Winscott, Peters Marland

Domesday Book

The manor of "Winescote" was one of thirty-one manors, including "Mirland" (Peters Marland) and "Tuchbere" (Twigbeare), held by Roald Dubbed as listed in the Domesday Book of 1086, at which time he held it in demesne. It paid tax for one virgate of land, and had land for 3 ploughs.

Richard II Stevens (1702-1776)

Richard II Stevens (1702-1776) of Winscott, was MP for the Rolle family's pocket borough of Callington in Cornwall between 1761 and 1768. His mural monument exists in Peters Marland Church. He was one of the two sons of Richard I Stevens by his wife Elizabeth, and his brother was Henry Stevens (1689-1748) of Cross, in the parish of Little Torrington. Richard II Stevens (d.1776) married Elizabeth (1707-1760), of unknown family, by whom he had three sons who pre-deceased him without progeny and two daughters who were also without progeny. His daughter Elizabeth Stevens (1727-1792) married firstly Robert Awse of Horwood House in the parish of Frithelstock, and secondly John II Clevland (1734-1817), seven times MP for Barnstaple, of Tapeley near Bideford. Winscott passed after Cleveland's death to the descendants of Richard's elder brother, Henry Stevens (d.1748), of Cross, thus re-uniting the three Stevens estates.

Ancestry of Stevens

No entry for the Stevens family exists in the 1620 Heraldic Visitation of Devon, and thus the family's pedigree is not officially recorded, and the family must be assumed not to have been counted amongst the gentry of Devon at that time, or to have settled in the county after that date. The same arms as used by the Devon family were however recorded as adopted in 1606 by a Gloucestershire family called "Stephens", of Chavenage House, Eastington, which family rose to considerable prominence during the Civil War as Parliamentarians.

Thomas Moore-Stevens (1782-1832)

Thomas Moore-Stevens (1782-1832), of Vielston, Buckland Brewer, later of Cross, was the son of Rev. Thomas Moore (1740-1802), vicar of Bishops Tawton by his wife (whom he had married in 1779) Christiana Stevens (1743-1828), sister of Henry Stevens (1739-1802). He succeeded to Cross and other property under an entail, and to Winscott under the will of Elizabeth Clevland, daughter and heir of Richard Stevens of Winscott and wife of John II Clevland (1734–1817), of Tapeley. He adopted the name and arms of Stevens, by royal licence dated 12 July 1817, on the death of John Clevland (1734-1817), 2nd husband of Elizabeth Stevens, as a condition of her will. He was of Winscott, BA Balliol College, Oxford, 1803, a barrister of the Middle Temple, and Recorder of Exeter, as recorded on his mural monument in Little Torrington Church. He married in 1821 Sophia Le Marchant (1798-1860), younger daughter of Rev. Joshua Le Marchant of Guernsey, and had two daughters, Sophia and Louisa, who married Frederick Haworth of Kensington, Middlesex. Sophia Stevens's diaries between the years 1817-1836 are held at the North Devon Record Office in Barnstaple (ref:A 251), but a large gap exists around the time of her husband's death. He was the presumptive heir and next-of-kin to John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle (d.1842), (of the second creation of that title) his mother Christiana Stevens (d.1828) having been first cousin of John, Lord Rolle, who had only sisters and no children of his own. Lord Rolle however disposed of his property elsewhere under his will. Thomas Stevens died by suicide, as is recorded in the death notices in the 1832 Annual Register:

"14 Jan. At his seat, Cross, near Torrington, Thomas Stevens, Esq. recorder of Exeter, Barnstaple, and Torrington, and a major in the North Devon regiment of Yeomanry cavalry. Educated for the bar, he early displayed talents of a superior order, and in 1826 he was elected by the chamber of Exeter to fill the honourable and responsible office of recorder of that city. On Monday, January 9, Mr. Stevens sat in the court of quarter sessions in Barnstaple; and on Tuesday, at the quarter sessions in South Molton; and, on each of those days, he complained of indisposition in his head. A tumultuous assemblage of people at Torrington on the following days, called forth his active exertions both as a magistrate and an officer, and probably increased the excitement which disease had previously begotten in his mind. On Friday evening he wrote a letter to a gentleman, which bore strong indications of great mental agitation. In this perturbed state he retired to his room on the evening of Friday. In the morning (...) was heard from the dressing room, which induced Mrs. Stevens to hasten thither; and, on entering she caught her husband in her arms, deluged in blood flowing in torrents from a wound inflicted in his throat, which caused his death within a very short period".

