Weare Giffard

Weare Giffard is a small village, civil parish and former manor in the Torridge district, in north Devon, England.

The Church of the Holy Trinity and the adjacent Weare Giffard Hall are designated members of the Grade I listed buildings in Devon.

The construction of a fish-weir generally required a licence from the feudal overlord, as naturally these affected the catches of other inhabitants further along the river.

He left a daughter Emma as his sole heiress who married three times: Stone effigies of an early member of the Giffard family and his wife exist in the Parish Church, now housed separately in arched niches set into the north wall of the nave.

[3] The senior male line at Clovelly died out in 1303 on the death of Sir Matthew Giffard, who left two daughters co-heiresses.

[5] The arms of William Trewin alias Weare (d. 1421) are shown in the 4th quarter of the escutcheon on the monumental brass depicting Richard Fortescue (d.1570) in Filleigh Church: Argent, on a bend vert between six crosses crosslet fitchee gules three crozier heads or.

The Filleigh Estate, comprising some 5,500 acres (22 km2), together with Castle Hill mansion is still today privately owned by descendants of the Fortescue family.

However the 5th Earl bequeathed Castle Hill, his principal seat, to his elder surviving daughter, Lady Margaret Fortescue (b.

"In approaching the house, we have on our left the square gateway tower, and enter, by a low modern Gothic porch, the entrance hall.

The monument is a two tiered baroque structure, showing on the top tier under a broken classical pediment (supporting an heraldic achievement under which is inscribed in large capitals: LE FORT JEHOVAH) Hugh's grandparents, Hugh Fortescue (1544–1600) and his wife Elizabeth Chichester (d.1630), daughter of Sir John Chichester (d.1569) of Raleigh, kneeling opposite each other in prayer with a prie dieu between them.

Inscribed across the monument at the top of the lower (second) tier is the following Latin text: Memoriale Hugonis Fortescue arm(igeris) et Elizabethae ux(oris) filiae Joh(anni)s Chichester Equit(is) itemque Joh(ann)is Fortescue eorum fil(ii) arm(igeris) et Mariae ux(oris) filiae Humphredi Speccot de Thornbury arm(igeris) Sunt hi ab Joh(ann)e Fortescue Equite Duce castri de Meaux in Gall(ia) sub H(enrico) 5.o (Quinto) oriundi qui praesepia Fortescutorum de Wimeston Devon ortus habuit fil(ium) Joh(ann)em Summum Justic(ium) et Cancell(arium) sub H(enrico) 6.o (Sexto) sepultum Ebertoniae Glocest(ria) Familia quidem perantiqua et etiamnum felici subole propagata sepulti sunt: Hugo, Aug. 2 1600; Joh(ann)es April 5, 1605: Elizabetha May 7, 1630; Maria April 11, 1637.

Indeed the very ancient family even now is happy with fruitful issue and are buried here: Hugo, Aug. 2 1600; John April 5, 1605: Elizabeth May 7, 1630; Mary April 11, 1637 Affixed to the lower edge of the monument is a stone tablet inscribed with the following verse: "Stay Reader stay this structure seemes t'invite, Thy wandring eyes on it to fixe thy sighte, In this pile's summitte thou mayst discrie, Heav'ns all beholding and all ...viding eye, That sheads his benediction...beames, Of love and goodness on these fruitfull streames, Of humerous issue sprong from nuptiall tyes, With various ancient worthy families, Here is in breife presented to thy view, The long-liv'd race of honour'd FORTESCUE:

Combin'd in holye rites on TIME'S faire scrole, W.th CHICHESTER then SPECCOT last with ROLLE, And long and wide may SACRED GRACE and FAME, Produce and propagate this generous[21] name, That it may brooke what HONOUR gave in feild, LE FORT-ESCU the strong and LASTING SHIELD, A shield not only theyr owne right to fence, But also to repell wrongs violence, Which that it may accordingly be done, Pray (Reader) pray GOD BE THEIR SHEILD AND SUNNE The last line which follows in Latin comprises a chronogram dating device, similar to that on the Dennis monument erected in 1643 in Buckland Brewer Church to the Dennis family of Orleigh Court: hVgo fortesCVe sCVtIger sVperstes VIr MarIae roLLe IsthoC fIerI feCIt honorIs CaVsa Restated without the exaggerated capitals: Hugo Fortescue scutiger superstes vir Mariae Rolle isthoc fieri fecit honoris causa, which may be translated as: "Hugh Fortescue, Esquire, surviving, the husband of Mary Rolle made this to come into existence in cause of honour".

The Roman numerals inscribed in extra-large capitals must be added together individually, to give the date of 1638 for the erection of the monument, as follows: (V+C+V+C+V+I+V+V+I+M+I+L+L+I+C+I+I+C+I+I+C+V=1,638) Below the tablet and to the right side are shown escutcheons with the arms of Rolle of Heanton Satchville, Petrockstowe.

Weare Giffard Church and Weare Giffard Hall, viewed from the southwest across the River Torridge on the Tarka Trail . The main modern settlement is situated to the right, some 1/2-mile upstream along the Torridge valley
Weare Giffard Hall, manor house of Weare Giffard, North Devon. Viewed from the east at formal entrance gates
Arms of Giffard: Sable, three fusils conjoined in fesse ermine . These arms can be seen in Chittlehampton Church, Devon, on the monument of John Giffard (d. 1622) of Brightley . They came to prominence again in the 19th century as the arms of Hardinge Giffard (1823–1921), Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain , who was elevated to the peerage in 1885 as Baron Halsbury of Halsbury in the County of Devon, and was created Earl of Halsbury in 1898
Arms of Denzell: Sable, a mullet in chief and a crescent in base argent
Heraldic bench-end c. 1510, Weare Giffard Church, looking towards entrance door in south wall of nave, showing arms of Denzell family: Sable, a crescent in base and a mullet in chief argent
Arms of Fortescue: Azure, a bend engrailed argent plain cotised or . Canting motto : Forte Scutum Salus Ducum ("A Strong Shield is the Salvation of Leaders") [ 11 ]
1638 Mural monument in Weare Giffard Church to 3 generations of the Fortescue family. South wall of south aisle chapel ("Fortescue Chapel")
Arms of Rolle, as shown on the lowest tablet: Or, on a fesse dancetté between three billets azure each charged with a lion rampant of the first three bezants
Top tier figures of Hugh Fortescue and his wife Elizabeth Chichester, daughter of Sir John Chichester (d.1569) of Raleigh. On the side of the prie dieu is an escutcheon showing the arms of Fortescue impaling Chichester: Checky or and gules , a chief vair
Lower tier figures of John Fortescue and his wife Mary Speccot of Thornbury, Devon , about 10 miles SW of Weare Giffard. Between the couple on a cartouche are the arms of Fortescue impaling Speccot: Or, on a bend gules three millrinds argent [ 16 ]
Chest tomb of Lady Eleanor Fortescue (1798–1847), chancel of Weare Giffard Church