“Echoes of Little Torrington in the 17th century 400 years ago.”
(The Lost Epitaph story, part 2), by James Grimwood-Taylor.
Never believe everything you read…! It turns out that the 1934 attribution of the full 1617 epitaph inscription to Dean Mille’s 1750s parochial return is wrong; that Parochial Return recorded the 1585 tomb’s inscription, but did not mention the 1617 epitaph. The latter was in fact first recorded in full in print in the 1896 volume 1 of "NOTES" TO THE “VISITATION OF ENGLAND AND WALES” edited by Joseph Jackson Howard, LL.D. (Maltravers Herald Extraordinary) and Frederick Arthur Crisp. [privately printed; 80 copies only.] It is particularly significant that the epitaph was noted in this 1896 publication as being an “Inscription on a stone now hidden”. It is thought that the organ in the church was installed in 1887, so someone had sensibly recorded all the slate epitaph’s wording before it was hidden, and so the 1896 publication was an important subsequent record.
Meanwhile, further digging in the archives has revealed more about the Richard Coplestone whose 1617 epitaph is behind the organ. Unfortunately almost all ancient Devonshire wills were destroyed in a German air-raid on Exeter (where the Barnstaple Archdeaconry Court papers had been moved for safe keeping…) on the night of 3rd/4th May 1942, so only those that were copied out before 1940 have survived… Miraculously, the entire detailed 1617 will of our 1617 Epitaph’s Richard Coplestone (c.1555-1617) was one of those copied out before 1940; it was published in full in the “Miscellania et Heraldica” New Series vol.1 of 1874 (pp.202-3). [It was noted as having been “Communicated by Rev. F. T. Colby, F.S.A.”.] It is a fascinating document giving a good insight into the family circumstances and worldy possessions of the head of the Coplestone family of Woodlands Farm in Little Torrington exactly 400 years ago, so I record it here in full (with some of the old spellings tidied up, but with much left as in the original):-
“In the Name of God, Amen, the 13th daye of September in the year of our Lord God 1617, I Richard Coplestone of Woodland in the Countie of Devon, Gent: beinge of good and perfect Memorye, thankes be unto God. Revokinge all former Wills & Testaments by me heretofore made, doe make & ordayne this my last Will & Testament in manner and form followinge.
To wit: Fyrst I comytt my Soule unto Almightie God and my Bodie to Christian buryall.
Item: I give towards the reparation of the Churche of Lyttle Torrington thirteene shillings and foure pence [i.e. two thirds of £1], and to the poore of the same parish Twentie shillings.
Item: I devise to Richard Coplestone my Sonne and Heire my gold ringe wherein my Armes are engraved, and a great Silver Cup gilt with his Cover.
Item: I give & devise to Elianor my Wife All that my Tenement known by the name of Maynarde’s Tenement [near Shillingham, Saltash?] to hold to her imedyatlie from my death for the term of fortie yeares if she so long doe lyve. And my Will is that after her death my Sonne Thomas and his heires shall have & hold the one moytie of the sayd Tenement for ever. And that the other moytie of the same Tenement shall also remayne & be to my said Sonne Thomas and his assignes during all the rest of my terme which shall be therein to come after the death of my said Wife.
Moreover my Will is that my Sonne Richard Coplestone shall have my Coreslett furnished and Muskett furnished, which Coreslett and Muskett with their furnyture and also the Silver Cupp before given to my Sonne Richard my Will is my Wife shall have the use of so longe as she doth lyve.
Item: I give unto my sayd Wife my best half dozen of Silver Spoones and all her Jewelles & Ringes.
Item: I devise to eche of my two Daughters a half dozen of Silver Spoones And to my Sonne Thomas one other dozen of Silver Spoones. To my Sonne Dudley Coplestone my best Silver Salt with his Cover. To my Sonnes Tristram and Henry eche of them a Silver Goblett And to my Sonne Francis a Stone Cupp corded with Silver. All which Spoones Gobletts and Cupp my Will is my Wife shall have the use of so longe as she doth lyve and after her death to be delyvered particulerlie as aforesayd.
Item: I give to every [one] of my household Servants that shall be with me at the tyme of my death two shillinges sixepence apece.
Item: I give unto my Godsonne Richard Harte a ewe Sheepe and to my God-daughter Henry Blanchard's Daughter a ewe Sheepe and to all other my Godchildren that shall be at my funeral; Twelve pence apece.
All the residue of my Goods and Chattels not before given & bequeathed I give & bequeath to Elyanor my Wife whom I make and ordayne my sole Executrix. And I doe appoynt and desire to be my Overseers concerninge this my Will my Brother in lawe Richard Bellewe Esquire, my Cosen William Phillipps, Gent: and John Allen of Lyttle Torrington, Gent : and doe give to eche of them for their paynes to be taken herein an Angel [an 11s-0d gold coin; the fore-runner of the guinea] apece.
