Manor of Monkleigh

The Domesday Book of 1086 records Monkleigh as Lege, the ninth of the 79 holdings in Devon as tenant-in-chief, of Robert, Count of Mortain (c. 1031–1090) the half-brother of William the Conqueror.

[1] During the reign of King Stephen (1135–1154) the manor of Monkleigh was granted by its then holder "Alfred the Butler", together with his other estates of Frizenham (in the parish of Little Torrington.

[4][5] Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, a lease of the manor of Monkleigh was granted by the crown gratis on 26 August 1540 to James Coffyn of Alwington and Anne his wife for the term of her life.

As is recorded in the text of the royal grant Anne was the widow of Sir George St Leger of Annery,[8] the chief estate within the manor of Monkleigh.

John Pine-Coffin (1735–1824), the grandson of his eldest sister Dorothy Coffin (b.1651) and her husband Edward Pyne of Eastdowne.

[24] Colonel Richard Geoffrey Pine-Coffin (1908–1974) DSO & Bar, MC, born at Portledge, was a parachute officer of the British Army during World War II.

The Pine-Coffin family until recently still possessed the advowson of Alwington Church, making it one of the most ancient lineages in Devon, albeit more recently via a female line, although the mansion of Portledge was converted into a hotel some time before 1959[25] and the estate of Portledge was sold in 1998, due to a dispute with the Inland Revenue.

Monkleigh, North Devon
16th century mural monument to a kneeling knight, featuring heraldry of the Coffin family. Monkleigh Church, high up on north wall of chancel. Monumental brass depicting a bearded knight, said to represent James Coffin (died 1566) [ 6 ] kneeling in prayer, surrounded by heraldic escutcheons depicting the arms of Coffin: Azure, three bezants between eight crosses crosslet or
Detail of James Coffin monumental brass, [ 6 ] Monkleigh Church.
Inscribed slate mural monument to Jane Coffyn (died 1646), Monkleigh Church, west wall of north transept. Inscription: "Resurgimus" (we will rise again) "Jane the eldest childe of John Coffyn Esqr wife of Hugh Prust, gent, 13 Mons" "who w(i)th her chrisome son(n)e was buried nere this place the first of July 1646".
"A mayde a wife in wife and right accord,
She liv'd she di'd true servant of the Lord.
Aetatis suae 27" (of her age 27). At the top is a heraldic escutcheon showing the arms of Prust impaling the arms of Coffyn. [ nb 1 ]