heir presumptive, by contrast, can always be bumped down in the succession by the birth of more closely related in a legal sense to the current title-holder. The clearest example occurs in the case of a title-holder with no children, if at any time he or she were to produce children, they rank ahead of whatever more distant relative had been heir presumptive. Many legal systems assume childbirth is always possible regardless of age or health, in such circumstances a person may be, in a practical sense, the heir apparent but still, legally speaking, heir presumptive. Adelaide was 44 at the time, so pregnancy was even if unlikely. Daughters may inherit titles that descend according to male-preference primogeniture, thus, normally, even an only daughter will not be heir apparent, since at any time a brother might be born who, though younger, would assume that position. Hence, she is an heir presumptive, for example, Queen Elizabeth II was heir presumptive during the reign of her father, King George VI, because at any stage up to his death, George could have fathered a legitimate son. In a system of absolute primogeniture that disregards gender, female heirs apparent occur, several European monarchies that have adopted such systems in the last few decades furnish practical examples. Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway is heir apparent to her father, Victoria was not heir apparent from birth, but gained the status in 1980 following a change in the Swedish Act of Succession. Her younger brother Carl Philip was thus heir apparent for a few months, then, as the representative of her fathers line she would assume a place ahead of any more distant relatives. Such a situation has not to date occurred with the English or British throne, several times an heir apparent has died, however, there have been several female heirs apparent to British peerages. In one special case, however, England and Scotland had an heir apparent. William, by contrast, was to reign for life only, thus, although after Marys death William continued to reign, he had no power to beget direct heirs, and Anne became the heir apparent for the remainder of Williams reign. She eventually succeeded him as Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland, the position of an heir apparent is normally unshakable, it can be assumed they will inherit. Sometimes, however, extraordinary events—such as the death or the deposition of the parent—intervene
28.
Tomb
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A tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber and its central feature is a single, prominent pillar or column, often made of stone. Sarcophagus – a stone container for a body or coffin, often decorated and perhaps part of a monument, sepulchre – a cavernous rock-cut space for interment, generally in the Jewish or Christian faiths. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgräber or kurgans, a cairn, might also be originally a tumulus. A long barrow is a tumulus, usually for numbers of burials. As indicated, tombs are located in or under religious buildings, such as churches. However, they may also be found in catacombs, on land or, in the case of early or pre-historic tombs. The tomb of Emperor Nintoku is the largest in the world by area, however, the Pyramid of Khufu in Egypt is the largest by volume
29.
Order of the Bath
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The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the medieval ceremony for appointing a knight. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath, George I erected the Knights of the Bath into a regular Military Order. Prior to 1815, the order had only a class, Knight Companion. Recipients of the Order are now usually senior officers or senior civil servants. Commonwealth citizens who are not subjects of the Queen and foreign nationals may be made Honorary Members, in the Middle Ages, knighthood was often conferred with elaborate ceremonies. These usually involved the taking a bath during which he was instructed in the duties of knighthood by more senior knights. He was then put to bed to dry, clothed in a special robe, he was led with music to the chapel where he spent the night in a vigil. At dawn he made confession and attended Mass, then retired to his bed to sleep until it was fully daylight, in the early medieval period the difference seems to have been that the full ceremonies were used for men from more prominent families. Knights Bachelor continued to be created with the form of ceremony. The last occasion on which Knights of the Bath were created was the coronation of Charles II in 1661. From at least 1625, and possibly from the reign of James I, Knights of the Bath were using the motto Tria iuncta in uno, and wearing as a badge three crowns within a plain gold oval. These were both adopted by the Order of the Bath, a similar design of badge is still worn by members of the Civil Division. Their symbolism however is not entirely clear, the three joined in one may be a reference to the kingdoms of England, Scotland and either France or Ireland, which were held by English and, later, British monarchs. This would correspond to the three crowns in the badge, another explanation of the motto is that it refers to the Holy Trinity. The prime mover in the establishment of the Order of the Bath was John Anstis, Garter King of Arms, the Court remained the centre of the political world. The King was limited in that he had to choose Ministers who could command a majority in Parliament, the leader of an administration still had to command the Kings personal confidence and approval. A strong following in Parliament depended on being able to supply places, pensions, the attraction of the new Order for Walpole was that it would provide a source of such favours to strengthen his political position
30.
