Holcombe Rogus is an historic manor in the parish of Holcombe Rogus in Devon. The present grade I listed Tudor manor house known as Holcombe Court was built by Sir Roger Bluett circa 1540 and was owned by the Bluett family until 1858 when Peter Frederick Bluett sold the estate to Rev. William Rayer, Rector of Tidcombe near Tiverton. The house is situated immediately to the west of the parish church. The gardens and grounds are screened off from the public road at the south by a high wall in which is a tall and broad entrance archway which forms the start of the entrance drive.
The manor of Holcombe Rogus had been acquired by the Bluett family in the early 15th century following the marriage of Sir John Bluett lord of the manor of neighbouring Greenham Barton and Cothay Manor, both in Somerset, about 1 1/2 miles north-east of Holcombe Rogus, to Maude Chiseldon, daughter and co-heiress of John Chiseldon (d.1420) of Holcombe Rogus Sheriff of Devon in 1406, whose other daughter and co-heiress, Margaret Chiseldon, married Sir William Wadham (died 1452), of Edge, Branscombe, Devon and Merryfield, Ilton, Somerset, ancestor of Nicholas Wadham (1531/2–1609), the co-founder with Dorothy Wadham of Wadham College, Oxford.
Cothay Manor (2 1/2 miles to the north-east), was rebuilt in 1481 by Richard Bluett, and the Manor of Kittisford was later added to the Bluett estates.
The south entrance front was described by Pevsner as "the most spectacular example of the Tudor style in Devon". The front porch is entered through a four-centred arch above which is a three-storey bay-window protruding and supported by corbels. The porch is surmounted by a massive buttressed tower with a staircase turret on its west (left) side. The front door opens into the screens passage which in its west side has not only the usual three doorways leading originally to buttery kitchen and pantry but also a fourth leading to the stair turret. To the east (right) of the entrance is the great hall, which has two tall six-lighted windows with single transoms. The roof-space was subsequently ceiled to form a 65-foot long gallery above, said by Pevsner to be the best example from the 16th century in Devon. On its plaster ceiling survive the initials of the builder Sir Roger Bluett (d.1566), which makes it the earliest datable plaster ceiling in Devon. The north and west ranges were added or rebuilt in the Victorian age, c. 1859-68 by Rev. W. Rayer to the design of John Hayward. A prominent feature of the south aspect of the house is the large circular dovecote on the east (right) side, further east of which is the stable court yard
The Devon topographer Rev. John Swete (1752–1821) visited Holcombe Court as part of his travels in June 1800, and recorded the following in his journal:
I had before me full in view a very picturesque scene formed by the village of Holcombe Rogus, its church and castellated mansion, long a seat and residence of the Bluets. This latter I found nearly at the head of the village street, contiguous to the church and to the vicarage house, a most magnificant antient edifice, of considerable extent and altogether such a pile (considering it the mansion of a private family) as is not to be parallel'd in the county...These, by alliances with other families of note and opulence and by producing from their own stock several scyons of worth and eminence, raised their name into high esteem among the gentlemen of the county during a long continued period of ten generations and if an inference may be allowed to be drawn from the great size of the hall, "la grande sale a manger", displayed often their hospitality to their tenantry and neighbours. The present hall, ornamented with carved work and painted glass, is not coaeval with the tower of entrance (which perhaps is the most antient part) but was erected about the middle of the sixteenth century by Sir Roger Bluet, Kt., as is supposed from his name being there visible! The proprietor of the mansion is Peter Bluett, I know not whether of this family of Holcombe Rogus, but adopted by the late proprietor, from Falmouth in Cornwall and invested with the major part of the landed property which he had possessed. Mr Polwhele passed an encomium on this Gentm., hypothetical it is true, but suppositions are not unfrequently raised on plausible tho' fallacious foundations, and the less a man commits himself on this score, fewer will be the impeachments levelled against his sagacity and judgement!!! I have no encomium to pass but from the information of Mr Drewe of Grange, that there were reports circulating that much of the fine wood behind the house was to be converted into cash and that the mansion itself was to be let ( since advertised) and from the apparent neglect of the fine old edifice "quaeque egomet ipse vidi" and the solitude by which it was encompast, I have to regret that not more of the estimable qualities and hereditary principles of the antient stock had, with the estates, been transmitted to this scyon of adoption. Within the gateway, which with surrounding walls inclosed a green area before the house, during the whole of the time in which I was taking the preceding view, I saw no living creature (tho' I understood it was inhabited by the family) but a flock of geese depasturing on the scanty herbage and a number of greyhounds basking themselves in the sun stretched out on the low wall. By the cackling of the one and the barking of the other as soon as I made my entre within the gate, I was at first a good deal annoyed...
