CombeHouse Gittisham Devon PanoramaViewFromWest

Gittisham is an historic manor largely co-terminous with the parish of

Gittisham Gittisham is a village and civil parish in East Devon, Devon, England, near Honiton. The village is from Ottery St Mary and it has a church called St Michael. The parish is surrounded, clockwise from the north, by the parishes of Awliscombe, Ho ...

in Devon, England, within which is situated the village of

. The capital estate is Combe, on which is situated Combe House, 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 Gittisham, a

grade I 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, Hi ...

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

building situated 2 1/4 miles south-west of the historic centre of

Honiton Honiton () is a market town and civil parish in East Devon, situated close to the River Otter, Devon, River Otter, north east of Exeter in the county of Devon. Honiton has a population estimated at 12,154 (based on 2021 census). History The ...

and 3 1/4 miles north-east of the historic centre of

Ottery St Mary Ottery St Mary, known as "Ottery", is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the East Devon district of Devon, England, on the River Otter, Devon, River Otter, about east of Exeter on the B3174. At the 2001 census, the parish, w ...

Descent

Gotshelm

The manor of ''Gidesha(m)'' is recorded in the

Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

of 1086 as the 15th of the 28 holdings of

Gotshelm {{Use dmy dates, date=April 2022 Gotshelm (floruit 1086) was an Anglo-Norman magnate and one of the 52 Devon Domesday Book tenants-in-chief of King William the Conqueror and was also a Cornwall Domesday Book tenant-in-chief. He is listed in the Dom ...

, held in chief of King

William the Conqueror William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...

. No tenant is listed, suggesting he held it in

demesne A demesne ( ) or domain was all the land retained and managed by a lord of the manor under the feudal system for his own use, occupation, or support. This distinguished it from land subinfeudation, sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants. ...

. His 17th holding was a certain ''Come'', which however is supposed by Thorne (1985) to represent Coombe in the parish of

Uplowman Uplowman () is a village and civil parish in the Mid Devon district, in Devon, England, situated about 4 miles north-east of the town of Tiverton. The parish is surrounded, clockwise from the north, by the parishes of Hockworthy, Sampford Peve ...

, not Combe in Gittisham. Gotshelm was the brother of

Walter de Claville Walter I de Claville (floruit 1086) (''alias'' de Clarville and Latinised to ''de Clavilla'') was an Anglo-Norman magnate and one of the 52 Devon Domesday Book tenants-in-chief of King William the Conqueror. He also held lands in Dorset. His Devo ...

, another of the

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

and the lands of both brothers later formed part of the

Feudal barony of Gloucester The feudal barony of Gloucester or Honour (feudal barony), Honour of Gloucester was one of the largest of the mediaeval English feudal barony, English feudal baronies in 1166, comprising 279 knight's fees, or Manorialism, manors. The constituent ...

.Thorn, part 2, Chapters 24 & 25

Feudal barony of Gloucester

Willington/de Lomen

The manor of Gittisham descended with most of Gotshelm's other holdings to the

. Combe was held from the barony by the Willington family. In the

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

lands in Gittisham are recorded as held from "Ralph de Wylingthon" by "Richard de Lumene".

Willington

The ''de Willington'' family originated at the manor of Willington near

Repton Repton is a village and civil parish in the South Derbyshire district of Derbyshire, England, located on the edge of the River Trent floodplain, about north of Swadlincote. The population taken at the 2001 census was 2,707, increasing to 2 ...

in Derbyshireand later lived at

Yate Yate is a town and civil parish in South Gloucestershire, England. It lies just to the southwest of the Cotswolds, Cotswold Hills and is northeast of Bristol and from Bath, Somerset, Bath. Developing from a small village into a town from t ...

, Gloucestershire. Ralph de Willington (died pre-1242) married Olympia (died post 1242), heiress of Sandhurst, in Gloucestershire, granddaughter of a certain Wymark, and widow of John Frenchevaler. In about 1200 Wymark had granted to St Peter's Abbey, Gloucester, (now

Gloucester Cathedral Gloucester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Peter and the Holy and Indivisible Trinity and formerly St Peter's Abbey, in Gloucester, England, stands in the north of the city near the River Severn. It originated with the establishme ...

