Ash in the parish of Braunton in North Devon is a historic estate listed in the Domesday Book. The present mansion, known as The Ash Barton estate is a Grade II* listed building.
History Descent Anglo-Saxons In AD 973 Edgar the Peaceful repossessed Braunton for the Crown through an exchange with Glastonbury Abbey, thus retrieving a strategically important estate at the head of a major estuary. Susan Pearce conjectures Pearce, S. 1985: The Early Church in the Landscape: The Evidence from North Devon, in Archaeological Journal Volume 142, 255-275. that the King then placed a number of his thegns here providing each with a landholding which became the small estates which form an arc around Braunton to the north and east. These appear to have been members of three manors within the parish of Braunton, later known as Braunton Dean, Braunton Abbot and Braunton Gorges, of which latter manor Ash was part.Risdon, Tristram (died 1640), Survey of Devon, 1811 edition, London, 1811, with 1810 Additions, p.429 Ash was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as ESSA, which states that immediately before the Norman Conquest of 1066 it was held by a certain Alward.Domesday Book. See Thorn, Caroline & Frank, (eds.) Domesday Book, (Morris, John, gen.ed.) Vol. 9, Devon, Parts 1 & 2, Phillimore Press, Chichester, 1985, Chapter 19,14
Normans Cheever Ash was amongst many estates granted by William the Conqueror to William Cheever (Latinised to Capra, "she-goat", from French chèvre). It is listed in Domesday Book as the 14th of his 46 landholdings in Devon.Thorn, part 1, chapter 19, 1-46 His lands later formed the feudal barony of Bradninch.Thorn, part 2, (notes), chapter 19 William Cheever's tenant at Ash was a certain Ralph.Domesday Book, 19,14, see transcript and translation in Thorn, part 1, chapter 19, 1-46Pearce, S. 1985: The Early Church in the Landscape: The Evidence from North Devon, in Archaeological Journal Volume 142, 255-275
Earl of Cornwall Somewhat later Ash was apparently granted in-chief to Reginald, Earl of Cornwall.
Fleming
From Reginald, Earl of Cornwall, as recorded in the Cartae Baronum of 1166, Ash was held as half a knight's fee by Erchenbold, son of Simon de Flandrensis (Latin for "from Flanders/The Fleming"). The Fleming family held several estates in Devon (including Alverdiscott and Croyde) and was seated at nearby Bratton (later "Bratton Fleming"), in Braunton hundred, of which Erchenbald I (of Flanders) was the Domesday Book tenant of Robert, Count of Mortain,Thorn, part 1, 15,40 whose lands later became the feudal barony of Launceston,Sanders, I.J. English Baronies: A Study of their Origin and Descent 1086–1327, Oxford, 1960, p.60 later the Duchy of Cornwall. In 1219 two thirds of the estate, by then for reason unknown called Ash Rogus (but see Holcombe Rogus), was given away as a marriage portion, but was bought back in 1229 by Erchenbald the Fleming.
The overlord of the Flemings at Ash appears to have changed from the feudal barony of Launceston back to the feudal barony of Bradninch as the 13th century Book of Fees records the tenant of Esse, Hakeston (Haxton in Bratton Fleming parish) and Duntingthon (Benton in Bratton Fleming) as "Baldwin le Fleming", holding from the barony of Bradninch.Thorn, part 2 (notes), 19,14
Ash Rogus then descended in its entirety through the Fleming family Reichel, O.J. 1935: The Hundred of Braunton in Early Times, Transactions of the Devonshire Association Extra Volume VII. until 1457 and the death of Christopher Fleming without male children.
