Arthur & Wykes

In 1124 there is a record of an ‘Arthur de Clapton’ owning lands here which is the start of the Arthur familywere to be Lords of the Manor for some 400 years at Clapton Court.  Their coat of arms can be seen at the gateway of  their manor house with its crenulated  tower & its barton farm  looking out over the   valley of the  river Severn . The Arthurs were became wealthy land owners  at Portishead, Western Super Mare  and Bishopsworth,

One was Constable of Bristol Castle, one High Sheriff of Somerset and another killed in battle in France. 

After Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monastaries - Sir. Thomas Artur did what most landed gentry did and acquired lands 

The Priory of St. Mary Overy, Southark, held the manor of Wexham, (Buckinghamshire.) and was dissolved in 1539.

In 1540 Thomas Artur and his wife Anne were granted Wexham Manor and also land and woods in Wexham with a farm called "Woodhouse",owned by the Priory of Merton in Surrey. His son John Arthur had possession before 1562-and died in 1606.

Edmund Artur, son & heir of John, conveyed Wexham to Edward Woodward in 1610The 1542 Will of Sir Thomas Artur put his brother-in-law, Thomas Launsden MP ( husband of his sister Elizabeth Artur) in charge of his children, with an income from Clapton to pay his expense.

The children were their eldest son , John Artur the son and heir, then Thomas Artur, George Artur and finally Anne Artur, his daughter.

His   Will was made in probated in 1544.

Thomas Launsden -brother in- law of Sir Thomas Arthur, an MP circa 1533, was a Bristol merchant. He traded as a haberdasher and around 1542 borrowed capital sum of £70 from his brother-in-law. He married twice had 4 children and was twice elected MP.

Anne Wykes's mother, Agnes Wykes, nee Strowbridge also wrote a Will. dated July 30 1552, proved Aug 17 1554.

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In 1550 Sir Thomas Arture mentions his manor "up north" called "Northweston."

North Weston is a village in the North Somerset between Portishead and Weston-in-Gordano and very close to the house at Clapton in Gordano.

At the north end of North Weston village is Gordano School. To the west of the village lies Weston Big Wood.

North Weston was historically a hamlet in the parish of Portishead. In 1993 the parish was united with Portishead.

Weston Big Wood (grid reference ST455750) is a 37.48 hectare woodland west of the town of Portishead, North Somerset, and now a nature reserve and biological Site of Special Scientific Interest, notified in 1971 , taking its name from the nearby village of Weston-in-Gordano. The wood itself dates at least from Iron Age times, with some evidence that there has been woodland here since trees began to recolonise after the last Ice Age some 10,000 years ago. Some of its internal features e.g. old stones, ditches and banks are thought to be medieval boundaries, dating from the Middle Ages and used to divide the wood into sectors.

After the manor of North Weston was sold to the City of Bristol in 1637, marker stones were placed to mark a boundary across the woodland. These stones, marked with C.B. (City of Bristol). They remain in place and can be found by looking at the old OS maps of the 19th century.

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July 30th, 1552. Agnes Wykes, widow, late the wife of William Wykes of Nynhedflorye co. Somerset, esquier, deceased. My body to be buried in the churche of Nynheed.

To Alice Wykes my daughter £100, Thomas Wykes my son 2 oxen,

Androwe Wykes my son 2 oxen, Johan wife of Androw Wykes £40. William Wykes son of Androwe Wykes 20s., Anne Wykes daughter of Androwe Wykes .10,

John Wykes my son 2 oxen, Elizabeth Wykes wife of John Wykes 2os., John Wykes son of John Wykes 2Os., Alice Wikes daughter of John Wykes 2Os., Elizabeth Wykes daughter of Androwe Wykes 2os.,

my servant Elizabeth Combe one cow, Alice Wekes my daughter if that she be not married before my death my ground called Stowthames, and if she be, I bequeath the same to Adam Wykes my son. To Henry Wykes an ox, Henry Wikes a fetherbed,

my servant Joane Norrice a cow, Richard Pomerie esquier £6 13s. 4d. Adam Wykes son of John Wykes 4 shape( sheep), John

Wykes son of Henry Wykes an ox ; John Wykes the younger, son of John Wykes the elder 4 sheep.

The residue to Adam Wykes my son (executor).

Overseer : Richard Pomerie, esq . Witnesses : Richard Pomerye, esq , Andrew Wykes,

gentleman, Laurence Porter, James Sparke, Hugh Evans, Richard Dudrige and Thomas Michell vicar there. Proved August 17th, 1554.

