Hudscott Chittlehampton Devon
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Hudscott is a historic estate within the parish and former manor of
Chittlehampton Chittlehampton is a village and civil parish in the North Devon district of Devon, England, about south-west of Barnstaple. At the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 820. The parish originally had two exclaves; Chittlehamholt to th ...
, Devon. From 1700 it became a seat of a junior branch of the influential Rolle family of
Heanton Satchville, Petrockstowe Heanton Satchville was a historic Manorialism, manor in the parish of Petrockstowe, North Devon, England. With origins in the Domesday manor of Hantone, it was first recorded as belonging to the Yeo family in the mid-14th century and was then ...
and in 1779 became a secondary seat of the senior Rolle family 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 ...
, then the largest landowner in Devon. Hudscott House, classified in 1967 a
Grade II* listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
building, is situated one mile south-east of the village of Chittlehampton. It was largely rebuilt in the 17th century by the Lovering family and in the late 17th century became a refuge for ejected Presbyterial ministers.Listed building text In 1737 its then occupant Samuel II Rolle (1703-1747) purchased the manor of Chittlehampton and thus Hudscott House became in effect the
manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were usually held the lord's manorial courts, communal mea ...
of Chittlehampton.


Descent


Pre Norman Conquest

The estate derives its name from having been before the
Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...
of 1066 the
cott Primo Water Corporation (formerly Cott Corporation) is an American-Canadian water company offering multi-gallon bottled water, water dispensers, self-service refill water machines, and water filtration appliances. The company is headquartered in ...
of the Saxon
cottar Cotter, cottier, cottar, or is a term for a peasant farmer. Cotters occupied cottages and cultivated small land lots. A cottar or cottier is also a term for a tenant who was renting land from a farmer or landlord. England The word ''cotter ...
named ''Hudda''.Andrews, no. 128, January 1958


13th century

''Hudescote'' is listed in the Assize Roll of 1281, and paid a chief rent of 6 1/2 d ''per annum'' as one of the 10 freeholdings within the manor of Chittlehampton. Others included Brightley and Hawkridge.


Venner

The first known family to have resided at Hudscott was that of Venner. The descent was as follows:


Robert Venner

Robert Venner of ''Hudescot'' who married Joane Brighte, daughter of William Brighte. The Brett (''alias'' "Brighte", "Brite", etc.) family were from Pilland in the parish of Pilton near
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 ...
and Robert Brett (died 1540) was lord of the manor of Pilland and the last steward of
Pilton Priory The Church of St Mary the Virgin in Pilton is the 13th-century Anglican parish church for the Pilton suburb of Barnstaple in Devon. It has been a Grade I listed building since 1951 and comes under the Diocese of Exeter. History and exterior T ...
before the Dissolution of the Monasteries The Brett family was from
Whitestaunton Whitestaunton is a village and civil parish in the county of Somerset, England. The parish includes the hamlet of Northay. It was known simply as Staunton until the 14th century. History The univallate Iron Age hill fort at Horse Pool Camp is s ...
in Somerset and had married the heiress of Pilland late in the 15th century. The Brett family is today represented by
Viscount Esher Viscount Esher, of Esher in the County of Surrey, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 11 November 1897 for the prominent lawyer and judge William Brett, 1st Viscount Esher, William Brett, 1st Baron Esher, upon his r ...
.


William I Venner

William I Venner "of Chittlehampton" (son), who in 1578 at Chittlehampton married Elizabeth Copleston, daughter of Humphry Copleston of
Instow Instow is a village in north Devon, England. It is on the estuary where the rivers Taw and Torridge meet, between the villages of Westleigh and Yelland and on the opposite bank to Appledore. There is an electoral ward with the same name. The ...
, a great-grandson of Philip Copleston of Copleston in the parish of Colebrooke, Devon,
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 1472. The Copleston family is according to a traditional rhyme one of the most ancient Devonshire gentry families:
:"Crocker, Cruwys and Copplestone, :When The Conqueror came were all at home". William's daughter Mary Venner (died 1651) married Joachim Rolle (died 1639), the 5th or 6th son of John Rolle (1522–1570) 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, by his wife Margaret Ford, daughter of John Ford of Ashburton.Vivian, p.653, pedigree of Rolle Joachim and his wife appear to have lived at Hudscott as their mural monument survives on the north wall of the aisle of St Hieritha's parish church and both were buried at Chittlehampton. Joachim Rolle's mural monument, on top of which are displayed the Rolle arms and crest, is inscribed thus:
"Here lyeth the body of Joachim Rolle sonne unto John Rolle of Stevenstone Esquier deceased who married Mary the daughter of William Venner of this parish Gent deceased and who departed this life the 30th day of January in the faith of Christ Anno Dni 1638. As thou art so was I, and as I am so shalt thou bee"
A depiction of Joachim kneeling with his seven brothers survives on a
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 ...
panel to the right of the brass of his mother Margaret Ford, on the floor of the south aisle, St Giles' Church,
St Giles in the Wood St Giles in the Wood is a village and civil parish in the Torridge district of Devon, England. The village lies about 2.5 miles east of the town of Great Torrington, and the parish, which had a population of 566 in 2001 compared with 623 in 1901, ...
, Devon, the parish church of Stevenstone. Joachim's first cousin Abell Rolle (son of Robert Rolle, 5th son of the patriarch George Rolle) also had a connection with Chittlehampton as he married Gertrude Acland, daughter of Anthony II Acland (1568-1614) of
Hawkridge, Chittlehampton Hawkridge in the parish of Chittlehampton in North Devon, England, is an historic estate, anciently the seat of a junior branch of the Acland family which originated at nearby Acland, in the parish of Landkey and later achieved great wealth and ...
.


