Southcott is a

surname In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...

of an ancient and prominent family from the English counties of

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

and

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

History

The surname Southcott is first recorded by ''Michael de Suthcot, Lord of Suthcot'' in the 13th century, and later recorded by Sir Nicholas Southcott Jr of Southcott and

Chudleigh Chudleigh () is an ancient wool town located within the Teignbridge District Council area of Devon, England; it is sited between Newton Abbot and Exeter. The electoral ward with the same name had a population of 5,919 at the 2021 United Kingdo ...

(1450–1512) in the 15th century.boveytraceyhistory.org.uk, quoting Youings, Joyce (Joyce Youings, Devon Monastic Lands: Calendar of Particulars for Grants 1536–1558 (Exeter: DCRS New Series, 1955)) According to the ''Survey of Devon'' by Tristram Risdon (b.1580), "Michael de Southcott Lord of Southcott was from whom issued divers families. For he was the original of a great kindred in this country". Micheal was originally from

Bodmin moor Bodmin Moor () is a granite moorland in north-eastern Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is in size, and dates from the Carboniferous period of geology, geological history. It includes Brown Willy, the highest point in Cornwall, and Rough To ...

and gained the Southcott estate from the Oliver De Chambernon in 1242, whose family had been granted the estate after the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...

. Sir Nicholas's son, John Southcott Esq of

Bovey Tracey Bovey Tracey () is a town and civil parish in Devon, England. It is located on the edge of Dartmoor, which gives rise to the slogan used on the town's boundary signs: ''The Gateway to the Moor''. It is often known locally as ''Bovey''. About so ...

(1481–1556), in 1544, following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, was granted Indio. At the time he was steward to

Thomas Cromwell Thomas Cromwell (; – 28 July 1540) was an English statesman and lawyer who served as List of English chief ministers, chief minister to King Henry VIII from 1534 to 1540, when he was beheaded on orders of the king, who later blamed false cha ...

which led to him obtaining several monastic holdings in Devonshire on favourable terms. A document in connection with the Dissolution accounts refers to "Rent of a messuage in Yondyeo leased on 15 July 1531 to John Southcote, his wife Joan and Johns's heirs for ever, 26s 8d". He was also made Clerk of the Peace for Devon. In 1547 he was elected as MP of

Lostwithiel Lostwithiel (; ) is a civil parish and small town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom at the head of the estuary of the River Fowey. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,739, increasing to 2,899 at the 2011 census. The Lostwi ...

, making him a prominent politician in Cornwall. During

Edward VI Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. The only surviving son of Henry VIII by his thi ...

's reforms to religion in Cornwall, part of the

English Reformation The English Reformation began in 16th-century England when the Church of England broke away first from the authority of the pope and bishops Oath_of_Supremacy, over the King and then from some doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church ...

and the

Tudors The House of Tudor ( ) was an English and Welsh dynasty that held the throne of England from 1485 to 1603. They descended from the Tudors of Penmynydd, a Welsh noble family, and Catherine of Valois. The Tudor monarchs ruled the Kingdom of Engl ...

' deconstruction of Cornish national identity, he was a participant and supporter of the

Prayer Book Rebellion The Prayer Book Rebellion or Western Rising was a popular revolt in Cornwall and Devon in 1549. In that year, the Book of Common Prayer (1549), first ''Book of Common Prayer'', presenting the theology of the English Reformation, was introduce ...

in Cornwall and Devon. After the rebellion was crushed by

Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp (150022 January 1552) was an English nobleman and politician who served as Lord Protector of England from 1547 to 1549 during the minority of his nephew King E ...

's army, John Southcote was not hanged and a few years later he was granted a general pardon by Edward VI and continued to sit in Parliament. Sir Nicholas's second son William Southcott Esq of Chudleigh (b.1485) had a son also called

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

, of Witham (1510–1585). He became a senior English judge and politician, becoming later Lord of the Manor of

Witham Witham () is a town and civil parish in the Braintree district, in the county of Essex, England. In the 2011 census, it had a population of 25,353. It is twinned with the town of Waldbröl, Germany. Witham stands on the Roman road between the ...

, in Essex. He was noted to be a proud

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

and supporter of his uncle's involvement in the Prayer Book Rebellion and later resigned his office rather than condemn a Catholic priest publicly. Another descendant of Sir Nicholas Southcott was Capt.

Philip Southcote Capt. Philip Southcote (1698–1758) created an early example of the English landscape garden at Woburn Farm (sometimes Wooburn), near Addlestone, Surrey. It was the original ''ferme ornée'' ("decorative farm"), a term invented by Stephen Swi ...