Godolphin Estate
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For the thoroughbred horse racing stables, see Godolphin Racing. The Estate is the seat of the Dukes of Leeds. It contains a Grade 1 listed Tudor/Stuart mansion, complete with formal gardens. The present house is remnant of a larger mansion, at one time it was a secondary seat of the Dukes of Leeds, but the Duke sold it in 1929. The Godolphin Estate came into the ownership of the National Trust in 2007, the Estate measures 550 acres and includes Godolphin Hill which provides views over west Cornwall. More than four hundred recorded archaeological features range from Bronze Age enclosures to 19th-century mine buildings, the Trust has been improving public access to the Estate. The large village of Godolphin Cross, in the parish of Breage, Godolphin House is located at grid reference SW601318. The house and gardens were acquired by the National Trust in August 2007, various events are held throughout the year. The house is approached from the north and consists of three wings around a courtyard and the front wall of a further building on the south side. The main buildings originally stood to the south of this with two projecting wings, one room of the 16th-century remains in the east range, this has linenfold panelling. Opposite the hall range is the Jacobean range, the side is castellated and has a loggia of seven bays on the ground floor. Stylistic features here appear to be of the mid 17th-century and suggest that the date for the house of after 1712 is very unlikely. The house is available as a holiday let for three weeks each month when it is not open to the public. A custom first recorded in the 18th-century, but may relate to the 14th-century, was enacted yearly on Candlemas day until 1921. Godolphin and St Aubyn wagered their respective seats on a race between two snails, Godolphin, losing, pricked his snail which curled up and lost the race, St Aubyn instead of claiming Godolphins estate imposed an annual custom. The reeve of Lambourne knocked on the door of the hall of Godolphin Court. He would jump on the table and demand rents duties and customs and these were paid in a large quart of strong beer, a loaf of wheaten bread and cheese of similar value and 2s 8d. The Godolphin Estate information at the National Trust Historic England Local News - Mary Schofield - Previous Owner of Godolphin House Link to Great British Life article Link to Artists page
31.
Helston
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Helston is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated at the end of the Lizard Peninsula approximately 12 miles east of Penzance and 9 miles south-west of Falmouth. Helston is the most southerly town on the island of Great Britain and is around 1.5 miles farther south than Penzance, the population in 2011 was 11,700. The former stannary and cattle market town is best known for the annual Furry Dance, however, the Hal-an-Tow is reputed to be of Celtic origin. The song, and music, associated with the Furry Dance is known to have written in 1911. In 2001, the town celebrated the 800th anniversary of the granting of its Charter, the name comes from the Cornish hen lis or old court and ton added later to denote a Saxon manor, the Domesday Book refers to Henliston. Only one edition refers to Henlistona and it was granted its charter by King John on 15 April 1201, for the price of forty marks of silver. It was here that tin ingots were weighed to determine the tin coinage duty due to the Duke of Cornwall when a number of towns were authorised by royal decree. A document of 1396 examined by Charles Henderson shows that the old form Hellys was still in use The manor of Helston in Kerrier was one of the seventeen Antiqua maneria of the Duchy of Cornwall. The seal of the borough of Helston was St Michael his wings expanded and it is a matter of debate as to whether Helston was once a port, albeit no actual records exist. A common belief is that in the 13th-century Loe Bar formed a barrier across the mouth of the River Cober cutting the town off from the sea. Geomorphologists believe the bar was most likely formed by rising sea levels, after the last ice age, blocking the river and creating a barrier beach. The beach is formed mostly of flint and the nearest source is found offshore under the drowned terraces of the river that flowed between England and France, and now under the English Channel. Defoes description seems to be the first and possibly the origin of other sources claiming Helston to be a port in the historic period. Loe Pool is referred to in a document of 1302, implying the existence of Loe Bar at this date, if not much earlier and this could be considered the most significant piece of documentary evidence signifying Helstons former port days, though it does not prove the case. At the time of Domesday Book, Gweek had no inhabitants whilst Helston was the largest settlement in the west of Cornwall, in 1837 a plan was drawn up to open Loe Pool to shipping using a pier to counteract siltation, but it was never carried out. The site of Helstons castle is now a bowling green near the Grylls Monument, the castle was a simple pre-1086 motte and bailey structure, known as Henliston Castle, replaced in 1280 by a stone structure of a similar design for Edmund, Earl of Cornwall. By 1478 it had fallen into disuse and ruin, the Helston parliamentary constituency was created in 1298 and elected two members to the Unreformed House of Commons, the Reform Act 1832 reduced the number elected to one
