Thomas Brooke (died 1418)

Her son Richard Cheddar, MP, signed over his large inheritance to his mother and stepfather Sir Thomas Brooke for their lives, due to the latter having "many times endured great travail and cost" in defending them during his minority.

In about 1395[14] he acquired the manor of Weycroft in the parish of Axminster in Devon, which his son Thomas later made his seat, "with newe building castlewise" (Pole (d. 1635)); Risdon (d. 1640) states that he "built here, on the rising of an hill, a fair new house, castle-like, and enclosed a large and spacious park, being a very pleasant scite over the river (i.e. River Axe) and hath a good prospect".

[15] This refers to a royal licence to crenellate and empark dated 1427, granted to Sir Thomas Brooke and his probable feoffees Humfrey, Duke of Gloucester, Sir Giles Daubeney and others[16] The manor of Holditch in Devon (now (since 1844) in Dorset) had been acquired by his ancestor Henry de Broc[17] (or de la Brooke) from Reginald de Mohun (1206–1258), Feudal baron of Dunster in Somerset, who had inherited it from his first wife Hawise Fleming, daughter and heiress of William Fleming.

The phraseology used in his will, describing himself as a "wrichyd synner" with a "wreched unclene soule", suggests he was by religion a lollard, as does his wish to have a simple burial at Thorncombe, the parish church of Holditch.

However his wife, who died 19 years later in 1437, appears to have ignored his request[22] as the couple are buried together under the surviving elaborate ledger stone and monumental brasses in a prominent position within the church.