Hudscott is a historic estate within the parish and former manor of Chittlehampton, Devon. From 1700On the marriage of Samuel I Rolle (1669-1735) to Dorothy Lovering, heiress of Hudscott it became a seat of a junior branch of the influential Rolle family of Heanton Satchville, Petrockstowe and in 1779On the death of John Rolle Walter in 1779 his younger brother Denys Rolle (1725–1797) of Hudscott inherited the estates of the Rolles of Stevenstone became a secondary seat of the senior Rolle family of Stevenstone, then the largest landowner in Devon. Hudscott House, classified in 1967 a Grade II* listed building, is situated one mile south-east of the village of Chittlehampton. It was largely rebuilt in the 17th centuryHoskins gives the date 1677 for the rebuilding (Hoskins, W.G., A New Survey of England: Devon, London, 1959 (first published 1954) p.365) by the Lovering family and in the late 17th century became a refuge for ejected Presbyterial ministers.Listed building text In 1737 its then occupant Samuel II Rolle (1703-1747) purchased the manor of Chittlehampton and thus Hudscott House became in effect the manor house of Chittlehampton.Andrews, no.128, 1958
Descent
Pre Norman Conquest The estate derives its name from having been before the Norman Conquest of 1066 the cott of the Saxon cottar named Hudda.Andrews, no. 128, January 1958
13th century Hudescote is listed in the Assize Roll of 1281, and paid a chief rent of 6 1/2 d per annum as one of the 10 freeholdings within the manor of Chittlehampton. Others included Brightley and Hawkridge.
Venner
The first known family to have resided at Hudscott was that of Venner. The descent was as follows:Vivian, p.746, pedigree of Venner of Chittlehampton
Robert Venner Robert Venner of Hudescot who married Joane Brighte, daughter of William Brighte. The Brett (alias "Brighte", "Brite", etc.) family were from Pilland in the parish of Pilton near Barnstaple and Robert Brett (died 1540) was lord of the manor of Pilland and the last steward of Pilton Priory before the Dissolution of the MonasteriesReed, Margaret, Pilton: its Past and its People, Barnstaple, 1985, p.175 The Brett family was from WhitestauntonReed, p.175 in Somerset and had married the heiress of Pilland late in the 15th century.Reed, Margaret, Pilton, its Past and its People, Barnstaple 1985 (first published 1977), p.32 The Brett family is today represented by Viscount Esher.
William I Venner
William I Venner "of Chittlehampton" (son), who in 1578 at Chittlehampton married Elizabeth Copleston, daughter of Humphry Copleston of Instow,Vivian, p.746 a great-grandson of Philip Copleston of Copleston in the parish of Colebrooke, Devon, Sheriff of Devon in 1472. The Copleston family is according to a traditional rhyme one of the most ancient Devonshire gentry families:Rhyme dismissed by Hoskins: "the hackneyed jingle has not a word of truth in it"(Hoskins, W.G., A New Survey of England: Devon, London, 1959 (first published 1954), p.76) "Crocker, Cruwys and Copplestone, When The Conqueror came were all at home". William'sMary is stated incorrectly in the Rolle Pedigree in the 1620 Heraldic Visitations of Devon to have been the daughter of Humphry Venner (Vivian, p.653) but is shown correctly in the Venner pedigree (Vivian, p.746) as the daughter of William Venner, as confirmed by the surviving monument to Joachim Rolle in Chittlehampton Church daughter Mary Venner (died 1651) married Joachim Rolle (died 1639), the 5th or 6th5th son per Vivian, p.653, 6th son per brass in St Giles in the Wood Church son of John Rolle (1522–1570) of Stevenstone, Devon, by his wife Margaret Ford, daughter of John Ford of Ashburton.Vivian, p.653, pedigree of Rolle Joachim and his wife appear to have lived at Hudscott as their mural monument survives on the north wall of the aisle of St Hieritha's parish church and both were buried at Chittlehampton. Joachim Rolle's mural monument, on top of which are displayed the Rolle arms and crest, is inscribed thus: "Here lyeth the body of Joachim Rolle sonne unto John Rolle of Stevenstone Esquier deceased who married Mary the daughter of William Venner of this parish Gent deceased and who departed this life the 30th day of January in the faith of Christ Anno Dni 1638. As thou art so was I, and as I am so shalt thou bee" A depiction of Joachim kneeling with his seven brothers survives on a monumental brass panel to the right of the brass of his mother Margaret Ford, on the floor of the south aisle, St Giles' Church, St Giles in the Wood, Devon, the parish church of Stevenstone. Joachim's first cousin Abell Rolle (son of Robert Rolle, 5th son of the patriarch George Rolle) also had a connection with Chittlehampton as he married Gertrude Acland, daughter of Anthony II Acland (1568-1614) of Hawkridge, Chittlehampton.Vivian, p.652 (Rolle), p.7 (Acland)
Humphry Venner (died 1647) Humphry Venner (died 1647) (son), who is listed in the Chittlehampton manorial court roll of 1641. He married twice, firstly to Elizabeth Farwel (daughter of Richard Farwel of Somerset) by whom he had two daughters; secondly in 1610 to Dorothie Whiddon, daughter of Francis Whiddon of Chagford. By his 2nd wife he had 4 sons and 3 daughters. His eldest son John Venner (1612-pre-1646) died unmarried and predeceased his father, which left his younger brother William Venner (died 1690) as heir to Hudscott.
