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The historic estate of Annery, North Devon, was situated in the parish of Monkleigh. The mansion house was situated about one mile north of that village, itself situated 2 1/2 miles north-west of Great Torrington and 3 1/2 miles south-east of Bideford.

Descent

According to Tristram Risdon the earliest recorded holder of the estate was a certain Osbert de Annery. It was later inherited by the Stapledon family, whose best known member was Walter de Stapledon (1261–1326), Bishop of Exeter (1308–1326), whose opulent monument and effigy exist in Exeter Cathedral. Stapeldon founded Exeter College, Oxford, which originated in Stapeldon Hall, established in 1314 by the bishop and his elder brother, Sir Richard Stapeldon, a judge of the king's bench. It was frequented by sons of the Devonshire gentry for many centuries. He also contributed very liberally to the rebuilding of Exeter Cathedral. He was the son of Sir Richard Stapledon, descended from a noble stock. The Stapledons originated at the estate of Stapledon, in the parish of Cookbury, near Holsworthy, Devon. The last in the male line of the Stapledons left as his sole heiress a daughter named Thomasine de Stapledon, who married into the Hankford family.

Hankford

• Sir William Hankford (died 1422), KB, Lord Chief Justice of England. The most famous member of the Hankford family of Annery. His Easter Sepulchre tomb exists in the Annery Chapel, in the south aisle of Monkleigh Church. His son was Richard I Hankford who predeceased his father.
• Sir Richard II Hankford (grandson), who married twice:
  • Firstly to Elizabeth FitzWarin, 8th Baroness FitzWarin (c. 1404 – c. 1427), sister and heir of Fulk FitzWarin, 7th Baron FitzWarin (1406–1420). By her he had two daughters, Thomasine Hankford and Elizabeth Hankford (died 1433). Upon the death of Elizabeth FitzWarin the barony went into abeyance between her daughters. On the death of Elizabeth Hankford in 1433, the barony was inherited by her sister Thomasine Hankford, the wife of William Bourchier, who was summoned to Parliament as Lord FitzWarin in her right. Her descendant was John Bourchier, 11th Baron FitzWarin (1470–1539) of Tawstock, created Earl of Bath in 1536.
  • Secondly, either to Anne Montacute, daughter of John Montacute, Earl of Salisbury or according to Tristram Risdon, to Anne Nevill, daughter of Lord Nevill. By his 2nd wife Sir Richard II Hankford left a daughter as his sole heiress, Anne Hankford (c. 1431 – 1485), who married Thomas Boteler, 7th Earl of Ormond. Anne and her husband inherited Annery.

Boteler

• Thomas Boteler, 7th Earl of Ormond, the husband of Anne Hankford, heiress of Annery, was the youngest son of James Butler, 4th Earl of Ormond and Joan de Beauchamp. The Irish called him The Wool Earl, due to his being one of the wealthiest of the King's subjects in the realm. In addition to the possession of major lands in the Irish counties of Kilkenny and Tipperary, he owned 72 manors in England. Thomas Boteler and Anne Hankford had two daughters:
  • Margaret Butler (c.1454 –1539), who married Sir William Boleyn, by whom she had issue, including Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, the father of Queen Anne Boleyn, Mary Boleyn, and George Boleyn, by his wife Elizabeth Howard.
  • Anne Butler (born c. 1455), who inherited Annery, married Sir James St. Leger, by whom she had issue.
• Anne Butler (born c. 1455) (daughter and co-heiress), married Sir James St. Leger

St Ledger

• James St Ledger (d.8 February 1509/10) married Anne Butler (born c. 1455), heiress of Annery. His grave stone inset with two small monumental brasses survives in the Annery Chapel of Monkleigh Church, set into the floor immediateley in front of the Hankford Easter Sepulchre. The top (westernmost) brass consists of a rectangular brass about 1 ft wide by 3 inches deep displaying an insribed scroll held at each end by a winged angel, with Latin inscription in Gothic black letter script: Orate pro a(n)i(m)a Jacobie Seyntleg(er)b Armig(eri) qui obiit viii die me(n)sis Februarii Anno D(o)m(ino) MCCCCC IX cui(us) a(n)i(mae) p(rop)iciet(ur) De(us) Amen ("Pray ye for the soul of James St Ledger, Esquire, who died on the 8th day of the month of February in the year of Our Lord 1500th and 9th of whose soul may God look upon with favour Amen") Below is a very worn brass of an escutcheon showing the arms of St Ledger: Azure fretty argent, a chief or
• Sir George St Ledger (son)
• Sir John St Ledger, married Katherine Nevill, daughter of George Nevill, 5th Baron Bergavenny (c.1469-1536). He had the following progeny, 2 sons and 3 daughters:
  • John St Ledger, died without issue
  • Dudley St Ledger, died without issue
  • Mary St Ledger, married Sir Richard Grenville, lord of the manor of Bideford and of Stowe in Cornwall.
  • Frances St Ledger, who married, as his 1st wife, John Stucley (1551–1611) of Affeton
  • Eulalia St Ledger, who married twice, firstly in 1576 Edmund Tremain (died 1582) of Collacombe, Lamerton, Clerk of the Privy Council and secondly in 1583 to Tristram Arscott (died 1621) of Launcells, Cornwall

Sir John St Ledger sold Annery to his son-in-law Tristram Arscott.

Arscott

• Tristram Arscott (died 1621) of Launcells, Cornwall, who purchased Annery from his father-in-law Sir John St Ledger.
• John Arscott Esq., of Annery, whom Tristram Risdon (died 1640) descreibed as "now lord thereof"

Prust

It appears that Annery was purchased from the Arscotts by Hugh Prust (died 1666), who was buried at Monkleigh. He married in 1625/8, as her 2nd husband, Elizabeth Hurding (died 1668), whose 1st husband had been John Coffin (1593–1622) of Portledge, lord of the manor of Monkleigh.

