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Soldon in the parish of Holsworthy, Devon, is an historic estate, noted as a seat of the Prideaux family. The manor house is a grade II listed building dating from the mid-16th century with later alterations. It was sold in 2014 as an eight bedroomed house with 1 1/2 acres of grounds for an asking price of £750,000.
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de Soldon
The earliest known holder of Soldon was the de Soldon family which took its surname from the estate. Pole (d.1635) records one of these owners as Stephan de Soldon, but without date.
Prideaux
Soldon was purchased by a junior branch of the Prideaux family, which also purchased the lordship of the manor of Holsworthy from the crown.
The Prideaux family is believed to be of Norman origin and to have first settled in England at some time after the Norman Conquest of 1066 at Prideaux Castle, near Fowey, in Cornwall. It abandoned that seat and moved to Devon, where it spread out in various branches, most notably at Orcharton, Modbury; Adeston, Holbeton; Thuborough, Sutcombe; Solden, Holsworthy; Netherton, Farway; Ashburton; Nutwell, Woodbury and Ford Abbey, Thorncombe. Another branch built Prideaux Place in Cornwall in 1592, where it survives today. It was one of the most widespread and successful of all the gentry families of Devon, and as remarked upon by Swete (d.1821), exceptionally most of the expansion was performed by younger sons, who by the custom of primogeniture were expected to make their own fortunes.
Nicholas Prideaux (d.1560)
Nicholas Prideaux (d.1560) purchased Soldon. He was a younger son of Fulk Prideaux (1472-1531) of Adeston in the parish of Holbeton in South Devon and of Theuborough in the parish of Sutcombe (adjacent to Soldon), by his second wife Katherine Poyntz, daughter of Sir Humphrey Poyntz (d.1487) of Langley, Yarnscombe, Devon. He died without progeny.
Roger Prideaux (c.1524-1582)
Roger Prideaux (c.1524-1582), nephew, of Soldon, was the 3rd son of Humphrey Prideaux (1487-1550) of nearby Theuborough in the parish of Sutcombe, eldest son and heir of Fulk Prideaux (1472-1531). He inherited Soldon from his childless uncle Nicholas Prideaux (d.1560) of Soldon and Padstow, Cornwall. He was Member of Parliament for Totnes in Devon in 1545 and 1547. He served as Escheator of Devon and Cornwall in 1550 and as Sheriff of Devon in 1577. In 1549 with his uncle Nicholas Prideaux he purchased lands in Devon and Dorset for £1,438, most of which they retained. In 1553 in partnership with Richard Chamond, MP, he purchased for £1,406 the manor of Launcells in Cornwall, and other properties in Essex, Devon and Somerset. He married Phillippa Yorke (d.1597), daughter of Richard (or Roger) Yorke, Serjeant-at-Law, and widow of Richard Parker.
Sir Nicholas Prideaux (1550-1627)
Sir Nicholas Prideaux (1550-1627) of Soldon, eldest son and heir, MP for Camelford 1571 and Sheriff of Cornwall in 1605. He inherited from his father the manors of Padstow, and the Devon manors of Holsworthy, Chesworthy, as well as his seat of Soldon, in Holsworthy. He married twice, firstly to Thomasine Henscott and secondly in 1576 he married Cheston Viell (d.1610), 2nd daughter and co-heiress of William Viell of St Breock in Cornwall. In 1592 he built the present mansion house at Prideaux Place, Padstow, Cornwall, and moved his residence there after 1600 when he granted Soldon to his eldest son Humphrey on the latter's marriage to Honor Fortescue. Prideaux Place was built just above the fishing-port village of Padstow and in about 1602 the historian of Cornwall Richard Carew wrote:
"Mr. Nicholas Prideaux from his new and stately house thereby taketh a full and large prospect of the town, haven and country adjoining, to all which his wisdom is a stay, his authority a direction".His younger brother was Sir Edmund Prideaux, 1st Baronet of Netherton (1554-1628), who also built a new mansion for himself, at Netherton, Farway in Devon, where his family was seated until 1875.
Humphrey Prideaux
Humphrey Prideaux, eldest son, who on his marriage to Honor Fortescue a daughter of Edmund Fortescue of Fallapit, East Allington, Devon, received a grant of Solden from his father.
Pitt
Early in the 1700s Soldon and the manor of Holsworthy were purchased from the Prideaux family by Thomas Pitt, 1st Earl of Londonderry (died 1729). It was inherited by his son Thomas Pitt, 2nd Earl of Londonderry (died 1734), who died without issue when it devolved onto Earl Stanhope, who was also lord of the manor of Holsworthy and patron of the living.