Arthur Acland (died 1610)

Effigy of Sir Arthur Acland (d.1610) of Acland. Detail from his monument in Landkey Church
Heraldic achievement of Sir Arthur Acland (d.1610) of Acland in the parish of Landkey, Devon. Detail from his monument in Landkey Church. Arms: Chequy argent and sable a fess gules. Crest: A man's hand apaumée couped at the wrist in a glove lying fesswise to the sinister thereon a falcon perched all proper jessed and belled or

Sir Arthur Acland (1573-1610) of Acland[1] in the parish of Landkey, Devon, was a member of the Devonshire gentry, and was knighted in 1606.[2] Little is known of his life and career, but his monumental inscription survives above his impressive monument in Landkey Church. His son was Sir John Acland, 1st Baronet (c.1591-1647).[3] He was ancestor to the prominent, wealthy and long-enduring Acland family of Killerton, which survives today in the direct male line.

Origins

He was the heir and eldest of 4 sons[4] of Hugh Acland (c.1543-1622) of Acland, Sheriff of Devon in 1611, by his wife Margaret Monke (d.1619),[5] a daughter of Thomas Monke (c.1515-c.1583)[6] of Potheridge, of an ancient Devonshire family and great-grandfather of George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle (1608-1670).[7] Thomas' first wife and Margaret's mother was Frances Plantagenet, a daughter of Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle[8] (d.1542) an illegitimate son of King Edward IV. Lisle had become connected with Devon following his 2nd marriage to Honor Grenville a Devonshire lady whose first husband had been Sir John Bassett,[9] (1462–1529) of Umberleigh, Devon. Sir Arthur's grandfather was John Acland (d.1553), of Acland.

Marriage & progeny

Escutcheon showing arms of Acland impaling Mallet: Azure, three escallops or. Detail from monument to Sir Arthur Acland (d.1610), Landkey Church[10]

Arthur Acland married his step-first cousin Eleanor Mallet (1573-1645),[11] a daughter and co-heiress of Robert Mallet of Wooleigh,[12] in the parish of Beaford,[13] near Great Torrington,[14] Devon. Eleanor's mother (or step-mother) was Elizabeth Rolle, who re-married to Sir John Acland (d.1620) of Columb John, Sir Arthur's uncle. Eleanor survived Sir Arthur and remarried to Sir Francis Vincent, 1st Baronet[15] (c. 1568–1640) of Stoke d'Abernon,[16] in Surrey. By Eleanor he had the following progeny:[17]

Lands purchased

Sir Arthur purchased from Sir Thomas Drewe (d.1651)[19] the manor of Killerton in Devon, next to his uncle's estate of Columb John, specifically as jointure for his wife Eleanor, who later resided there with her second husband Sir Francis Vincent[20]

Death & burial

Sir Arthur Acland died aged 37 on 26 December 1610[21] and was buried 10 January 1611 in Landkey Church,[22] where survives a large monument with effigies of himself and his wife.[23] He left a widow and not only pre-deceased his wealthy and childless uncle Sir John Acland[24] (d.1620), of Columb John in the parish of Broadclyst, Devon, MP for Devon in 1604 and Sheriff of Devon in 1608, but also pre-deceased his own father, who died 12 years later in 1622, and thus he never inherited the Acland paternal estates which passed therefore in 1622 to his son Sir John Acland (1591-1647), even though Sir Arthur's 3 younger brothers were still living.[25] The first baronet thus inherited his father's new estate of Killerton, his grandfather's ancient estate of Acland with several others[26] and also his great-uncle's new estate of Columb John,[27] which latter place thenceforth he made his home, leaving Acland to become a residence for younger branches of the family.[28]

Monument

Monument to Sir Arthur Acland (d.1610) and his wife Eleanor Mallet, Landkey Church

His impressive monument, said to have been erected by his grieving father,[29] survives in Landkey Church. It shows Sir Arthur lying prostrate, in full armour, propped up on his left elbow. In front and below him lies his wife Eleanor Mallet.[30] Above are two round headed black tablets inscribed with gilt lettering. The tablet on the left is inscribed thus:

In obitu(m) illustrissimi viri Domini Arthuri Acland equitis aurati qui ex hac vita comigravit xxvi.to die Decembr(i)s An(n)o D(omi)ni 1610 aetatis suae xxxvii. Epicedium: (In departure of the illustrious man Sir Arthur Acland, golden knight, who departed from this life on the 26th day of December in the year of Our Lord 1610 of his age 37. A funeral ode:)

"If virtue live after ye corps be laid,
In earth of thee this may be truely said,
Thou livs't tho(u)gh dead for such men cannot dy,
Where fame gives breath to death by memory,
We see thy tombe brave kn(igh)t thy sweet repose,
Thy faire transportance from a sea of woes,
To future joyes where God in soule doth breathe,
Clipping thy temple w(i)th a golden wreath,
Honor attend thy presence famous herse,
To much obscured by my impolish't verse".

The matching tablet on the right is inscribed:

"On the noble and truely virtuous ladie Elynor daught(e)r & coheire of Robert Malet of Wolleigh in the countie of Devon Esqr., wife first to Sr. Arthur Acland of Acland Kt; and afterwards to Sr. Francis Vincent of Stoke Daubernon in ye countie of Surrie kt. & baron(e)t; who exchanged this life for a better Aug. ye 10th the year of Our Lord 1645 (of) her age 72".

"Madam to say you'r dead were but to tell
A lie or make the poet infidell,
You in your vertue live immortall that,
Free fro(m) ye dart of death or stroke of fate,
You in yo(u)r children live yo(u)r progenie,
And that's a kind of immortalitie,
Yo(u)r body doth but sleep yo(u)r grave's a bed,
Yo(u)r stone a pillowe whereo(n) to lye yo(u)r head,
Till vertue, children, body, soule anon,
Shall all meet in the Resurrection."

Sources

References

  1. ↑ per monument at Landkey
  2. ↑ Vivian, p.4
  3. ↑ Vivian, p.4
  4. ↑ Vivian, p.4, his 3 brothers all survived him and their father, in whose will they were named
  5. ↑ Vivian, p.4
  6. ↑ Vivian, p.569, pedigree of Monk
  7. ↑ Acland, Anne, p.4; Vivian, p.569, pedigree of Monk
  8. ↑ Vivian, p.569, pedigree of Monk
  9. ↑ Vivian, p.47, pedigree of Basset
  10. ↑ Modern repainting. Vivian, p.545 gives these arms of family of "Mallett of Idsleigh"
  11. ↑ Vivian, p.4
  12. ↑ Vivian, p.4
  13. ↑ Hoskins, p.330;Mallet family website
  14. ↑ Prince, p.2 "Woolley"; today's "Wooleigh Barton", about 3 miles SE of Great Torrington
  15. ↑ Vivian, p.4
  16. ↑ Per monumental inscription, Landkey
  17. ↑ Vivian, p.4
  18. ↑ Vivian, p.4
  19. ↑ Risdon, Tristram (d.1640), Survey of Devon, 1810 edition, London, 1810, p.59, purchased from Sir Thomas Drewe; Vivian, p.307, pedigree of Drewe, states "Sir Thomas Drewe...sold Killerton to Sir Arthur Acland, Bart. (sic)"; Hoskins, p.352: "Thomas Drewe son of Edward sold Killerton to the Aclands after his father's death"; Risdon, p.59: "Sir Thomas Drewe, knight, sold it (Killerton) to Sir Arthur Acland, knight"
  20. ↑ Acland, A., p.6
  21. ↑ Per monumental inscription, Landkey
  22. ↑ Vivian, p.4
  23. ↑ Pevsner, Nikolaus & Cherry, Bridget, The Buildings of England: Devon, London, 2004, p.531
  24. ↑ Vivian, p.4
  25. ↑ Vivian, p.4, his 3 brothers all survived him and their father, in whose will they were named
  26. ↑ his grandfather John Acland (d.1553) was known to have held property in 27 parishes (Acland, A., pp.4-5)
  27. ↑ Acland, A., p.5
  28. ↑ Acland, A., p.5
  29. ↑ Acland, A., p.5
  30. ↑ Pevsner, p.531