Robert Incledon

Robert Incledon (1676-1758) of Pilton House. Portrait by Studio of Thomas Hudson (1701–1779), collection of Barnstaple Town Council, displayed in Barnstaple Guildhall
Arms of Incledon of Incledon and Buckland in the parish of Braunton, and of Pilton House, North Devon: Argent, a chevron engrailed between three tuns sable fire issuing from the bung hole proper[1] Quasi-canting arms "incend-tun"
Pilton House, Pilton, near Barnstaple, Devon, built in 1746 by Robert Incledon[2] (1676-1758)
Mural monument in Pilton Church to Christopher Lethbridge (d.1713) of Westaway House, Pilton. Above the inscription are the arms of Robert Incledon (1676-1758) of Pilton House, impaling the arms of his first wife Mary Lethbridge (d.1709), a daughter of Christopher Lethbridge (Argent, over water proper a bridge of five arches embattled gules and over the centre arch a turret in chief an eagle displayed sable charged on the breast with a bezant[3])

Robert Incledon (1676-1758) of Pilton House, Pilton, near Barnstaple in North Devon, was a lawyer of New Inn, London, a Clerk of the Peace for Devon, Deputy Recorder of Barnstaple[4] and was twice Mayor of Barnstaple, in 1712 and 1721.[5] In 1713 as mayor he supervised the building of the Mercantile Exchange (now known as Queen Anne's Walk, a grade I listed building ) on Barnstaple Quay, as recorded on the building by a contemporary brass plaque and sculpture of his armorials. He built Pilton House in 1746.[6]

Origins

He was a member of the local ancient gentry family of de Incledon (later Incledon, pronounced "Ingleton"), which originated at the estate of Incledon, in the parish of Braunton, North Devon, which family is first recorded in 1160.[7] He was the younger of the two sons of Lewis III Incledon (1636-1699) of Buckland House, Braunton, about 5 miles to the north-west of Pilton, by his second wife, whom he married at nearby Tawstock, Elizabeth Fane (d.1717), daughter of Hon. Robert Fane of Combe Bank,[8] Sevenoaks, Kent, 7th son of Francis Fane, 1st Earl of Westmorland (1580-1629). Tawstock Court was the seat of Henry Bourchier, 5th Earl of Bath (1593-1654), whose wife was Rachell Fane (d.1681), a daughter of the 1st Earl of Westmorland. Robert's elder brother was Henry Incledon (1671-1736) of Buckland and Incledon, who inherited the paternal estates.

Builds Mercantile Exchange

Arms and brass tablet relating to Robert Incledon on Queen Anne's Walk, Barnstaple, the construction of which he supervised in 1713

During his first mayoralty of the Borough of Barnstaple (1712–13) he was responsible for supervising the building of the Mercantile Exchange, a grade I listed building now known as Queen Anne's Walk, on Barnstaple Quay, as is recorded on the east parapet of the building by a sculpture of his armorials and a contemporary brass plaque inscribed in Latin as follows:

Faciendum curavit Robertus Incledon Generosus Oppidi Praefectus Anno Christi MDCCXIII ("Robert Incledon, Esquire, Prefect (i.e. Mayor) of this town, supervised the making. 1713")

Above is a plumed helm placed on a fasces, part of an antique trophy of arms.

Marriages & progeny

Robert Incledon married twice:

Death

He died and was buried on 9 December 1758 in Pilton Church. By the depiction of the arms of Incledon impaling Lethbridge, he is commemorated on the "big and sumptuous" mural monument surviving in Pilton Church[16] to his father-in-law Christopher Lethbridge (d.1713) of Westaway House, Pilton.

Sources

References

  1. Per Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitation of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p.497, pedigree of Incledon of Buckland. As visible (with gilded flames) on various mural monuments to the Incledon and Webber families in St Brannock's Church, Braunton and on the frieze of Queen Anne's Walk (Mercantile Exchange, circa 1708), Barnstaple, Devon
  2. Reed, Margaret A., Pilton: Its Past and Its People, Barnstaple, 1985, p.143; Listed building text
  3. (Debrett's Peerage, 1967, Lethbridge Baronets, p.497)
  4. Vivian, 1895, p.498
  5. Lamplugh, Lois, Barnstaple: Town on the Taw, South Molton, 2002, p.15
  6. Reed, Margaret A., Pilton: Its Past and Its People, Barnstaple, 1985, p.143; Listed building text
  7. Vivian, 1895, p.497
  8. Per inscription on monument to lewis III Incledon, Braunton Church
  9. Pevsner, Nikolaus & Cherry, Bridget, The Buildings of England: Devon, London, 2004, p.629
  10. Vivian, 1895, p.499
  11. http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/benjamin-incledon-recorder-17581796-94636
  12. Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitation of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p.499, pedigree of Incledon of Buckland; p.178, pedigree of Chichester of Hall
  13. Vivian, pp.499 & 178
  14. Vivian, p.499
  15. Vivian, p.249, pedigree of Courtenay of Powderham
  16. Pevsner, Nikolaus & Cherry, Bridget, The Buildings of England: Devon, London, 2004, p.629