Warleigh is a historic estate within the parish of Bickleigh (formerly Tamerton Foliot) in Devon,Pole, Sir William (d. 1635), Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, Sir John-William de la Pole (ed.), London, 1791, p. 335.Part of the estate extends into the parish of Bickleigh. about 6 miles from Plymouth. Warleigh House, the manor house of the manor of Tamerton Foliot is situated one mile west of that village on the south-east bank of the River Tavy where it joins the River Tamar. It was remodelled in about 1830 in the Gothic style by John Foulston and has been listed Grade II* on the National Heritage List for England since 1960.
The boundary walls of the garden are made from red brick and date from the 18th century and are Grade II listed. The red brick dovecote to the east of the main house dates from the early 18th century and is Grade II listed. The boat house to the south west of the house was built c.1800 in the Gothic style, and is Grade II listed.
Descent
Foliot
During the reign of King Stephen (1135–1154) Warleigh and the manor of Tamerton were held by Sampson Foliot. Risdon states:Risdon, p. 209. "(His) principal place of dwelling was at Warleigh within the same parish, a seat both pleasant and profitable, situated by the Tamer side, having a fair demesne and a park adjoining, wanting no necessaries that land or sea afford". His descendant Robert Foliot is stated by Pole to have held Warleigh and Tamerton in 1242,Pole, p. 335, regnal date 27 Henry III. during the reign of King Henry III, and to have left an only daughter and sole heiress Ellen Foliot, who married Sir Ralph de Gorges, to whose family passed the Foliot estates, including Warleigh, Tamerton Foliot and Tavy Foliot.Risdon, p. 209; Tavy Foliot per Pole, p. 339. Pole states elsewhere that during the reign of King Henry III a certain Sampson Folliot held the manor of Coffinswell, which later passed to the Coffin family.Pole, p. 271.
Gorges
Copleston
The Devon historian Tristram Risdon (d. 1640) wrote concerning the Coplestons:Risdon, Tristram (d. 1640), Survey of Devon, 1811 edition, London, 1811, with 1810 Additions, p. 97, concerning the parish of Colebrooke. "A numerous family who for their fair possessions, their port (sic) (report?) and the respect they lived in, were intitled 'the Great Coplestones' besides dignified with the name of 'Whit Spurrs', some time a title of great note and in these western parts of much esteem. Of this name are many branches sprung who flourished in this county"
The Devon historian Sir William Pole (d. 1635) stated the honour accorded to this family as "Silver Spurr", similar to Risdon's appellation, and added that it was connected to the fact that although they were a great county family which had married well, unusually no member of the family had ever been knighted. For his great revenue one member of the family, Raphe Copleston (d. 1491),Vivian, Lt.Col. J. L. (ed.), The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p. 224, pedigree of Copleston of Copleston. was called 'The Great Copleston'.Pole, Sir William (d. 1635), Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, Sir John-William de la Pole (ed.), London, 1791, p. 225. The principal junior branches of the Copleston family were seated at the Devon manors or estates of: Bowden in the parish of Yealmpton, Instow, Upton Pyne, Kingdon in the parish of Alverdiscott, Woodland in the parish of Little Torrington, Weare Giffard, EggesfordPedigrees of foregoing branches given in Vivian, 1895, pp. 226–233. and Bicton. Copleston House was stated by Prince (d. 1723) to be "all in ruines".Prince, John (1643–1723), The Worthies of Devon, 1810 edition, London, p. 237. The present Copplestone House, situated about 1/2-mile south-east of Copplestone Cross, was rebuilt after 1787 in the Georgian style by Robert Madge, who had purchased the estate at that date. It is thought to be on a different site to the old mansion of the Copleston family, but does incorporate some of the older fabric.Pevsner, p. 277.
For the descent of the senior family seated at Copleston see article Manor of Copleston.
Philip Copleston (fl. 1472) Philip Copleston of Copleston, was Sheriff of Devon in 1471/2.Vivian, p. 224; Stabb, J., Some Old Devon Churches, London, 1908–16, p. 65. He married Anne Bonville, daughter and heiress of John Bonville (1417–1494)Vivian, 1895, p. 102, pedigree of Bonville of Shute. of Shute, nephew of the Devonshire magnate William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville (1392–1461) of Shute. As Pole stated: "By this match of Bonvile's daughter the estate of Copleston was greatly augmented"Pole, p. 335. Anne Bonville was heiress, from her maternal grandmother Leva Gorges, to the manor of Tamerton FoliotPole, p. 335; Vivian, p. 102. and her father John Bonville was, through his mother, the grandson and heir of Martin Ferrers.Vivian, p. 102.
Raphe Copleston (d. 1491) Raphe Copleston (d. 1491) (son), according to Vivian (1895) called "The Great Copleston",Vivian, p. 224. on account of his great revenues.Pole, p. 225. He married Ellen Arundell, daughter of Sir John Arundell of Lanherne, St. Mawgan-in-Pyder, Cornwall, from a leading Cornish family. In the Subsidy of 1434 his estate of Copleston was assessed at £100 and he served in the honourable position of Justice of the Peace in 1451.Prince, p. 236.
John III Copleston (1475–1550) John III Copleston (1475–1550) (son) of Copleston, "The Great Copleston" according to Prince (d. 1723).Prince, p. 235. He was co-heir of his great-grandfather John Bonville. His monument survives in Colebrooke Church. He married twice, firstly to Margaret St Ledger, daughter and co-heiress of Bartholomew St Ledger, which marriage was childless; secondly he married Katherine Bridges, daughter of Raphe Bridges.
