Reynell
of East & West Ogwell



Between the reigns of King John and Henry V, the Reynells 'were ever men of great credit, fidelity, and service, to their Kings,
the country and the state as well in peace matters as wars' 

They had great 'revenues, offices, lordships and lands, in sundry shires' including Somerset, Cambridgeshire and Yorkshire,
but their greatest possessions were in Devon and Cornwall.


By the end of this period their properties included Malston (Old and New), Netherton, Frogmere, East Ogwell, Butterley, Sandhulk, Ellacombe, Crews-Morchard, Upton, Hidswell, Nootcombe, East and West Thwangley, Nassey, East-Raddon, Colebrook, Trebarch, Trebligha, Hyerland, Watringdon, Overcombe, Upbutterley, Nethercombe, Carpenters Fosse, Cottesbury, Ley, South-Downs, Shernewicke, Pittes, Eastabrook, Snedon, Penmalth, Overhosdon, Polhele, Tremollow, Wiero, St. Germans, Bodmin and lands in other villages and in Plymouth.

Wikipedia gives us
FORDE HOUSE in Newton Abbot The present house was built around 1550. It was substantially enlarged and remodelled around 1610 for Sir Richard Reynell (d.1633), MP for Mitchell in Cornwall (1593) and his wife Lucy Brandon.

The house and grounds were originally extensive, and included the whole of what is called Decoy (so named, because wildfowl were decoyed there to extend the house's larder), as well as a deer park. On 15 September 1625 King Charles I stayed at the house overnight on his way to Plymouth,[5] to inspect the fleet. He returned a few days later and stayed for a further two nights.
During the Civil War, Forde House gave shelter to Oliver Cromwell and Colonel Fairfax on 24 January 1646 before the second Siege of Exeter. 

East Ogwell . According to the Domesday Book of 1086, ‘Wogwile’ (the manors of East & West Ogwell) belonged to the Peytevins (or Pictavensis).  The Reynells lived at East Ogwell from  the time of Richard II, intermarrying with prominent Devon families including the Pomeroy's &gradually expanding their landed wealth.
Richard Reynell spent his youth at the court of Henry VIII, later travelling in France, Flanders, Italy, Greece and Hungary, where he fought against the Turks. He subsequently served Henry VIII in arms during the French wars. The antiquary Prince said of him that he was ever most virtuously affected, sound in religion, faithful and serviceable to his princes, upright and zealous in justice, beating down vice, preferring the virtuous and a keeper of great hospitality.
He married Agnes Southcot daughter of Sir John Southcot and sister of Johanna wife of Sir Edward Pomeroy

The Reynells were a very wealthy family who at one time  owned most of the land between here and Newton Abbot. Evidence shows that Thomas Reynell in c1588 built this 2nd house between East & West Ogewell centre ) There is a stone in a wall there with the inscription ‘Anno Domini 1588 T. R.’.  The house is now called Gaia House & is a Buddhist retreat & meditation centre,
Thomas Reynell was knighted in 1603 at the Coronation of King James 1st.

Archives
Devon (Ogwell, Highweek, etc) deeds, legal, estate and family papers c1362-early 19th cent, incl account book for Forde House in Newton Abbot 1627-44

Date: c1362-19th cent

Held by: Devon Archives and Local Studies Service (South West Heritage Trust), not available at The National Archives

NRA catalogue ref : NRA 33755 Reynell

Gaia House between East. & West Ogwell

Forde Huse

Elizabeth Pomeroy, 11th & last child of  Hugh Pomeroy  of Ingsdon & his wife Barbara Southcot was born April 1563, at which time her mother died . Elizabeth died unmarried in 1627, at West Ogwell possible a companion to Lady Reynell