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Wrey baronets
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Not to be confused with Wray baronets The Wrey Baronetcy, of Trebitch in the County of Cornwall, is a title in the Baronetage of England. It was created on 30 June 1628 for William Wrey, 2nd son of John Wrey of Trebeigh, St Ive, Cornwall, the third Baronet was a supporter of the Royalist cause and sat as Member of Parliament for Lostwithiel after the Restoration. He married Lady Anne, third daughter and co-heir of Edward Bourchier, 4th Earl of Bath, the fourth Baronet represented Liskeard and Devon in the House of Commons. The fifth Baronet was Member of Parliament for Camelford while the sixth Baronet represented Barnstaple, Trebeigh, St Ive, in Cornwall was a manor listed in Domesday Book as held by the Earl of Mortain, the largest landholder in that county. He is said to have taken it away wrongfully from the church, following the suppression of the Knights Templar, the preceptory passed in 1312 to the Knights of Malta. He was the son of Sir Henry Bourchier Toke Wrey, 10th Baronet and he served in the Royal Navy, seeing action in the 1882 Anglo-Egyptian War and with the Naval Brigade landed in the Third Anglo-Burmese War. He retired from the service with the rank of Captain, Wrey was married, with one daughter, Rachel Wrey. In 1900 he succeeded his father in the baronetcy and the family estates and he was the last to live at Tawstock Court and to keep house in the old manner and moved to Corffe a nearby house on the estate, having let the Court. Sir Philip Bourchier Sherard Wrey, 12th Baronet, left only female progeny, Sir Albany Bourchier Sherard Wrey, 13th Baronet, died without progeny. Sir Bourchier Wrey, 14th Baronet Sir George Richard Bourchier Wrey, 15th Baronet The heir apparent to the baronetcy is Harry David Bourchier Wrey, Earl of Bath Baron Fitzwarine Vivian, Lt. Col. New York, St Martins Press,1990, Leigh Rayments list of baronets
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Sir Henry Northcote, 4th Baronet
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Sir Henry Northcote, 4th Baronet was an English baronet from Devon. He was by profession a doctor of medicine and his great-great-great-grandson was Stafford Northcote, 1st Earl of Iddesleigh. Henry married Penelope Lovett, heiress of Corffe in the parish of Tawstock, daughter and heiress of Edward Lovett by his wife Joane Hearle, daughter & heiress of James Hearle of Corffe, Tawstock. Penelopes aunt was Anne Lovett, the wife of Edward Bourchier, 4th Earl of Bath, of Tawstock Court. Anne married secondly to Baptist Noel, 3rd Viscount Campden, by his wife Sir Henry had the following progeny, Sir Henry Northcote, 5th Baronet only son and heir, MP for Exeter. He married Bridget Maria Stafford, only daughter and heiress of Hugh Stafford of Pynes in the parish of Upton Pyne and he resided at Corffe, Tawstock, and died there in February 1729/30 and was buried at Tawstock, in the parish church of which exists his mural monument. Aegris opifer solamen egenis aliorum saluti consulebat arte pietate suae, uxorem duxit Penelopen, Edvardi Lovet Arm filiam faeminam fide moribus & charitate dignam quae viro tam egregio jungeretur. Fatis cessere Ille die Feb, 5to A. Dm.1729 Æt 63 Haec die Oct, utriq parenti filius eorum unicus Henricus Northcote Bartus hoc marmor gratus consecrat. The Visitations of the County of Devon, Comprising the Heralds Visitations of 1531,1564 &1620, Exeter,1895, pp. 581–583, pedigree of Northcote
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Earl of Iddesleigh
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Earl of Iddesleigh, in the County of Devon, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Northcote was made Viscount St Cyres, of Newton Saint Cyres in the County of Devon and this title is also in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Earl and he notably served as Chairman of the Board of Inland Revenue. On his death the titles passed to his nephew, the third Earl and he was the youngest son of Reverend the Hon. John Stafford Northcote, third son of the first Earl. His eldest son, the fourth Earl, served as a Deputy Lieutenant of Devon, as of 2014 the titles are held by the latters only son, the fifth Earl, who succeeded in 2004. The Northcote Baronetcy, of Haynes in the County of Devon, was created in the Baronetage of England in 1641 for John Northcote and he represented Ashburton, Devon and Barnstaple in the House of Commons. His grandson, the third Baronet, died childless in 1709 and was succeeded by his younger brother and his son, the fifth Baronet, sat as Member of Parliament for Exeter. His great-great-grandson was the aforementioned eighth Baronet, who was elevated to the peerage in 1885, two other members of the Northcote family have also gained distinction. The Hon. Henry Northcote, second son of the first Earl, was created Baron Northcote in 1899, sir Geoffrey Northcote, Governor of Hong Kong from 1937 to 1941, was the son of Reverend the Hon. Arthur Francis Northcote, fourth son of the first Earl. The title of the earldom is pronounced Idsly while the surname is pronounced Northcut. The family seat is Shillands House, near Exeter, Devon, new York, St Martins Press,1990, Leigh Rayments Peerage Pages Lundy, Darryl