• Lt.Col. Joseph Prust (1620–1677) of Annery, was the 2nd son of Hugh Prust (died 1666) by his wife Elizabeth Hurding. His ledger stone survives in the floor of the Annery Chapel in Monkleigh Church. Its inscription reveals that he was a Lt.Col. in Sir Thomas Stucley's Regiment of Horse and that he lost a hand during combat in the Civil War at Plymouth. He married Anne Keynes (1630–1660), by whom he had three sons, the youngest of whom was Capt. John Prust (1660–1695), of Annery.
• Capt. John Prust (1660–1695), of Annery (3rd son). He married Mary Leigh (1672–1711), by whom he had three sons who died young and a daughter and heiress Anne Prust (1694–1741), who married in 1715 Richard Annesley, 6th Earl of Anglesey (c. 1693 – 1761), an Irish peer and governor of Wexford. Her husband deserted her almost immediately and entered into a further bigamous marriage. Anne Prust died without issue and was buried in August 1741 as Countess of Anglesey.

Tardrew

The descent of Annery is unclear between about 1741 and 1800. The 1810 edition of Tristram Risdon's Survey of Devon states that "The estate of Annery has of late years passed through secveral hands and now belongs to Mr Tardrew of Bideford".

• William Tardrew (1772–1853), JP, DL, a ship-owner and builder from Bideford. He operated a ship yard from an inlet of the River Torridge next to Annery kiln, but moved it to the canal sea-lock after the latter's construction. He appears to have been in the business of importing coal from Wales. His brother was Henry Tardrew who ran an iron-foundry and bar-iron warehose in Bideford. In 1829 he renovated the Annery Chapel in Monkleigh Church as is recorded on a stone tablet in the Chapel, where he was buried. He sold part of the estate on the left bank of the River Torridge to Lord Rolle for the building of the Rolle Canal. The Annery land included Beacon Down Marsh in the parishes of Landcross, Monkleigh and Weare Giffard, in which was built the sea-lock, the start of the canal. He provided ships for the canal. He was one of the investors who in 1835 built "Half-Penny Bridge", a toll-bridge over the River Torridge at Annery Kiln linking Monkleigh and Weare Giffard parishes. In 1836 Lord Rolle leased his Rolle Canal to a partnership of four men, one of whom was William Tardrew of Annery, who held 6 of the 14 shares, representing an interest of 43%. In 1846 a new partnership was formed comprising William Tardrew and George Bragington, an original investor and Lord Rolle's former canal agent. Tardrew is said not to have contributed to the business his share of new capital agreed, and soon the business failed. Annery featured in Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley. He spent a considerable sum on improving the house, and was possibly the builder of the Georgian house which survived until 1958. He was a Justice of the Peace for Devon and a Deputy Lieutenant and a major in the North Devon Yeomanry Cavalry. His wife was Louisa (1779–1871), who survived him but expended much of her fortune on pursuing debts due to her from the Rolle Canal Company. The Annery Estate comprising 243 acres was sold at auction in 1872.

Somes

Annery was purchased by Joseph Somes (died 1845) of Blackwall, MP for Dartmouth, a large ship owner and former Governor of the New Zealand Company. From his ship The Tory was declared Queen Victoria's sovereignty over New Zealand. His widow Maria Somes (1816–1912) remained on at Annery for many years, and the estate was sold after her death in 1912 to Mr Bayly.

Bayly

Mr Bayly was a famous polo player. He and his wife modernised the house and installed an electricity generation plant. He died of meningitis soon after moving in, and his widow sold off parts of the estate piecemeal to the occupying tenants, retaining only the lodges and home farm.

Fleming

Miss Lilias Fleming (1855–1941) was the purchaser of Annery, where she lived with her adopted daughter Crystal Frazer. The house quickly became dilapidated after her death.

Further reading

• Gray, Todd, Devon Country Houses and Gardens Engraved, 2000

References

1. Risdon, p.276
2. Prince, p.722
3. Prince, biography of Walter Stapledon, p.722
4. Tristram Risdon's Notebook
5. www.Tudorplace.com.ar/BUTLER
6. Bruce, p. 11
7. Debrett's Peerage, 1968, p.365 (Viscounts Doneraile)
8. Vivian, 1895, p.731M
9. Risdon, p.276
10. Vivian, Heralds' Visitations of Devon, 1895, p.629
11. Risdon, p.422
12. Obituary, North Devon Journal 30 June 1853, quoted in Scrutton, p.87
13. Scrutton, p.22
14. "Tardrew ships for coal" are mentioned in a poem composed in honour of the 21st birthday of Hon Mark Rolle, quoted in Scrutton, p.81
15. Scrutton, p.19
16. Scrutton, Susan, Lord Rolle's Canal, Great Torrington, 2006, p.87
17. Scrutton, p.22
18. Scrutton, pp.69-71
19. Lauder, p.23
20. http://www.stevensbooks.co.uk/todd_grey_books/DCHG.html

Sources

• Pevsner, Nikolaus & Cherry, Bridget, The Buildings of England: Devon, London, 2004
• Lauder, Rosemary, Vanished Houses of North Devon, Tiverton, 2005
• Prince, John, The Worthies of Devon, 1810 edition
• Hoskins, W.G., A New Survey of England: Devon, London, 1959 (first published 1954)
• Risdon, Tristram (died 1640), Survey of Devon, 1810 edition, London, 1810
• Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitation of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895.
• Polwhele, History of Devon (1797)

• Houses in Devon
• Monkleigh