Agnes Wykes children were ADAM her eldest son and the heir, her executor ALICE, -THOMAS JOHN WYKES married to Elizabeth with children John, Adam and Alice, HENRY her stepson married with sons John, & ? Henry. ANDREW her stepson married to Joan with children Ann, William, Elizabeth

RICHARD POMEROY, Esq her son in law was Overseer of that Will.

Anne was found in  Dymock buried there is 1574 in as Anne Pawmery -  Dymock is  in Forest of Dean 4 miles  from Ledbury  40 miles to the north of Clapton in Gordano.

AML & AJP  explored  the theory  that  Anne Powmery, buried 1574, was Anne nee Wykes Arthur  2nd wife & widow of  Richard Pomeroy of Totnes in Devon 

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Strowthames turns out to be a Strowbridge property -Streethaynes near Colyton in East Devon a few yards down a country lane from Howberhaynes the Strowbridge family home.

Richard Pomeroy may have been involved with the Artur family prior to the marriage of Sir Thomas Artur in 1539 certainly by the time Anne's mother, Agnes, died in 1553 he was a significant member of the family . Married to Anne for 10 years and overseer of the Will of Agnes Wykes nee Strowbridge wrote in 1552.

Richard POMERYE, esquire, and Anne his wife, late the wife of Thomas Arture,

Arture, v. George Forde son and heir of John FORDE.: Lease of lands (described) in the manor of Little Totnes, now claimed by John, earl of Bath.

DEVON.. Court of Chancery: Six Clerks Office: Early Proceedings 01 January 1544 - 31 December 1551 Richard POMERYE, esquire, and Anne his wife, late the wife of Thomas Arture,

...Arture, v. John ARTURE, son and heir of the said Thomas.: Annuity promised to the said Anne in lieu of dower.

SOMERSET Court of Chancery: Six Clerks Office: Early Proceedings 01 January 1544 - 31 December 1551. R ichard PO[MERYE] and Anne his wife, late the wife of Thomas Arture, v. Thomas

...Arture, v. Thomas HORNOR, knight.: One-third of the manors of Clapton and Weston-super-Mare assigned to the said Anne as dower.: SOMERSET. Court of Chancery: Six Clerks Office: Early Proceedings, 01 January 1544 - 31 December 1551

The Athur Family- have a long heritage -in North Somerset along the coastal plain of the Bristol Channel.

Clapton is in the Doomsday Book listed as the smallest manor in the Gordeno valley - with 23 males it was more populous than Portishead which had only 14 males (women didn’t count ).

During the eleventh and twelfth centuries the manor of Clapton passed to various Lords and Bishops to be held by William Artur of Clapton in the reign of Henry III (1216 -1272)

It passed to his descendants until the C 16th, when it passed by marriage to the Winters family.

The first document relating to the manor and the church is an agreement dated 1226 between William, son of Arthur de Clopton and Richard, the powerful Abbott of Keynsham. There are six Gordano villages,Portbury, Portishead, Tickenham, Wraxall and Clevedon and the Gordeno manors

Walton in Gordano - 12 S.W. of Bristol - overlooking the village are the remains of Ralph de Mortimer's castle which later was held by the Seymours, Thymes, and Richard de Walton.

Eastern in Gordano 7 N.W. of Bristol at the mouth of the river Avon where it flow into the Severn estuary

Weston in Gordano 9 miles N.W. of Bristol, The ancient courthouse, for many generations the seat of the Perceval family,

Clapton in Gordano –where the Artur Manor House is next to St Michael's church is about 1/4 mile from village

The Church of St. Michael faces the house and was built by William Artur - its first priest was John Artur

Sir THOMAS ARTUR M.P. for Somerset in 1397 son and heir of Richard Artur of Clapton in Gordano and his wife Isabel, daughter of Roger Turtle a merchant of Bristol. He died intestate - probated by 31 Oct. 1404 and was succeeded in his estates by his eldest son, John.

Medieval Soldier - Thomas Arthur Esquire Man-at-arms was in an Expedition to France under Lord William Botreaux, commanded by Henry V in 1415

Sir John Artur married Alice dau of Lord James Berkeley in 1422 their children were

Sir Richard Artur - whose daughter Agnes married Sir Richard Percival who held Nynhead Flories ,Withele Flories, Avele, Bridcot & Weston in Gordano- he died 1433-36 his son Sir Thomas Artur Knt married a daughter of Kenn of Kenn and produced John - Thomas was killed in France

John Artur who inherited the manor from his father Thomas and married Margaret Boteler of Badminton d 1539

Thomas Artur –married Anne Wyke of Nynehead in 1539 and had four children before he died around 1543

Edmond Artur was married 1559 Nov 22 to Elizabeth James

Parish record have Edmund Artur et Elizabetha James vicessimo quinto novembris 1559 - died without issue

Isabel Artur & Julianne who married Richard Mead of Wraxell and had children

Margaret Artur, married Roger PORTER of Newent and, Somerset.