Swete, as was often his habit, then diverted to the classical world and continued to muse for a couple of pages upon the geese which saved the capitol at Rome and the greyhound described by Ovid, and on the attitude of the ancient Romans towards both these species, finally recovering himself thus:
From this lusorium of the dogs and geese whom I left at their several occupations, I return to the mansion merely to observe that its walls are formed from the marble quarries with which this parish abounds and that in the front towards the west the same injudicious alteration in the form of the windows has taken place, 'tis may be remarked of the principal one in the sketch the Gothic style having been converted to the Grecian and the antient mullion modernised to the trim sash!! In the church as might be expected are to be found a number of monuments in honour of the family of Bluett, many of them of considerable beauty and magnificance and one in particular of white marble of John Bluett Esq. and his wife Elizth. daughter of Sir Jn. Portman Bart., whose effigies are in a recumbent posture surrounded by eight daughters kneeling. The road winding round the house ascended immediately a steepish hill giving me a view of the garden which it skirted and of the noble hanging wood that defended it from the northern blasts. Notwithstanding however the contiguity of this road to a gentleman's place of residence and to lime rocks, the chippings of whose stones must necessarily afford abundant materials for its repair, it was so rugged and full of ruts as to render it, in addition to the steepness of its acclivity, extremely incommodious to the traveller.
Swete then headed for Hockworthy.
The Domesday Book of 1086 lists the manor as having been a member of Baldwin FitzGilbert's huge feudal barony of Okehampton, which comprised about 167 manors. Baldwin's tenant in 1086, and therefore one of his knights, was Rogo, who also held from him Hockworthy, Monkculm, Bernardsmoor, Tapps, Chevithorne and Colwell. The tenancy of the manor of Holcombe descended to his son who took as his family name the surname "FitzRogus" (Latinised form: Filius Rogonis, French form: Fils de Rogus, "son of Rogus"). Risdon stated the manor in the reign of King Henry III (1216-1272) to have been held by Simon Filius Rogonis, who was succeeded by "Rogon Filius Simonis". (Latinised form). The arms of Rogus of Holcombe, later quartered by the Bluett family, were: Azure, a chevron argent between three chess-rooks or
Richard II Chiseldon married Margaret FitzRogus, daughter and heiress of Henry FitzRogus, and thus Holcombe passed to the Chiseldon family, of unknown origin. The manor of Chiseldon in Wiltshire was held by Hyde Abbey until 1538 and the Dissolution of the Monasteries. In 1305 Chiseldon Mill, Wiltshire, was conveyed with a virgate of land by Philip atte Mulle to a certain "Richard of Chiseldon", who cannot however be linked with any certainty to the Chiseldon family of Holcombe Rogus. Richard II Chiseldon was the son of Richard I (or Nicholas) Chiseldon by his wife Joan Tantifer, daughter and heiress of Walter Tantifer (alias Taundifer, Tautifer, Fattifer, etc.) of Anke (modern: Aunk) in the parish of Clyst Hydon, Devon. The arms of Tantifer, later quartered by Bluett, were: Azure, two bars between nine martlets argent, 3,3,2,1 The Chiseldons held in addition to Anke the manors of Rewe and South Tawton in Devon.John I Chiseldon (d.1420), who married a certain "Jone"John II Chiseldon, who married Elizabeth Warr, daughter of Richard Warr. He left no male issue, only two daughters as his co-heiresses to Holcombe Rogus, Anke, Rewe and South Tawton:Margaret Chiseldon, who married Sir William Wadham (d.1452), of Edge, Branscombe in Devon and Merryfield, Ilton in Somerset, whose share was Anke, Rewe and South Tawton. The monumental brass of Sir William Wadham survives in the Wadham Chapel of St Mary's Church, Ilminster, Somerset, in which he is shown with a female figure, his mother, not Margaret Chiseldon his wife. All brass heraldic escutcheons are missing from the monument. The arms of