Humphry Venner (died 1647)

Humphry Venner (died 1647) (son), who is listed in the Chittlehampton
manorial court The manorial courts were the lowest courts of law in England during the feudal period. They had a civil jurisdiction limited both in subject matter and geography. They dealt with matters over which the lord of the manor had jurisdiction, primar ...
roll of 1641. He married twice, firstly to Elizabeth Farwel (daughter of Richard Farwel of Somerset) by whom he had two daughters; secondly in 1610 to Dorothie Whiddon, daughter of Francis Whiddon of
Chagford Chagford is a market town and civil parish on the north-east edge of Dartmoor, in Devon, England, close to the River Teign and the A382, 4 miles (6 km) west of Moretonhampstead. The name is derived from ''chag'', meaning gorse or broom, an ...
. By his 2nd wife he had 4 sons and 3 daughters. His eldest son John Venner (1612-pre-1646) died unmarried and predeceased his father, which left his younger brother William Venner (died 1690) as heir to Hudscott.


William II Venner (died 1690)

William II Venner (died 1690) (second son), who married Elizabeth of unrecorded family, by whom he had 1 son and 2 daughters. His son William Venner (born 1657) predeceased his father, as did his sister Susanna Venner (1652-1671), which left the surviving daughter Elizabeth Venner (born 1657) as sole heiress. Elizabeth married John II Lovering (died 1686) of Huxhill in the parish of
Weare Giffard Weare Giffard is a small village, civil parish and former Manorialism, manor in the Torridge District, Torridge district, in north Devon, England. The church and manor house are situated 2 1/2 miles NW of Great Torrington in Devon. Most of th ...
. It appears however that Hudscott had been the residence of his father John I Lovering and his wife Dorothy Dodderidge, as the arms of Lovering impaling Dodderidge exist on an escutcheon within a scroll-work plaster overmantel in the hall. Andrews (1958) suggested that John I Lovering was a nephew of William Venner, and that at some time before his death in 1690 Venner had handed over the estate to Lovering.


Lovering


John I Lovering (died 1675)