Elizabeth Artur married Thomas Lansden MP circa 1533, and had 4 children. A Bristol merchant he traded as a haberdasher, around 1542 he borrowed £70 for capital from his brother-in-law, Thomas Arthur. He was twice elected MP. Married twice.

( details from The History And Antiquities Of The County Of Somerset: by Rev John Collinson -

survey performed by Edmund Rack) THE WILL of Thomas Artur: (Arthure) Thomas Arture, husband of Anne Wykes

He died 1543 and requested that he was buried in the nearby parish Church of Porteshead leaving money to the

parish church of Clopton (Clapton.)

RICHARD POMEROY Esq MARRIED ANNE WYKES daughter of William Wykes WIDOW OF THOMAS ARTURE in 1544

The Artur family and the Wykes family had several connection via marriages to other local gentry families

Sir Ralph Percival married Elizabeth Wykes daughter of Sir John Wykes of Nynehead - their children were Elizabeth, John, Richard and Walter -

Sir Ralph died in 1403 . Sir John Percival died without issue and his brother Sir Richard inherited -

Sir Richard Percival born about 1410 married Agnes Artur dau of Richard Artur of Clapton in Gordano

The Wykes family have a similarly long history in Somerset, although their family tree is larger and more affulent.

Link here

This 1544 marriage of Richard Pomeroy appears to create a new Pomeroy family group in the Gordano area

close to but predating a recorded group at Clevedon in the 18th century

seven years after this marriage of 1544 we find a collection of baptisms in Clapton in Gordano

Richard Pomeroy b 1550 in Clapton in Gordano

Portbury Hundred Church Records - Clapton in Gordano Early marriages recorded in Latin 1559 - 1624 by Art Lawton, Trenton, NJ

The record reads -marriage entries from 1559 through 1597 appear to have been re-copied by the rector who made the first original contemporaneous entry in 1601.

This resulted in several entries being made out of chronological order and, of course, the apparent recopying introduced the potential for scribal error.

Consequently, for these early entries the potential for error exists not only from this current transcription but also from the 16th century recopying.

transcribed from the Latin

1572 Apr 17, Richard Romsey & Isabella Hobbs

Ric Romsey et Izabella hobbs decimo Septimo Aprillis 1572

could this be a transcription error?

and Richard Pomroy married Isabella Hobbs on 17th APRIL 1572

I feel this is a likely and the baptisms in Clapton in Gordano followed

John to Richard Pomroy bapt Oct 20.1572

Robert to Richard Pomroy bapt Sep 15.1574

Richard to Richard Pomroy bapt Apr 29.1576

Edmund Pomroy and Agneta Pomroy to Richard Pomroy bapt Mar 20.1579 either double baptism or twins

100 years later further baptisms evidence of Pomeroy’s there

Edward Pomeroy born 1650 Clapton in Gordano spouse Grace children baptised in Clapton in Gordano

Anne, B 1677, Grace 1681, Hugh 1678, Nicholas & Patience 1683 again either double baptism or twins

Mother Grace was the only one apparently born 1650 and buried in Clapton in Gordano 1696

Their location in Gordano strongly suggests a connection with the Richard Pomeroy, esquire, who married 1544 Anne Artur nee Wykes.

Research by AML shows that this Richard Pomeroy who married Anne Wykes the widow Lady Artur, Overseer of her mothers Will, was from Richard of Rowden House near Totnes son of Thomas Pomeroy by his wife Agnes Calloway who married Eleanor Coker. He was a man of considerable influence and local power.

AML  writes of him in 2017

Latest batch of National Archive Records resolved some questions about Richard Pomeroy who married Anne Wykes Arthur.

He is the same Richard in the Visitations (Vivian) who married Elinor Coker. “Alive in 1531.” HE was the Richard Pomeroy at Sandridge 1523, owing £8 to the King. (Powley). His mother Agnes held Sandridge “by Gift,” and he by Inheritance, as her heir.) HE was the Richard Pomeroy who held lease of the Grange at Garston of Champernoun, (C 1/1058/70) and who purchased a 25 year lease of the Manor of Little Totnes from John Ford; Both were church properties subject to closure and made available by the King.

Problems arouse when both Champernoun died “beyond the sea” and John Ford(of Bagtor near Ashburton) died , both without recording the lease agreements made to Pomeroy.