Chiseldon Or, on a chevron gules three martlets or appear quartered on the monuments to John Wadham (d.1578) in Branscombe Church, and on the grand monument also in St Mary's Church, Ilminster, to his son Nicholas Wadham (d.1609), co-founder of Wadham College, Oxford.Matilda (or Maud) Chiseldon, who married Sir John (Roger) Bluett of Greenham, whose share was Holcombe Rogus.The Bluett family (alias Blewett, anciently Bloet), was of Norman origin, said to have originated at the Normandy manor of Briqueville-la-Blouette. The first recorded ancestor of this family is commonly stated to have been William Bluett, Earl of Salisbury. According to the 19th century historian the Duchess of Cleveland (Catherine Powlett), the myth derived from a statement made in the 16th century "(the epoch of mendacious genealogies)" by the herald William Hervey (1510-1567), Clarenceux King of Arms, and "there is no record of any prior grant of the Earldom that was bestowed by the Empress Maud on Patrick D'Evreux early in the twelfth century". The earliest recorded ancestors of the Bluett family of Holcombe Rogus were as follows:
William Bluett, "Earl of Salisbury".Sir Rowland Bluett (youngest son), who married Lettice Ragland, daughter and co-heiress of Jeoffry Ragland, Lord Ragland. (Raglan, Monmouthshire, Wales).Sir Edmund Bluett (son), who married Isabell Bowen, sister of Sir Humphry Bowen. His 2nd son was Robert Bloet (d. 1123), Bishop of Lincoln 1093-1123 and Lord Chancellor of England.Sir Roger Bluett (eldest son), who married Joane Powis, daughter of Sir Lewis Powis, Lord of Powys, WalesSir Thomas Bluett (son), who married Edith Ward, sister of Owen Ward, Lord of Penalton (location unknown). At about this point in the descent, in 1171 or 1172, a certain Gualterus Bloet (Walter Bloet) was granted the vill of Raglan in Monmouthshire by Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (1130–1176) (Strongbow), to be held by the feudal service of one Welsh knight.Sir Ralph Bluett (son), Lord of Ragland. He was witness to a deed during the reign of King Henry III (1216-1272). He is said in the traditional pedigrees to have married a certain Hawys de Monthermer, sister of "Gilbert (sic) de Monthermer, Earl of Hereford (sic) and Gloucester". No such earl appears to have existed. The Earls of Hertford and Gloucester during the reign of King Henry III were as follows: Gilbert de Clare, 4th Earl of Hertford, 5th Earl of Gloucester (1180–1230), Richard de Clare, 5th Earl of Hertford, 6th Earl of Gloucester (1222–1262) and Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford, 7th Earl of Gloucester (1243–1295). The Monthermer earldom was later, in the person of Ralph de Monthermer, 1st Baron Monthermer (d. 1325), who acquired the earldoms through marriage to Joan of Acre, the widow of the 7th Earl. The armorials of Bluett however show three eagles displayed, similar to the single eagle displayed of Monthermer, quartered by the Earls of Salisbury.Sir Walter Bluett (son), who married Christiana Grantham (i.e. "Greenham"), daughter and co-heiress of Symon Grantham of Grantham (i.e. "Greenham"), Somerset.Sir Walter Bluett (son), MP for Somerset in 1311. He married Ele Mallett, daughter of Sir John Mallett.John Bluett (son), who married Agnes Bewpenny, daughter and heiress of Sir Thomas Bewpenny by his wife Joane de la More, daughter and co-heiress of Sir Stephen de la More. A certain Elizabeth Bloet, an heiress, married Sir James Berkeley who became lord of Raglan in 1399. John's eldest son and heir was John Bluett, who married Maud Chiseldon, heiress of Holcombe Rogus.The descent of Bluett of Holcombe Rogus is as follows:
John Bluett, son and heir of John Bluett by his wife Agnes Bewpenny, daughter and heiress of Sir Thomas Bewpenny by his wife Joane de la More, daughter and co-heiress of Sir Stephen de la More. He married Maud Chiseldon, heiress of Holcombe Rogus, by which means he inherited that manor.Walter Bluett (son), who married Jane St Maur, daughter of John St Maur by his wife Elizabeth Brooke, daughter of Thomas Brooke (c.1391-1439), MP for Dorset (UK Parliament constituency) and SomersetNicholas Bluett (d.1523) (son), who married Joane FitzJames, daughter of John FitzJames of Redlinch, Somerset.Richard Bluett (brother), whose monumental brass exists in St Nicholas' Church in Kittisford, Somerset. He rebuilt Cothay Manor. He married Mary Grenville, a daughter of Sir Thomas Grenville (d.1513) lord of the manor of Bideford in Devon and of Stowe in the parish of Kilkhampton in Cornwall. She survived him and married secondly Thomas St Aubyn. His younger son Francis Bluett established his own line of the family at Little Colan, between St Columb Major and Minor, near Newquay in Cornwall, having married Elizabeth Colan, daughter and heiress of Tristram Colan, lord of that manor. A monumental brass dated 20 May 1572 exists in St Colan's Church, Colan, showing Francis Bluett with his wife, 13 sons (one of whom was Colan Bluett whose will was dated 20/2/1593) and 9 daughters. Francis's descendant Robert Bluett (d.1725) inherited Holcombe Rogus on the failure of the male line of the senior branch of the family.Sir Roger Bluett (1503-1566), eldest son. In September 1546 Roger Bluett together with Sir Richard Grenville (c.1495-1550), of Stowe, Cornwall and Bideford, MP for Cornwall in 1529, paid nearly £1,170 for the manors of Canonsleigh in Burlescombe and Tynyell in Landulph. He married Jane Rowe (d.1583), eldest daughter of John Rowe (d.1544) of Kingston House, Staverton, near Totnes, Devon, Serjeant-at-law.John Bluett (d.1585) (son), "of Greenham", who married Dorothy Blount (a first cousin of Lady Jane Grey (1536/7-1554) Queen of Nine Days), one of the two daughters and co-heiresses of William Blount, 4th Baron Mountjoy (c.1478–1534), KG, and his wife Dorothy Grey, daughter of Thomas Grey, 7th Baron Ferrers of Groby, 1st Earl of Huntingdon, 1st Marquess of Dorset (1455-1501), KG, father of Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk, 3rd Marquess of Dorset (1517-1554), KG, and grandfather of Lady Jane Grey.Richard Bluett (d.1614) (son), whose monument with effigy exists in Holcombe Rogus Church. He married Mary Chichester (1548-1613), a daughter of Sir John Chichester (d.1569) of Raleigh, North Devon, and sister of Arthur Chichester, 1st Baron Chichester (1563-1624/5) and of Edward Chichester, 1st Viscount Chichester (1568–1648), of Eggesford, Devon. They had the following progeny, 6 sons and 5 daughters, as is stated on their monument:Arthur Bluett (d.1612), his eldest son, who predeceased his father and married Joan (1583-1641) who married secondly Philip Poyntz (d.1645). Arthur matriculated at Exeter College, Oxford on 19 February 1591 aged 15, and was admitted to train as a lawyer at Grays Inn in 1593.RogerWalterCharlesFrancisCharles the youngerGertrudeAmeyJoaneAnneDorothySir John Bluett (1603-1634), (grandson, son of Arthur Bluett), MP for Tiverton 1628-9. His monument with effigy exists in Holcombe Rogus Church. On 16 April 1619 aged 15, he matriculated at Wadham College, Oxford, founded (posthumously) only nine years before in 1610 by his distant cousin Nicholas Wadham (d.1609) of Merryfield, Somerset. Nicholas's ancestor Sir William Wadham (d.1452) had married the other Chiselden co-heiress (Margaret) whose sister had brought Holcombe Rogus to the Bluetts. He married Elizabeth Portman (1602-1636) by whom he had no male progeny but eight daughters. These latter were prevented from inheriting the manor by tail-male, and the heir was his brother Francis.Col. Francis Bluett (d.1644) (brother), a Royalist during the Civil War, was killed at the Siege of Lyme Regis in 1644. He matriculated at Wadham College, Oxford on 30 June 1626 aged 18, and was a law student at the Middle Temple in 1628. He married Joan, and had two sons, John and Francis.John Bluett (eldest son), died without progeny.Francis Bluett (1638-1691) (brother), killed in battle in 1691 during the Glorious Revolution. He was the last of the male line of the senior branch. His heir was his fifth cousin Robert Bluett (d.1725) of Little Colan in Cornwall.Robert Bluett (d.1725) (fifth cousin), of Little Colan in Cornwall. He was apparently the