Creedy is an historic estate in the parish of Sandford, near Crediton in Devon. It is named from its location on the west side of the River Creedy. It was the seat of the Davie family (created Davie baronets in 1641) from about 1600Gray, Todd & Rowe, Margery (Eds.), Travels in Georgian Devon: The Illustrated Journals of The Reverend John Swete, 1789-1800, 4 vols., Tiverton, 1999, vol.3, p.121 until the late 20th century. The mansion house on the estate has been called at various times New House, Creedy House, and as presently, Creedy Park. It was first built in about 1600, rebuilt in 1846, burnt down in 1915 and rebuilt 1916–21. It is surrounded by a large park, the boundary of which is enclosed by a stone and brick wall several miles long.
Location According to the Devon historians Pole (died 1635) and Risdon (died 1640), anciently several different estates named "Creedy" existed within West Budleigh hundredPole, Sir William (died 1635), Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, Sir John-William de la Pole (ed.), London, 1791, pp.218,221 in the general area of the River Creedy near or in the parishes of Sandford, on the west side of the river, and Shobrooke, on the east side of the river. It is not possible to identify today's estate with certainty to one of these ancient estates. They were as follows:
Creedy Hilion Creedy Hilion, stated by Pole to have been held by the Hilion family of Asheriston (AshtonPole, p.255) until at least the reign of King Edward III (1327–1377). It then passed to the Dowrish family, of Dowrish in the parish of Sandford. By Dowrish it was then sold to George Carew (1497/8–1583), Archdeacon of Exeter, whose daughter Mary Carew (died 1604) (whose monumental brass survives in Sandford ChurchPevsner, Nikolaus & Cherry, Bridget, The Buildings of England: Devon, London, 2004, p.718) married Walter Dowrish of Dowrish, and descended successively to his sons Sir Peter Carew (died 1575), slain in Ireland, of Upton Helion,Pole distinguishes between the two estates of Upton Hilion and Credy Hilion, which he lists successively in his work (p.221) near Crediton, and George Carew, 1st Earl of Totnes (1555–1629), who sold it to Walter Yonge (1579–1649), MP for Honiton, of Upton Hilion"of Upton Hylyons", per Vivian, p.840, pedigree of Yonge of Colyton and of Colyton.
Creedy Peitevin / Creedy Widger According to Pole Creedy Peitevin was held by the Peitevin or Peytevin family (Latinized to Pictavensis) until the reign of King Henry III (1216–1272), when it passed by an heiress to Sir John Wiger, whose son Henry Wiger sold it to William Lord Martin, feudal baron of Barnstaple. It followed the descent of that barony and was the inheritance of Margaret Audley (died 1373), from whom it passed to her descendants the Fitzwarins and Bourchiers. By Bourchier it was sold to John Prideaux (1520–1558) of Nutwell, Serjeant at Law and MP for Devon and Plymouth.Vivian, p.624, pedigree of Prideaux Prideaux sold it to Sir William Peryam (1534–1604), of Little Fulford, on the east side of the River Creedy, in the parish of Shobrooke, Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer. Sir William Pole (died 1635) writes with great authority on this subject, as his first wife was Mary Peryam (died 1606), whom he married in 1583 at Shobrooke, one of the four daughters and co-heiresses of Sir William Peryam. Concerning the estate called in his day Creedy Wiger, he wrote that Peryam "bwilt theire a fayre dwellinge howse & left it to descend unto his fowre daughters, Mary my wife..." etc.Pole, p.221 It is well established however that the house Peryam built and lived at was Little Fulford, in the parish of Shobrooke, which Pole thus seems to make identical with Creedy Wiger. The four Peryam daughters sold Creedy Wiger to Sir William Peryam's brother John Peryam of Exeter, who left it to his eldest daughter Mary Peryam, the wife of Richard Reynell, younger son of Mr Reynell of Malston. Richard and Mary Reynell made it their home. Their daughter, also named Mary, married a Reynell cousin, Sir Richard Reynell: they were the parents of Sir Thomas Reynell and Sir Richard Reynell, 1st Baronet.