) 6 acres of land in Longford, within the manor of Sandhurst, for the purpose of mending the "ironwork of horses" belonging to visiting monks. The grant was later confirmed by Ralph Willington, husband of Olympia.N. M. Herbert, 1988, "Gloucester: Outlying hamlets", ''A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 4: The City of Gloucester''. Available from British History Online.
(17 September 2014) pp. 382–410 Between 1224 and 1228 Ralph Willington and his wife Olympia built 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 ...

in St Peter's Abbey, Gloucester. Ralph also held (from

Thomas de Beaumont, 6th Earl of Warwick Thomas de Beaumont, 6th Earl of Warwick (1208 – 26 June 1242), Earl of Warwick, Baron of Hocknorton (Hook Norton) and Headington, was the son of Henry de Beaumont, 5th Earl of Warwick and Margaret D'Oili. He was also known as Thomas de H ...

(1208–1242) as

overlord An overlord in the English feudal system was a lord of a manor who had subinfeudated a particular manor, estate or fee, to a tenant. The tenant thenceforth owed to the overlord one of a variety of services, usually military service or ...

) the manor of Poulton in Awre, Gloucestershire. *Ralph de Willington married Joan de Champernon, heiress of

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 ...

in Devon, during the reign of Edward I (1272–1307). The Willington family appear thenceforth to have adopted Umberleigh as their seat in Devonshire. The descendants of Ralph de Willington and Joan de Champernon were as follows: *Ralph de Willington (eldest son), called by Risdon "a worthy warrior", was governor of Exeter Castle in 1253 and

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 1254 or 1257. (The seat of the Sheriff of Devon was the royal castle of Exeter). He married Juliana de Lomene, daughter and heiress of Sir Richard de Lomene of "Lomen" (modern

, near Tiverton) and

.Pole, p.166 *John de Willington (died 1338/9), eldest son and heir, who on 8 August 1299 obtained a royal

licence to crenellate In medieval England, Wales and the Channel Islands a licence to crenellate (or licence to fortify) granted the holder permission to fortify his property. Such licences were granted by the king, and by the rulers of the counties palatine within the ...

his mansion at Yate.

Beaumont

The Beaumont family, seated at Youlston within their

Manor of Shirwell The Manor of Shirwell was a manor in North Devon, England, centred on the village of Shirwell and largely co-terminous with the parish of Shirwell. It was for many centuries successively the seat of two of the leading families of North Devon, th ...

in North Devon, was the heir of the Willingtons. *William Beaumont was Sheriff of Devon in 1399, and held the Castle and Borough of Barnstaple. He further increased the family's estates by marrying Isabel Willington, daughter of Sir John Willington of

, and co-heiress of her brother John Willington (died 1396). The effigies of a Willington knight beside his Lady existed in

Umberleigh Chapel The Chapel of the Holy Trinity at Umberleigh is a ruinous mediaeval chapel in north Devon, England, largely demolished according to Lysons (1822) in about 1800. It stands next to Umberleigh House, the manor house of Umberleigh, which still sur ...

prior to their removal to Atherington Church in about 1820, where they are visible today. *Sir Thomas Beaumont (1401–1450), son and heir, born at the Willington manor of Yate in Gloucestershire. He married twice, the offspring of which two marriages became successively heirs to his estates, in a complex series of inheritances. Firstly he married Phillipa Dynham, daughter of Sir John Dynham and aunt to John Dynham, 1st Baron Dynham (died 1501), by whom he had 3 sons and 2 daughters. From these children descended two important parallel lines: Firstly an adulterous line of the Bodrugan family which adopted the name Beaumont and which inherited the Beaumont manor of

, and secondly the later very influential

Basset family Members of the Basset family were amongst the early Normans, Norman settlers in the Kingdom of England. It is currently one of the few ancient Norman families who has survived through the centuries in the paternal line. They originated at Montre ...

which inherited the Beaumont former Willington manor of

, (which became their early seat) and the Beaumont former Pont-de-Chardon manor of

Heanton Punchardon Heanton Punchardon ( ) is a village, civil parish and former manor, anciently part of Braunton Hundred. It is situated directly east-southeast of the village of Braunton, in North Devon. The parish lies on the north bank of the estuary of the ...

, which became their later seat. Secondly Sir Thomas Beaumont married Alice Stukeley, daughter of Hugh Stukeley of Affeton, Devon, by whom he had a further 3 sons, from one of whom was descended the Chichester family of Raleigh, which inherited the Domesday Book Beaumont manors of Shirwell and Loxhore and which moved its seat from Raleigh to Youlston in the late 17th century. *

William Beaumont William Beaumont (November 21, 1785 – April 25, 1853) was a surgeon in the U.S. Army who became known as the "Father of Gastric Physiology" for his research on human digestion on Alexis St. Martin.Philip Beaumont (1432–1473), of

Shirwell Shirwell is a village, civil parish and former manor in the local government district of North Devon, in the county of Devon, England. It was also formerly the name of a hundred of Devon. The village lies about 3.5 miles north-east of the town o ...