Bellew
In 1457 following the death unmarried and without children of Christopher Fleming, 5th Baron Slane (son of John Fleming (who predeceased his father Sir Christopher Fleming, 4th Baron) by his wife Amy Rochfort), his two sisters became his co-heirs to his Devon estates, the Irish estates passing under tail-male to David Fleming, uncle of the half blood to the fifth and last Christopher Lord le Fleming; which David was summoned to, and sat in the parliament of King Edward the Fourth, by the title of Lord David Fleming, Baron of Slane, and thus became a peer by a new writ of creation. The title Baron Slane (or le Fleming) of the 1st creation went into abeyance between the 5th Baron's two sisters, and was still in abeyance in 1835 when a petition for the peerage was heard in the House of Lords (the "Slane Peerage case"). The two sisters and co-heiresses were: Amy Fleming, heiress of Ash, who married John Bellewe Anne Fleming, heiress of Bratton Fleming, who married Walter Dillon
In 1472 James Fleming was in dispute with John and Patrick Bellewe over rents in Ash Rogus and Putsborough.North Devon Record Office NDRO: Land Tax Records 1780–1832 Document: 48/25/9/4 According to WestcoteWestcote, T. 1845: A View of Devonshire in MDCXXX, London. at the end of the 16th century the Bellewes of Ash Rogus had also become lords of the manor of Braunton Gorges. In the Devon Muster Roll of 1569 Stoate, T.L. 1977: Devon Muster Roll 1569, Bristol the liability of William Bellew, Esquire, to provide arms was assessed on his holdings in land at £100-200, the highest assessment in the parish of Braunton, and in the Subsidy Roll of 1581 Stoate, T.L. 1988: Devon Taxes 1581–1660, Bristol Richard Bellew was assessed as liable to pay £40 in tax, again, the highest in the parish.
Bellew monument
A late 16th centuryPevsner, Buildings of England: Devon, 2004, p.208 stone heraldic mural monument of Richard Bellew of Ash survives in Braunton Church, on the south aisle wall. It is said to have been taken from the former chapel at Ash.Coulter, J. 1993: Ancient Chapels of North Devon, Barnstaple It is a triptych split by use of superimposed orders of short Ionic columns into three rows and seven compartments. Within six of the compartments are escutcheons with heraldry sculpted in relief. The painted inscription and all painted colouring have been lost. It shows Richard's own shield at bottom centre, that of his father at top and on both sides in total 4 further shields of his father (again), grandfather, great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather.
Heraldry
The arms shown on the monument are as follows: Compartment 1: Arms of William Bellew (died 1578)(father of Richard) impaling paternal arms of his wife Anne Stucley (died 1567), daughter of Sir Hugh Stucley (1496–1559) of Affeton.Vivian, pp.69,721 Above are the crests of Bellew (dexter): An arm holding a ewer of water (canting crest from French Belle-eau, "beautiful water") and Stucley (dexter): A lion rampant. Bellew, quarterly of 6: 1st:Bellew: Sable fretty or; 2nd:Fleming, for John Fleming of Bratton Fleming and Ash, one of whose two daughters and co-heiresses, Anne Fleming, married John Bellew (descended from the Bellews of Bellewstown, County Meath, Ireland,Burke's Landed Gentry, 1937, p.133, pedigree of Trollope-Bellew of Casewick) father of Patrick Bellew.Vivian, p.68 Vair, a chief chequy or and gules 3rd:Ferrers, for Martin Ferrers of Bere Ferrers one of whose three daughters and co-heiresses,Risdon, p.210 Leva Ferrers, married Sir Christopher Fleming, 3rd Baron of Slane:Vivian, p.68Or, on a bend sable three horseshoes argentPole, p.482 4th Colebrooke (alias Kilrington) of ColebrookePole, p.188-9, 476 in the parish of Bradninch,Pole, p.188 for William Colebrooke of Lorywell, Devon, whose daughter and heiress, Alice Colebrooke, married Henry Bellew of Alverdiscott and Ash: Argent, a lion rampant gules over all on a fess sable three crosslets fitchy argentPole, p.476 5th: Calley (alias Cayley) of Chimlegh, Devon, for Robert Cayley whose daughter and heiress Joane Cayley married William Colebrooke father of Alice:Vivian, p.68 Quarterly argent and sable on a bend gules three mullets argentPole, p.474 6th: Bellew Stucley, quarterly of 8: 1st: Azure, three pears pendant or (Stucley) 2nd: Three fleurs-de-lys 3rd: A chevron... 