The estate of Dowrich formed part of the vast
manor of
Crediton, the
lord of which both before and after the
Norman Conquest of 1066 was the
Bishop of Exeter, whose earlier
cathedra was the
See of Crediton. Of the many separate estates granted by the early bishops within the manor of Crediton, one was recorded in the
Cartae Baronum of 1166 as
held as one
knight's fee by William de Tracy (d. post-1172),
feudal baron of Bradninch in Devon. This single estate was divided at some time into a further four, one of which was Dowrich, held as an eighth of a knight's fee by a tenant or follower of the lords of Bradninch, who took his name "de Dowrich" from his estate. Dowrich continued to be held from the feudal barony of Bradninch until 1352 and possibly later. The descent of the estate in the Dowrish family, called by
Prince (died 1723) "A very ancient and gentile family", was as follows, as recorded in the
Heraldic Visitations of Devon:
12th to 14th centuries • .... Dowrish, a man whose first name is not recorded, who built a castle
keep on the site during the reign of King John (1199–1216).
Thomas Dowrish (fl.1439) Thomas Dowrish (fl.1439), son.
Thomas Dowrish (died 1464/79) Thomas Dowrish (died 1464/79), son,
Recorder of Exeter from 1468 to 1479, who married Alice Fulford, whose father is not recorded in the pedigree of Fulford of
Fulford in Devon, into which family her son certainly married. In 1470 he complimented King Edward IV (1461–1483) in a speech after that king had entered the
City of Exeter in pursuit of the Duke of Clarence. lord of the manor of
Farringdon, near
Clyst St Mary, Devon, by his wife Margery Stukeley, daughter of Sir Thomas Stukeley (1473–1542) lord of the
Affeton, Devon,
Sheriff of Devon in 1521. His children included: • Walter Dowrish, eldest son and heir, see below. • Rev. Hugh Dowrish, second son, Rector of
Lapford and
Honiton, whose wife was
Anne Edgecombe (born before 1560–1596) a poet and historian, a daughter of Sir Richard Edgecombe of
Mount Edgcumbe in Cornwall. A small painted heraldic escutcheon representing this marriage survives, among other similar ones, on the wooden cornice in the hall of Dowrich House, and shows the arms of Dowrich (
Argent, a bend cotised sable a bordure engrailed of the last)
impaling Edgcumbe (''Gules, on a bend ermine cottised or three boar's heads couped argent''). • Elizabeth Dowrish (died 1587), the wife of John Northcote (died 1587) of Crediton and mother of
John Northcote (1570–1632) of Uton and Hayne,
Newton St Cyres, near
Crediton,
lord of the manor of Newton St Cyres, whose splendid life-size standing effigy and monument survives in Newton St Cyres Church. Either he or his identically named son (
Sir John Northcote, 1st Baronet (1599–1676), ancestor of the
Earls of Iddesleigh) was
Sheriff of Devon in 1626.
Walter Dowrish in Sandford Church Walter Dowrish, eldest son and heir, who married Mary Carew (1550–1604), daughter of Dr.
George Carew,
Dean of Windsor, third son of Sir Edmund Carew, Baron Carew, of
Mohuns Ottery in the parish of
Luppitt, Devon, by his wife Catharine Huddesfield, a daughter and co-heiress of Sir
William Huddesfield (died 1499) of
Shillingford St George in Devon,
Attorney General for England and Wales to Kings Edward IV (1461–1483) and Henry VII (1485–1509). Mary's younger brother was
George Carew, 1st Earl of Totnes (1555–1629)and her elder brother was Sir
Peter Carew (died 1580), who was killed in Ireland. The extravagant monument dated 1589 with effigy of Sir Peter Carew (died 1581) and of his uncle Sir Gawen Carew (died 1585) in
Exeter Cathedral includes the following inscription on three sides of the cornice:
"Walter Dowrich of Dowrich Esq., married the only sister of this Sir Peter Carew, Knyght, under figured, elder brother to the Lord Carew of Clopton which Sir Peter Carew, Knyght, was slayne in Ireland". By his wife he had one son and three daughters as follows: • Thomas Dowrish (1568–1628), only son and heir, who married Katherine Stukely, eldest daughter of John Stukely (1551–1611), lord of the
Affeton, Devon. (see below) • Dorothy Dowrish, the wife of Thomas Peyton, Customer of Plymouth, the second son of Thomas Peyton of
St Edmundsbury in Suffolk (a junior member of the ancient Peyton family of Peyton Hall,
Boxford, Suffolk, descended from
Thomas Peyton (1418–1484), twice Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire (1443 & 1453) who rebuilt the church of St Andrew's in
Isleham, in the chancel of which survives his
monumental brass) by his wife Lady Cecilia Bourchier, a daughter of
John Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Bath (1499–1561) of
Tawstock in Devon. Thomas Peyton's elder brother was Sir Henry Peyton who married Lady Mary Seymour, a daughter of
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset,
KG, (c. 1500 – 1552)
Lord Protector of
England from 1547 until 1549 during the
minority of his nephew,
King Edward VI (1547–1553) and the eldest brother of
Queen Jane Seymour (died 1537), the third
wife of King
Henry VIII. • Elizabeth Dowrish, wife of George Trobridge (1564–1631) of Trobridge, near Crediton. • Margaret Dowrish, wife of William Limesey formerly of
Ifield in Kent The manor of Ifield, later called Hever Court, was acquired by the marriage of John Lymsey to Rose Rikhill, sole heiress of John Rikhill of Ifield. His descendant Edmund Lymsey was granted possession of it in 1548 and sold it to Sir John Rainsford. He was apparently descended from
Ralph de Limesy (fl.1066) an Anglo-Norman magnate and a
tenant-in-chief in England of King
William the Conqueror.