William II Venner (died 1690) William II Venner (died 1690) (second son), who married Elizabeth of unrecorded family, by whom he had 1 son and 2 daughters. His son William Venner (born 1657) predeceased his father, as did his sister Susanna Venner (1652-1671), which left the surviving daughter Elizabeth Venner (born 1657) as sole heiress. Elizabeth married John II Lovering (died 1686) of Huxhill in the parish of Weare Giffard. It appears however that Hudscott had been the residence of his father John I Lovering and his wife Dorothy Dodderidge, as the arms of Lovering impaling Dodderidge exist on an escutcheon within a scroll-work plaster overmantel in the hall. Andrews (1958) suggested that John I Lovering was a nephew of William Venner, and that at some time before his death in 1690 Venner had handed over the estate to Lovering.
Lovering
John I Lovering (died 1675)
John I Lovering (died 1675) was a merchant of Weare Giffard. The Lovering family held at some time the north Devon manor of Bittadon.Risdon, Tristram (d.1640), Survey of Devon, 1811 edition, London, 1811, with 1810 Additions, p.345 It is not clear how he came to reside at Hudscott; Andrews (1958) suggested that John I Lovering was a nephew of William Venner, and that at some time before his death in 1690 Venner had handed over the estate to Lovering. He married Dorcas Doddridge,Will of John Lovering, proved 1675, National Archives sister and co-heiress of John Doddridge (1610-1666), MP, of Bremridge, Filleigh. She was the daughter of Pentecost Dodderidge (died c. 1650) of Barnstaple, MP, by his wife Elizabeth Wescombe.Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries 1901 Pentecost Dodderidge was the brother and heir of Sir John Dodderidge (1555-1628), a Judge of the King's Bench, who had purchased for his seat the estate of Bremridge, near South Molton. Bremridge survives today, but without the demolished wings of the grand Dodderidge mansion, but the arms of Dodderidge survive above the front door. The judge's magnificent effigy survives in the Lady Chapel of Exeter Cathedral. The Dodderidge family were important merchants and ship-owners in Barnstaple and their Elizabethan mansion survived until the early 20th century in Cross Street, Barnstaple, until it was demolished to make way for a new post office. The oak panelling and chimneypiece of one room however was saved and now lines the walls of one of the rooms in the Barnstaple guildhall. The arms of Lovering impaling Dodderidge exist at Hudscott on an escutcheon within a scroll-work plaster overmantel in the hall.Andrews, 1958 It was apparently Dorcas Dodderidge who was referred to in an 1871 text on the Great Ejection of 1662:Quoted by Andrews, no. 20, January 1949 "Quotation from an unknown source found in a book of 1871" On the road to Umberleigh, five miles from South Molton, there stands a fine old English mansion called Hudscott, where at this time (1662) there lived a noble puritan lady, who like Phoebe, had been a 'succour of many'. It was her delight to entertain such men as John Flavel of Torrington and other dejected ministers, whose writings, the labours of a forced retirement, have become the inheritance of the whole church. This referred to about two thousand puritan clergy who after the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660 had refused to use the Book of Common Prayer which had been banned during the Commonwealth but then had been restored for compulsory usage by the Act of Uniformity 1662. Such clergy were then ejected from their livings and in 1664 were forbidden by Parliament, having passed the Five Mile Act, to preach within 5 miles of an incorporated town.Andrews, no. 20, January 1949 The house incorporates a small former chapel, which may have been used during this time. Another of the rare Devonshire protectoresses of ejected clergy at this time was Rachael Fane (1612/13-1680), wife of Henry Bourchier, 5th Earl of Bath of Tawstock Court, near Barnstaple, whose monument in Tawstock Church states: She was a humble and devout daughter of the Church of England and in times of persecution a mother to the ejected Fathers and in these parts almost their only protectress.
John II Lovering (died 1686) John II Lovering (died 1686), of Huxhill in the parish of Weare Giffard, was a merchant trading at Barnstaple. He was the son of John I Lovering (died 1675) a merchant of Weare Giffard by his wife Dorcas Doddridge, sister and co-heiress of John Doddridge (died 1666), MP, of Bremridge, South Molton. John II Lovering in 1679/80 purchased from John Wichehalse of Ley (now Lee Abbey) in the parish of Lynmouth, and of Chard, the manors of Lynton and Countisbury. John Wichehalse was the nephew of William Venner,Chanter, p.181 John II Lovering's father-in-law. John II Lovering is described in the conveyance indenture dated 24 May 1680 as of Weare Giffard. His residence there appears to have been at Huxhill Barton.Chanter, p.245 He also purchased in 1645 from Adam Lugg of Barnstaple the manor of East Ilkerton and a moiety of Sparhanger, Radispray and North Fursehill.
John II Lovering appears to have been an exporter of herring fish to Spain, as the following recorded lawsuit of 1658 suggests: "John Martin v. John Lovering: Consignment of fish to St. Lucar or Seville in Spain. Touching a former suit also.: Devon; Spain".Exchequer: King's Remembrancer: Depositions taken ... E 134/1658/East32 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=6&CATID=4584872
He is mentioned in the historical romance Lorna Doone (1869) by Richard Doddridge Blackmore as follows: "And it is a very grievous thing, which touches small landowners, to see an ancient family day by day decaying: and when we heard that Ley Barton itself, and all the Manor of Lynton were under a heavy mortgage debt to John Lovering of Weare-Gifford, there was not much, in our little way, that we would not gladly do or suffer for the benefit of De Whichehalse". Chanter (1906) states the account in Lorna Doone to be confused.
John II Lovering married Elizabeth Venner, heiress of Hudscott. He had by Elizabeth two sons, John Lovering and Venner Lovering who both predeceased their father without progeny, and two daughters: