Richard Pomeroy & Weare Gifford record 1569

"WEAR GIFFORD, a pleasant village and parish, on the eastern side of the river Torridge, 3 mies N.W. of Great Torrington, contains 576 inhabitants, and 1587 acres of land, including the hamlet of Clifft, and a number of scattered farms. The river is navigable to this village for small craft, and by means of a canal, barges, &c., go up as high as Torrington. A large earthenware manufactory has recently been established here; and in the parish is a small woolen factory. The manor of Weare was held by the Giffords at an early period, and afterwards passed to the Fortescues, who were seated here for several generations, . . . Earl Fortescue is now lord of the manor, but part of the parish belongs to the trustees of the late Lord Rolle, and a few smaller owners."

AJP pulled together some earlier records for Wear Gifford; demonstrating how the property came to Elizabeth Densell, Widow Fortescue. She was daughter and heiress of her father, Richard Densell and Anne Courtney. She married Sir Richard Pomeroy, of Berry Pomeroy.

The record indicates that the property devolved to the two of them after her marriage.

The remaining group show how it ended in the hands of Fortescue after 1650.

The Parties:

1412: William Hengstocote to Winterbourne

1456: Lord Fitzwarreyn /to others/ to give seisn to Richard Densill and Anne Courtney.

1484: Sir Richard Pomeroy (? 1441-1496) and Elizabeth Densill (daughter and heiress), widow Fortescue.

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File: 1262M/T/1297 Date: 1569 ; John Henscotte with Richard Pomeroy and Christopher Edgecombe:.

Powley page 106. " Richard Pomeroy, son of of Sir Thomas Pomeroy of Bradford. (Ingston Branch.) His will, proved 27 May 1617, at Lambeth, revealed evidence of handsome wealth. His estates (presumable in the places mentioned in the preceding biography and in Little Weare (Weare Gifford) were in trust for the children, who were evidently very young, the daughters all under 18 and the heir not of university age."

Knowing that Richard Pomeroy, Islington, who died 1617, had in his possession Little Weare clarifies that the John Hengscott, father of Elizabeth was the same John Hengscott, son of Tristram Pomeroy of Exeter, and his wife Anna Pomeroy daughter of Thomas Pomeroy and Agnes Kelloway.

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The records continue:

1579: John Britton to Thomas Pomeroy.

1584: Thomas Pomeroy to John Britton.

1639: Thomas Pomeroy, Hugh Fortescue and John Rolle: Settlement of a lawsuits

1650: Thomas Britton to Arthur, son of Hugh Fortescue