Halsbury

Halsbury Barton in the parish of Parkham, North Devon

Setting of Halsbury

Road entrance to Halsbury

Halsbury (pron. "Haulsbury"^[1]) is a historic manor in the parish of Parkham in North Devon, England. It is situated 2 miles north-east of the village of Parkham and 4 miles south-west of the town of Bideford. Halsbury was long a seat of the ancient Giffard family, a distant descendant of which was the celebrated lawyer Hardinge Stanley Giffard, 1st Earl of Halsbury (1823–1921), who adopted the name Halsbury for his earldom and was the author of the essential legal reference books Halsbury's Statutes. Halsbury Barton, now a farmhouse, retains 16th and 17th century elements of the former manor house of the Giffard family. It was described in a record of 1560 as a "new dwelling house".^[2]

Descent

de Halsbury

The de Halsbury family were the earliest recorded holders of the manor and took their surname from it. The descent of Halsbury in the family of Giffard was as follows:^[3]

• Walter de Halsbery, living during the reign of King Henry II (1154-1189)^[4]
• Baldwyn de Halsbury (son)
• Peter de Halsbury (son), who left his daughter Jone de Halsbury (living during the reigh of King Edward I (1272-1307)^[5] as his sole heiress, who married Bartholomew Giffard.^[6]

Giffard

Arms of Giffard of Halsbury: Sable, three fusils conjoined in fesse ermine

The Giffard family of Halsbury was descended from the Anglo-Norman magnate Walter Giffard, 1st Earl of Buckingham (died 1102), Lord of Longueville in Normandy.^[7] His descendants, via a female branch which adopted the surname Guffard, held lands in Devon including the manors of Whitchurch, Wear Giffard, Clovelly Lamerton and Awlescombe.^[8]

The descent of Halsbury in the Giffard family is given by Pole (d.1635) as follows:^[9]

• Bartholomew Giffard, who by his marriage to the heiress Jone de Halsbury inherited the manor of Halsbury. In 1290 he witnessed a deed at nearby Portledge, the seat of the Coffin family, with Jellanus Dacus of nearby Orleigh.^[10]
• Baldwyn Giffard (son) who married a certain Jone. In 1318 with his grandfather Peter de Halsbury he witnessed a deed at Portledge.^[11]
• John I Giffard (son), who married a certain Sibill
• Walter Giffard (son), who married a certain Isabell
• John II Giffard (son), who married Jone Deuclive, daughter and heiress of Richard Deuclive. His 2nd son was Andrew Giffard who founded the family of Giffard of Theuborough in the parish of Sutcombe in Devon.^[12]
• Thomas I Giffard (eldest son and heir), who married a certain Wilmot Knight, daughter of a certain Knight
• John III Giffard (son), who married Jone Dabernon, a daughter and co-heiress of John Dabernon by his wife Isabella Mules (or Moels), daughter of John Mules of Irishborough (alias Ernsborough in the parish of Swimbridge, Devon) descended from John de Moels, 1st Baron Moels (d. 1310), feudal baron of North Cadbury in Somerset.^[13]
• Thomas II Giffard (d.17 March 1532/3)^[14] (son), who married twice: firstly to his cousin Hawis (alias Avis) Dennys, a daughter of John Dennys of nearby Orleigh in the parish of Buckland Brewer, Devon, by his wife Eleanor Giffard, daughter and co-heiress of Stephen Giffard of Theuborough, Sutcombe;^[15] secondly to Anne Coryton, daughter of John Coryton of Newton in Quethioc, Cornwall. His eldest son from his 2nd marriage was Sir Roger Giffard who founded the junior albeit more prominent family of Giffard of Brightley in the parish of Chittlehampton in Devon.
• John IV Giffard (eldest son and heir by 1st marriage) of Halsbury, who married Ibot (alias Ebete)^[16] Woode, daughter of John (or Alexander^[17]) Woode of Asheridge in the parish of North Tawton, Devon.
• Thomas III Giffard (d.1550)^[18] (son) of Halsbury, who married Margaret Monck, a daughter of Anthony Monck (d.1545)^[19] of Potheridge in Devon, great-great-grandfather of George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle (1608-1670).
• John V Giffard (1547-1620)^[20] (son), who in 1573/4 married Alis Smyth (d.1633), a daughter of Richard (or Walter^[21]) Smyth of Totnes. It is not known what relation she was (if any)to Bernard Smith (by 1522-1591) of Totnes, MP for Totnes in 1558 and mayor of Totnes 1549-50 and c.1565-6 and escheator of Devon and Cornwalll 1567-8, who left a sole daughter and heiress Eleanor who married four times.
• John VI Giffard (1580-1625) (son), who in 1603 at Monkleigh married Elizabeth Tremayne (d.1657), a daughter and co-heiress of Edmund (or John) Tremayne of Collacombe in the parish of Lamerton, Devon.^[22]
• Thomas IV Giffard (1607-1648) (eldest son and heir), baptised at Monkleigh. He married Katherine Leach (d.1666), daughter of Sir Simon Leach (d.1638) of Cadleigh, Sheriff of Devon in 1624, (whose surviving effigy and monument in St Bartholomew's Church in Cadleigh is the largest of its type in any Devon parish church^[23]) and widow of Robert Burrington of West Sandford. Katherine was buried in Exeter Cathedral, where survives her monument.^[24] His son Arthur Giffard (1646-1648) died young, and thus did not inherit Halsbury. His daughter Katherine Giffard (1648-1663) was buried in Exeter Cathedral.
• John VII Giffard (born 1611, died post 1666) (younger brother), of Halsbury. He married Elizabeth Champernowne, daughter of Arthur Champernowne (born 1579) of Dartington. His only son Thomas Giffard (d.1659) predeceased his father and thus did not inherit Halsbury. Although he had a daughter Mary Giffard, John VII Giffard settled the estate of Halsbury onto his distant cousin Roger Giffard (1645-1733), the youngest son of Col. John Giffard (1602-1665) of Brightley,^[25] a distinguished Royalist commander in the Civil War.

