George Peard (1548–1621)

[2][b] He was ordained as a priest at some time before 1572, in which year he was appointed as Rector of Rampisham in Dorset, the patron of that advowson being Sir John Stawell of Somerset.

[2] In 1597 he was elected to represent Barnstaple in Parliament, benefiting from the rejection by the patron of the borough (the 4th earl of Bath), of the candidate put forward by the corporation.

His main interests were in affairs relevant to his home area, speaking for instance in favour of a bill to improve the quality of Devon's agricultural land by the use of sea sand.

In his will his main heir was his younger brother, John, though he left his wife a life interest in his Barnstaple properties.

He also made provision for the poor of the town and left "a ‘fair silver gilt bowl’ for the use of Barnstaple’s mayors in perpetuity.