Knightstone is an historic manor in the parish of Ottery St Mary in Devon. The surviving mediaeval and Tudor[2]grade I listed[3]manor house is situated one mile south-east of St Mary's Church, Ottery St Mary. It was the seat of the Bittlesgate (alias Bedlisgate, etc.) family, the heiress of which Joan Bittlesgate, daughter of Thomas (or John) Bittlesgate by his wife Joan Beauchamp, was the wife of Richard Woodville (died 1441), grandfather of Elizabeth Woodville (c.1437-1492) Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Edward IV. In 1381 the Bittlesgate family obtained a licence from the Bishop of Exeter to build and operate a private chapel at their home, but no trace of the structure survives.[4] The house has been much altered since the time of the Bittlesgate family. One Tudor-era fireplace survives in a bedroom.[5]
Knightstone House in 2011Entrance gates to Knightstone HouseArms of Bittlesgate: Argent, an annulet sable over all a fess gules[1]
The earliest recorded holder was the de Knightstone family. In 1370 Richard de Knightstone, son of John de Knightstone, conveyed the estate to Thomas I Bittlesgate. His sister Margaret de Knightstone, wife of John Upton, together with her son Elias Upton, also executed a deed of release of her interest.[6] Eventually his descendant Thomas II Bittlesgate entailed his lands to the children of his son Thomas III Bittlesgate, in failure of which to William Lord Bonville.[7] As all the grandchildren of Thomas III Bittlesgate died childless, in accordance with the entail the estates descended to the great heiress Lady Cecily Bonville (1460-1529), wife of Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset (1455-1501), the son of Elizabeth Woodville by her first husband Sir John Grey (c.1432-1461) of Groby in Leicestershire. The marriage of her son to the great heiress was arranged by the king as a mark of favour to Elizabeth. Cecily's inheritance was challenged, without success, by Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers (c.1440-1483),[8] descended from the Bittlesgate family, brother of Elizabeth Woodville. Cecily, who lived at Shute House near Axminster, Devon, built the magnificently vaulted Dorset Aisle on the north side of Ottery St Mary Church, and the north porch.[9] Following the attainder of Cicely's grandson Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk (1517-1554), his estates escheated to the Crown, which sold Knightstone to William Sherman, a wealthy merchant[10] of Ottery St Mary.[11]
Sherman familyedit
Arms of Sherman: Or, a lion rampant sable between three holly leaves vert[12]
Three monumental brasses of the Sherman family survive in Ottery St Mary Church, at the east end of the south aisle, one dated 1542, another 1583.[13]
William Sherman (fl.1567)edit
William Sherman (fl.1567), who purchased Knightstone, was the son of John Sherman of Ottery St Mary, and was the grandson of Robert Sherman of Yaxley in Suffolk.[14] On the fireplace of the great hall is sculpted the date 1567 and his initials "WS".[15] He married twice:
Firstly to the daughter and heiress of the Trent family of Ottery, by whom he had various children including:
John Sherman (d.1617), eldest son and heir (see below);
William Sherman, 2nd son, died without issue.
Katherine Sherman, eldest daughter, wife of Gilbert Drake (d.1580) of Pratshead in the parish of Littleham, Devon, an uncle of Sir Bernard Drake (d.1586) of Mount Drake and Ash in the parish of Musbury, Devon.[16]
Johanna Sherman, 2nd daughter, who married her step-mother's half-brother William Mallock of Axmouth, who in 1573 purchased the estates of Bindon in Axmouth and Rousdon, eldest son and heir (by his 2nd wife Elizabeth Chaplyn) of John Mallock (d.1566/7), a Member of Parliament for Poole in Dorset.[17] In 1654 their descendant Roger Mallock purchased Cockington Court in Tor Mohun, now Torquay.