It must be assumed that the Stevens inheritance was in tail-male as Thomas's heir was his younger brother the Revd John Moore-Stevens (d. 1865)

Ancestry of Moore-Stevens

As indicated by the Moore arms shown on the chancel floor of Peters Marland Church (1865), Thomas Moore (1740-1802) was of the Moore family, Earls of Mount Cashell, of Cashel, County Tipperary, Ireland, and Barons Kilworth, of Moore Park, Kilworth, County Cork. He may have been the brother of Rev. George Moore (d.1807), Canon Residentiary of Exeter, Archdeacon of Cornwall and vicar of Heavitree. Christiana Stevens was also the heir of her cousin Elizabeth Cleveland (née Stevens) (1727-1792), the only surviving child and daughter of Richard Stevens (d.1776) of Winscott. Their eldest son was Thomas Moore-Stevens (1782-1832), of Vielston, Buckland Brewer, later of Cross. He succeeded to Cross and other property under an entail, and to Winscott under the will of Elizabeth Clevland, daughter and heir of Richard Stevens of Winscott and wife of John II Clevland (1734–1817), of Tapeley, MP for Barnstaple in seven parliaments and Director of Greenwich Hospital. He adopted the name and arms of Stevens, by royal licence dated 12 July 1817, on the death of John Clevland (1734-1817), 2nd husband of Elizabeth Stevens, as a condition of her will. He was of Winscott, BA Balliol College, Oxford, 1803, a barrister of the Middle Temple, and Recorder of Exeter, as recorded on his mural monument in Little Torrington Church. He married in 1821 Sophia Le Marchant (1798-1860), younger daughter of Rev. Joshua Le Marchant of Guernsey, and had two daughters, Sophia and Louisa, who married Frederick Haworth of Kensington, Middlesex. Sophia Stevens's diaries between the years 1817-1836 are held at the North Devon Record Office in Barnstaple (ref:A 251), but a large gap exists around the time of her husband's death. He was the presumptive heir and next-of-kin to John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle (d.1842), (of the second creation of that title) his mother Christiana Stevens (d.1828) having been first cousin of John, Lord Rolle, who had only sisters and no children of his own. Lord Rolle however disposed of his property elsewhere under his will. Thomas Stevens died by suicide, as is recorded in the death notices in the 1832 Annual Register:

"14 Jan. At his seat, Cross, near Torrington, Thomas Stevens, Esq. recorder of Exeter, Barnstaple, and Torrington, and a major in the North Devon regiment of Yeomanry cavalry. Educated for the bar, he early displayed talents of a superior order, and in 1826 he was elected by the chamber of Exeter to fill the honourable and responsible office of recorder of that city. On Monday, January 9, Mr. Stevens sat in the court of quarter sessions in Barnstaple; and on Tuesday, at the quarter sessions in South Molton; and, on each of those days, he complained of indisposition in his head. A tumultuous assemblage of people at Torrington on the following days, called forth his active exertions both as a magistrate and an officer, and probably increased the excitement which disease had previously begotten in his mind. On Friday evening he wrote a letter to a gentleman, which bore strong indications of great mental agitation. In this perturbed state he retired to his room on the evening of Friday. In the morning (...) was heard from the dressing room, which induced Mrs. Stevens to hasten thither; and, on entering she caught her husband in her arms, deluged in blood flowing in torrents from a wound inflicted in his throat, which caused his death within a very short period".