John I Lovering (died 1675) was a merchant of
Weare Giffard Weare Giffard is a small village, civil parish and former Manorialism, manor in the Torridge District, Torridge district, in north Devon, England. The church and manor house are situated 2 1/2 miles NW of Great Torrington in Devon. Most of th ...
. The Lovering family held at some time the north Devon manor of Bittadon. It is not clear how he came to reside at Hudscott; Andrews (1958) suggested that John I Lovering was a nephew of William Venner, and that at some time before his death in 1690 Venner had handed over the estate to Lovering. He married Dorcas Doddridge,Will of John Lovering, proved 1675, National Archives sister and co-heiress of
John Doddridge Sir John Doddridge (akas: Doderidge or Dodderidge; 1555–1628) was an English lawyer, appointed Justice of the King's Bench in 1612 and served as Member of Parliament for Barnstaple in 1589 and for Horsham in 1604.Fuidge He was also an antiquari ...
(1610-1666), MP, of
Bremridge Bremridge is a historic estate within the former hundred of South Molton in Devon, England. It is now within the parish of Filleigh but was formerly in that of South Molton. It is situated 8 miles north-west of South Molton. Since the constructi ...
, Filleigh. She was the daughter of
Pentecost Dodderidge Pentecost Dodderidge (died c. 1650) of Barnstaple in North Devon, was three times Member of Parliament for Barnstaple in 1621, 1624 and 1625. Origins Dodderidge was a son of Richard Doddridge, merchant, of Barnstaple. His elder brother was Si ...
(died c. 1650) of
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 ...
, MP, by his wife Elizabeth Wescombe.Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries 1901
/ref> Pentecost Dodderidge was the brother and heir of Sir John Dodderidge (1555-1628), a Judge of the King's Bench, who had purchased for his seat the estate of
Bremridge Bremridge is a historic estate within the former hundred of South Molton in Devon, England. It is now within the parish of Filleigh but was formerly in that of South Molton. It is situated 8 miles north-west of South Molton. Since the constructi ...
, near
South Molton South Molton is a town and civil parish in the North Devon district, in the county of Devon, England. The town is on the River Mole. In 2021 it had a population of 6225. South Molton is a market town trading mostly in sheep and cattle. There wa ...
. Bremridge survives today, but without the demolished wings of the grand Dodderidge mansion, but the arms of Dodderidge survive above the front door. The judge's magnificent effigy survives in the
Lady Chapel A Lady chapel or lady chapel is a traditional British English, British term for a chapel dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus, particularly those inside a cathedral or other large church (building), church. The chapels are also known as a Mary chape ...
of
Exeter Cathedral Exeter Cathedral, properly known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Exeter, Devon, in South West England. The presen ...
. The Dodderidge family were important merchants and ship-owners in Barnstaple and their Elizabethan mansion survived until the early 20th century in Cross Street, Barnsatple, until it was demolished to make way for a new post office. The oak panelling and chimneypiece of one room however was saved and now lines the walls of one of the rooms in the Barnstaple guildhall. The arms of Lovering
impaling Impalement, as a method of torture and execution, is the penetration of a human by an object such as a stake, pole, spear, or hook, often by the complete or partial perforation of the torso. It was particularly used in response to "crimes again ...
Dodderidge exist at Hudscott on an escutcheon within a scroll-work plaster overmantel in the hall. It was apparently Dorcas Dodderidge who was referred to in an 1871 text on the
Great Ejection The Great Ejection followed the Act of Uniformity 1662 in England. Several thousand Puritan ministers were forced out of their positions in the Church of England following the Restoration of Charles II. It was a consequence (not necessarily ...
of 1662:
On the road to
Umberleigh Umberleigh is a former large manor within the historic hundred of (North) Tawton, but today a small village in North Devon in England. It used to be an ecclesiastical parish, but following the building of the church at Atherington it became ...
, five miles from
South Molton South Molton is a town and civil parish in the North Devon district, in the county of Devon, England. The town is on the River Mole. In 2021 it had a population of 6225. South Molton is a market town trading mostly in sheep and cattle. There wa ...
, there stands a fine old English mansion called Hudscott, where at this time (1662) there lived a noble
puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to rid the Church of England of what they considered to be Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should b ...
lady, who like Phoebe, had been a 'succour of many'. It was her delight to entertain such men as
John Flavel John Flavel (c. 1627–1691) was an English Puritan Presbyterian minister and author. Life Flavel, the eldest son of the Rev. Richard Flavel, described as 'a painful and eminent minister,' who was incumbent successively of Bromsgrove, Worces ...
of Torrington and other dejected ministers, whose writings, the labours of a forced retirement, have become the inheritance of the whole church.
This referred to about two thousand puritan clergy who after the
Restoration of the Monarchy Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state. This may refer to: *Conservation and restoration of cultural property **Audio restoration **Conservation and restoration of immovable cultural property **Film restoration ** Image ...
in 1660 had refused to use the
Book of Common Prayer The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the title given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christianity, Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The Book of Common Prayer (1549), fi ...
which had been banned during the
Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...
but then had been restored for compulsory usage by the
Act of Uniformity 1662 The Act of Uniformity 1662 ( 14 Cha. 2. c. 4) is an act of the Parliament of England. (It was formerly cited as 13 & 14 Cha. 2. c. 4, by reference to the regnal year when it was passed on 19 May 1662.) It prescribed the form of public prayer ...
. Such clergy were then ejected from their livings and in 1664 were forbidden by Parliament, having passed the
Five Mile Act The Five Mile Act, or Oxford Act, or Nonconformists Act 1665 ( 17 Cha. 2. c. 2), was an act of the Parliament of England, passed in 1665 with the long title "An Act for restraining Non-Conformists from inhabiting in Corporations". It was one ...
, to preach within 5 miles of an incorporated town. The house incorporates a small former chapel, which may have been used during this time. Another of the rare Devonshire protectoresses of ejected clergy at this time was Rachael Fane (1612/13-1680), wife of
Henry Bourchier, 5th Earl of Bath Henry Bourchier, 5th Earl of Bath (1587 – 16 August 1654) of Tawstock in Devon, was an English Peerage, peer who held the office of Lord Privy Seal and was a large landowner in Ireland in Limerick and Armagh counties, and in England in Devo ...
of Tawstock Court, near Barnstaple, whose monument in
Tawstock Tawstock is a village, civil parish and former Manorialism, manor in North Devon in the English county of Devon, England. The parish is surrounded clockwise from the north by the parishes of Barnstaple, Bishop's Tawton, Atherington, Devon, Athe ...
Church states: ''She was a humble and devout daughter of the Church of England and in times of persecution a mother to the ejected Fathers and in these parts almost their only protectress''.


John II Lovering (died 1686)

