Manor of Copleston

Descent in Coplestone family

The Devon historian Tristram Risdon (d.1640) wrote concerning the parish of Colebrooke:

"In this tything is Coplestone, which hath given name to a numerous family who for their fair possessions, their port (sic) (report?) and the respect they lived in, were intitled 'the Great Coplestones' besides dignified with the name of 'Whit Spurrs', some time a title of great note and in these western parts of much esteem. Of this name are many branches sprung who flourished in this county"

The Devon historian Sir William Pole (d.1635) stated the honour accorded to this family as "Silver Spurr", similar to Risdon's appellation, and added that it was connected to the fact that although they were a great county family which had married well, unusually no member of the family had ever been knighted, adding that the family was known as "the great Copleston" on account of their great revenue.

The principal junior branches of the Copleston family were seated at the Devon manors or estates of: Bowden in the parish of Yealmpton, Instow, Upton Pyne, Kingdon in the parish of Alverdiscott, Woodland in the parish of Little Torrington, Weare Giffard, Eggesford and Bicton. Copleston House was stated by John Prince to be "all in ruines". The present Copplestone House, situated about 1/2 mile south-east of Copplestone Cross, was rebuilt after 1787 in the Georgian style by Robert Madge, who had purchased the estate at that date. It is thought to be on a different site to the old mansion of the Copleston family, but does incorporate some of the older fabric.

The descent of the senior family seated at Copleston was as follows:

Richard Copleston (floruit 1307/27)

Richard Copleston, who according to William Pole was party to a deed made during the reign of King Edward II (1307–1327) which was witnessed by William de Coplestona

Adam/John Copleston

Adam (or John) de Copleston (son of Richard). His daughter Eleanor Copleston (d.1430) married John Pollard of Way, St Giles in the Wood, Devon.

John Copleston (died 1433)

John Copleston (died 1433) (son), buried in the parish church of Horwell in Devon, with a monument in Colebrooke Church. He married Catherine Grace (alias Graas), daughter and co-heiress of John Grace of Teign Grace and divorced wife of John de Affeton of Affeton, Devon.

John Copleston (died 1457)

John Copleston (died 1457) (son), three times MP for Devon, Escheator of Devon and Cornwall and joint-steward (with Nicholas Radford) of the lands of the infant Earl of Devon. He married Elizabeth Hawley (d.1447), daughter and eventual heiress of John Hawley (called the younger) of Dartmouth.

In Copleston's will dated 18 October 1458 he requested to be buried in "St. Katherine’s Aisle" in Colebrook Church, and ordered the graves of himself and his wife to be covered with a marble slab, which much worn ledger stone survives in the north aisle of St Andrew's Church, Colebrooke. He instructed his executors to rebuild "St. Katherine’s Aisle" to match the other and to be furnished with service books, plate and vestments. At the east end of this north aisle is located the "Copleston Chapel", sectioned off by an ancient pierced oak screen, and restored after 1958 by the widow of Commander William Pope (1901–1958), Royal Navy, DSO, JP, of Coplestone House.

Philip Copleston (floruit 1472)

Philip Copleston (son), Sheriff of Devon in 1471/2. In accordance with the will of his father he rebuilt the north aisle with the Copleston Chantry or Chapel at its east end. He married Anne Bonville, daughter and heiress of John Bonville (1417–1494) of Shute, nephew of William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville (1392–1461) of Shute. As William Pole stated: "By this match of Bonvile's daughter the estate of Copleston was greatly augmented" Anne Bonville was heiress, from her maternal grandmother Leva Gorges, to the manor of Tamerton Foliot and her father John Bonville was, through his mother, the grandson and heir of Martin Ferrers.

Raphe Copleston (died 1491)

Raphe Copleston (died 1491) (son), according to J. L. Vivian called "The Great Copleston". He married Ellen Arundell, daughter of Sir John Arundell of Lanherne, St. Mawgan-in-Pyder, Cornwall, from a leading Cornish family. In the Subsidy of 1434 his estate was assessed at £100 and he served in the honourable position of Justice of the Peace in 1451.