son of John Bluett (1638-1700) of Holcombe Rogus by his wife Elizabeth Buckland (d.1692), daughter of John Buckland of West Harptree in Somerset. He married Keren-Happuch Wood, daughter of Robert Wood, LLD, of "Shenville", possibly Shenfield, in Essex, by whom he had ten children. His mural monument exists in Holcombe Rogus Church.John Bluett (eldest son), married Anne Hart daughter of Percival Hart of Lullingstone Castle in Kent. He was instrumental in settling the affairs of the South Sea Company in 1720-1. He died without male progeny.Rev. Robert Bluett (d.1749) (brother). He married Jane Webster, 3rd daughter of Sir Thomas Webster, 1st Baronet (1676-1751), MP for Colchester 1705-1711, 1713-1714 and 1722-1727, of Battle Abbey in Sussex.John Edward Robert Bluett (d.1766) (son) died young, aged 17.Buckland Nutcombe Bluett (d.1786) (uncle), married Hannah Hill, daughter of Richard Hill Esq., of Kerswell Priory, Broadhembury, Devon and widow of Richard Nutcombe of Nutcombe Manor (4 miles NW of Holcombe Rogus) in the parish of Clayhanger, Devon. He erected a mural monument to his father and elder brothers in Holcombe Rogus Church. He died without male issue and bequeathed the manor to his supposed distant cousin Peter Bluett, of Falmouth in Cornwall, whom after much personal research he deemed to have been descended from Colan Bluett, of Little Colan, who died in the early 17th century, and whose will was dated 20 May 1572.Peter Bluett (1767-1843), of Falmouth, (supposed cousin), died without issue.William Bluett, (brother) of Bath, Somerset.Peter Frederick Bluett (son), in 1830 at Trinity, Jersey, he married Caroline Lefever. He was living at Holcombe Court in 1848. In 1849 he donated land within the manor for the building of a school. In 1858 he sold the manor of Holcombe Rogus to Rev. William Rayer. His 3rd son was Col. Charles Edward Lane Bluett (1836-1919), JP, 22nd Cheshire Regiment, who married in 1867 Anna Cooke. They had children including the following: the eldest son was Major Charles Frederick Seymour Bluett (b. 1878) of the Cape Mounted Rifles and Natal Mounted Rifles; the second son was Lt. Com. Bertie William Bluett (1883-1914), Royal Navy, killed in action on board the cruiser HMS Monmouth sunk at the Battle of Coronel off Chile in 1914. Their daughter was Dorothy Evelyn Harriet Bluett (d.6/11/1873).The monument to Richard Bluett (d.1614) and his wife Mary Chichester (d.1613) contains their recumbent effigies and is situated against the north wall of the Bluett Chapel in All Saints' Church, Holcombe Rogus. It displays the following inscriptions contained on four tablets:
"Memoriae Sacrum Mary ye only wife of Richard Bluet of Holcombe Rogus Esq., ye daughter of Sr. John Chichester of Rawleigh, knight, & sister to ye Right Ho.ble ye Lord Chichester, Lord Deputy of ye Kingdom of Irelande who had issue 6 sonnes v(i)z: Arthur, Roger, Walter, Charles, Francies and Charles ye younger, and five daughters, Gertrude, Amey, Joane, Anne and Dorothy. She departed this life ye eleventh day of Februarie 1613 being of ye age of 65 yeres".
"To the dear virtuos memorie of Richard Bluet late of Holcombe Esq., who deceased the 3rd of March 1614 and lieth here interred.
Nor goodnes nor desert must hope to have,
A priviledge of life against the grave,
For these lie here intomb'd death did his best,
He chaung'd but houres of toyle for houres of rest,
Which this good man hath found his faith made way,
To Heaven before his workes still day by day,
Now follow him such grace doth mercyi give,
As who lives well to die dyes well to live.
Nascendo (c?) mori(t)ur, morie(n)do renascimur".
(In being born he will die, in dying may we be reborn)
"Ye poore she often would releve,
Yet would not wastfull be,
Her death a paterne was to die,
Her life was good likewise,
Her life & death assuer her friends,
That she to joy shall ryse.
Vixi in freto, morior in portu".
(I lived in the straits, I die in harbour)
"A modest matron here doth lye,
A myrror of her kinde,
Her husband & her childrens good,
Her lyke is rare to finde,
Godly chast and hospitable,
A houswife rare was she".