John II Lovering (died 1686), of Huxhill in the parish of
Weare Giffard Weare Giffard is a small village, civil parish and former Manorialism, manor in the Torridge District, Torridge district, in north Devon, England. The church and manor house are situated 2 1/2 miles NW of Great Torrington in Devon. Most of th ...
, was a merchant trading at
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 ...
. He was the son of John I Lovering (died 1675) a merchant of
Weare Giffard Weare Giffard is a small village, civil parish and former Manorialism, manor in the Torridge District, Torridge district, in north Devon, England. The church and manor house are situated 2 1/2 miles NW of Great Torrington in Devon. Most of th ...
by his wife Dorcas Doddridge, sister and co-heiress of
John Doddridge Sir John Doddridge (akas: Doderidge or Dodderidge; 1555–1628) was an English lawyer, appointed Justice of the King's Bench in 1612 and served as Member of Parliament for Barnstaple in 1589 and for Horsham in 1604.Fuidge He was also an antiquari ...
(died 1666), MP, of Bremridge, South Molton. John II Lovering in 1679/80 purchased from John Wichehalse of Ley (now
Lee Abbey Lee Abbey, founded in 1946, is an ecumenical Christians, Christian community between Woody Bay, Devon, Woody Bay and Lynmouth in Devon, England. It is a Grade II listed building. The first building on the site may have been a farmhouse built by ...
) in the parish of
Lynmouth Lynmouth is a village in Devon, England, on the northern edge of Exmoor. The village straddles the confluence of the West Lyn River, West Lyn and East Lyn River, East Lyn rivers, in a gorge directly below the neighbouring town of Lynton, w ...
, and of
Chard Chard (; '' Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''vulgaris'', Cicla Group and Flavescens Group) is a green leafy vegetable. In the cultivars of the Flavescens Group, or Swiss chard, the leaf stalks are large and often prepared separately from the leaf b ...
, the manors of
Lynton Lynton is a town on the Exmoor coast in the North Devon district in the county of Devon, England, approximately north-east of Barnstaple and west of Minehead, and close to the confluence of the West Lyn and East Lyn rivers. Lynton sits dire ...
and
Countisbury Countisbury is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Brendon and Countisbury, in the North Devon district, in the county of Devon, England. It is on Exmoor, roughly two miles east of Lynmouth along the A39. It has a church and ...
. John Wichehalse was the nephew of William Venner, John II Lovering's father-in-law. John II Lovering is described in the conveyance indenture dated 24 May 1680 as of
Weare Giffard Weare Giffard is a small village, civil parish and former Manorialism, manor in the Torridge District, Torridge district, in north Devon, England. The church and manor house are situated 2 1/2 miles NW of Great Torrington in Devon. Most of th ...
. His residence there appears to have been at Huxhill Barton. He also purchased in 1645 from Adam Lugg of Barnstaple the manor of
East Ilkerton Lynmouth is a village in Devon, England, on the northern edge of Exmoor. The village straddles the confluence of the West Lyn and East Lyn rivers, in a gorge directly below the neighbouring town of Lynton, which was the only place to exp ...
and a moiety of Sparhanger, Radispray and North Fursehill. John II Lovering appears to have been an exporter of herring fish to Spain, as the following recorded lawsuit of 1658 suggests: "John Martin v. John Lovering: Consignment of fish to St. Lucar or Seville in Spain. Touching a former suit also.: Devon; Spain". He is mentioned in the historical romance ''
Lorna Doone ''Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor'' is a novel by R. D. Blackmore, first published in three volumes in London in 1869. It is a romance based on a group of historical characters and set in the late 17th century in Devon and Somerset, particu ...
'' (1869) by
Richard Doddridge Blackmore Richard Doddridge Blackmore (7 June 1825 – 20 January 1900), known as R. D. Blackmore, was one of the most famous English novelists of the second half of the nineteenth century. He won acclaim for vivid descriptions and personification of the ...
as follows:
"And it is a very grievous thing, which touches small landowners, to see an ancient family day by day decaying: and when we heard that Ley Barton itself, and all the Manor of Lynton were under a heavy mortgage debt to John Lovering of Weare-Gifford, there was not much, in our little way, that we would not gladly do or suffer for the benefit of De Whichehalse".
Chanter (1906) states the account in Lorna Doone to be confused. John II Lovering married Elizabeth Venner, heiress of Hudscott. He had by Elizabeth two sons, John Lovering and Venner Lovering who both predeceased their father without progeny, and two daughters: **Susanna Lovering (died 1747), who in 1700 married Richard II Acland (1679-1729), lord of the manor of Fremington, near Barnstaple, 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 ...
1708-13. Shortly after his marriage he built the large and grand mansion house known as Fremington House, which survives with 19th century alterations, and displays above the entrance door of the south front and on the pediment of the archway to the stable block the arms of Acland impaling Lovering. Acland succeeded his wife's brother-in-law Samuel Rolle as MP for Barnstaple. All Susannah's sons died without progeny, and only her youngest daughter Susanna Acland left progeny, by her husband William Barbor, who inherited the manor of Fremington. **Dorothy Lovering (1675-1735), heiress of Hudscott, who in 1700 married Samuel I Rolle (1669-1735), apparently her first cousin (see below).


Rolle


Samuel I Rolle (1669-1735)