(1698–1758) who married the widowed 1st Duchess of Southampton, Anne Fitzroy. 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 ...

, Captain Thomas Southcote was the

garrison A garrison is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters. A garrison is usually in a city ...

commander of

Calstock Calstock () is a civil parishes in England, civil parish and a large village in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, on the border with Devon. The village is situated on the River Tamar south west of Tavistock, Devon, Tavistock and no ...

as a prominent officer of the

Royalists A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gover ...

in Cornwall; the garrison consisted of roughly 1,200 Cornishmen and was quartered at

Cotehele Cotehele is a medieval house with Tudor additions, situated in the parish of Calstock in the east of Cornwall, England, and now belonging to the National Trust. It is a rambling granite and slate-stone manor house on the banks of the River T ...

and

Harewood House Harewood House ( , ) is a English country house, country house in Harewood, West Yorkshire, Harewood, West Yorkshire, England. Designed by architects John Carr (architect), John Carr and Robert Adam, it was built between 1759 and 1771, for Ed ...

. During the war, the Parliamentarians attacked Gunnislake New Bridge, which was defended by

Sir Richard Grenville Sir Richard Grenville ( – ), also spelt Greynvile, Greeneville, and Greenfield, was an English privateer and explorer. Grenville was lord of the manors of Stowe, Cornwall and Bideford, Devon. He subsequently participated in the planta ...

and Captain Southcote with men from his garrison at

. At the cost of 240 men the bridge was lost to the Parliamentarian forces, but they failed to advance further into Cornwall.Royal Institution of Cornwall English Civil War and Captain Southcote pg 32
/ref>Gunnislake New Bridge History
/ref>

Lords of the Manor of Southcott (1242–1565)

* Michael Southcot Esq of Southcot (b.c1202) * William Southcott Esq of Southcot (b.c1233) * Michael Southcott Esq of

Winkleigh Winkleigh is a civil parish and small village in Devon, England. It is part of the local government area of Torridge District Council. The population of the parish at the 2011 census was 1,305, compared to 1,079 in 1901. The population of the el ...

(b.c1258) * William Southcott Esq of Southcott * Michael Southcotte Esq of Southcotte (b.c1325) * William Southcote Esq of Southcote (b.c1360) * William Southcote Esq of Southcote (b.c1390) * Nicholas Southcote Esq of Southcote and

(b.c1419) * Sir Nicholas Southcott of Southcott and

(1450–1512) * Thomas Southcot Esq of Southcot (b.c1483) * John Southcott Esq of Southcot (b.c1510) * John Southcot Esq of Southcot * Phillip Southcott Esq of Southcott (1527–1587)

Lords of the Manor of Bovey Tracey (1544–1670)

Indio BoveyTracey Devon ByElizabethCroker 1844

* John Southcote MP of

, (1481–1556) *

Thomas Southcote Thomas Southcote MP DL JP ''of Buckland'' (c. 1622 – 1664) was an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1661 to 1664. Southcote was the son of George Southcote of Buckland Tout Saints and his wife Frances. He m ...

MP of

and of

Mohuns Ottery Mohuns Ottery or Mohun's Ottery ( "moon's awtrey"),Gover, J.E.B., Mawer, A. & Stenton, F.M. (1931). ''The Place-Names of Devon''. English Place-Name Society. Vol viii. Part II. Cambridge University Press. p.642 is a house and historic Manorial ...

, (1528–1600) * George Southcot of

and of

, (born 1560) * Thomas Southcote of

and of

(d.1678)Pole, p. 131 *

Sir ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as part ...

Popham Southcote Kt of

and of

, (1603–1643)

Lord of the Manor of Mohuns Ottery (1598–1670)

MP of

and of

, (1528–1600) * George Southcot of

and of

, (born 1560) * Thomas Southcote of

and of

(d.1678) *

Popham Southcote Kt of

and of

, (1603–1643)

Lords of Blyborough and Baronets of Blyborough (1610–1691)

* Sir George Southcote MP of Blyborough, Shillingford, Stoke Fleming and Withycombe (1572–1638) * George Southcote of Stoke Fleming and Blyborough *

MP DL JP of Buckland, Stoke Fleming and Blyborough (1622–1664) *

George Southcote, 1st

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 ...

Blyborough Blyborough is a village and civil parish in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 115. It lies on the B1398 road, east from Gainsborough, north from Lincoln and south ...

(1629–1663) *

George Southcote, 2nd Baronet and Governor of

Dartmouth Castle Dartmouth Castle is an artillery fort, built to protect Dartmouth harbour in Devon, England. The earliest parts of the castle date from the 1380s, when, in response to the threat of a French attack, the civic authorities created a small enclos ...

