Painsford, Ashprington
Painsford is an historic estate in the parish of Ashprington in Devon.
Painsford House
Painsford House was described as follows in 1850: "It was formerly much larger than at present, and its dilapidated chapel, though disused since the middle of the last century", "still retains its pulpit, pews and altar -piece, and has a suit of armour hanging over the communion rails. The left wing of the house has a fine row of arches." In 2017 Painsford is a farmhouse much reduced in size displaying few signs of its former high status as a mansion of the Devonshire gentry. It is of an "L-shape" with rendered facade facing the garden. Ruins of the west wing survive, namely of a loggia with octagonal piers. Only the south and west walls survive of the chapel refounded by John Kellond in 1687.Descent
Wolhey
The estate is not mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. The earliest holder recorded by Pole was John Wolhey, who was seated there during the reign of King Edward III.Piperell
Richard Piperell held Painsford during the reign of King Richard II. He was succeeded by his son Richard Piperell who died without progeny, when his heir became his sister Alis Piperell, then aged 40, the wife of her near neighbour Walter Halgewell of Halgawell, near Ashprington.Halgewell
Painsford was held by the Halgewell family until it was purchased by John Somaster, a brother of William Somaster of Nether Exe.Somaster
John Somaster (died 1535)
Painsford was purchased from the Halgewell family by John Somaster, a brother of William Somaster of Nether Exe. The pedigree of "Somaster of Painsford" was one of those submitted by the gentry families of Devon to the heralds at the 1620 Heraldic Visitation of Devon. Their arms were: Argent, a castle triple-towered within an orle of fleurs-de-lys sable. Their crest was a portcullis. The Devon historian Risdon suggests the surname was from the Latin Summus Magister, meaning "highest magistrate". John Somaster's aunt was Elizabeth Somester, 3rd wife of Sir John Speke of Whitelackington, Somerset and of Heywood in the parish of Wembworthy and of Bramford Speke both in Devon, Sheriff of Devon in 1517 and a Member of Parliament. The arms of Somaster thus appear sculpted in the Speke Chantry in the Chapel of St George in Exeter Cathedral, the burial place of her husband.John Somaster married Jane Dillon, a daughter of Nicholas Dillon of Chimwell in the parish of Bratton Fleming in Devon.
William Somaster (1507–1589)
William Somaster, son and heir, who married Katherine Fortescue, a daughter of Henry Fortescue of Preston in the parish of Newton Ferrers, Devon, by his wife Elizabeth St Maur, a daughter of William St Maur lord of the Manor of North Molton, Devon. His monumental brass survives in Ashprington Church, inscribed on a brass plate as follows:Above are two inverted brass shields, both displaying the arms of Somaster impaling Fortescue Azure, a bend engrailed argent cotised or. By his wife he had 4 sons and 2 daughters, including:
- John Somaster of East Allington, Devon, eldest son, who married a certain Elizabeth. He was "disinherited for marrying without his father's consent".
- Rev. Thomas Somaster, 2nd son, Rector of Bere Ferrers and Archdeacon of Cornwall 3 January 1571–1603, died without progeny.
- Henry Somaster of Painsford, 3rd son and heir.
- George Somaster, 4th son, Principal of Broadgates Hall, Oxford, died without progeny
Henry Somaster (died 1606)
By his wife he had progeny as follows:
- Sir Samuel Somaster of Painsford, son and heir;
- Rebeka Somaster, wife of Nicholas Burton, Lieutenant-Governor of Pendennis Castle, Falmouth, Cornwall.
Sir Samuel Somaster (born 1592)
- George Somaster, eldest son and heir.
- Henry Somaster, 2nd son, a captain in the Earl of Manchester's Regiment of Foot.
- William Somaster, 3rd son, a captain in the Parliamentary Navy during the Civil War.
- Samuel Somaster, 4th son, a lieutenant in Sir Francis Drake's Regiment of Horse.
- Mary Somaster, eldest daughter, wife of Dr Joseph Martin, LLD, Chancellor of Exeter Cathedral and Judge of the Court of Admiralty in Devon.
George Somaster (born 1612)
Kellond
John I Kellond (1609–1679)
John Kellond, Sheriff of Devon in 1666, purchased Painsford in 1647. He was a son of John Kellond of Totnes, a son of Walter Kellond of Totnes, merchant. He married Susanna Fownes, a daughter of Thomas Fownes of Plymouth, Mayor of Plymouth in 1619, whose descendant Henry Fownes-Luttrell of Nethway, Brixham, in 1746 married Margaret Luttrell, heiress of Dunster Castle in Somerset. The couple's monument survives in Ashprington Church. One of his younger sons, Thomas Kellond went to Boston, Massachusetts.John II Kellond (1635–1692)
of Painsford, eldest son and heir, a Member of Parliament for Totnes in March 1679, 1681 and 1685. and Sheriff of Devon in 1683. He refounded the chapel at Painsford in 1687. He married his first cousin Bridget Fownes, sister of John Fownes of Whitley, Devon. His monument survives in Ashprington Church.His eldest son, who predeceased him, was John Kellond who died unmarried aged 19 at St Mary, Savoy, and was buried in the Church of St Bartholomew-the-Great in the City of London, where his monument survives on the south wall of the choir. His maternal grandparents, Thomas and Hester Fownes, lived in that parish for forty years or more. The monument comprises an oval stone draped tablet with three cherub heads, above which are a heraldic shield displaying the arms of Kellond: Sable a fess and in chief three fleurs-de-lis argent, on the fess a crescent for difference of a second son, and a crest: A demi heraldic tiger salient or maned argent. It is inscribed in Latin as follows:
Which may be translated as:
Charles Kellond (1660–1695)
Charles Kellond of Painsford, eldest son and heir, a Member of Parliament for Totnes in 1680–81. He married firstly in 1684 Margaret Drewe, a daughter and co-heiress of Thomas Drewe of The Grange, Broadhembury in Devon.John III Kellond (1690–1712)
John III Kellond, only son, who died unmarried aged 22. As he was predeceased by his three sisters, Painsford was inherited by his aunt Susanna Kellond, wife of William Courtenay of Tremere, Lanivet in Cornwall.Courtenay
Painsford was inherited by Susanna Kellond, aunt of John III Kellond of Painsford and wife of William Courtenay of Tremore in the parish of Lanivet in Cornwall, a junior branch of Courtenay of Powderham in Devon, itself a cadet line of the Courtenay Earls of Devon of Tiverton Castle, feudal barons of Plympton and feudal barons of Okehampton.Boyle
Hon. Sir Courtenay Boyle, KCH, was an officer of the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary Wars and in 1807 served as a Member of Parliament for Bandon. He was the 3rd but 2nd surviving son of Edmund Boyle, 7th Earl of Cork by his first wife Anne Courtenay, second daughter and co-heiress of Kellond Courtenay of Painsford and a niece of John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich. On 16 April 1799 he married Caroline Amelia Poyntz, a daughter of William Poyntz of Midgham House in the parish of Thatcham, Berkshire. The estate of Midgham had been purchased by Stephen Poyntz, a diplomat born at Cornhill in the City of London. The ancient and prominent Poyntz family first appeared in England in the late 12th century as feudal barons of Curry Mallet in Somerset, and were later seated at Iron Acton in Gloucestershire. By his wife he had 3 sons and 3 daughters.According to the 1810 Additions to Risdon, Painsford was sold by the Earl of Cork and "Mr Poyntz". Lysons clarifies this by stating: "A few years ago it was sold by the Countess of Cork and Mr. Poyntz, as representatives of the Courtenays of Painsford, to Mr. Philip Michelmore, the present proprietor".