In witness whereof I have thereunto subscribed my name & sett my seale and published the same in the presence of those whose names are under wrytten, Richard Coplestone.
Test. [= testamentary witnesses]: John Allen, Jonas Pylman, John Pylman, John Reynie, and David Grilles.”
[This will is also noted as having been proved in the Archdeaconry Court of Barnstaple on the 29th day of November 1617.]
I shall report on Dean Mille’s fascinating 1757 Little Torrington “Parochial Return” (which I have now fully transcribed from a very scratchy microfilm in the Exeter archives) in the next article.
Meanwhile, further digging in the archives has revealed more about the Richard Coplestone whose 1617 epitaph is behind the organ. Unfortunately almost all ancient Devonshire wills were destroyed in a German air-raid on Exeter (where the Barnstaple Archdeaconry Court papers had been moved for safe keeping…) on the night of 3rd/4th May 1942, so only those that were copied out before 1940 have survived… Miraculously, the entire detailed 1617 will of our 1617 Epitaph’s Richard Coplestone (c.1555-1617) was one of those copied out before 1940; it was published in full in the “Miscellania et Heraldica” New Series vol.1 of 1874 (pp.202-3). [It was noted as having been “Communicated by Rev. F. T. Colby, F.S.A.”.] It is a fascinating document giving a good insight into the family circumstances and worldy possessions of the head of the Coplestone family of Woodlands Farm in Little Torrington exactly 400 years ago, so I record it here in full (with some of the old spellings tidied up, but with much left as in the original):-
“In the Name of God, Amen, the 13th daye of September in the year of our Lord God 1617, I Richard Coplestone of Woodland in the Countie of Devon, Gent: beinge of good and perfect Memorye, thankes be unto God. Revokinge all former Wills & Testaments by me heretofore made, doe make & ordayne this my last Will & Testament in manner and form followinge.
To wit: Fyrst I comytt my Soule unto Almightie God and my Bodie to Christian buryall.
Item: I give towards the reparation of the Churche of Lyttle Torrington thirteene shillings and foure pence [i.e. two thirds of £1], and to the poore of the same parish Twentie shillings.
Item: I devise to Richard Coplestone my Sonne and Heire my gold ringe wherein my Armes are engraved, and a great Silver Cup gilt with his Cover.
Item: I give & devise to Elianor my Wife All that my Tenement known by the name of Maynarde’s Tenement [near Shillingham, Saltash?] to hold to her imedyatlie from my death for the term of fortie yeares if she so long doe lyve. And my Will is that after her death my Sonne Thomas and his heires shall have & hold the one moytie of the sayd Tenement for ever. And that the other moytie of the same Tenement shall also remayne & be to my said Sonne Thomas and his assignes during all the rest of my terme which shall be therein to come after the death of my said Wife.
Moreover my Will is that my Sonne Richard Coplestone shall have my Coreslett furnished and Muskett furnished, which Coreslett and Muskett with their furnyture and also the Silver Cupp before given to my Sonne Richard my Will is my Wife shall have the use of so longe as she doth lyve.
Item: I give unto my sayd Wife my best half dozen of Silver Spoones and all her Jewelles & Ringes.
Item: I devise to eche of my two Daughters a half dozen of Silver Spoones And to my Sonne Thomas one other dozen of Silver Spoones. To my Sonne Dudley Coplestone my best Silver Salt with his Cover. To my Sonnes Tristram and Henry eche of them a Silver Goblett And to my Sonne Francis a Stone Cupp corded with Silver. All which Spoones Gobletts and Cupp my Will is my Wife shall have the use of so longe as she doth lyve and after her death to be delyvered particulerlie as aforesayd.
Item: I give to every [one] of my household Servants that shall be with me at the tyme of my death two shillinges sixepence apece.
Item: I give unto my Godsonne Richard Harte a ewe Sheepe and to my God-daughter Henry Blanchard's Daughter a ewe Sheepe and to all other my Godchildren that shall be at my funeral; Twelve pence apece.
All the residue of my Goods and Chattels not before given & bequeathed I give & bequeath to Elyanor my Wife whom I make and ordayne my sole Executrix. And I doe appoynt and desire to be my Overseers concerninge this my Will my Brother in lawe Richard Bellewe Esquire, my Cosen William Phillipps, Gent: and John Allen of Lyttle Torrington, Gent : and doe give to eche of them for their paynes to be taken herein an Angel [an 11s-0d gold coin; the fore-runner of the guinea] apece.
In witness whereof I have thereunto subscribed my name & sett my seale and published the same in the presence of those whose names are under wrytten, Richard Coplestone.
Test. [= testamentary witnesses]: John Allen, Jonas Pylman, John Pylman, John Reynie, and David Grilles.”
[This will is also noted as having been proved in the Archdeaconry Court of Barnstaple on the 29th day of November 1617.]
I shall report on Dean Mille’s fascinating 1757 Little Torrington “Parochial Return” (which I have now fully transcribed from a very scratchy microfilm in the Exeter archives) in the next article.