It must be assumed that the Stevens inheritance was in tail-male as Thomas's heir was his younger brother the Revd John Moore-Stevens (d. 1865), appointed in 1822 Vicar of Otterton by Lord Rolle (whose main seat was then at nearby Bicton House and whose father Dennis Rolle (d.1797) had purchased the adjoining manor of Otterton.) John (by then Archdeacon of Exeter) also adopted the additional surname of Stevens (the king's royal licence to that effect, dated 17 July 1832, was gazetted on 24 July 1832.) He would also have assumed himself to have become, after his brother's death, the presumptive heir and next-of-kin to Lord Rolle. He married Anne Eleanor Roberts, daughter of Rev. William Roberts, fellow and vice-provost of Eton College. An inscribed white marble tablet exists to the memory of his wife and himself in Exeter Cathedral.

Arms of Moore-Stevens

The arms of Moore are given by Fox-Davies as follows: Sable, a swan wings elevated argent beaked and membered or within a bordure engrailed quarterly of the last and second Crests: 1. A falcon or belled and wings elevated azure, gorged with a collar gemel to the last, charged on the breast with an ermine-spot sable and on each wing with an estoile gold (Stevens); 2. In front of a fern-bush proper, a falcon wings elevated argent preying on a coney sable (Moore). These are the arms of the Moore family, Earls of Mount Cashell, of Cashel, County Tipperary, and of Baron Kilworth, of Moore Park, Kilworth, County Cork, given by Skey as Sable, a swan statant argent beaked and membered or within a bordure engrailed of the last; Crest— A goshawk wings addorsed argent preying on a coney sable.

John Curzon Moore-Stevens (b. 1818)

John Curzon Moore-Stevens (b. 1818), JP, DL, MP for North Devon, High Sheriff of Devon 1870, was the son and heir of Thomas Moore-Stevens (1782-1832). He rebuilt Winscott in 1865, immediately folling his inheritance. He had been brought up in the expectation of becoming the heir of John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle (1750-1842), of Stevenstone, who died childless and was his great-grandmother's nephew. However, Lord Rolle instead left his fortune to Hon. Mark Trefusis, who changed his name to Mark Rolle (d.1907), the nephew of his second wife Louisa Trefusis, a daughter of Baron Clinton. He married in 1850 Elizabeth Anne Johnson, daughter of Rev. Peter Johnson. He served as a JP on the Quarter Sessions Court of Devon, and Winscott House was built with its own "Magistrate's Room" with a separate entrance. He was especially reactionary and old-fashioned and at the Mid-Summer sessions of 1882 had declared his object was "to get rid of traction-engines altogether". On the abolition of the Quarter-Sessions in 1889 he was the only former JP to have been defeated by a non-magistrate in the elections for councillors to the new replacement governing body of the Devon County Council. In 1850 most of the land within the parish of Peters Marland belonged to Rev. John Moore-Stevens (d.1865), Archdeacon of Exeter, of Winscott House, with much also belonging to G. Oldham, Esq., of Twigbear.

Richard Arthur Moore-Stevens (1854-1931)

Col. Richard Arthur Moore-Stevens (1854-1931), son and heir of John Curzon Moore-Stevens (b. 1818). He served in the 3rd Battalion Devon Regiment, and was a strong believer in the Anglican faith. He moved to Bellenden House, Exeter, and shut up Winscott House in 1920. He married in 1886 his third cousin May Clare Sophy Haworth (d.1930), daughter of Frederick Haworth of Kensington, Middlesex by his wife Louisa Moore-Stevens, daughter of Thomas Moore-Stevens (d.1832). They had three children: John (b. 1900), Ralph (b. 1904) and Joyce. He disinherited his son for marrying a Roman Catholic. After his death in 1931 Winscott House was sold.

Sale of estate

Following the death of Richard Arthur Moore-Stevens (1854-1931) the estate of Winscott was sold. A timber merchant purchased the grounds and felled the trees, whilst the building firm of Chambers of Winkleigh purchased the house, which eventually was demolished without a trace surviving above ground. Some materials were used to construct a new village hall. A few specimen trees survive, but all traces of the orchard, terraces, tennis court and walled garden have vanished. The imposing entrance gates and lodge survive.