Burlescombe
Coordinates: 50°57′00″N 3°19′00″W / 50.95°N 3.316667°W
| Burlescombe | |
 St Mary's Church |
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 Burlescombe
Burlescombe shown within Devon |
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| Population | 911 (2001) |
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| OS grid reference | ST0716 |
| Civil parish | Burlescombe |
| District | Mid Devon |
| Shire county | Devon |
| Region | South West |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | TIVERTON |
| Postcode district | EX16 |
| Dialling code | 01823 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | Tiverton and Honiton |
| List of places: UK • England • Devon | |
Burlescombe (pronounced "Burlescombe")is a village and civil parish in the Mid Devon district of Devon, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 911.[1] The village is about 5 miles (8.0 km) south west of Wellington in Somerset. The ruins of the 12th century Canonsleigh Abbey are nearby.
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[edit] Hamlets and tythings
The parish was formerly divided into four tithings and hamlets: the Town Tithing, Appledore, Westleigh and Ayshford. In 1872 the lord of the manor was Edward Ayshford Sandford, Esq., in which year much of the parish belonged to the heirs of Sir William Follett, namely R. H. Clarke Esq, Henry Dunsford Esq., and other freeholders[2][3]
[edit] Church of St Mary
The parish church dedicated to St Mary is chiefly of the time of Henry VII(1485-1509) and was renovated in 1843.[4] It contains a beautiful ancient rood-screen, and fine monuments of the Ayshford family. The parish church was renovated in 1843 when new carved oak pews and stained glasss windows were added and the heraldic blazonry on the screen was re-painted.
[edit] Monument to Roger Ayshford (d.1610)
There is a mural monument to Roger Ayshford (d.1610) in Burlescombe Church. Inscription: "In mertem et memeriam Regery Aysheforde armigery epitaphium obiit ... die Januarii anno 1610 anno aetatis suee 76 (An epitaph in death and memory of Roger Ayshford Esq. who died the ... day of January 1610 in the 76th year of his age) You that passe by this tombe stand still awhile; and with youre tongues and teares the tym begueil; to see soe good a man betr(ayed?) to dust; and not cause why save that hee was rightjust; the Church and churchmen was his cheife delight; to other thinges hee scarse hadd appetite; or if he had twas like himself twas rare; so zeallus all his recreativs weare; hee wisht and wanted tym which was wi(th?)stoode; not to lyve longe but to doe more good; whearin though death hath crost hym yet heell have; his vertueus life survyve his marble grave". Sculpted opposite Roger is his wife Elizabeth Michell, daughter of Richard Michell (1524-1563) of Perry Court, in Wembdon parish, near Cannington, Somerset. Richard died at the Middle Temple, London, suggesting him to have been a lawyer; his heir was his son Tristram.[5] His father was Sir Thomas Michell KB(1514-1539) who on 13 December 1539 at his home called Gurney Street (or Gurney Manor),[6] Cannington, murdered his wife and her sister Eleanor, wife of George Sydenham of Chilworthy, near Ilminster, before committing suicide.[7] Above her head are shown the arms of Michell: Per chevron gules and sable, a chevron between three swans argent[8] The Michell family were lords of the manor of Wembdon.[9]
[edit] Monument to Elizabeth Ayshford (d.1635)
There is a mural monument to Elizabeth Wilmot (d.1635) Burlescombe Church. Text incised on slate tablet on monument: "To the memory of Elizabeth Ayshford wife of Arthur Ayshford eldest sonne of Henry Ayshford Esquier only daughter of the right honourable Charles Lord Wilmot Viscount of Atllone (i.e. Athlone, d.1644) late general of his majesties forces in the kingdome of Ireland now a privy counceller both of England Ireland. She dyed the 23th (sic) yeare of her age Anno D(omi)ni 1635 June 13.o"
[edit] Ayshford Chapel of Ease
On the former manor of the Ayshford family, next to the manor house which survives, stands a 15th.c. chapel of ease. It consists of a rectangular aisleless block containing a nave and chancel. It is considered to be large for a private chapel in Devon. The wagon-roof and carved oak chancel screen are 15th.c. The screen was re-painted in the 19th.c. The furniture consisting of utilitarian oak pews and the black and red glazed floor tiles 19th.c.