in North Devon and of

in East Devon, Member of Parliament for a constituency in Devon and

in 1469. He was the rightful heir of his elder brother

Bodrugan (Beaumont)

Beaumont of Leicestershire

Putt

The descent of Combe in the Putt family was as follows: *Nicholas Putt,

in 1644, who purchased Combe in 1614. His father and grandfather had lived at Berry Pomeroy. During the

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

he was a Royalist and in 1644 he was arrested at Combe by Parliamentarian forces, at which time the house was ransacked and set on fire. On the way to imprisonment and trial in London, he died at

Axminster Axminster is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the eastern border of the county of Devon in England. It is from the county town of Exeter. The town is built on a hill overlooking the River Axe, Devon, River Axe which ...

in Devon. *William Putt (died 1663), son and heir, married Jane Every, daughter of William Every of Cothays, Somerset. SirThomasPutt 1stBaronet Died1686 GittishamChurch Devon

SirThomasPutt 1stBaronet Died1686 GittishamChurch Devon

* Sir Thomas Putt, 1st Baronet (1644–1686), eldest son and heir, created a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

in 1666. He served as Member of Parliament for

, Devon, March 1679, October 1679, 1681, 16 April - 15 June 1685 and 3 October 1685 - 25 June 1686. He was Mayor of Honiton in 1685. He married Ursula Cholmondeley (died 1674), daughter of Col. Richard Cholmondeley (1620–1644), of Grosmont, county York, Knight, a lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine of Braganza, wife of King Charles II (1660–1685). Richard Cholmondeley was a Royalist commander during the Civil War, and had served as Governor of

and was a son-in-law to

John Poulett, 1st Baron Poulett John Poulett, 1st Baron Poulett (1585 – 20 March 1649), of Hinton St George, Somerset, was an English sailor and politician who sat in the House of Commons of England, House of Commons between 1610 and 1621 and was later raised to the Peerag ...

, (1585–1649) of Hinton St George, Somerset. He was killed at

Lyme Regis Lyme Regis ( ) is a town in west Dorset, England, west of Dorchester, Dorset, Dorchester and east of Exeter. Sometimes dubbed the "Pearl of Dorset", it lies by the English Channel at the Dorset–Devon border. It has noted fossils in cliffs and ...

in Dorset in October 1644 and was buried at Brixton, Devon. He was the son of Sir Richard Cholmondeley (Cholmley, Cholmely, 1580–1631), of Whitby, Yorkshire, MP for Scarborough 1620-1, member of a junior branch of the Cholmondley family of Cholmondley in Cheshire, later Earl of Leinster and Marquess of Cholmondley. Sir Thomas Putt's monument survives in Gittisham Church, described by Pevsner (2004) as: ''"A spectacular affairwith a big tomb-chest in an arched recess of black marble. On the chest two oversized garlanded white marble urns. The back wall of the recess with blank architecture of pediment on brackets. The whole cold, competent, expensive and metropolitan"''. The maker was possibly William Stanton or William Kidwell, with urns possibly by Edward Pierce. On the back wall are shown the arms of Putt: ''Argent, a lion rampant within a mascle sable'', with a canton of the

Red Hand of Ulster The Red Hand of Ulster () is a symbol used in heraldry to denote the Irish province of Ulster and the Northern Uí Néill in particular. It has also been used however by other Irish clans across the island, including the ruling families of we ...

for a baronet, impaling Cholmondeley: ''Gules, in chief two esquire's helmets argent in base a garb or''. * Sir Thomas Putt, 2nd Baronet (c. 1675 – 1721). He married twice, firstly to Margaret Trevelyan, daughter of Sir George Trevelyan, 1st Baronet (c. 1635 – 1671) of Nettlecombe in

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

, and secondly to .... Prestwood. He died without male children when the baronetcy became extinct. His

funeral hatchment A funerary hatchment is a depiction within a black lozenge-shaped frame, generally on a black (''sable'') background, of a deceased's heraldic achievement, that is to say the escutcheon showing the arms, together with the crest and supporters o ...

survives in Gittisham Church. * William Thomas Putt (1725–1797), 18th century clergyman and squire of the Combe estate He obtained a BCL in 1751. * Thomas Putt (1757–1787), "Black Tom", descendant. He was educated at Queens College, Oxford, and later trained as a lawyer in 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 ...

, and was

called to the bar The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received "call to ...