Richard Pomeroy was called a “Powerful” man, who has Good Council. (Similar to the complaint Sir Edward made of Richard’s mother Agnes ; that she had powerful friends.)

The Records

File: C 1/1254/43. Date: 1544-1551: Richard POMERYE, esquire, and Anne his wife, late the wife of Thomas Arture, v. John ARTURE, son and heir of the said Thomas. Annuity promised to the said Anne in lieu of dower.: SOMERSET.: 1544-1551

suggesting a connection with the family group in Totnes in Devon - the wealthiest place in Devon after Exeter at that time -

Lease of lands in the manor of Little Totnes, now claimed by John, earl of Bath.: DEVON. 1544-1551 (Little Totnes was the area outside the town walls mainly along the road to Plymouth )

C 1/1254/44 Richard POMERYE, esquire, and Anne his wife, widow of the late Thomas Arture, versus George, son and heir of John FORDE.

John Ford of Ashburton married Mary Pomeroy dau of Hugh of Ingsdon ( 1st July 1566 at Bickington ) their daughter Margaret Ford married John Rolle of Stevenstone and their daughter Honor Rolle born Abt. 1535 in Stephenson in Devon was married on 2nd November 1559 to Thomas Pomeroy born 1543 - died July 29, 1615 in Brixham, Devon.

File: C 1/1256/46: Richard PO[MERYE] and Anne his wife, late the wife of Thomas Arture, v. Thomas HORNOR, knight.: "feodary of Co. Somerset",

One-third of the manors of Clapton and Weston-super-Mare assigned to the said Anne as dower.

Date: 1544 - 1551 File: Receipt DD\SF/905 Of Anne Arthur, widow, for £40 paid her by Wm. Wykes her brother, one of the exors. of the Will of their father Wm. Wykes, in part payment of the 100 marks bequeathed her by her father. [Somerset Archive and Records, SANFORD FAMILY ?Date: 1543)

Whilst there are records concerning the estate of Thomas Artur referencing Clapton in Maperton, Somerset,

there is no indication that Anne and her new husband Richard Pomeroy, esq. acquired any interest in them.

There is a group of Pomeroy at Maperton which is about 100 miles away near Wincanton

However the birth of Richard Pomeroy in Clapton in Gordano in 1550 would seem to indicate that they resided in the area -and if he was a child of Richard Pomeroy and Anne Wykes and Anne died at that time this would explain the absence of her name in the 1552 Will ofher mother Agnes Wykes.

North Wyke, "One messuage and four furlongs of land in North Wyke. -

According to the Wykes researcher David -there is no apparent connection between the North Wykes family of Wykes and those of Nynehead - however I did find a referencefrom the 14th century suggesting there was a connection.

John Wyke b: Abt 1356 in North Wyke, Axminster, Devon, England

Spouse Katharine Bonville b: Abt 1361 in Chewton Mindip, Somerset, England

Married: Abt 1443 in Bindon, Devon, ( Bindon is in Axmouth south east Devon )

Children Ann Wykes b: Abt 1444 in Bindon, Devon, England

Ann WYKES b: Abt 1444 in , Bindon, Devon, spouse Thomas HORSEY b: 1443 in , Barport, Dorset, England

Anne Wykes daughter of WILLIAM WYKES b: in Nynehead Flory son of RICHARD WYKES b: ABT 1411 in Nynehead Flory

married Thomas Artur in 1539 and in 1544 married Richard Pomeroy

inherited BINDON- I thought this was through her mother Agnes Strowbridge but it seems as if this might be wrong.

Higher Rowden is very close to North Wyke - a manor house that became is a farmhouse and which is a possible place

for Richard Pomeroy of Rowden.

Court of Chancery: Six Clerks Office: Pleadings, content Wykes v Wykes. Plaintiffs: Edmund Wykes. Defendants: Agnes Wykes widow and others.

Subject: personal estate of the deceased Henry Wykes, Devon. Document type: [pleadings]. Covering dates 1558-1579

Court of Chancery: Six Clerks Office: Pleadings, S... C 3/186/96

Wykes v Wykes. Plaintiffs: William Wykes and Francis Wykes . Defendants: Robert Wykes . Subject: property in Hanham, Bitton and Oldland, [Gloucestershire]

Document type: [pleadings]. Wykes v Wykes. Plaintiffs: William Wykes Date: 1558 - 1579

Court of Chancery: Six Clerks Office: Pleadings

content Wysham v Wykes. Plaintiffs: George Wysham clerk. Defendants: George Wykes.