[edit] Monuments
On the floor in the sanctuary before the altar is the much worn yellow sandstone gravestone of Sir Henry Ashford. The text reads as follows: Hic jacet Henricus Ayshforde armiger qui obiit x die Februarii Anno Domini 1649 anno aetatis suo 73. Etiam jacet Anne uxor eius quae obiit ultimo die Octobris Anno Dom. 1656 anno aetatis sua ... ("Here lies Henry Ayshford Esq., who died the tenth day of February in the year of our Lord 1649 in the 73rd year of his age. Also lies Anne his wife who died on the last day of October in the year of our Lord 1656 in the ... year of her age"). Below is an escutcheon showing the arms of Ayshford impaling his wife's arms, now indistinct but still showing a chevron. In the sanctuary to the left of the altar is the small black marble chest-tomb of the infant Henry Ashford(d.1666). The inscription on the top slab reads: "(Here lies)? the body of ...ry Ayshforde sone of Arthur Ayshforde Esq.r who departed this life the 17th day of January Anno Dom. 1666 aged one yeare and nine mo." Below is an escutcheon with mantling showing the arms of Ayshford with a helm atop bearing the Ayshford crest of a saracen's head. An inscribed double arcade is shown on the front side. On the north wall of the nave is a baroque marble mural monument to John Ashford (d.1689). It comprises a rectangular plaque flanked by Corinthian columns below a moulded entablature above which are shown the Ashford arms flanked by flaming urns. The columns sit on a shelf supported on consoles carved as cherubs heads. The apron is carved with swags, cherubs and the Ashford arms. [10] The incised text reads as follows: "Near this place lies enterrd the body of John Ayshford of Ayshford in the county of Devon Esq.r who departed this life the 24th day of Febru: 1689 in ye 49th year of his aage (sic). As also the body of Susanna Ayshford his wife daughter of Lucy Knightley of London, merchant, the youngest son of Ritchard Knightley of Fausley in the county of Northamton Esq.r who departed this life the 6 day of Decem: 1688 in the 24 year of her age". The Knightley family held the manor of Fawsley, 3 miles south of Daventry, Northamptonshire, from 1416 to 1914, and the grand Elizabethan manor house of Fawsley Hall survives, in the chapel of which survive effigies of the Knightley family.
[edit] Ayshford Court
Ayshford is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Aiseforda. It is recorded even earlier in a charter dated 958. [11] The manor house is now split into two residences. The main historic house was built by the Ashford/Ayshford family in about 1500 with major added in the 16th and 17th. centuries. The parlour wing was probably built by Roger Ayshford (d.1610) and the plasterwork was probably commissioned by Arthur Ayshford. The owners at the time of the listing of the building in 1966 possessed a transcript of a 1689 inventory which showed the great wealth of the Ayshford family at that time. Mention was made of a "painted chamber". Ayshford Court, with its chapel and farmbuildings form an attractive group of buildings.[12]
[edit] Grand Western Canal
As part of the construction of Grand Western Canal in about 1810, several bridges[13][14][15] and culverts[16] were constructed at Burlescombe.
[edit] Industry
Limestone of superior quality abounded in the locality and in the 19th.c. great quantities of it were sent off by canal and railway.[17]
[edit] Railway station
Burlescombe railway station was opened by the Bristol and Exeter Railway in 1867. A siding on the west side served the railway's nearby ballast quarry at Westleigh. Both the station and siding are now closed. The parish includes Tiverton Parkway railway station, which was opened in 1986.
[edit] Ayshford Educational Foundation
In 1872 the parish was entitled to send a boy to nearby Uffculme Free School, [18] founded in 1701 by Nicholas Ayshford who endowed it with £47 per annum.[19] Today the trustees of the Ayshford Educational Foundation (Registered Number 306659) award grants averaging about £300 to students aged over 18 who are residents of the parishes of Burlescombe, Holcombe Rogus or Uffculme.[20]
[edit] References
- ^ Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Parish Headcounts : Mid Devon Retrieved 29 January 2010
- ^ Wilson, op.cit
- ^ White's Directory, 1850 [1]
- ^ 1870-72, Wilson, John Marius, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales, 1870-2[2]
- ^ http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=ancestorsearch&id=I27541
- ^ The Landmark Trust, Gurney Manor, Cannington, History of the Manor
- ^ Star Chamber Cases, Somerset Records Society, Vol. 27, p.216
- ^ Devon notes and queries, quoted from [3]
- ^ Victoria County History, Vol.6, 1992, Wembdon: Manors and other estates, pp. 325-330
- ^ Listed Building text [4]
- ^ Listed Buildings text [5]
- ^ Listed Buildings text [6]
- ^ "Road bridge over the Grand Western Canal at Burlescombe". Images of England. http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=95857. Retrieved 2007-12-06.
- ^ "Fenacre Bridge at Burlescombe". Images of England. http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=352088. Retrieved 2007-12-06.
- ^ "Fossend Canal Bridge at Burlescombe". Images of England. http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=95882. Retrieved 2007-12-06.
- ^ "Twin Culverts at Burlescombe". Images of England. http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=352087. Retrieved 2007-12-06.
- ^ Wilson, op.cit
- ^ White's Directory, 1850
- ^ The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868) Transcribed by Colin Hinson 2003
- ^ the Clerk to the Trustees, Eastbrook, Burlescombe[7]
[edit] External links
Media related to Burlescombe at Wikimedia Commons
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