Christopher Copleston (1524–1586) Christopher Copleston (1524–1586) (son by his father's 2nd marriage) of Copleston, Sheriff of Devon in 1560. He married twice: firstly to Mary Courtenay, daughter of George Courtenay (who predeceased his father Sir William III Courtenay (1477–1535) "The Great"Visitation of Devon, 1895 ed., p. 246. of Powderham), which marriage was childless; secondly he married Jone Paulet, daughter of Sir Hugh Paulet (pre-1510–1573) of Hinton St George, Somerset, Governor of Jersey.
John IV Copleston (1546/9–1608)
John IV Copleston (1546/9–1608) (2nd son and heir, by father's 2nd marriage) of Copleston and Warleigh, who married Susan Pollard, a daughter of Lewis II Pollard (d. pre-1569) of King's Nympton, Recorder of Exeter and Sergeant-at-Law, grandson of Sir Lewis I Pollard (c. 1465–1526), Justice of the Common Pleas.Vivian, p. 598, pedigree of Pollard. The couple's monument, erected in 1617 and repaired in 1894, survives in St Mary's Church, Tamerton Foliot,Pevsner, p. 679. inscribed in Latin as follows: Johanni Coplestono Armigero huius manerie domino viro cum generis antiqui tum verae virtutis laude nobilitato: qui postquam aetatis suae annum LIX attigisset Warleiae suaviter in Christo obdormirvit, 9 November 1608. Susanna uxor amantissima quae quinque filios et totidem filias peperit in spe resurrectionis bene merenti pie posuit, 4 September 1617 ("To John Copleston, Esquire, lord of this manor, a man famed as greatly for true virtue as noble descent, who after he had reached his 59th year went to sleep gently in Christ at Warleigh, November 9, 1608. Susanna his most beloved wife who brought forth five sons and as many daughters placed this piously in well deserved hope of resurrection, September 4, 1617")
Murder of godson
As related by Prince, John IV Copleston murdered his godson, possibly an illegitimate son, which "most unfortunate occurrence in this place of Tamerton...in all probability hastened the extinction of the name and family here and at Copleston also".Prince, p. 237. The godson had been sent abroad for his education and when he returned home to England overheard his godfather's private conversation and reported it amongst his circle of friends, which action soon found its way by gossip back to his godfather, whose indignation was "exceedingly enkindled" and who exclaimed: "Must boys observe and discant on the actions of men and of their betters?", and thenceforth resolved and sought all opportunities to be revenged upon him. The two next met at Tamerton Foliot church during the Sunday service, and the youth fled before the end of the service, having noticed his godfather's angry look. Having received a message from his godfather that his anger was over and that he could return to church, the youth appeared at church the next week at the usual time. However Copleston's rage was not over, and although the youth had again fled before the end of the service, Copleston followed him and threw a dagger into his back, which killed him instantly. Copleston fled, and implored all his influential friends at the royal court to procure him a pardon from Queen Elizabeth, which eventually he received, but not without having had to pay a large fine which necessitated the sale of thirteen of his manors in Cornwall. This story is related by Prince, who heard it from a gentleman who was a neighbour of the Coplestons.
Amias Copleston (1581/2–1621) Amias Copleston (1581/2–1621) (son) of Copleston and Warleigh. He was buried at Tamerton Foliot, the manor his ancestors had inherited by marriage to Anne Bonville. He resided at the former Gorges seat of Warleigh within that manor, and thus possibly had abandoned ancient Copleston as the family's principal seat. He married Gertrude Chichester (d. 1621), 2nd daughter of Sir John Chichester (d. 1586), Sheriff of Devon, in 1576Risdon, list of Sheriffs. son and heir of Sir John Chichester (1519/20–1569) of Raleigh,Vivian, p. 174. from a leading family in North Devon.
John V Copleston (1609–1632) John V Copleston (1609–1632) (son), who died aged 23 without progeny and was buried at Tamerton Foliot. He was the last of the family of Copleston of Copleston and Warleigh and Risdon wrote of him: "The heir male of this house was a hopeful young gentleman, lately dying issueless, who left his lands unto his two sisters, married into the families of Bampfield and Elford".Risdon, p. 97. By these heirs the manor of Copleston was sold in 1659.Hoskins, W. G., A New Survey of England: Devon, London, 1959 (first published 1954), p. 372. His two sisters and co-heiresses were: Elizabeth Copleston (born 1608), the elder sister, who married (as his 1st of 4 wives) John Elford (1603–1678) of Sheepstor, near Buckland Monachorum in Devon, whose ruined manor house survives on the shore of Burrator Reservoir.Pevsner, p. 725. Elizabeth had no male issue, only four daughters, including:Vivian, p. 329, pedigree of Elford of Sheepstor; Prince, p. 238. Gertrude Elford, who married Roger Wollocombe of Combe Elizabeth Elford, who married Edmund Fortescue of London Barbara Elford, who married Arthur Fortescue (1622–1693)Vivian, p. 355, pedigree of Fortescue. of Penwarne, Cornwall and of Filleigh, Devon, ancestor of Earl Fortescue The manor of Copleston descended into the families of Wollocombe and Fortescue.Prince, p. 238. Gertrude Copleston (born 1611), the younger sister, who married in 1632 at Tamerton Foliot to Sir John Bampfylde, 1st Baronet (c. 1610–1650) of Poltimore, near Exeter and North Molton in Devon. She was the heiress of Warleigh and of the manor of Tamerton Foliot,Risdon, p. 402.
Bampfylde
Sir John Bampfylde, 1st Baronet (1590–1650)