Monument to wife to Mary Carew (died 1604),
Sandford Church. The 19th century brass frame decorated with heraldry of the Dowrish family is not shown The elaborate
monumental brass to Mary Carew (died 1604) survives in
Sandford Church, Devon, having been removed in the 19th century from its original position in the church where it had suffered much wear, especially on the right side, and was restored in the 19th century by descendants of the Dowrish family and replaced on the north wall of the church, framed in a new brass frame decorated with heraldry of the Dowrich family. The original brass is in three sections, comprising an arcade of three arches; under the central arch is a recumbent effigy of the deceased lying on a
chest tomb, fully dressed with ruff collar and hands together in prayer. On the chest tomb is inscribed
Memento Mori; above her is an escutcheon showing Dowrish (
Argent, a bend cotised sable a bordure engrailed of the last) impaling Carew (
Or, three lions passant sable). Under the two flanking arches are kneeling effigies of her one son and three daughters: under the left arch is shown her only son and heir Thomas Dowrish (1568–1628), with above him the arms of Dowrish impaling Stucley (
Azure, three pears pendant or), and kneeling behind him his sister Dorothy Dowrish, the wife of Thomas Peyton, with above her an escutcheon showing Peyton (
Sable, a cross engrailed or a mullet in the first quarter argent a crescent for difference) impaling Dowrish. On the right of Mary Carew are shown her two other daughters, both kneeling, firstly Elizabeth Dowrish, wife of George Trobridge (1564–1631)) (also shown in the modern heraldic window in
Crediton Parish Church) impaling Dowrish. The third daughter who kneels behind Elizabeth is Margaret Dowrish, wife of William Limesey of
Colby in Norfolk above whom is shown an escutcheon showing
an eagle displayed (Limesey). Below is the following inscription: :"Here lyeth ye body of Mary Dowrich wife & widdowe of Walter Dowrich of Dowrich Esqr onely sister to George Lord Carew, Earle of Totnes. Shee had issue one so(n)ne & three daughters viz: Thomas who married Katherine daughter to John Stukely of Afton, Esqr; Dorothy married to Thomas Peyton of Islam in Camb. Esqr; Elizabeth married to George Trobrydge of Trobridge Esqr and Mary married to William Limsey of Colbye in Norff. Esq.r She departed this life in the true fayth of Jesus Christ the tenth of September An. Dni 1604"
Thomas Dowrish (1568–1628) Thomas Dowrish (1568–1628), eldest son and heir, who was mentioned by
Risdon (died 1640) in his text on Dowrish. He married Katherine Stukely, eldest daughter of John Stukely (1551–1611), lord of the
Affeton, Devon, by his first wife Frances St Leger, daughter of Sir
John St Leger (died 1596), of
Annery in the parish of
Monkleigh,
Devon,
Sheriff of Devon in 1560,
Member of Parliament for
Dartmouth, Devon, in 1555–1558,
Devon in 1559–1563,
Arundel, Sussex, in 1563–1571,
Devon again in 1571–1583 and
Tregony, Cornwall in 1584–1585. His second son was Lt-Col. Thomas Dowrish, a Parliamentarian commander in the
Civil War, who died childless, having written his will in 1652.
John Dowrish (born 1593) John Dowrish (born 1593), eldest son and heir, who was "a traveller in divers countries" and in 1612 matriculated at
Exeter College, Oxford, a favorite college for sons of the Devonshire gentry. In 1625 or 1626 he married Elizabeth Walker, daughter of Thomas Walker, ancestor of
John Walker (1674–1747) of Exeter, author of
Sufferings of the Clergy (1714). He had six sons and six daughters, most of whom died childless.