Agnes Sherman, wife of William Coram (d.1606/7) of Ottery St Mary.[18]
Secondly he married Joan Mallock, a daughter of John Mallock (d.1566/7), a Member of Parliament for Poole in Dorset.[19] by his first wife Matilda Weston. By Joan Mallock he had a 3rd son:
Monument of John Cooke (d.1632) of Thorne. Ottery St Mary Church. He married his step-sister Margaret Sherman (d.1614), a grand-daughter of William Sherman of Knightstone. The arms of Sherman appear above his left shoulder
Richard Sherman, who married firstly Joan Eveleigh, a daughter of John Eveleigh of Holcombe in the parish of Ottery St Mary, and a sister of Nicholas Eveleigh (1562-1618) of Bovey Tracey, whose monument with effigy survive in Bovey Tracey Church. By Joan Eveleigh he had issue including a daughter Margaret Sherman (d.1614) who married her step-brother John Cooke (d.1632) whose large mural monument with standing effigy survives in Ottery St Mary Church. In 1596 Richard married secondly Jone Copleston (d.1648/9), a daughter of Richard Copleston of Woodland in the parish of Little Torrington, Devon, and widow of Christopher Cooke of Thorne in the parish of Ottery St Mary.
John Sherman (d.1617)edit
John Sherman (d.1617), eldest son and heir.
Gyddion Sherman (born 1598)edit
Gedeon Sherman (born 1598), son and heir, was living at Knightstone at the time of Pole (d.1635).[20]
Sourcesedit
Pevsner, Nikolaus & Cherry, Bridget, The Buildings of England: Devon, London, 2004, pp. 528–9;
Risdon, Tristram (d.1640), Survey of Devon, 1811 edition, London, 1811, with 1810 Additions, p. 46, Knightston
Listed building text "Knightstone: a Grade I Listed Building in Ottery St. Mary, Devon"[1]
Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p. 680, pedigree of Sherman;
Rogers, William Henry Hamilton, The Dorset chapel and Knightstone; Bonville and Sherman; Ottery St. Mary, Notes and Queries for Somerset anmd Dorset, Vol.7, 1901, pp. 187–91,235-43,322. Reprinted in his Archaeological Papers Relating to the Counties of Somerset, Wilts, Hants and Devon, 1902.
knightstone, ottery, mary, knightstone, historic, manor, parish, ottery, mary, devon, surviving, mediaeval, tudor, grade, listed, manor, house, situated, mile, south, east, mary, church, ottery, mary, seat, bittlesgate, alias, bedlisgate, family, heiress, whic. Knightstone is an historic manor in the parish of Ottery St Mary in Devon The surviving mediaeval and Tudor 2 grade I listed 3 manor house is situated one mile south east of St Mary s Church Ottery St Mary It was the seat of the Bittlesgate alias Bedlisgate etc family the heiress of which Joan Bittlesgate daughter of Thomas or John Bittlesgate by his wife Joan Beauchamp was the wife of Richard Woodville died 1441 grandfather of Elizabeth Woodville c 1437 1492 Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Edward IV In 1381 the Bittlesgate family obtained a licence from the Bishop of Exeter to build and operate a private chapel at their home but no trace of the structure survives 4 The house has been much altered since the time of the Bittlesgate family One Tudor era fireplace survives in a bedroom 5 Knightstone House in 2011Entrance gates to Knightstone HouseArms of Bittlesgate Argent an annulet sable over all a fess gules 1 Contents 1 History 1 1 Sherman family 1 1 1 William Sherman fl 1567 1 1 2 John Sherman d 1617 1 1 3 Gyddion Sherman born 1598 2 Sources 3 ReferencesHistory editThe earliest recorded holder was the de Knightstone family In 1370 Richard de Knightstone son of John de Knightstone conveyed the estate to Thomas I Bittlesgate His sister Margaret de Knightstone wife of John Upton together with her son Elias Upton also executed a deed of release of her interest 6 Eventually his descendant Thomas II Bittlesgate entailed his lands to the children of his son Thomas III Bittlesgate in failure of which to William Lord Bonville 7 As all the grandchildren of Thomas III Bittlesgate died childless in accordance with the entail the estates descended to the great heiress Lady Cecily Bonville 1460 1529 wife of Thomas Grey 1st Marquess of Dorset 1455 1501 the son of Elizabeth Woodville by her first husband Sir John Grey c 1432 1461 of Groby in Leicestershire The marriage of her son to the great heiress was arranged by the king as a mark of favour to Elizabeth Cecily s inheritance was challenged without success by Anthony Woodville 2nd Earl Rivers c 