Subject: money matters, Herefordshire. Document type: [pleadings]. Covering dates 1558-1579

Exchequer: King's Remembrancer: Escheators' Files,... E 150/147/4

(1) Wykes, Joan, wife of William Wykes. (2) Wykes, Henry: {Henry?} Devon . (1) Wykes, Joan, wife of William Wykes. (2) Wykes, Henry: {Henry?} Date: 1506 - 1507

Alice sister of Anne, daughters of William Wykes of Nynehead married Humphrey Barnehous.

c 1/944 Date 1538-1544: Somerset. Humphrey BARNEHOUS, v. William WYKES, son and executor of the said William.: Money promised to complainant on his marriage by the said William, who died possessed of the manor of Withiel Florey (Withyll) and lands there and in Ilchester, Uphill, Matcombe (i.e. Mackham, near Dunkeswell ?), and Hemyock.: SOMERSET, DEVON.

Court of Chancery: Six Clerks Office: Pleadings,

content Wykes v Wykes. Plaintiffs: Richard Wykes. Defendants: Henry Wykes.

Subject: property in Chagford, Shrowleigh [Throwleigh], Drewsteignton and South Stauton [South Tawton], Devon.

Document type: [pleadings]. Covering dates 1558-1579

Family Connections The Barnhouse family connect to the Southcote family and the Kirkham family who connect to the Ingsdon Pomeroys -

Barbara Southcott of Indiho Bovey Tracey married Hugh Pomeroy of Ingsdon in 1543 - their daughter Mary married John Ford

Brother of Barbara, Thomas Southcote, married both Barnhouse and Kikham wives.

From ALM Sept 2025
following a Chancery suit into chatGPT: 

C 3/74/50

Description: Short title: Giles v Pomerey.

Plaintiffs: John Giles.

Defendants: Richard Pomerey and others.

Subject: property in Bowden etc in Totnes and Ashprington, Devon.

Document type: [pleadings].

Date: 1558-1579

Held by: The National Archives, Kew

Richard Pomeroy was son of Thomas Pomeroy and Agnes Kelloway.  

What I missed was that Anne, Richard’s sister, married 2nd William Strowbridge of Otter St Mary.  In addition, Strowbridge’s sister Agnes Strowbridge of Ottery St Mary was married to William Wykes, of Nyehead Florie. She was his 2nd wife. William Wykes of Nyehead Florie was the father of the widow Anne Wykes Arthur, who married 2nd Richard Pomeroy sometime in 1543.

Chronology: Pomeroy – Henscott  – Gyles (c. 1540s–1550s)

Date / Period

Event

Key Parties

Notes & Context

Before 1543

Statute Staple recognizanceentered

Richard Pomeroy  → Tristram Henscott (his brother-in-law, married to Anne Pomeroy)

. Richard Pomeroy borrowed money/acknowledged debt via Staple bond. A Staple recognizance allowed the creditor to seize lands directly on default.

1543

Sale of lands in Great Totnes & Ashprington

Richard Pomeroy. → William & John Giles

Despite already being encumbered by the Staple, Richard conveyed these lands to the Gyles family. This made the later enforcement clash inevitable.

By 1550s

Death of Tristram Henscott

Tristram Henscott; his widow Anne (née Pomeroy)

After Tristram’s death, his executors became responsible for enforcing his estate’s debts and securities.

Post-Tristram’s death

Anne Pomeroy (Henscott) remarriage

Anne Pomeroy (widow of Tristra Henscot ) → married William Strowbridge ( her sister Elizabeth ,married Thomas Pomeroy of Ingsdon )

Explains why “Anne, late the wife of Tristram Henscott” and “William Strowbridge and Anne his wife” appear together in the Chancery bill.

1556–1558

Chancery Bill (C 1/1432/66)filed

Plaintiff: John, son of William Gyles. Defendants: Richard Pomeroy Jr., Anne (widow of Tristram), John Henscott (her son), William Strowbridge & Anne.

The Gyles heir complains that his purchased land was unlawfully “extended” (seized) on the Staple debt to Tristram Henscott. The executors of Henscott’s estate enforced the recognizance, overriding the earlier purchase.

SOMERSET. 1544-1551

C 1/1254/44 Richard POMERYE, esquire, and Anne his wife, late the wife of Thomas Arture, v. George, son and heir of John FORDE.: Lease of lands (described) in the manor of Little Totnes, now claimed by John, earl of Bath.:

DEVON. 1544-1551

C 1/1432/66 John, son of William GYLES, v. Richard POMERYE, Anne, late the wife of Tristram HENSCOTT, John HENSCOTTE, William STROWBRIDGE, and Anne his wife.: Messuage and land in Great Totnes and Ashprington acquired of the said Richard and extended on a statute staple given by him to the said Tristram, whose executors are said Anne and John Henscott and William