Ralegh of Fardel

Raleigh Family

Fardel was acquired by marriage in the C14 by the Raleigh family of Smallridge, East Devon.  It remained in the family, that of Sir Walter Raleigh, until the mid-C17 when his son sold it to the Hele family, also of Wembury (see separate report).  A private chapel here was licenced in 1422, but appears to have earlier origins.

Much useful information has been written about Fardel due to its Raleigh connections, though there is no evidence that he ever lived there.  The property seems to have been a tenanted farm from the later C18 to the mid-C20, ensuring  survival .

http://www.devonruralarchive.com/FardelManor.html         &       http://www.devonruralarchive.com/Farmhouses_1.html

Cornwood

the most interesting house in the parish is Fardel, which was a Saxon estate and a Domesday manor. It came to the Raleighs (of Smallridge in East Devon) by marriage with an heiress early in the 14th century and continued in the family until Carew Raleigh, son of the great Sir Walter, sold it to the Heles.

The house is a medieval mansion of 15th to 16th century date, with a well-preserved chapel and solar. The chapel was licensed by Bishop Lacy in 1432 and this is probably the date of the existing building. Near Fardel was found, in 1860, the first stone with an Ogham inscription to be discovered in England." This stone is now in the British Museum.

16th century three Gilbert brothers, John, Humphrey and Adrian were part of the closely related group of West Country gentlemen who represented the core of Elizabethan naval defence and who spearheaded the colonial expansion in North America. Following Otho Gilbert's death in 1547 his widow married Walter Raleigh of Fardell and became the mother of Sir Walter Raleigh.

The eldest brother John Gilbert inherited Compton and a played an important role in the defence of the country at the time of the Spanish Armada and in the last decades of Elizabeth I's reign when England was almost constantly at war with Spain. He became Sheriff and Deputy Lieutenant of Devon and Vice-Admiral of the Western Coast.

Elizabeth I

With the coming of the Elizabethan era, three famous men who lived here by the Dart were to influence history. Sir Humphrey Gilbert was born at Greenway House, just across the river. His father died when he was only eight and his mother, Katherine Champerdowne of Modbury, married Raleigh of Hayes Barton, near Exmouth. They had a son named Walter, who spent much of his time at Greenway with his half brother Humphrey. Just north of Dittisham, across the river at Sandridge, the boys had a younger friend called John Davis.

http://www.dittisham.org.uk/history.asp

Sir Humphrey Gilbert (1539-1583) became a navigator, who after many setbacks, led an expedition which founded the colony of Newfoundland, while searching for the North West Passage. He was lost at sea near the Azores while returning to England. His one-time home, Greenway House, was rebuilt in Georgian style on the original foundations and became in modern times the home of the late Agatha Christie (and has now been left to the the National Trust).

Sir Humphrey's half brother, Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618), became one of the first explorers of Virginia and established the first English colony in North America. Soldier, sailor and historian, he led an expedition to the north coast of South America in 1595 and introduced tobacco and mahogany into Europe. In later years he became ensnared in politics and in one of the most infamous acts ever carried out by government and monarchy he was imprisoned and then beheaded in 1618.

Just south of Dittisham, overlooking the Dart, on the side of the wooded hill and built on the foundations of an old chapel, stands Hamlyn's Coombe, one-time hunting lodge of the Gilbert and Raleigh family. It is believed that in the grounds, Sir Walter experimented with the cultivation of potatoes. Land to the west of this spot is still today owned by descendants of Raleigh.

John Raleigh of Fardell was son of Sir Peter Raleigh and Mary Dawney of Fardel and married Matida Ferrers

Maud married Sir John RALEIGH of Fardell, son of Peter RALEIGH of Smallridge and Mary DAWNEY (Sir John RALEIGH of Fardell was born about 1393 in Fardell Manor, Ivybridge, Devon, England.) their children were

Sir William DE FERRERS 5th Baron Ferrers of Groby (Before 1372-1445) m Phillipe (Philippa) DE CLIFFORD (Abt 1374-After 1405) daughter Maud (Matilda) FERRERS (Abt 1395-1462) of Abt 1395, Groby Old Hall, Leicestershire, England

M Sir John RALEIGH of Fardell son of Peter b (Abt 1393-) their son was John RALEIGH of Fardell (Abt 1422-) M Elizabeth Coplestone (born about 1425) their son was Walter Raleigh of Fardell who married Katherine Champenown dau of William Champernown

Their son was Wymund Raleigh of Fardell Wymund married Elizabeth EDGCUMBE of Cotehele, daughter of Sir Richard EDGECOMBE of Cothele and Joan (Johanna) TREMAYNE 3825,4115. (Elizabeth EDGCUMBE of Cotehele was born about 1485 in Edgecombe, Gloucestershire.