Colleton, Chulmleigh

1892 signed drawing by the ecclesiastical architect Edward Ashworth (1815–1892) of his childhood home Colleton Barton, Chulmleigh, Devon. View from south-east
Colleton Barton viewed from south-west across the River Taw
Colleton Barton viewed from south west, showing the River Taw in the valley bottom

Colleton is a hamlet and former manor in the civil parish of Elstone and in the ecclesiastical parish of Chulmleigh, in the North Devon district of Devon, England. It is situated on the north side of a valley containing the River Taw. Its nearest town is Chulmleigh, which lies approximately 3.6 miles (5.8 km) to the south-west. It consists of the grade I listed[1] Colleton Barton (the former manor house) and Colleton Mill, the former manorial mill, with another former industrial building situated at the approach to the bridge over the River Taw.

History

Descent of the manor

Cole

Arms of Cole of Colleton: Argent, three ravens sable[2]

According to Pole (died 1635), the earliest recorded holder of the manor was the Cole family,[3] which presumably gave its name to the settlement "Cole's town/ton". The arms of "Cole of Coleton" according to Pole were: Argent, three ravens sable.[4] Risdon stated it to have remained in the possession of that family for many generations, until during the reign of King Richard II (1377–1399) it passed by inheritance to an heir general of the Bury family.

Bury

Arms of Bury of Colleton: Ermine, on a chevron engrailed azure three fleurs-de-lys or[5]

The manor passed to the Bury family, the descent of which was as follows:[6]

"His brother Hugh, abusinge his simplicyty, enjoyed the profits of his land & kept him as a prisoner & wastfully consumed and sold the land. But John, having stollen (away) from his brother, secreatly maried on(e) Mongey's daughter & had issue Humfry which was secreatly brought upp (away) from the knowledge of Hugh Byry which Humfry, when hee came to full age, sued for ye land & after much trowble concerninge the validyty of the divorce betwixt his father & his first wief, at length recovered back all the land which was sold by his unkle Hugh".

Thus, secondly John V Bury married secretly a daughter of "Mountjoy", alias "Mongey", by whom he had issue. On his death in 1574 his younger brother Hugh Bury was declared his heir, in ignorance of the existence of John's second marriage and son Humphry.[19]

Heraldic escutcheon above the front door of Colleton Barton, showing the arms of Bury of Colleton: Ermine, on a bend engrailed azure three fleurs-de-lys or impaling Bere of Huntsham: Argent, three bear's heads erased sable muzzled or
Left: arms of Bury of Colleton: Ermine, on a chevron engrailed azure three fleurs-de-lys or. Detail from mural monument (right) in Chulmleigh Church erected in 1706 by Joanna Bere, widow of Humphry III Bury, of Colleton
"In memory of ye four chilldren of Humphrey Bury Esq, deceased., and Joan his wife, daughter of Thomas Bere of Huntsham, Esq. John died ye 18th of October 1695 in ye 14th year of his age. Arthur died ye 30th of April 1701 in ye 16th year of his age. Humphry died ye 20th of April 1701 in ye 14th year of his age. Gartrud died ye ... of December 1691 in ye 9th year of her age. And there are still living Christian, Anne and Thomas, whom God long preserve. This was set up in 1706 at ye only charge of there mother".

Above are shown the arms and crest of Bury alone.

Incledon-Bury

The last male member of the Bury family died in 1804,[27] when the Bury estates passed to:

"REAR-ADMIRAL BURY, of whose professional life a slight sketch is here submitted to the public, is the son of a private gentleman, and descended from a family of the name of Incledon, in the north of Devonshire. In addition to his paternal name of Incledon, he, about five years ago, assumed that of Bury. Mr. Incledon's entrance into the navy was in the year 1772; he was made a lieutenant in 1778; and he served as second of the Agamemnon, Captain Caldwell, of 64 guns, in Admiral Rodney's memorable action with the Count de Grasse, on the 12th of April, 1782. In that engagement, the Agamemnon suffered severely: Lieutenant Incledon was wounded; as was also Lieutenant Brice, who subsequently died of his wounds; and fourteen seamen were killed, and twenty-two wounded. Mr. Incledon was promoted to the rank of commander, in the year 1789, in consequence of his being first lieutenant of the Magnificent, of 74 guns, Captain Richard Onslow, and attending on his Majesty at Weymouth. On his promotion, he was appointed to the Childers sloop. On the 22d of November, 1790, he was promoted to the rank of post captain; and, at the capture of the French West India Islands, by Admiral Sir J. Jervis, and General Sir C. Grey, in 1794, he commanded the Ceres frigate, of 32 guns".

His tenant in the early 19th century was the father of Edward Ashworth (1814–1896), the West Country's leading ecclesiastical architect, who was born at Colleton Barton and lived there until 1822.[33]

Incledon_Bury had three daughters, Jane, who died young, Lucy, wife of Stephen Bencraft, a banker from Barnstaple, and Penelope, heiress of Colleton.

Martin

The arms of the Martin family of Colleton are: Argent, two bars gules overall a chevron or thereon three talbots passant of the second.[37]

Phillips

Colleton Barton has been owned since 1987 by Simon and Grania Phillips, who have carried out much restoration work[44] and have been rearing Red Ruby Devon cattle on the estate since about 2000.[45]

Buildings

Gatehouse & chapel

Gatehouse, Colleton Barton, viewed from south, with front door to Colleton Barton visible through gateway beyond

The Gatehouse is probably C15, remodelled in circa C16 or early C17, with minor alterations probably of the early C19 and was repaired in C20.[46] Formerly occupying the upper floor was a chapel dedicated to St. Edmund of Canterbury[47] (Edmund Rich (1175–1240), Archbishop of Canterbury (1233–1240), canonised 1349), licenced in 1402 by Bishop of Exeter Edmund Stafford. The building is orientated on an east-west axis, thus suited for religious usage. The former entrance was up a steep staircase on the north side.[48]

Sources

References

  1. Listed building text "Colleton Manor"
  2. Pole, p.475
  3. Pole, Sir William (died 1635), Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, Sir John-William de la Pole (ed.), London, 1791, p.433
  4. Pole, p.475
  5. Vivian, p.123
  6. Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitation of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, pp.123-4, pedigree of Bury of Colliton
  7. Vivian, p.455, pedigree of Hatch; p.599, pedigree of Pollard of Langley
  8. Byrne, vol.1, p.605; Vivian, p.208, pedigree of Coffin; Byrne, vol.1, p.606: "died in Dec 1523 at age of 77"
  9. "Regnal year 2 Henry VIII" Risdon, Tristram (died 1640), Survey of Devon, 1811 edition, London, 1811, with 1810 Additions; Pevsner, Nikolaus & Cherry, Bridget, The Buildings of England: Devon, London, 2004, p.477
  10. Byrne
  11. Vivian, p.598, pedigree of Pollard
  12. Byrne, Lisle Papers, Vol.2, p.604
  13. Byrne, Vol.1, p.604, and mentioned in her father's inquisition post mortem as "to be married to Richard Pollard" (Vivian, p.123)
  14. Vivian, p.404, pedigree of Giffard; Pole, p.304, Risdon p.244, Pevsner, p.127: Yeo in Alwington, modern: "Yeo Vale"
  15. Vivian, p.123, note 5
  16. Vivian, p.597, pedigree of Pollard of Way, St Giles in the Wood
  17. Risdon, Tristram (died 1640), Survey of Devon, 1811 edition, London, 1811, with 1810 Additions , p.303
  18. Pole, p.433
  19. Vivian, p.123, note 5
  20. Vivian, p.722, pedigree of Stucley of Affeton
  21. Pevsner, Nikolaus & Cherry, Bridget, The Buildings of England: Devon, London, 2004, p.278; Gray, Todd, Devon Country Houses & Gardens Engraved, Vol.1, Mint Press, Exeter, 2001, p.80
  22. Vivian, p.21, pedigree of Arscott of Tetcott
  23. Hoskins, W.G., A New Survey of England: Devon, London, 1959 (first published 1954), p.493
  24. Vivian, p.59; Pole, p.470
  25. Vivian, pp.124, 265
  26. Vivian, p.265, pedigree of Cutcliffe of Damage
  27. Lauder, Rosemary Anne, A Tale of Two Rivers, Bideford, 1986, p.72
  28. Vivian, pp.497-8, pedigree of Incledon of Buckland
  29. Vivian, p.178, pedigree of Chichester of Hall
  30. Lamplugh, Lois, Barnstaple: Town on the Taw, South Molton, 2002, p.15
  31. Vivian, pp.498-9
  32. Bury, Richard M.B., History of Colleton Barton, 1993
  33. Lauder, Rosemary Anne, A Tale of Two Rivers, Bideford, 1986, p.72
  34. White's Directory, 1850
  35. Gray, Todd, p.80
  36. Burke's Landed Gentry, 1937, p.1539
  37. Obituary, Sydney Morning Herald, 10 July 1935
  38. Lauder, p.72
  39. Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry, 15th Edition, ed. Pirie-Gordon, H., London, 1937, pp.1538-9, pedigree of Martin of Colleton
  40. Burke's Landed Gentry
  41. Obituary, Sydney Morning Herald, 10 July 1935
  42. Burke's Landed Gentry, 1937, p.1538-9
  43. Bury, 1993
  44. Listed buildings text
  45. Bury, 1993
  46. Bury, 1993

Coordinates: 50°54′58″N 3°53′42″W / 50.916°N 3.895°W