Samuel I Rolle of Hudscott, 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 ...
between 1705 and 1708 was a member of a cadet branch of the influential Rolle family 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 ...
, 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. He was the eldest son of Dennis Rolle of Great Torrington, a lawyer of the
Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...
, a younger son of Sir Samuel Rolle (died 1647), of Heanton Satchville 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 ...
, Devon, MP, one of three distinguished grandsons (his brothers were
Henry Rolle Sir Henry Rolle (c. 1589–1656), of Shapwick in Somerset, was Chief Justice of the King's Bench and served as MP for Callington, Cornwall, (1614–1623–4) and for Truro, Cornwall (1625–1629). Origins Henry Rolle was born ''circa'' 158 ...
(died 1656) Chief Justice of the King's Bench & John Rolle (died 1648), MP) of Henry Rolle of Heanton Satchville, 4th son of the founder of the Devonshire Rolles, the Tudor lawyer and property speculator
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 ...
(died 1552), MP, who purchased Stevenstone. The mother of Samuel I Rolle of Hudscott is stated by Vivian (1895) and by his biographer Cruickshanks to have been Jane Lovering "of Hudscott" which appears to place her as a daughter of John I Lovering (died 1675) by his wife Dorcas Doddridge and seems therefore to suggest that Samuel I Rolle's wife Dorothy Lovering (1675-1735) was his first cousin. Indeed by the time of Samuel's marriage to Dorothy in 1700 it was known that she was a co-heiress to Hudscott, her father having died in 1686 and her brothers before then. Dennis Rolle's elder brother was Robert Rolle (died 1660) of Heanton Satchville, MP, whose wife was Lady Arabella Clinton, co-heiress to the ancient Barony of Clinton. One of their daughters was Bridget Rolle, who brought the Barony of Clinton to her descendants by her husband Francis Trefusis of Trefusis in Cornwall. The last of the Rolles to own Hudscott was
John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle (1750 – 3 April 1842) was a British politician and peer who served as a Member of Parliament in general support of William Pitt the Younger and was later an active member of the House of Lords. His violent ...
(died 1842), who married Louisa Trefusis (1794-1885), daughter of Robert George William Trefusis, 17th Baron Clinton (1764–1797). Lord Rolle having died childless, he selected as his heir his wife's nephew Hon. Mark Trefusis, who under the terms of the bequest adopted the name and arms of Rolle. (See further below). The marriage settlement between Samuel I Rolle and Dorothy Lovering is recorded as follows:
Indenture dated 27 April 1700, between Samuel Rolle, of the
Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court entitled to Call to the bar, call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple (with whi ...
, London, Esq., of one part; Dorothy Lovering, eldest daughter and one of the coheirs of John Lovering, late of Hudscott, Co. Devon, Esq., 2nd part; The Rt Hon. Hugh Boscawen, of Tregothnan; Samuel Rolle, of Heanton, Esq. ''(his first cousin Col.
Samuel Rolle (1646-1719) Samuel Rolle may refer to: *Samuel Rolle (died 1647), English MP for Grampound, Callington and Devon *Samuel Rolle (1646–1719), English MP for Callington and Devon (UK Parliament constituency) Devon was a United Kingdom constituencies, parlia ...
, MP, son of Robert Rolle of Heanton Satchville,
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 ...
by his wife Lady Arabella Clinton)''; Nicholas Hooper, of Inner Temple, Esq.; Joseph Bailer, ''(Venner?)'' Barnstaple, gent.; Richard Parmynter, Barnstaple, merchant; and Thomas Nott, of Mariansleigh, gent, 3rd part. Whereas a marriage is intended to be solemnized between said Samuel Rolle and Dorothy Lovering, etc. Trustees named are enfeoffed of various lands of Samuel Rolle, and also of lands of Dorothy Lovering, viz. Manor of St. Peter Hays, in parish of St. Thomas, lands granted to Elizabeth Bailer ''(sic, should be "Venner")'', mother of said Dorothy, for jointure, Higher Hudscott, Lower Hudscott, East Dennington, West Dennington, Lerwill, Row Park, Chappels Tenement, Whetstone, all in Chittlehampton; Chuggaton, Brealey's Tenement and Smallridge's in Swymbridge; messuages and closes in S. Molton, messuages in occupation of Richard Salisbury at Barnstaple; moiety of Huxhill Barton, Wear Giffard; moiety of Manor of Countisbury, in parishes of Countisbury and Linton, with all its royalties, rights, members, and appurtenances; moiety of N. Furshill, Lynton; moiety Radspry, Linton; one quarter of Spiranger, Linton; moiety of tenement in East Ilkerton, in possession of Alexander Reed, Lynton; moiety of Manor of Curry Revel; moiety of manor of Fivehead, and all other manors, lands, of Dorothy Lovering in Devon and Somerset in trust, etc., etc., etc. Children of marriage, etc.


Samuel II Rolle (1704-1747)

Samuel II Rolle (1704-1747), (only surviving son), MP for Barnstaple, who died without progeny and bequeathed his estates, including Hudscott, and the Lovering moiety in Countisbury, to his much wealthier distant cousin, Denys Rolle (1725–1797), MP, of Stevenstone. A monument to Samuel I and his wife and to Samuel II survives on the west wall of the south transept of Chittlehampton Church inscribed as follows:
:"To the memory of Samuel Rolle, Esq., Dorothy his wife and Samuel Rolle Esq., their son, who died: Feb. 28th 1734 aged 66; Ap. 14th 1735 aged 60; March 1st 1746 aged 43. And whose lives have left to posterity a more expressive memorial than can be perpetuated on the most durable marble". On the monument is shown an escutcheon with the arms of Rolle in the centre of which is an escutcheon of pretence with the arms of Lovering: ''Argent, on a fesse wavy azure a
lion passant The lion is a common charge in heraldry. It traditionally symbolises courage, nobility, royalty, strength, stateliness and valour, because historically the lion has been regarded as the "king of beasts". The lion also carries Judeo-Christia ...
or'', which signifies that Dorothy Lovering was an heiress. In 1737 Samuel II Rolle purchased the estate of Brightley, like Hudscott within the manor of Chittlehampton, from the executors of Caesar Giffard. The Giffards had acquired the lordship of the manor of Chittlehampton, and this too was acquired by Samuel II Rolle, and thus from 1737 Hudscott became the
manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were usually held the lord's manorial courts, communal mea ...
of Chittlehampton.