John Copleston (1475–1550)

John Copleston (1475–1550) (son). John Prince (d.1723) called him "The Great Copleston". He was co-heir of his great-grandfather John Bonville. He married twice, firstly to Margaret St Ledger, a daughter and co-heiress of Bartholomew St Ledger, which marriage was childless, and secondly to Katherine Bridges, daughter of Raphe Bridges.

Christopher Copleston (1524–1586)

Christopher Copleston (1524–1586) (son by his father's second marriage), Sheriff of Devon in 1560. He married twice: firstly to Mary Courtenay, daughter of George Courtenay (who predeceased his father Sir William Courtenay (1477–1535) "The Great" of Powderham), which marriage was childless; secondly he married Jone Paulet, daughter of Sir Hugh Paulet (before 1510 – 1573) of Hinton St George, Somerset, Governor of Jersey.

John Copleston (died 1608)

John Copleston (1546/9 – 1608) (second son and heir, by his father's second marriage), married Susan Pollard, a daughter of Lewis Pollard of King's Nympton, Recorder of Exeter and Sergeant-at-Law, who was grandson of Sir Lewis Pollard (c. 1465 – 1526), Justice of the Common Pleas.

According to John Prince, John Copleston murdered his godson, who was possibly an illegitimate son, at Tamerton Foliot; through his influential friends at the royal court he procured a pardon from Queen Elizabeth by paying a large fine which necessitated the sale of thirteen of his manors in Cornwall. The couple's monument, erected in 1617 and repaired in 1894, survives in St Mary's Church, Tamerton Foliot.

Amias Copleston (died 1621)

Amias Copleston (1581/2 – 1621) (son). He was buried at Tamerton Foliot, the manor his ancestors had inherited by marriage to Anne Bonville. He resided at the former Gorges seat of Warleigh within that manor, and thus possibly had abandoned ancient Copleston as the family's principal seat. He married Gertrude Chichester (d.1621), second daughter of Sir John Chichester (d.1586), of Raleigh, Pilton, Sheriff of Devon in 1576(or 1585) from a leading family in North Devon.

John Copleston (1609–1632)

John Copleston (1609–1632) (son), died childless aged 23 and was buried at Tamerton Foliot. He was the last of the family of Copleston of Copleston and Tristram Risdon wrote of him:

The heir male of this house was a hopeful young gentleman, lately dying issueless, who left his lands unto his two sisters, married into the families of Bampfield and Elford.

Copleston's older sister, Elizabeth Copleston (born 1608), married (as his first of four wives) John Elford (1603–1678) of Sheepstor, near Buckland Monachorum in Devon, whose ruined manor house survives on the shore of Burrator Reservoir. Elizabeth had no male issue, only four daughters, including Gertrude Elford, who married Roger Wollocombe of Combe; Elizabeth Elford, who married Edmund Fortescue of London; and Barbara Elford, who married Arthur Fortescue (1622–1693) of Penwarne, Cornwall and of Filleigh, Devon, ancestor of Earl Fortescue.

The younger sister, Gertrude Copleston (born 1611), married in 1632 at Tamerton Foliot to Sir John Bampfylde, 1st Baronet (c. 1610–1650) of Poltimore and North Molton in Devon. She was the heiress of Warleigh and of the manor of Tamerton Foliot, which the Bampfylde family retained for several generations until 1741, when it was sold to Walter Radcliffe of Franklin, whose wife Admonition Bastard was a great-granddaughter of the heiress Gertrude Copleston. Gertrude's son and heir was Sir Coplestone Bampfylde, 2nd Baronet (c. 1633 – 1692), MP and Sheriff of Devon. In 1741 Copleston and Poltimore in Devon and Hardington in Somerset were the seats of Sir Richard Bampfylde, 4th Baronet (1722–1776), MP.

By these heirs the manor of Copleston was sold in 1659 and it descended into the families of Wollocombe and Fortescue.