. He was a keen gardener and planted Beech Walk, Bellevue and the terraced gardens at Combe. He was probably the creator of the "Tom Putt" variety of apple tree, as is suggested by his having won prizes at the Honiton Horticultural Shows for his fruit trees.* He made considerable additions to Combe House, including the surviving "Georgian Kitchen" and the

Orangery An orangery or orangerie is a room or dedicated building, historically where orange and other fruit trees are protected during the winter, as a large form of greenhouse or conservatory. In the modern day an orangery could refer to either ...

, intended to have been three times the size of the completed building. His

epithet An epithet (, ), also a byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) commonly accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a real or fictitious person, place, or thing. It is usually literally descriptive, as in Alfred the Great, Suleima ...

"Black Tom" derives from his notoriously bad temper. It is said by residents of the village of Gittisham that when the church bells rang they were repeating "Hang Tom Putt". *William Putt, brother and heir, who completed "Black Tom"'s building works on a reduced scale. *Raymundo Putt (1773–1812), of Combe, who in 1810 was lord of the manor of Gittisham 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 Gittisham Church. His mural monument survives in Gittisham Church. *Thomas Putt (1832–1844), descendant, last in the male line who died unmarried and bequeathed his estates to his sister Margaretta Putt (died 1846), who married Rev Henry Marker, to the descendants of which marriage descended the Putt estates.

Marker

The descent of Combe in the Marker family was as follows:Marker, Richard R.K. (1918–1961), ''The History of Combe House and Gittisham Village''

Rev. Henry Marker

Rev. Henry Marker of

Aylesbeare Aylesbeare is a village and civil parish in the East Devon district of Devon, England, east of Exeter. According to the 2001 census, the parish, which includes the hamlet of Nutwalls, had a population of 527. Known for the Site of Special Scien ...

,Burke, 1937, p.1525 Devon, who married Margaretta Putt (died 1846), the heiress of Combe. He had children including: *Henry William Marker (died 1865), eldest son and heir *Rev. Thomas John Marker (died 1854), whose son was the eventual heir to Combe. *Rev. Richard John Marker (died 1855), Rector of Uffculme, Devon, of Yondercott House, Uffculme. He occupied the honourable position of Recorder of Bradninch 1818-1855, and his armorials are shown in a stained glass window in Bradninch Church. In 1847 he expended £3,400 of his own funds to rebuild the tower and spire of St Mary's Church, Uffculme, and also donated the great bell and clock. His heir was his son-in-law Rev. George Townsend Smith (1795–1874), son of Rev. George Smith of Ottery St Mary and Curate of Upper Ottery (1818–33) and Vicar of Uffculme (1833–1874) and husband of Margaret Frances Marker, whom he had married at Aylesbeare in 1834. In 1855 he assumed the surname Marker in lieu of Smith, in accordance with the terms of his inheritance. The arms of Marker survive in a stained glass window in Uffculme Church.

Henry William Marker (died 1865)

Henry William Marker (died 1865), eldest son and heir, a spendthrift who kept his own pack of hounds. He fled to the Continent to escape his creditors.

Richard Marker (1835–1916)

Richard Marker (1835–1916), nephew and heir, son of Rev. Thomas John Marker (died 1854) by his wife Frances Amelia Drewe, daughter of Samuel Drewe. Educated at

Harrow School Harrow School () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English boarding school for boys) in Harrow on the Hill, Greater London, England. The school was founded in 1572 by John Lyon (school founder), John Lyon, a local landowner an ...

and

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

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 two livings, a Justice of the Peace for Devon and Dorset and a Deputy Lieutenant for Devon. In 1865 he married Hon. Victoria Alexandrina Digby (died 1917), daughter of

Edward Digby, 9th Baron Digby Edward St Vincent Digby, 9th Baron Digby (21 June 1809 – 16 October 1889), also 3rd Baron Digby in the Peerage of Great Britain, was a British peer. Biography Digby was the son of Admiral Sir Henry Digby, who fought at the Battle of Trafalgar ...

(1809–1889) of Minterne, Dorchester, Dorset. He was welcomed by his tenants at Gittisham with much ceremony, which included his carriage being drawn from Gittisham Farm to Combe by manpower, the horses having been released from the shafts. He was predeceased by his eldest son and heir apparent: **Lt-Col. Raymond John Marker (1867–1914), DSO, eldest son and heir apparent. Educated at

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

. In 1906 he married Beatrice Jackson, daughter of the

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

banker

Sir Thomas Jackson, 1st Baronet Sir Thomas Jackson, 1st Baronet, (; 1841 – 1915) was an Irish bank manager who was the third chief manager of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. He was responsible for financing the development of colonial Hong Kong under the first ...

of Stansted, Essex. He was wounded in active service during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and died from his injuries on 13 November 1914. He joined the Coldstream Guards and sailed for France in 1914. He served as Deputy Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General to the 1st Army Corps, and served on the staff of Earl Haig. His wife nursed him in France and brought his body back for burial at Gittisham Church. His portrait survives in the sitting room of Combe House.