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Lancaster Herald
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Lancaster Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an English officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. The title of Lancaster Herald first occurs in 1347 at Calais, as a retainer of John of Gaunt Lancaster was advanced to the rank of King of Arms, and was later promoted to the royal household of Henry IV, and made king of the northern province. This arrangement continued until 1464, when Lancaster reverted to the rank of herald, since the reign of King Henry VII Lancaster has been a herald in ordinary. The badge of office is a red rose of Lancaster, royally crowned, the current Lancaster Herald of Arms in Ordinary is Robert John Baptist Noel, MA, MPhil. Brackets indicate a date or approximate date for which there is evidence that the person was holder of this office. The reigning monarch is given if the date is not known more precisely, herman John Nicholas Roger Durroit, Esq. 1526-1527 William Jennings or Jenys, Esq, 1527-1531 William Fellows, Esq. made visitation at Carmarthen in 1530. Re-instated 1539, executed for counterfeiting Clarenceauxs seal, December 1549, 1536-1538 Thomas Milner, Esq. condemned for his submission to Robert Aske. 1761-1774 Sir Isaac Heard 1774-1781 Thomas Locke, Esq, 1781-1793 Charles, son of Sir Charles Townley 1793-1822 Edmund Lodge, Esq. FSA 1822-1841 George Frederick Beltz KH, FSA 1841-1869 Sir Albert William Woods, GCVO, KCB, KCMG, KGStJ, FSA 1870-1882 George Edward Cokayne, 1922-1954 Archibald George Blomefield Russell, Esq. CVO, FSA 1954-1968 John Riddell Bromhead Walker, Esq, CVO, MC 1972-1982 Francis Sedley Andrus, Esq. LVO 1982-1995 Peter Llewellyn Gwynn-Jones, Esq, CVO, FSA 1999–Present Robert John Baptist Noel, Esq
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Cap of Maintenance
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It is worn with the high part to the fore, the tapering tail behind. It may substitute for the torse in the achievement of a person of special honour granted the privilege by the monarch. It thus appears in cases on top of the helm. It does not, however, feature in the present royal arms of England, the origin of this symbol of dignity is obscure. According to the Oxford English Dictionary a Cap of Maintenance was granted by the Pope to both Kings Henry VII and to his son King Henry VIII as a mark of special privilege. A cap of maintenance is one of the insignia of the British sovereign, Kings of the United Kingdom wear a Cap of Maintenance during their journey to Westminster Abbey immediately prior to their coronation, as was the case most recently with King George VI. Queens regnant do not wear them on occasions, but wear instead a diadem. In more general terms, the velvet and ermine lining of a crown is sometimes called a cap of maintenance. It may have had a practical origin being used to help a crown fit more firmly or to protect the head from bare metal on the crown. A number of English cities and towns refer to the use of a Cap of Maintenance as worn by a ceremonial officer and these are based most often on a design worn by the Swordbearer of the Lord Mayor of the City of London. However, this item is called by the City of London authorities a Muscovy Hat and is a reference to the mediaeval trade with the Baltic. The Muscovy Hat served as the crest of the City of London until replaced in the century by the present crest of A dragons wing charged with the Cross of St George. However, this intended to mean that in civic processions a Cap of Maintenance should be carried along with the Sword, the correct form of use can be seen at the State Opening of Parliament where it is carried alongside the Sword of State in front of the monarch. It would be improper for a commoner to actually wear it. Caps of this style are worn by the York Swordbearers. The Crown, Cap and Sword get their own coach on a trip to the Palace of Westminster, the Cap of Maintenance and the Sword of State are carried before the Queen in the procession of the State Opening of Parliament. Illustration of Cap of Maintenance being borne before Henry VIII in procession to Parliament,1512, George VI pictured in crimson robe and Cap of Maintenance ready for his Coronation
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Iron Acton