4th: A chevron engrailed between three roses 5th: Gules, three lions rampant guardant or (FitzRoger)Richard Stucley of Trent married Elizabeth FitzRoger (died 1414), daughter and heiress of Lord FitzRoger of Chewton-Mendip, Somerset, and widow of Lord Bonville (Vivian, p.721); a 14th century effigy of Sir Henry FitzRoger survives in Chewton-Mendip Church (Pevsner, Somerset)) 6th: Argent, a chevron engrailed between three fleurs-de-lys sable (de Affeton)Pole, p.467 7th: Gules crusily fitchee or, three demi-woodmen men holding clubs or (Wood of Binley)Pole, p.508; Sir Thomas Stucley (1473–1542) of Affeton married Anne Wood, daughter and heiress of Sir Thomas Wood, Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas (Vivian, p.721) 8th: A pelican in her piety Compartment 2: Arms of John Bellew (great-great-grandfather of Richard). Bellew impaling Fleming and Ferrers Compartment 3: Tablet with inscription erased Compartment 4:Arms of Henry Bellew (grandfather of Richard) impaling Colebrooke and Calley Compartment 5: Arms of Patrick Bellew (great-grandfather of Richard) impaling Dennis, for John Dennis of Orleigh whose daughter Anne Dennis married Patrick Bellew:Vivian, p.68 Azure, three Danish battle-axes orVivian, p.281 Compartment 6: Arms of Richard Bellew (6 quarters) impaling St Leger (6 quarters), for Sir John St Leger of Annery, Monkleigh whose daughter Margaret St Leger married Richard Bellew.Vivian, p.68 Above the escutcheon are the initials "RB" (dexter) and "MB" (sinister) Bellew, quarterly of 6, as in escutcheon of his father at top of monument, compartment 1
St Leger (which family shared a common descent with Bourchier from the FitzWarins, feudal barons of Bampton, and the Hankfords and Stapledons) quarterly of 6: 1st:St Leger of Annery: Azure fretty argent, a chief orPole, p.500 2nd:FitzWarin, feudal baron of Bampton: Quarterly per fess indented argent and gulesPole, p.482 3rd: A lion rampant crowned (possibly Turberville) 4th: Hankford of Annery, for Richard Hankford (c. 1397 – 1431) of Annery, feudal baron of Bampton: Sable, a chevron barry undee argent and gulesPole, p.486 5th: Stapledon, for Stapledon of Annery: Argent, two bends undee sablePole, p.502 (as visible on monument of Walter Stapledon, Bishop of Exeter in Exeter Cathedral 6th: Argent, three barnacles gules tied sable (Donet of Sileham, Rainham, KentAs seen on the Garter stall plate of Sir Anthony St Leger (died 1559), KG. Sir John St Leger (died 1442) of Ulcombe, Kent, married Margery Donet (or Donnet), daughter and heiress of James Donet (died 1409) of Sileham, Rainham, Kent ) Compartment 7: Arms of Bellew impaling Stucley, for father of Richard Bellew, as at top but with no quarterings.
Bourchier
The Bellew family sold Ash in the 16th century to the Bourchier family of Tawstock, Earls of Bath,Pole, Sir William (died 1635), Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, Sir John-William de la Pole (ed.), London, 1791, p.396 feudal barons of Bampton, Devon. They were large landowners and amongst their holdings was the estate of Beare in the parish of Braunton.Risdon, p.338 A monumental brass to Elizabeth Bourchier (died 1548) survives in Braunton Church. She was a daughter of John Bourchier, 1st Earl of Bath and was the wife of Edward Chichester (died 1522) of Raleigh in the nearby parish of Pilton.Vivian, p.107; per inscription on brass
Ash may have been tenanted during Bourchier ownership. A document of 1695 records that Richard Peard and others farmed the rents on half of "one chief messuage or barton called Ashrogus and other lands in the parish of Braunton".Schopp, J.W. 1918–19: A Devon Sheriff’s Account of the Time of William and Mary, Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries, 278.
Monument to Elizabeth Bourchier