Lewis Dowrish (1638–1689) Lewis Dowrish (1638–1689), third and eldest surviving son and heir, who married twice: • Firstly in 1657 to Frances Jacobb (died 1671) of Tavistock, by whom he had four sons and four daughters all of whom either died young or without children of their own. • Secondly in 1676 he married Agnes Palmer(died 1705) of Hereford, by whom he had four sons all of whom died childless.
Lewis Dowrish (1677–1717) Lewis Dowrish (1677–1717), eldest son and heir, the last in the male line of Dowrish. He married Elizabeth Clarke, daughter of "Thomas Clarke of Hertford", possibly Sir
Thomas Clarke (c. 1672 – 1754), of Brickendon, Hertfordshire, three times
Member of Parliament for
Hertford. He was killed by a fall from his horse at Dowrich Bridge and was buried on 17 September 1717. He left no children.
Ghost legend A legend developed locally that the ghost of Lewis Dowrish (1677–1717) haunts the vicinity, as was reported in 1877 as follows: :"At this bridge the last of the Dowriches, returning home late on a winter's (
sic) night after a considerable consumption of brandy-punch at the house of a neighbouring squire, fell from his horse and was killed. From that time his spirit has been gradually advancing up the hill towards the house at the rate of a
cock-stride in every moon. But he may not use the road. A bridge as narrow and as sharp as the edge of a sword, unrolling itself as he advances, is provided for the unfortunate squire. Whenever he falls off (and it is supposed this must frequently happen) he is obliged to return to the stream where his life ended and to begin again. His present position is therefore quite uncertain, but there is no doubt that he will one day reach his own front door, and what will then happen no one can foresee". Villagers are reported to have forbidden Paul Low, a later owner of Dowrich, from building an extra step before the steps up to threshold of the gatehouse, which was very high and inconvenient. The reason given was that "the cock would be able to get up". Another rendering of the legend is that Lewis Dowrish was cursed by one of his tenants, an old woman whom he had turned out of her cottage, who wished him to "die by drowning, afterwards returning to the house by cock's steps". Paul Low furthermore reported that villagers of East Village told him they had seen "The ''Wicked Dowrich's'' eyes glaring at them from the brook". Similar Devonshire legends concerning ghosts advancing in "cock strides" exist in relation to
Otterton Vicarage and to Squire Fry of
Yarty.
Challis By his will Lewis Dowrish (1677–1717) devised the estate to his widow, Elizabeth Clarke, who in 1719 remarried to Charles Challis (died 1745), a lawyer of
Lyon's Inn, and of Ugborough, Devon, who survived his wife and by his will devised Dowrish to his daughter, Mary Challis (died 1774), the wife of John Lock, lord of the manor of
Boddington in Gloucestershire.
Morgan Arabella Morgan (1741–1828) in Somerset, south wall (right) of the
chancel of
St Andrew's Church, High Ham (two monuments, one pedimented and the
lozenge shaped one to Arabella Morgan (1741–1828)) Mary Challis (Mrs Lock) died childless in 1774, and according to
Lysons (1822), bequeathed a life interest in Dowrish to "two maiden ladies of the name of Pitt". In the time of Polwhele (died 1838), Dowrich was the property of "Mrs Pitts in the Circus, Exeter", After the decease of the survivor, which happened in 1792, Mary Challis had specified in her will that the freehold tenure should pass to Arabella Morgan (1741–1828), who accordingly was residing at Dowrish House in 1822. The bequest included Dowrich House and
Barton and the estate corn-mill (which latter Mary Challis had purchased from Mr. Hippisley-Coxe of
Ston Easton, Somerset, who had acquired the same as his share of the estate of his ancestor, Sir John Davie, Baronet, of
Creedy). Arabella Morgan (1741–1828) was the younger of the two daughters and co-heiresses of Rev. Charles Morgan (1715–1772), Rector of
High Ham in Somerset, survives on the south wall of the
chancel of
St Andrew's Church, High Ham. Charles Morgan married Jane Rolle (1709–1742), only child of Rev. Dennis Rolle (born 1670) by his wife Arabella Tucker (1663–1744). Rev. Dennis Rolle was a member of the prominent and very wealthy Rolle family of Devon, being a younger brother of
Samuel Rolle (1669–1735) of
Hudscott,
Chittlehampton, Devon,
MP for
Barnstaple between 1705 and 1708. Both were sons of Dennis Rolle (died 1671) of
Great Torrington, a lawyer of the
Inner Temple, son of Sir
Samuel Rolle (died 1647), MP, one of three distinguished grandsons (his brothers were
Henry Rolle (died 1656) Chief Justice of the King's Bench &
John Rolle (died 1648), MP) of Henry Rolle of
Heanton Satchville, Petrockstowe, fourth son of the founder of the Devonshire Rolles,
George Rolle (died 1552), MP, of
Stevenstone.
