Eggesford

Edward married secondly Mary Denham, which marriage is recorded by a date-stone now set in the wall of Eggesford Barton inscribed "E.C.M.

Tristram Risdon's 1620 "Survey of Devonshire" furthermore records regarding Eggesford that Edward Lord Chichester "hath made a dainty dwelling thereof".

Edward and Anne's eldest son and heir was Arthur Chichester, 1st Earl of Donegall (1606–1674/5), who erected a very elaborate alabaster monument to his first two wives in Eggesford Church.

This seemingly arose through the terms of a marriage settlement, not preserved in the records, in which John Hill insisted the manor should descend to the children, male or female, of his daughter and son-in-law.

He was the son of Sir William St Ledger (died 1642), Lord President of Munster in 1627, MP for County Cork in 1639 and Privy Counsellor, by his wife Gertrude de Vries.

William Fellowes (1660–1724) purchased the manor of Eggesford in 1718 and immediately rebuilt the Chichester house of c. 1620 in early Palladian style, using red bricks.

His heir erected a very impressive neo-classical monument to his memory, which necessitated an eastward expansion of the north aisle of the church, and the creation of an extra window for lighting.

He clearly became very fond of his new manor of Eggesford, as the Latin inscription on his monument makes clear: "M(emoriae) S(acrum) Gulielmi Fellowes Arm(ige)ri almae curiae cancellariae Magistri quo officio tenente summa legis et aequitatis cura decessit 19.mo (undevicensimo) Jan(uar)ii 1723 aeta(tis) 64.

Mariam Josephi Martyn de London mercatoris viri integritate insignis filiam et haeredem duxit; liberos quinqe ex ea genitos viz (videlicet) tres filios et duas filias reliquit.

"Sacred to the memory of William Fellowes, Esquire, Master of the Court of Chancery in holding which office in the highest care of law and equity he departed on the 19th of January 1723 of his age 64.

Desiring his family long to remain here he wished his bones to be deposited in this place".The monument is said to have been made in Italy and originally included four kneeling figures at the base.

The marriage settlement dated 1725 required him to transfer to trustees in tail male the following lands:[17] "Manors of Eggesford, Chawley also Chawleigh, Borrington also Burrington, Cheldon Cudlip East Worlington Witherigges also Witheridge and Drayford, the Hundred of Witherigges, the capital messuage called Eggesford in Eggesford parish and Chawley, other lands in parish of Eggesford, Wembworthy, Chawley, Borrington, Winkley Rings Ash Dowland Rose Ash Crediton, South Tawton, Great Torrington, Cholmley Cheldon Cudlip EastWorlington Witheridges and Drayford, parts of the Manor, borough, hundred, rights and lands of Northtawton, the Manor, borough, hundred, rights and lands of Brampton (sic, Bampton), the Manor of Hollacomb Parramore in p. of Wynkley, lands in Winkley and Winkley Town, messuages in Goldsmith Street and Keylane by Key Gate, Exeter, parts of messuages in Moreton Hamstead and Chagford and the advowsons of the churches of Eggesford, Chawley, Cheldon, and East Worlington, Devon, and the Manor of Mountsey also Mounyseaux and lands in Mounseaux and Dullverton, Somerset".In 1737 Coulson acquired Ramsey Abbey and Abbots Ripton[18] near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire and was MP for Huntingdonshire from 1741 to 1761.

Newton's elder brother John Wallop (1767–1853) was destined to become the 3rd Earl of Portsmouth and to inherit the extensive family estates in Hampshire; he was also known to have been insane even from childhood.

The question is whether, because H.A.Fellowes was duped into leaving his lands in Devon, Somerset, Essex and Middlesex and some money to his supposed, but actually non-existent, children by Mrs Martha Brown, the rest of the will is valid.

The will was deemed valid, and the unfortunate Mrs Brown was imprisoned in the Fleet, from where she made a plea for financial assistance to fight the case and secure her legacy and annuity.

[26] Newton Wallop was deemed the legal heir under the will and thus inherited Eggesford and by royal licence in 1794 duly adopted for himself and his issue the name and arms of Fellowes.

"I went to reconnoitre the beauties of Eggesford, the seat of the Hon.ble Mr Fellowes, I was first conducted to a range of cottages which the maternal uncle of the present possessor had erected for some poor families: they consisted of three double houses with a narrow alley between each and a long strip of garden.

He praises the setting, but remarks "The detraction, which appeared glaringin my eye, was the red colour: brick houses are always offensive when situate among fields and woods, they should be ever in populous cities pent; the picturesque tint is a sober grey, or a soften'd ruddy brown; it should be in short of, or like, the Portland stone, a modest tint of this cast, when beheld in the bosom of weoods, or relieved by large spreading trees, had the finest possible effect, and was Eggesford mine I would either stucco it or case it with the patent tile, imitative of the Portland hue"...John Christie, the founder of Glyndebourne Opera Festival, was born here in 1882.

Arms of Reigny of Eggesford: Gules, a pair of wings conjoined ermine , as engraved on a bell in the tower of Eggesford Church [ 1 ]
Arms of Copleston of Eggesford: Argent, a chevron engrailed gules between three lion's faces azure . From monument to Edward Chichester, 1st Viscount Chichester (1568–1648) and his wife Anne Copleston (1588–1616), Eggesford Church
Arms of Chichester of Eggesford: Chequy or and gules, a chief vair a crescent sable for difference . The crescent is a cadency mark of a second son
Monument to Edward Chichester, 1st Viscount Chichester (1568–1648) of Carickfergus & his wife Anne Copleston (1588–1616), Eggesford Church, north wall of north aisle chapel
Monument to two first wives of Arthur Chichester, 1st Earl of Donegall (1606-1674/5), Eggesford Church, Devon, south wall of nave
Arms of St Ledger, Viscounts Doneraile : Azure fretty argent, a chief or [ 11 ]
The red-brick Palladian Eggesford House as built in 1718 by William Fellowes (died 1724), north front facing river, shown before the alterations of 1792 which extended the wings upwards to form a uniform roof-line. Eggesford Church would stand some 20 yards to the SE of the eastern (left) end of the house (i.e. to the left, slightly set-back) [ 13 ]
Arms of Fellowes of Eggesford: Azure, a fesse indented ermine between three lion's heads erased or murally crowned argent
Monument to William Fellowes, Esq., (died 1723/4), Eggesford Church, Devon, east wall of north aisle
Arms of Wallop, Earls of Portsmouth: Argent, a bend wavy sable [ 20 ]
"North East View of Eggesford" dated 1797, watercolour by Rev. John Swete . Devon Record Office ref: 564M/F11/99. This is Old Eggesford House in Eggesford parish, demolished c. 1830
"Eggesford, Seat of Hon. Newton Fellowes ", viewed from NW, watercolour by Rev. John Swete dated 1797. Devon Record Office 564M/F11/111
"Eggesford House, Devonshire, the seat of the Honourable Newton Wallop Fellows (sic) MP to whom this plate is most respectfully inscribed by the proprietors, London, R Jennings W. Chaplin, 1833". This is the new Eggesford House, built c. 1830 in the adjacent Wembworthy parish, whilst the old Eggesford House was situated next to Eggesford Church in Eggesford parish
Eggesford House, near Wembworthy, Devon. Chromolithograph published in "A Series of Picturesque Views Of Seats Of Noblemen and Gentlemen Of Great Britain And Ireland", 1870/80, edited by Rev. Francis Orpen Morris , B.A., Volume 6, 11" x 8"
Eggesford House in 1888, viewed from SE. (English Heritage, Bedford Lemere and Co. collection, NMR ref. no.: BL08521)