(1664–1691)

Southcote Baronets family chart

Notable people

Thomas Southcot

Capt. Thomas Southcot (1608–1657) was an officer of the Cavalier Army during the

First English Civil War The First English Civil War took place in England and Wales from 1642 to 1646, and forms part of the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. An estimated 15% to 20% of adult males in England and Wales served in the military at some point b ...

, the early part of the

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

. He was the son of Sir George Southcott MP (1572–1638). In 1644 he was the garrison commander of the Cavalier army based at

and

, a detachments of Sir Richard Grenville's army based on the Cornish side of the Tamar Valley. He defended

from

Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, KB, PC (; 11 January 1591 – 14 September 1646) was an English Parliamentarian and soldier during the first half of the 17th century. With the start of the Civil War in 1642, he became the first Captai ...

Parliamentarians force. Following the battle, an island which was defended by the Royalists was named Southcott Island in honour of the commander. Thomas Southcot died in 1657, never witnessing the restoration of the monarchy in 1661. King Charles II did recognise Thomas's tremendous loyalty by awarding his only son George Southcote (1629–1663) with the title of Baronet of Bliborough.

Members of Parliament

* John Southcote MP of Bovey Tracey and Shillingford (c1481-1556) was MP for

. He was appointed Clerk of the Peace of Devon. * Sir John Southcote QC SL MP of London and Witham (1510–1585) was MP for

Lewes Lewes () is the county town of East Sussex, England. The town is the administrative centre of the wider Lewes (district), district of the same name. It lies on the River Ouse, Sussex, River Ouse at the point where the river cuts through the Sou ...

and later

Steyning Steyning ( ) is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Horsham District, Horsham district of West Sussex, England. It is located at the north end of the River Adur gap in the South Downs, north of the coastal town of Shoreha ...

. *

MP of Bovey Tracey, Mohuns Ottery, Stoke Fleming and Shillingford (1528–1600) was MP for

Tavistock Tavistock ( ) is an ancient stannary and market town and civil parish in the West Devon district, in the county of Devon, England. It is situated on the River Tavy, from which its name derives. At the 2011 census, the three electoral wards (N ...

, then Plympton Erle and later Dartmouth. He was also appointed

High 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 ...

. * George Southcote MP of London and Calverleigh (1533–1589) was MP for

and later

. * Richard Southcote MP of the Inner Temple, London and Shillingford (1570–1594) was MP for Plympton Erle. * Sir George Southcote MP of Blyborough, Shillingford, Stoke Fleming and Withycombe (1572–1638) was MP for Plympton Erle. He was also appointed

. *

MP DL JP of Buckland, Stoke Fleming and Blyborough (1622–1664) was MP for Dartmouth. He was also appointed Deputy lieutenant of Devon.

High Sheriff

MP of Bovey Tracey, Mohuns Ottery, Stoke Fleming and Shillingford (1528–1600) was appointed

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 ...

on 23 November 1558 and 13 November 1570. * Sir George Southcote MP of Blyborough, Shillingford, Stoke Fleming and Withycombe (1572–1638) was appointed

on 11 November 1616. * George Southcott Esq of Buckland was appointed

on 12 November 1652. * John Henry Southcote of Buckland was appointed

in 1785.

Family prayer

Cornish

English

Bibliography

* Sir Thomas Clifford Bart (1817) A Topographical and Historical Description of the Parish of Tixall * Sir Sindey Lee (1898) Dictionary of National Biography, Volume LIII. London: Smith, Elder & Co. * Samuel Lysons (1763-1819) Magna Britannia: Being a Concise Topographical Account of the Several Counties of Great Britain, Volume III * Samuel Lysons (1763-1819) Magna Britannia: Being a Concise Topographical Account of the Several Counties of Great Britain, Volume IV * John Morris (1872) The Troubles of Our Catholic Forefathers Related by Themselves * Sir William Pole (1742) Collections Towards a Description of the Country of Devon * Rev Gordon Ruming (2005) Calstock Parish Church History * Sir Henry Saint-George (1620) The Visitation of the County of Devon in the Year 1620 * Lt Col J L. Vivian (1895) The Visitations of the County of Devon * The Book of Fees (1242) Part II, published by the Public Record Office in 1920 * Harleian Society (1878) The Publications of the Harleian Society, Volume XIII * Royal Institute of Cornwall (1867) Journal, Volume II. Truro

References

External links

{{Commons category, Southcott (surname) British families Cornish families English families Surnames English gentry families Medieval English families Recusants