Clayfield (1771–1831), Bristol Central Library
Captain Edward Ireland Clayfield (died 1862) Dowrich House "with a large estate" belonged in 1850 to E.I. Clayfield, Esq., who resided there, according to ''White's Devonshire Directory'' of that year. Rev. Charles Morgan had two daughters by his wife Jane Rolle, of whom the elder one, Mary Morgan (1739–1798) married Michael Clayfield (1732–1787), a merchant from Bristol. The younger daughter was Arabella Morgan (1741–1828) who died unmarried in 1828 aged 87, and upon her decease the property devised by Mary Challis passed to her great-nephew, Captain Edward Ireland Clayfield (died 1862),) and director of the Bristol Dock Company, of Host Street, Bristol and of Brislington, Somerset, An 1803 portrait of Edward Rolle Clayfield by
William Armfield Hobday (1771–1831) survives on display in Bristol Central Library. During the Napoleonic War one of his partners Mr Gayner, of Bristol, who resided at La Selva, and afterwards at the Bay of Rosas, was imprisoned in Spain and charged with giving information to the English. He had long supplied Nelson's ships in the Mediterranean with Spanish provisions. In January 1805 Clayfield wrote to Admiral Nelson in an attempt to have his partner released and received the following "characteristically brief" reply from Nelson, on board , dated 30 March 1805, six months before the
Battle of Trafalgar: :Sir, I have received your letter of Jany 21st respecting Mr Gayner although I have not heard of him since the War with Spain, I have not the smallest idea of his being put in prison, and his conduct creates such an universal esteem that I have no doubt but that he is both at liberty and respected. I am Sir Your Most Obedient Servant, Nelson and Bronte" Edward Rolle Clayfield married Frances-Constance Ireland (died 1812), the elder of the two daughters and co-heiresses of James Ireland of Brislington Hall in the parish of
Brislington in Somerset,
Sheriff of Somerset in 1782, also a wealthy sugar and wine merchant whose inscribed monument survives in Brislington Church. James Ireland's wife was Frances Godde, one of the wealthiest heiresses of the time and a friend of
John Wesley. which he duly performed by royal licence dated 11 May 1827. James Ireland Clayfield-Ireland (died 1864) married Letitia Priaulx (died 1886), youngest daughter and eventual co-heiress of Thomas Priaulx of Montville House in Guernsey. Edward Ireland Clayfield died childless in 1862, when his heir to Dowish became his younger nephew Thomas Priaulx Clayfield-Ireland (died 1872).
Thomas Priaulx Clayfield-Ireland (died 1872) Thomas Priaulx Clayfield-Ireland (died 1872), nephew, second son of James Ireland Clayfield-Ireland (died 1864), JP, DL, of Brislington Hall, Somerset. He inherited Dowrich from his childless uncle Captain Edward Ireland Clayfield (died 1862). as of Dowrich, Brislington Hall and 7 Piccadilly. His executor was his brother Arthur Clayfield-Ireland (1839–1915) ("second surviving son of the late James Ireland Clayfield-Ireland, Esq., JP, DL")
Arthur Clayfield-Ireland (1839–1915) Arthur Clayfield-Ireland (1839–1915), younger brother, who was bequeathed Dowrich by his elder brother Thomas Priaulx Clayfield-Ireland (died 1872). According to the
Comprehensive Gazetteer of England and Wales, 1894-5, in 1894/5 Dowrich still belonged to the Clayfield family which resided there, when the house still contained portraits of the Dowrish family. Arthur purchased from the Crediton Charity Trustees a small estate called Rookwood, adjoining Dowrich, and which was once part of the Dowrich estate, having in the year 1621 been conveyed by Thomas and John Dowrich to trustees for the poor of Crediton. In 1902 Arthur was a
Justice of the Peace for Devon. On 29 April 1880 at Froyle Church, near Alton, Hampshire, Arthur married Mary Anne Emily Pitman (living at Dowrich in 1919), daughter of Capt. William Pitman, Royal Navy. Arthur died childless. His Brass memorial tablet survives in Sandford Church, inscribed as follows: :"To the glory of God and in loving and sacred memory of Arthur Clayfield Ireland, Dowrich House, who passed to his eternal rest 21st Jan. 1915 aged 76 years. This memorial is erected by his devoted wife. Requiescat in Pace". The escutcheon above shows the following arms:
Quarterly of 4: 1st & 4th:
Gules, three fleurs-de-lis argent each charged with a goutte-de-sang on a chief indented of the second a lion passant of the field between two torteaux(Ireland); 2nd & 3rd: ''Vert guttee d'or, three garbs erminois banded gules
(Clayfield) impaling: Gules, on a fess or three swans passant sable'' (Pitman). ==Card table==