Courtenays
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The church at Colyton is a handsome building which has a ‘lantern’ tower vaguely reminiscent of that at Fotheringhay. It is packed with interesting monuments, including those of the local Pole family (not, apparently, related to the more famous Poles.) The most intriguing monument, though, lies to the left of the high altar. It…
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We all love heraldry, so here is a very colourful illustration by the renowned heraldic artist, Dan Escott. It shows the banners at the Battle of Crécy in 1346. The caption for the work is: “As you can see it is rather stylised but it shows very clearly the use of Heraldry for identification for…
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The Champernownes of Devon
Anne Boleyn, Chambercombe Manor, Champernownes, Courtenays, Crediton, Dartington Hall, Devon, Domesday Book, Dukes of Exeter, earls of devon, Edward Seymour Duke of Somerset, Edward VI, Elizabeth I, executions, Exeter, explorers, ghosts, Henry Grey Duke of Suffolk, Henry Norris, Henry VIII, Ilfracombe, Jane, Normans, Polsoe, Powderham Castle, Redvers Buller, Sir Arthur Champernowne, Sir Edward Seymour, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, Sir Walter Raleigh, TotnesThe Champernownes (above), a Norman line whose alternative spellings include Chapman and Chamberlain, are surely Devon’s second family after the Courtenays of Powderham Castle, who hold the Earldom. From 1162, their (Domesday Book-cited) home was at Chambercombe Manor near Ilfracombe (middle right) but, by the early sixteenth century, this had passed to Henry Grey, Duke of…
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HENRY VIII: THE EVEN HANDED PERSECUTOR
Anne Askew, Anne Boleyn, beheadings, burnings, Catherine Howard, chopping and changing, clergymen, Courtenays, Edmund de la Pole, Edward of Buckingham, George Boleyn, hangings, Henry Lord Montagu, Henry Pole the Younger, Henry VIII, Howards, Jane Parker Viscountess Rochford, Margaret of Salisbury, Mark Smeaton, monks, Nun of Kent, religious persecution, Thomas Cromwell, Thomas MoreSome folks out there have recently been trying to justify the long list of people executed by Henry VIII because ‘at least they had a trial’ or ‘because it was over religion, and there were always beheadings, pressings, burnings over religion.’ Well, surprisingly, I must agree with them on one thing. Henry sure could be…