Giffard of Brightley

• Roger I Giffard (1645-1715^[26]) (cousin), the youngest son of Col. John Giffard (1602-1665) of Brightley,^[27] He married thrice, but produced only a dughter Bridget, who died an infant in 1684. By his will he settled Halsbury in tail male, and thus it was inherited by his great-nephew Roger Giffard (1702-1763).
• Roger II Giffard (1702-1763) (great-nephew), 2nd son of Henry Giffard (1675-1710), who had been disinherited by his father John Giffard (1639-1712) of Brightley in favour of his younger brother Caesar Giffard (1682-1715). Henry Giffard (d.1710) married Martha Hill (d.1752), daughter of Edward Hill, Treasurer of Virginia and an Admiralty Judge. Henry's grave slab survives in the floor of the Giffard Chapel in Chittlehampton Church. Roger II Giffard (d.1763) married his cousin Elizabeth Giffard, daughter of John Giffard of Court, Chittlehampton, by whom he had "a numerous and heedless family"^[28] and sold Halsbury to "the celebrated adventurer""^[29] Thomas Benson (1707-1771), MP for Barnstaple in 1749, a merchant and ship-owner and maritime insurance fraudster.^[30] Roger II's uncle Caesar Giffard, who was the last male Giffard of Brightley, drowned in 1715 whilst crossing the River Torridge, and his heirs sold Brightley. Thus the ancient Giffard family of Devon disappeared from the county of Devon. However, the male line continued in junior branches elsewhere, most notably as descended from John Giffard (d.1746) of Great Torrington, the elder son of Henry Giffard (d.1710) and Martha Hill. The most notable descendant of this branch was the Lord Chancellor Hardinge Giffard, 1st Earl of Halsbury (1823–1921), who was created Baron Halsbury in 1885 and Earl of Halsbury and Viscount Tiverton in 1898, the great-grandson of John Giffard (d.1746) of Great Torrington.

Benson

• Thomas Benson (1708-1772), of Knapp House, (alias Nap) Appledore,^[31] Devon, MP for Barnstaple between 1747 and 1754,^[32] a ship-owner, merchant and maritime insurance fraudster, purchased Halsbury from Roger Giffard (d.1763).^[33] His silver punch bowl, inscribed with his armorials (On a chevron between three goat's heads erased each charged on the neck with an escallop three escallops) and presented by him to Barnstaple mayor and corporation, is displayed in the Dodderidge Room of Barnstaple Guildhall. Following his flight from justice to Portugal in 1753,^[34] the Crown seized his assets, and sold Halsbury to the Davie family of nearby Orleigh.^[35]

Davie

Halsbury was sold by the Crown, having been seized from the fugitive from justice Thomas Benson, to John II Davie (d.1761) of nearby Orleigh,^[36][37] grandson of the wealthy Bideford tobacco merchant John I Davie (d.1710) of Orleigh.