Denys Rolle (1725–1797)

Denys Rolle (1725–1797), MP, of Stevenstone, inherited Hudscott from his distant childless cousin Samuel Rolle (1704–1747). He was the 4th son of John Rolle (1679–1730), of Bicton and Stevenstone, and having three elder brothers it may have seemed unlikely in 1747 on the death of Samuel II Rolle that he would inherit the vast paternal Rolle estates. He resided at his manor of
East Tytherley East Tytherley is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England. The village lies in the Test Valley district, about north-west of Romsey and east of Salisbury, Wiltshire. The parish population at the 2021 census was 200. The name Tytherle ...
in Hampshire, and also at Hudscott, and all of his children were baptised at Chittlehampton. His son's 1772 marriage settlement stated: "Whereas a marriage hath been lately agreed upon between John Rolle the only son of Denys Rolle of Hudscott in the county of Devon, esquire, and Judith Maria Walrond..." But in 1779 following the death of the last surviving of his three elder brothers
John Rolle Walter John Rolle Walter (c. 1714 – 30 November 1779) (born John Rolle) was Tory MP for Exeter in 1754–1776 and for Devon in 1776–1779. He held the honorary position of Town Recorder of Great Torrington in 1739–1779, due to his family's l ...
, he inherited the Rolle patrimony and became the largest landowner in Devon. He then had 5 seats at his disposal: Stevenstone and
Beam Beam may refer to: Streams of particles or energy *Light beam, or beam of light, a directional projection of light energy **Laser beam *Radio beam *Particle beam, a stream of charged or neutral particles **Charged particle beam, a spatially lo ...
, both near Great Torrington, Hudscott and Bicton near Exeter, all in Devon and East Tytherley in Hampshire. He died on 26 June 1797, aged 72, of
angina Angina, also known as angina pectoris, is chest pain or pressure, usually caused by insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle (myocardium). It is most commonly a symptom of coronary artery disease. Angina is typically the result of parti ...
during one of his habitual 8 mile walks between Hudscott and Stevenstone,


John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle (1750-1842)

John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle (1750 – 3 April 1842) was a British politician and peer who served as a Member of Parliament in general support of William Pitt the Younger and was later an active member of the House of Lords. His violent ...
(son). At the time of his death in 1842 he had provided Hudscott as a home for his two elderly spinster sisters Anne Rolle (died 1842) and Lucilla Rolle (died 1851), declared a
lunatic ''Lunatic'' is a term referring to a person who is seen as Mental disorder, mentally ill, Risk, dangerous, Foolishness, foolish, or crazy—conditions once attributed to "lunacy". The word derives from ''lunaticus'' meaning "of the moon" or "moo ...
in 1846. Lord Rolle's will stated: :"My said trustees shall and thereout keep up the establishment at Hudscott with the fields and lawn there now in the occupation of my said sisters and the establishment at the house and premises now occupied by my sisters in London with the same or the like number of servants and exactly the same manner and defray and discharge all the expenses of housekeeping and otherwise for my said sister Lucilla. And I particularly desire that Miss Ann Cutcliffe and Miss Harriet Cutcliffe will in case of my said sister Lucilla being the survivor of my said two sisters reside with my said sister Lucilla And I desire that the steward for the time being at Stevenstone shall pay into the hands of the said Zachary Hammett Drake .....out of the rents of my manor and lands at Hudscott such sum or sums of money as has or have been usually paid by him in order that the said ZHD may apply the same in the case afsd for the support and comfort of my said sister Lucilla and for the purpose of paying a compliment of one hundred pounds a year to each of them the said Ann and Harriet Cutcliffe so long as they shall respectively reside with my said sister Lucilla". Ann Cutcliffe (1781-1859) and her sister Harriet Cutcliffe (1786-1867) were described in the census of 1851 concerning Hudscott as "resident gentlewomen", and were from the ancient gentry family of Cutcliffe of Damage, near Ilfracombe, Devon. They both died unmarried at their family's home Marwood Hill, Marwood, Devon, in which parish church survives their monument.Vivian, p.267, pedigree of Cutcliffe of Damage Their sister Frances Cutcliffe (1780-1867) was the mother of Zachary Hammett Drake (died 1856), Rector of Clovelly and Lord Rolle's trustee relating to his sister Lucilla. On 10 and 11 September 1851, following the death of Lucilla Rolle, an auction was held at Hudscott of "farming stock, corn, hay, potatoes, implements in husbandry and other effects, the property of the late Miss Rolle"


Trefusis (Clinton)