Descent
Davie John Davie
John Davie (1541/2-1611/2) of Exeter,Pole, p.226 CreditonVivian, p.269 "Kirton", ancient name for Crediton and Creedy, fourth son of Robert Davie (d. circa 1570), a wealthy cloth merchant of Crediton.Vivian, p.269 He was three times Mayor of Exeter, in 1584, 1594 and 1604, and in about 1600 built the first recorded mansion on the Creedy estate which was called "New House".Swete, vol.3, p.121 The Devon historian Sir William Pole (died 1635) wrote concerning Credy: "Mr John Davy of Exceter hath bwilded a newe howse in this place & called it New-Howse unto wch hee added a fair demesnes wch hee hath left unto John Davy Esq his sonne & hath a mannor called Credy which adjoineth unto his demesnes". He married twice, by his first wife he left no issue, as his second wife he married Margaret Southcott, daughter of George Southcott of Calverleigh,Anciently Calwoodley, Callverley, etc. Devon, second son of John Southcott (died 1556) of Indio in the parish of Bovey Tracey, Devon,Vivian, p.697, pedigree of Southcott of Southcott; Pevsner, p.193, "Indio House" by whom he had a son and heir Sir John Davie, 1st Baronet (died 1654) and a daughter Margaret Davie, wife of Gideon Haydon of Cadhay, Epford and Woodbury.Vivian, p.459, pedigree of Haydon of Cadhay
He founded two alms houses, one in the parish of St Mary Arches, Exeter, and another in Crediton, each for relief of two poor men and their wives, and two single persons.Prince, p.281 His monument survives in St Mary Arches church in Exeter.
Sir John Davie, 1st Baronet (died 1654)
Sir John Davie, 1st Baronet (died 1654), son and heir. He was Member of Parliament for Tiverton in 1621–22 and was created a baronet in 1641. He married twice: firstly to his second cousinBoth were great-grand-children of John Southcott (died 1556) of Indio (See Vivian, p.719, pedigree of Strode) Juliana Strode (died 1627), a daughter of Sir William Strode (1562–1637), MP, of Newnham, Plympton St Mary, Devon, by his 1st wife Mary Southcote (died 1617), daughter of Thomas Southcote, of Indio, Bovey Tracey. She was a sister of William Strode (1594–1645), MP,Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p.719, pedigree of Strode one of the Five Members whose attempted arrest in the House of Commons by King Charles I in 1642 sparked the Civil War. By his first wife he had children including Sir John Davie, 2nd Baronet (1612–1678), his son and heir. Secondly he married Isabel Hele (died 1656) of Gnaton, Devon, by whom he had a daughter Isabell Davie (1631–1673), who in 1649 married Sir Walter Yonge, 2nd Baronet (c. 1625 – 1670), MP, of Colyton, Devon.Vivian, p.840, pedigree of Yonge
Sir John Davie, 2nd Baronet (1612–1678) Sir John Davie, 2nd Baronet (1612–1678), son and heir by his father's 1st marriage. He was MP for Tavistock, Devon, in 1661 and was Sheriff of Devon from 1670 to 1671. He married four times, but left no surviving male children.Crossette, J.S., biography of Davie, Sir John, 2nd Bt. (1612-78), of Creedy, Devon, published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1660-1690, ed. B.D. Henning, 1983 By his second wife Tryphena Reynell (died 1659), daughter and co-heiress of Richard Reynell, MP, of Lower Creedy, he had one son, John Davie (died 1668), who predeceased his father unmarried, and a daughter Tryphena Davie (died 1668).