• John II Davie (d.1761), who married twice, firstly to Juliana Musgrave, daughter of Richard Musgrave of Frome, Somerset; secondly to Mary Courtenay (d.1754), daughter of Sir William Courtenay, 2nd Baronet (1675–1735) of Powderham and widow of John Langston of Park.^[38]
• John III Davie (d.1793) (son by father's 1st wife), who in 1763 at Atherington married Eleanora Basset, sister and heiress of Francis Basset (d.1802) of Umberleigh and Heanton Punchardon in Devon. In antiquity and nobility of its origins the Basset family was comparable to the Giffards.
• Joseph Davie Basset (1764-1846) (son), born "Joseph Davie" who later assumed the surname "Basset" under the terms of his maternal inheritance from the Basset family.

Lee

• Major Edward Lee (d.1819) purchased the estates of Halsbury and Orleigh from Joseph Davie Basset (1764-1846) who went on to build Watermouth Castle as his residence.^[39] Edward Lee bequeathed Orleigh^[40] (and possibly also Halsbury) to his nephew John Lee Lee (1802-1874) of Dillington House, near Ilminster in Somerset, Member of Parliament for Wells between 1830 and 1837 and Sheriff of Somerset in 1845-6.

Sources

• Pole, Sir William (d.1635), Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, Sir John-William de la Pole (ed.), London, 1791, pp. 374–5, Halsbiry
• Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitation of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, pp. 396–404, pedigree of Giffard of Halsbury
• Risdon, Tristram (d.1640), Survey of Devon, 1811 edition, London, 1811, with 1810 Additions
• Pevsner, Nikolaus & Cherry, Bridget, The Buildings of England: Devon, London, 2004
• Prince, John, (1643–1723) The Worthies of Devon, 1810 edition, pp. 411–415, biography of Col. John Giffard, esp. Additional Note, p. 415, re descent of Halsbury
• Hoskins, W.G., A New Survey of England: Devon, London, 1959 (first published 1954), p. 450, Parkham

References

1. ↑ Debrett's Peerage, 1968, p.527, Earl of Halsbury
2. ↑ Hoskins, p.450, quoting "Devon & Cornwall Record Society, Enrolled Deed no.513"
3. ↑ Pole, p.374
4. ↑ Pole, p.374
5. ↑ Vivian, p.396
6. ↑ Pole, p.374
7. ↑ Prince, p.415; Vivian, p.396
8. ↑ Vivian, p.396
9. ↑ Pole, p.374-5; and expanded by Vivian (1895), pp.396 et seq
10. ↑ Vivian, p.396
11. ↑ Vivian, p.397
12. ↑ Vivian, p.397; Pevsner, pp.770-1; Risdon, pp.248-9
13. ↑ Risdon, p.323
14. ↑ Vivian, p.397
15. ↑ Vivian, p.281, pedigree of Dennis of Orleigh
16. ↑ Vivian, p.397
17. ↑ Vivian, p.397
18. ↑ Vivian, p.397
19. ↑ Vivian, p.569, pedigree of Monk of Potheridge
20. ↑ Vivian, p.397
21. ↑ Vivian, p.397
22. ↑ Vivian, p.731, pedigree of Tremayne
23. ↑ Pevsner, p.241
24. ↑ Vivian, p.398
25. ↑ Vivian, p.398
26. ↑ Date of death 1715 per Prince, p.415; will proved 1733 (Vivian, p.401)
27. ↑ Vivian, p.398
28. ↑ Prince, p.415
29. ↑ Prince, p.415
30. ↑ Taylor, M.C., biography of Thomas Benson, Barnstaple Heritage Booklet no. 5, Barnstaple, 2001
31. ↑ Taylor, p.3
32. ↑ http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1715-1754/member/benson-thomas-1708-72
33. ↑ Risdon, 1810 additions, p.414
34. ↑ Taylor, p.16
35. ↑ Risdon, 1810 additions, p.414; Prince, p.415
36. ↑ Prince, p.415
37. ↑ Risdon, 1810 additions, p.414; Prince, p.415
38. ↑ Vivian, p.249, pedigree of Courtenay
39. ↑ Risdon, 1810 additions, p.414
40. ↑ Rogers, W. H. (1938) Buckland Brewer, reprinted 2000, Snetzler, M.F. (Ed.), Barcott, Buckland Brewer, p.58