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Iron Acton is a village, civil parish and former manor in South Gloucestershire, England. The village is about 2 miles west of Yate and about 9 miles northeast of the centre of Bristol, the B4058 road used to pass through the village but now by-passes it just to the north. The iron part of the toponym originates from the iron used to be mined near the village. Acton is derived from the Old English for farm with oak trees, still today there is an oak wood in the village beside the River Frome. The civil parish includes the smaller villages of Latteridge and Engine Common. The manor of Iron Acton was held by the de Acton family, which took its name from the manor, and his heir to Iron Acton became the descendant of his aunt Matilda de Acton, wife of Nicholas Poyntz, feudal baron of Curry Mallet in Somerset. His descendants remained seated at Iron Acton for many generations and rose to prominence under the Tudor monarchs, Sir Nicholas Poyntz was a prominent courtier during the latter part of the reign of King Henry VIII. His portrait drawing by Hans Holbein the Younger survives in the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle, Sir Robert Poyntz, KB, MP for Gloucestershire and High Sheriff of Gloucestershire was the last in the male line of Poyntz of Iron Acton. He left no male progeny, only two daughters and co-heiresses, Grissel Poyntz and Margareta Poyntz, Acton Court on Latteridge Lane is the historic manor house of the manor of Iron Acton. It is a Tudor building, with later restorations, Algars Court or Algars Manor, just south of the village, is also a Tudor house. The Church of England parish church of Saint James the Less is Perpendicular Gothic and includes a clerestory, south aisle and south chapel, two-storey north porch, the nave and south arcade are of three bays. The nave, chancel and south chapel all have wagon roofs, the church was restored in 1878–79 under the direction of the Gothic Revival architect Sir T. G. Jackson. The high altar has a designed by F. C. Eden. Behind the altar of the chapel is a screen also designed by Eden. The altar at the east end of the aisle forms the focal point of the so-called Poyntz Chapel. This is not to be confused with the Poyntz Chapel built by Sir Robert Poyntz within The Gaunts Chapel, against the south wall is a 16th-century canopied tomb erected for a now unknown member of the Poyntz family. Of the three heraldic escutcheons comprised within the two are now blank and one bears the arms of the Acton family, from which the Poyntzs inherited the manor. The tomb was covered with layers of whitewash until this was removed in the 19th-century restoration
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W. G. Hoskins
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William George Hoskins CBE FBA 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, Hoskins demonstrated the profound impact of human activity on the evolution of the English landscape in a pioneering book, The Making of the English Landscape. His work has had lasting influence in the fields of local and landscape history, William George Hoskins was born at 26–28 St Davids Hill, Exeter, Devon on 22 May 1908, his father, like his grandfather, was a baker. He won a scholarship to Heles School in 1918, and attended the University College of South West England where he gained BSc and MSc degrees in economics by the age of 21, both his MSc in 1929 and his PhD in 1938 were on the history of Devon. The remainder of his life was devoted to university teaching and the authorship of historical works and he died on 11 January 1992 in Cullompton, Devon. Hoskins was appointed Assistant Lecturer in Commerce at University College, Leicester in 1931 and he found the trade statistics to be dull lecture material, but he enjoyed the evenings that he spent teaching archaeology and local history at Vaughan College. His academic researches covered historical demography, urban history, agrarian history and he became a member of the Leicestershire Archaeological Society in September 1935. After the award of his doctorate Hoskins was appointed Reader in English Local History at University College, in his obituary, this was stated to be generally acknowledged as a mistake. Hoskins was one of the founders of the Exeter Group in 1960 and he was president of the Dartmoor Preservation Association from 1962 until 1976. He became the first professor of history at the University of Leicester in 1965 when he was appointed Hatton Professor of English History. Hoskins wrote and presented a BBC television series Landscapes of England in 1976, Hoskins was awarded the Fellowship of the British Academy in 1969 and the CBE in 1971. He was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1973, the University of Exeter acknowledged his links with the city by conferring an honorary Doctorate of Letters upon him in 1974. G. Hoskins lecture, and another at St Annes College, Oxford, in 1955, Hoskins published the book that was to make his name. The Making of the English Landscape is a history of England. The brief history of one thousand years has become a standard text in local and environmental history courses. Hoskins sets out his stall in the introduction with No book exists to describe the manner in which the various landscapes of this came to assume the shape. The brief concluding chapter contains only one image, Plate 82, The completed English landscape showing a tree in a wide open field. The book has well received by critics