Sir John Davie, 3rd Baronet (1660–1692)
Sir John Davie, 3rd Baronet (1660–1692) (nephew), was the eldest son of William Davie (1614–1663) of Dara(?), Barrister-at-Law. He was MP for Saltash 1679–85. He died unmarried and his mural monument survives in Sandford Church.Vivian, p.270, "MI"
Sir William Davie, 4th Baronet (1662–1707) Sir William Davie, 4th Baronet (1662–1707) (younger brother). He married twice: firstly to Mary Steadman, heiress of Downside, Midsomer Norton, Somerset, by whom he had a daughter Mary Davie (born 1688), who married Nicholas Hooper of Raleigh, Pilton, in North Devon. Her mural monument survives in Sandford Church, erected by John Hippisley Coxe (1715–1769), builder of the grand mansion Ston Easton Park in Somerset. Her heirs to Downside were her half-nephews descended from her half-sister Margaret Davie, wife of Stephen Northleigh (c.1692-?1731) of Peamore, Exminster, MP for Totnes (1713–1722), whose daughter and heiress was Mary Northleigh, wife of John Hippisley Coxe (1715–1769).Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry, 15th Edition, ed. Pirie-Gordon, H., London, 1937, p.1119, pedigree of Hippisley of Ston Easton The 4th Baronet married secondly to Abigail Pollexfen (died 1725), by whom he had four daughters and co-heiresses, including Margaret Northleigh and Frances (died 1748),Risdon, p.397 married to Sir George Chudleigh, 4th Baronet (died 1738).Vivian, p.190, pedigree of Chudleigh of Ashton The 4th Baronet died with no sons, when the heir to Creedy and the baronetcy was his first cousin Sir John Davie, 5th Baronet (died 1727).
Sir John Davie, 5th Baronet (1657-1727) Sir John Davie, 5th Baronet (born 1657 died 1727) (first cousin). He was the eldest son of Humphry Davie (born 1625) (a younger son of the 1st Baronet), a merchant of London, by his wife Mary White. Humphrey Davie was a puritan, and a member of the Drapers’ and Merchant Adventurers’ Companies who went to America in 1662.Ferguson-Davie, Sir Michael, information provided at Sir John married a certain Elizabeth (died 1713), by whom he had children 2 daughters and 6 sons, including his eldest son and heir Sir John Davie, 6th Baronet (1700–1737).
Sir John Davie, 6th Baronet (1700–1737) Sir John Davie, 6th Baronet (1700–1737) (eldest son). He married Elizabeth Acland (died 1738), daughter of John Acland (died 1703) of Wooleigh, Devon,Vivian, p.5, pedigree of Acland heir apparent to his father Sir Hugh Acland, 5th Baronet (died 1714), MP for Tiverton, of Killerton House, Devon, and sister of Sir Hugh Acland, 6th Baronet (1697–1728) of Killerton, MP. The Aclands were one of the most ancient and most prominent of Devon families. A portrait of Elizabeth Acland (died 1738) (Lady Davie) survives at Killerton House, now the property of the National Trust, which shows the new mullet armorials of Davie impaling Acland.See image at , erroneously identified in the catalogue as "Cecily Wroth, Lady Acland", but clearly correctly identifiable by the inclusion of the arms of Davie impaling Acland with Davie crest above By his wife Elizabeth Acland he had 3 sons, including Sir John Davie, 7th Baronet (1734–1792), eldest son and heir.Vivian, p.270
Sir John Davie, 7th Baronet (1734–1792) Sir John Davie, 7th Baronet (1734–1792), (eldest son). He married a certain Catherine (died 1776), by whom he had six daughters and four sons, including Sir John Davie, 8th Baronet (1772–1803), his second surviving son and heir.
Sir John Davie, 8th Baronet (1772–1803), Sir John Davie, 8th Baronet (1772–1803) (second surviving son). In 1796 he married Anne Lemon (1766–1812), daughter of Sir William Lemon, 1st Baronet (1748–1824), of Carclew House, near Mylor, Cornwall. His hunting seat was Fernworthy, near Chagford, Dartmoor, Devon.Swete, vol.4, p.37 He left two daughters and two twinRisdon, p.372 sons including Sir John Davie, 9th Baronet (1798–1824), his eldest son and heir.
Sir John Davie, 9th Baronet (1798–1824) Sir John Davie, 9th Baronet (1798–1824) (eldest son). He died unmarried, having outlived his twin younger brother William Davie, who died without children.Vivian, p.271 His heir was his uncle Sir Humphrey Phineas Davie, 10th Baronet (1775–1846), fourth son of the 7th Baronet.
Sir Humphrey Phineas Davie, 10th Baronet (1775–1846)