1440 1483 8 descended from the Bittlesgate family brother of Elizabeth Woodville Cecily who lived at Shute House near Axminster Devon built the magnificently vaulted Dorset Aisle on the north side of Ottery St Mary Church and the north porch 9 Following the attainder of Cicely s grandson Henry Grey 1st Duke of Suffolk 1517 1554 his estates escheated to the Crown which sold Knightstone to William Sherman a wealthy merchant 10 of Ottery St Mary 11 Sherman family edit nbsp Arms of Sherman Or a lion rampant sable between three holly leaves vert 12 Three monumental brasses of the Sherman family survive in Ottery St Mary Church at the east end of the south aisle one dated 1542 another 1583 13 William Sherman fl 1567 edit William Sherman fl 1567 who purchased Knightstone was the son of John Sherman of Ottery St Mary and was the grandson of Robert Sherman of Yaxley in Suffolk 14 On the fireplace of the great hall is sculpted the date 1567 and his initials WS 15 He married twice Firstly to the daughter and heiress of the Trent family of Ottery by whom he had various children including John Sherman d 1617 eldest son and heir see below William Sherman 2nd son died without issue Katherine Sherman eldest daughter wife of Gilbert Drake d 1580 of Pratshead in the parish of Littleham Devon an uncle of Sir Bernard Drake d 1586 of Mount Drake and Ash in the parish of Musbury Devon 16 Johanna Sherman 2nd daughter who married her step mother s half brother William Mallock of Axmouth who in 1573 purchased the estates of Bindon in Axmouth and Rousdon eldest son and heir by his 2nd wife Elizabeth Chaplyn of John Mallock d 1566 7 a Member of Parliament for Poole in Dorset 17 In 1654 their descendant Roger Mallock purchased Cockington Court in Tor Mohun now Torquay Agnes Sherman wife of William Coram d 1606 7 of Ottery St Mary 18 Secondly he married Joan Mallock a daughter of John Mallock d 1566 7 a Member of Parliament for Poole in Dorset 19 by his first wife Matilda Weston By Joan Mallock he had a 3rd son nbsp Monument of John Cooke d 1632 of Thorne Ottery St Mary Church He married his step sister Margaret Sherman d 1614 a grand daughter of William Sherman of Knightstone The arms of Sherman appear above his left shoulderRichard Sherman who married firstly Joan Eveleigh a daughter of John Eveleigh of Holcombe in the parish of Ottery St Mary and a sister of Nicholas Eveleigh 1562 1618 of Bovey Tracey whose monument with effigy survive in Bovey Tracey Church By Joan Eveleigh he had issue including a daughter Margaret Sherman d 1614 who married her step brother John Cooke d 1632 whose large mural monument with standing effigy survives in Ottery St Mary Church In 1596 Richard married secondly Jone Copleston d 1648 9 a daughter of Richard Copleston of Woodland in the parish of Little Torrington Devon and widow of Christopher Cooke of Thorne in the parish of Ottery St Mary John Sherman d 1617 edit John Sherman d 1617 eldest son and heir Gyddion Sherman born 1598 edit Gedeon Sherman born 1598 son and heir was living at Knightstone at the time of Pole d 1635 20 Sources editPevsner Nikolaus amp Cherry Bridget The Buildings of England Devon London 2004 pp 528 9 Pole Sir William d 1635 Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon Sir John William de la Pole ed London 1791 p 148 Knighteston Risdon Tristram d 1640 Survey of Devon 1811 edition London 1811 with 1810 Additions p 46 Knightston Listed building text Knightstone a Grade I Listed Building in Ottery St Mary Devon 1 Vivian Lt Col J L Ed The Visitations of the County of Devon Comprising the Heralds Visitations of 1531 1564 amp 1620 Exeter 1895 p 680 pedigree of Sherman Rogers William Henry Hamilton The Dorset chapel and Knightstone Bonville and Sherman Ottery St Mary Notes and Queries for Somerset anmd Dorset Vol 7 1901 pp 187 91 235 43 322 Reprinted in his Archaeological Papers Relating to the Counties of Somerset Wilts Hants and Devon 1902 References edit pole p 470 Pevsner p 528 Listed building text Pevsner p 529 Pevsner p 529 Pole p 148 Pole p 148 Pole p 148 Pevsner p 619 Pevsner p 529 Pole p 148 Vivian p 680 Pevsner p 620 Vivian p 680 Pevsner p 529 Vivian pp 680 293 297 Vivian pp 680 546 Vivian pp 680 234 Vivian pp 680 546 Pole p 148 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Knightstone Ottery St Mary amp oldid 1118336589, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
