de Halsbury The
de Halsbury family were the earliest-recorded holders of the manor and took their surname from it. The descent of Halsbury in the family of Giffard was as follows: • Walter de Halsbery, living during the reign of King
Henry II (1154–1189) as his sole heiress, who married Bartholomew Giffard. • Bartholomew Giffard, who by his marriage to the heiress Jone de Halsbury inherited the manor of Halsbury. In 1290 he witnessed a deed at nearby
Portledge, the seat of the Coffin family, with Jellanus Dacus of nearby
Orleigh. • Thomas Giffard (eldest son and heir), who married a certain Wilmot Knight, daughter of a certain Knight • John Giffard (son), who married Jone Dabernon, a daughter and co-heiress of John Dabernon by his wife Isabella Mules (or Moels), daughter of John Mules of
Irishborough (
alias Ernsborough in the parish of
Swimbridge, Devon) descended from John de Moels, 1st
Baron Moels (died 1310),
feudal baron of
North Cadbury in Somerset. • Thomas Giffard (died 17 March 1533) secondly to Anne Coryton, daughter of John Coryton of Newton in
Quethioc, Cornwall. His eldest son from his 2nd marriage was Sir Roger Giffard who founded the junior albeit more prominent family of Giffard of
Brightley in the parish of
Chittlehampton in Devon. • John Giffard (eldest son and heir by 1st marriage) of Halsbury, who married Ibot (
alias Ebete) of
Potheridge in Devon, great-great-grandfather of
George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle (1608–1670). • John Giffard (1547–1620)) Smyth of
Totnes. It is not known what relation she was (if any) to
Bernard Smith (by 1522–1591) of Totnes,
MP for
Totnes in 1558 and mayor of Totnes 1549–50 and c. 1565–6 and
escheator of Devon and Cornwall 1567–8, who left a sole daughter and heiress Eleanor who married four times. • John Giffard (1580–1625) (son), who in 1603 at
Monkleigh married Elizabeth Tremayne (died 1657), a daughter and co-heiress of Edmund (or John) Tremayne of
Collacombe in the parish of
Lamerton, Devon. • Thomas Giffard (1607–1648) (eldest son and heir), baptised at Monkleigh. He married Katherine Leach (died 1666), daughter of Sir Simon Leach (died 1638) of
Cadleigh,
Sheriff of Devon in 1624, (whose surviving effigy and monument in St Bartholomew's Church in Cadleigh is the largest of its type in any Devon parish church) and widow of Robert Burrington of West Sandford. Katherine was buried in
Exeter Cathedral, where survives her monument. His son Arthur Giffard (1646–1648) died young, and thus did not inherit Halsbury. His daughter Katherine Giffard (1648–1663) was buried in Exeter Cathedral. • John Giffard (born 1611, died post 1666) (younger brother), of Halsbury. He married Elizabeth Champernowne, daughter of Arthur Champernowne (born 1579) of
Dartington. His only son Thomas Giffard (died 1659) predeceased his father and thus did not inherit Halsbury. Although he had a daughter Mary Giffard, John Giffard settled the estate of Halsbury onto his distant cousin Roger Giffard (1645–1733), the youngest son of Col.
John Giffard (1602–1665) of
Brightley,) (cousin), the youngest son of Col.
John Giffard (1602–1665) of
Brightley, and sold Halsbury to "the celebrated adventurer" Devon, MP for
Barnstaple between 1747 and 1754, a ship-owner, merchant and maritime insurance fraudster, purchased Halsbury from Roger Giffard (died 1763). His silver punch bowl, inscribed with his armorials (''On a chevron between three goat's heads erased each charged on the neck with an escallop three escallops'') and presented by him to Barnstaple mayor and corporation, is displayed in the
Dodderidge Room of Barnstaple Guildhall. Following his flight from justice to Portugal in 1753, the Crown seized his assets, including Halsbury. • John Davie (died 1793) (son by father's 1st wife), who in 1763 at
Atherington married Eleanora Basset, sister and heiress of Francis Basset (died 1802) of
Umberleigh and
Heanton Punchardon in Devon. In antiquity and nobility of its origins the
Basset family was comparable to the Giffards. • Joseph Davie Basset (1764–1846) (son), born "Joseph Davie" who later assumed the surname "Basset" under the terms of his maternal inheritance from the Basset family.
Lee Major Edward Lee (died 1819) purchased the estates of Halsbury and Orleigh from Joseph Davie Basset (1764–1846) who went on to build
Watermouth Castle as his residence. (and possibly also Halsbury) to his nephew
John Lee Lee (1802–1874) of
Dillington House, near
Ilminster in Somerset,
Member of Parliament for
Wells between 1830 and 1837 and
Sheriff of Somerset in 1845–6. ==References==