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Sandridge Estate
Stoke Gabriel Village
Greenway House seen right is famous today as the home to Agatha Christie.
However Greenway was once part of the estate of the Gilberts of Compton Castle. Sir Humphrey, his older brothers Adrian & John & his half brothers, the equally adventurous Sir Walter & Carew Ralegh,
Sir Humphrey Gilbert, 5th son of Otho Gilbert of Compton, Greenway and Galmpton, was a gentleman adventurer, M.P & soldier in the reign of Elizabeth I. Although brilliant & creative, , his arrogance, unpredictability & stubborn disregard for the advice of men with more maritime experience, made him a poor leader.
In 1578 he failed to establish the first permanent English colony in North America, but his 1583 expedition to Newfoundland, claimed the port of St John's in Newfoundland, & 600 miles around it, for the English Crown.
More about Sir Humphrey Gilbert & his career here
STOKE GABRIEL Sir Thomas Pomeroy 5th son of Henry and Joanna Moels acquired Sandridge in the Parish of Stoke Gabriel in time of Edward III -1370 - his great grandson Edward succeeded to Berry Pomeroy Harbeton and Stockley Pomeroy after the death of cadet line in Smallridge & Upottery in east Devon of the troublesome Sir Thomas Pomeroy, whose 1st wife was thrice married Johanna Chudleigh.
The Sandridge Estate, was acquired by Sir Thomas Pomeroy 5th son of Henry and Joanna Mules in about 1370. It became the main seat of the family after 1547 when Sir Thomas Pomeroy driven by his over whelming debt forced the sale of the barony of Berry Pomeroy to Edward Seymour Duke of Somerset .
It continued as the family seat for some 130 years, until the 17th century, when Joan Pomeroy, the daughter of Roger Pomeroy and his wife Joan Willis, married a later Humphrey Gilbert in 1679.
It was sold by the Gilberts, of Compton Castle qv, in 1770 'the first Lord Ashburton who built the present house.
The Sandridge manor house of the Pomeroy's no longer exists and today Sandridge Park, probably stands on the footprint of the house owned by the Pomeroy family. This new build is in the Italianate style, designed for Lady Ashburton by John Nash around 1805. Nearby is Cross Creek, another 19th century house , which was developed from the stables and coach house to Sandridge Park and converted by John Nash. Sandridge Barton, where John Davies is thought to have been born, would have been the home farm to the estate.
SANDRIDGE BARTON, was built on the footprint of the original manor farmhouse.
Early C19. Rendered stone rubble. Two storeys and basement.Three bays. Sash windows with glazing.bars. Ground floor left hand tripartite sash. Panelled door at centre with C20 Tuscan porch. Standing on a steeply sloping site, and the basement is on ground level at rear.
Captain John Davies, son of a local yeoman farmer who became a world renowned navigator and explorer, was born on the Sandridge Estate in 1543. Davis discovered the Davis Straits in 1585. and the Falkland Islands in August 1592.
He was childhood friends with Humphrey Gilbert and his half brother Walter Raleigh and may also have been Gilberts brother in law - They may well have learned their early skills in seamanship messing about in boats on the river Dart at Dittisham and Sandridge
Stoke Gabriel Parish
John Pomeroy, a Yeoman 1758 apprenticed William Roach to him that year
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