*Hon.
Mark Rolle Hon. Mark George Kerr Rolle (13 November 1835 – 27 April 1907; Mark George Kerr Trefusis), of Stevenstone, St Giles in the Wood, Devon, was High Sheriff of Devon in 1864, a Deputy Lieutenant, DL of Devon and High Steward of Barnstaple. D ...
(1835–1907) (heir, nephew of 2nd wife, born Hon. Mark Trefusis, adopted name and arms of Rolle by royal licence, as required by will of Lord Rolle) * Charles John Robert Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis, 21st Baron Clinton (1863–1957), (
heir male In inheritance, a hereditary successor is a person who inherits an indivisible title or office after the death of the previous title holder. The hereditary line of succession may be limited to heirs of the body, or may pass also to collateral ...
and nephew of Mark Rolle) of Huish. Lord Clinton left no son to inherit the title, but two daughters, who in 1958 disposed of a large part of the former Rolle estate, including the manor of Chittlehampton and Hudscott. Between these two daughters the title was
abeyant Abeyance (from the Old French ' meaning "gaping") describes a state of temporary dormancy or suspension. In law, it can refer to a situation where the ownership of property, titles, or office is not currently Vesting, vested in any specific perso ...
until 1965: **Hon. Harriet Trefusis (14 November 1887 – 15 March 1958), married Maj. Henry Nevile Fane (1895 – 2 August 1947). They had seven children. ** Hon. Fenella Trefusis (19 August 1889 – 19 July 1966), married Hon. John Bowes-Lyon. They had five children. * Gerard Fane-Trefusis, 22nd Baron Clinton (born 1934), grandson of 21st Baron Clinton, son of Henry Nevile Fane by his wife Hon Harriet Trefusis.


Tenants

Following the death of Lucilla Rolle in 1851, Hudscott was let by Mark Rolle, life tenant of the Rolle Estate, to tenants including:


William Thomas Hodgetts (Chambers) Hodgetts (d.1867)

William Thomas Hodgetts (Chambers) Hodgetts (d.1867) was in 1867 a member of the
British Ornithologists' Union The British Ornithologists' Union (BOU) aims to encourage the study of birds (ornithology) around the world in order to understand their biology and aid their conservation. The BOU was founded in 1858 by Professor Alfred Newton, Henry Baker ...
and died at Hudscott in 1867.Andrews, p.236, note 1 His daughter Mary Mabel Chambers Hodgetts (who in 1871 had been an orphan and Ward of Chancery) in 1893 donated in his memory the west window of Chittlehampton Church which depicts ''Our Lord in Glory''. A brass plaque in the church is inscribed as follows: ''"To the glory of God and in devoted memory of William Thomas Hodgetts Hodgetts only son of William Wylly Chambers, Captain RN, who died at Hudscott in this parish December 14th 1867. This window is dedicated by his only child Mary Mabel Chambers Hodgetts July 2nd 1893"''. He was baptised William Thomas Hodgetts Chambers, the son of Royal Navy Captain William Wylley Chambers by his wife Eliza Anne Hodgetts, daughter and sole heiress of Thomas Webb Hodgetts (d.1855) of Dudley and Elm Lodge, Hagley, Worcestershire. In compliance with the will of his maternal grandfather Thomas Webb Hodgetts, by royal licence dated 4 March 1867 he assumed the surname of Hodgetts in lieu of Chambers, and quartered the arms of Hodgetts with Chambers. In 1867 William Hodgetts also resided at
Instow Instow is a village in north Devon, England. It is on the estuary where the rivers Taw and Torridge meet, between the villages of Westleigh and Yelland and on the opposite bank to Appledore. There is an electoral ward with the same name. The ...
, Devon.


John Baring Short (1836-1880)

The tenant of Hudscott in 1873 was John Baring Short, the son of Francis Baring Short of Bickham House, Kenn, near Exeter (by his wife Emily Lane), the younger son and heir of John Jeffrey Short (born 1753) and his wife Charlotte Baring (1763-1833), the youngest daughter of the banker John Baring (1730-1816) of Mount Radford, Exeter, who in partnership with his younger brother
Sir Francis Baring, 1st Baronet Sir Francis Baring, 1st Baronet (18 April 1740 – 11 September 1810) was an English merchant banker, a member of the Baring family, later becoming the first of the Baring baronets. Early life He was born at Larkbeare House near Exeter, son ...
(1740–1810), established the London merchant house of ''John and Francis Baring Company'', which eventually became
Barings Bank Barings Bank was a British merchant bank based in London. It was one of England's oldest merchant banks after Berenberg Bank, Barings' close collaborator and German representative. It was founded in 1762 by Francis Baring, a British-born member ...
. The Short family was seated at Bickham House, Kenn near Exeter, built in the early 18th century by the Exeter lawyer John I Short, the father of John II Short "Senior", the latter who in 1744 was a partner in the Baring brothers' bank in Exeter and was the father of John Jeffrey Short (b.1753). The Short family held the shooting rights over the manors of Chittlehampton and adjacent Warkleigh and annually entertained the farmers within those manors to a luncheon and day of Rook shooting at the rookery at Hudscott. John Baring Short's widow, Elizabeth Barry (d.1930) was the only daughter of Major William Norton Barry of Castlecor, Kilbrin, County Cork, Ireland, and remarried to George Thorold (d.1932), of Warkleigh,Andrews, Chittlehampton, 1962, p.322, note 1 and with him resumed occupation of Hudscott following the death in 1895 of its next tenant Arthur Fortescue. Elizabeth and her first husband donated the east window, dedicated to Elizabeth's father, to Chittlehampton Church, as evidenced by a brass plaque inscribed as follows: ''"To the glory of God and in memory of William Norton Barry of Castle Cor Co. Cork, Ireland, who died January 23 AD 1871 aged 57. This east window is dedicated by his only daughter Elizabeth and her husband John Baring Short of Hudscott"''