Richard Raymond Kitchener Marker (1908–1961)

Richard Raymond Kitchener Marker (1908–1961), grandson and heir, only child of Lt-Col. Raymond John Marker (1867–1914). Educated at Eton College and

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...

. He was the historian of the Marker family and of Combe. In 1934 he married Rosemary Grace Fairholme, daughter of Edward Fairholme of The Old Vicarage, Penn, Buckinghamshire, but died without children, when his heir (in her issue) became his first cousin Ruth Gertrude Marker (born 1923), a twin daughter of Edward Richard Marker (born 1872) (younger son of Richard Marker (1835–1916) by his wife Margaret Bagot) and wife of John Trelawny (died 2006) of

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

, Canada.

Trelawny (Marker)

*Richard Trelawny (born 1953), eldest son and heir, born and raised in Canada, who in 1961 aged 8 inherited from his mother's cousin, Richard Raymond Kitchener Marker (1908–1961), a beneficial interest (as beneficiary of a trust) in Combe and Gittisham, and an absolute title on attaining his majority at the age of 21, on condition that he should adopt the surname Marker in lieu of his patronymic, which he duly performed. He was the son of John Trelawny (died 2006) by his wife Ruth Gertrude Marker (1923-2013). In 1946 Ruth Gertrude Marker emigrated to

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

in Canada to marry John Trelawny (1919-2006) formerly of Cotleigh, Devon, who having trained at Sandhurst served in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, in which he was injured resulting in a leg amputation. Following the war John Trelawny emigrated to

in Canada, where he married Ruth Marker. John Trelawny obtained a degree in botany and biology and became head laboratory instructor at the University of Victoria and established a bulb farm. In 1968 the trustees of Richard Trelawney let Combe House on a long lease to Mr Gomel, who turned it into one of England's first "Country House Hotels". In 1969 the lease was purchased by John and Thérèse Boswell who ran the hotel until 1998, when the lease was again sold to Ken & Ruth Hunt, the proprietors of Combe House Hotel in 2015. In 1974 having attained his majority Richard Trelawney inherited an absolute title to the Marker estates and changed his name to Marker, in accordance with the bequest. He ran a successful business building timber framed houses in Canada. In 1978 he married Petronela ('Nellie'), a Canadian from Vancouver. In 1982 he returned with his wife to England live in Beech Walk, Gittisham, to manage his estate. He has 4 daughters, the eldest of whom is Karissa Marker (born 1980, Canada). In 2004 Richard Marker sold 15 houses in the village of Gittisham to the property company Northumberland & Durham and 8 more to private owners. "This decision was not taken lightly, but since the upkeep and maintenance of a complete village had always been unviable, it was time for the Estate to move on".

Sources

*Marker, Richard R.K. (1908–1961), ''The History of Combe House and Gittisham Village

*Thorn, Caroline & Frank, (eds.) ''Domesday Book'', (Morris, John, gen. ed.) Vol. 9, Devon, Parts 1 & 2, Phillimore Press, Chichester, 1985 *Beaumont, Edward T., The Beaumonts in History. A.D. 850-1850. Oxford, c. 1929, esp. chapter 5, pp. 56–72, "The Devonshire Family" *Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p. 46, pedigree of Basset; p. 65, pedigree of Beaumont of Gittisham *Byrne, Muriel St. Clare, (ed.) The

Lisle Letters The Lisle Papers are the correspondence received in Calais between 1533 and 1540 by Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle (c.1480-1542), Lord Deputy of Calais, an illegitimate son of King Edward IV and an uncle of King Henry VIII, and by his wife ...

, 6 vols, University of Chicago Press, Chicago & London, 1981, vol.1, pp. 299–350, "Grenvilles and Bassets" & vol.4, Chapter 7 re "The Great Indenture". (Explains the descent of the Beaumont lands following the death of the last male of the Beaumonts of Devon) *Pole, Sir William (died 1635), Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, Sir John-William de la Pole (ed.), London, 1791, esp. pp. 166–168, Gittesham; pp. 407–409, Shirwell. (Pole's text provides in the opinion of Byrne, provides "the essential information" for an understanding of the Beaumont family history 1450-1500.(Byrne, 1981, vol.4, p. 1)) * Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry, 15th Edition, ed. Pirie-Gordon, H., London, 1937, p. 1525, Pedigree of ''Marker of Combe''

References

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