Arthur Fortescue (1858-1895)

Arthur Granville Fortescue was born in
Madeira Madeira ( ; ), officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira (), is an autonomous Regions of Portugal, autonomous region of Portugal. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the region of Macaronesia, just under north of ...
, the 4th son of
Hugh Fortescue, 3rd Earl of Devon Hugh is the English-language variant of the masculine given name , itself the Old French variant of '' Hugo (name)">Hugo'', a short form of Continental Germanic Germanic name">given names beginning in the element "mind, spirit" (Old English ). ...
of
Castle Hill, Filleigh Castle Hill in the parish of Filleigh in North Devon, is an early Neo-Palladian country house situated north-west of South Molton and south-east of Barnstaple. It was built in 1730 by Baron Clinton, Hugh Fortescue, 14th Baron Clinton (169 ...
, Devon. In 1886, he married (Lilla) Gertrude Fane (born 1859), 3rd daughter of Frederick Fane of Moyles Court, Rockford, Hampshire. He was a captain in the
Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, monarchy; due to this, it often ...
and died at Hudscott aged 37 on 3 October 1895. He was buried at Filleigh. He was the president and founder of the Chittlehampton Working Men's Club. The census of 1891 for Hudscott lists his household to contain his wife, eldest son Grenville Fortescue (born 1887) and eight servants. A brass plaque survives in the bell-tower of Chittlehampton Church inscribed: "In memory of Arthur Grenville Fortescue 4th son of Hugh 3rd Earl Fortescue. A Captain in the
Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, monarchy; due to this, it often ...
. Born 24th Decr 1858. Died at Hudscott 3rd Octr 1895. This brass is placed here by his wife in the year of our Lord God 1896. Grace, Mercy and Peace"


George Thorold (1847-1932)

George Aubrey William Thorold was the tenant of Hudscott in 19011891 census, Hudscott until his death in 1932. His wife Elizabeth Barry (d.1930) (daughter of Major William Norton Barry of Castlecor, Kilbrin, County Cork, Ireland) was the widow of John Baring Short (d.1880), the tenant of Hudscott before Arthur Fortescue. He was the son of Rev. William Thorold, Rector and
Patron Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...
of Warkleigh, which parish is adjacent to the south of Hudscott, himself the grandson of Sir John Thorold, 9th Baronet, MP for
Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...
of Syston Park, near
South Kesteven South Kesteven is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district in Lincolnshire, England, forming part of the traditional Kesteven division of the county. Its council is based in Grantham. The district also includes the towns of Bourne, ...
, Lincolnshire. In 1843 Rev. William Thorold built as a rectory and family house Warkleigh House, to the design of Abbott of Barnstaple. George Thorold was the owner of the Warkleigh House estate and of several freehold properties within the parishes of Warkleigh and adjoining Satterleigh. He died 9 February 1932, without progeny.Obituary, North Devon Journal, 14 April 1932 He married (Frances) Elizabeth Gould, born 1842 in Ireland. By coincidence his butler, to whom he bequeathed £400 in his will, was called George Dodderidge, born in 1869 at Crowcombe, Somerset. George Thorold was a solicitor and a keen sportsman. He was a JP for Devon and was governor of
West Buckland School West Buckland School is a private co-educational day and boarding school in West Buckland, Devon in the English public school tradition. It comprises a senior school, preparatory school, and a nursery. It is a relatively high performing sch ...
and was president of the
Umberleigh Umberleigh is a former large manor within the historic hundred of (North) Tawton, but today a small village in North Devon in England. It used to be an ecclesiastical parish, but following the building of the church at Atherington it became ...
Fat Stock Show. He left an estate valued at his death at £101,389 gross. Following his death an auction was held by Messrs Cockram, Dobbs and Stagg to dispose of his furniture from Hudscott, in 1,300 lots.North Devon Journal


Sources

*Andrews, Rev. J.H.B., (Vicar of Chittlehampton & Prebendary of Exeter Cathedral), Chittlehampton Parish Magazine, various volumes. *Andrews, Rev. J.H.B., "Chittlehampton", published 1962 in vol.94, pp. 233–338, of Transactions of the Devon...Society * Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895
Chanter, Rev. J.F., The Parishes of Lynton & Countisbury, published in Report & Transactions of the Devonshire Association for the Advancement of Science, Literature & Art, Vol.38, Lynton, 1906, pp.246-7Cruickshanks, Eveline, biography of Samuel Rolle (1669-1735), published in History of Parliament: House of Commons 1690-1715


References


External links


Listed Building Text: Hudscott House
{{coord, 51.0064, N, 3.9262, W, source:wikidata, display=title Historic estates in Devon Chittlehampton