Ancestry of the Lords Dinham: Fiss(h)acre of Morleigh, Devon

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Feb 1, 2004, 8:14:59 PM2/1/04

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Sunday, 1 February, 2004

Hello All,

An article by C. Demain-Saunders in The Genealogists' Magazine
(Dec. 1934) on 'The Early Maynards of Devon and St. Albans' includes
related information on the Lords Dinham, ca. 1400, and (not shown as
directly related) the family of Fissacre, or Fishacre, of Fishacre,
Wadeton and Moreleigh, Devon [1]. Due to a number of errors in this
article with regard to the Fissacre family, Colonel F. B. Prideaux
wrote a reply correcting and expanding on the subject in a
subsequent issue, as follows:

' Colonel F. B. Prideaux writes with regard to the pedigree of
Fishacre, Genealogists’ Magazine, Vol. 6, p. 626:
" Miss Demain Saunders would appear to have overlooked a
quotation given by Sir William Pole in his Collections
Towards a Description of the County of Devon - see p. 300
of the edition published by a descendant of Sir William
in 1791. The quotation says that Alice (wife of John
Ufflet) and Joan (wife of 1. John Holwey and of 2. John
Maynard) were daughters and co-heirs, not, as Miss
Saunders supposed, of Sir Martin Fishacre of Morlegh, but
of that Sir Martin who was of Fishacre and Wadeton, the
son of Ivo; this quotation was given without naming the
source from which Pole had it, but it was clearly taken,
judging from its language, from a record, still existent
in 1631, of an Assise of Mort’ Ancestor brought by the
sisters or their guardian late in Edward III’s time
against an unknown defendant, to recover (as they
successfully did) possession of the manor of Morlegh.
The quotation describes the sisters, Alice and Joan, as
' cousins and next heirs of Sir Martin Fishacre (of
Morlegh), namely daughters and heirs of Martin
Fishacre, son of Ivo, son of William, son of Giles,
son of Sir William, the brother of Peter, the
father of Sir Martin Fishacre.'
" The Fine of 10 Edward II mentioned by Pole is still
at the Record Office - an abstract of it is printed in
Vol. 2, page 159, of Feet of Fines, Devon, published by
the Devon and Cornwall Record Society. The Episcopal
Registers of Exeter show the following persons to have
held the manor and advowson :
" In 1299 and 1313, Sir Peter de Fishacre.
" 1328, Isabella de Fissacre.
" 1350 and 1354, Dame Margaret de Uredale.
" 1359, Sir Guy de Bryan, guardian of the heir of
Sir Oliver de Dynham.
" 1362, hac vice King Edward III, guardian of the
heir of Isabella Fyshacre.
" 1391, illa vice Sir William Asthorpe (he was
the husband of Margaret, daughter of Oliver
de Dynham).
" 1414, Joan, daughter of Martyn de Fyshacre, and
John Ufflet.
" There is still one problem about the families which
I find difficult to solve. Why did Martin de Fishacre
introduce Dame Margaret de Uredale as the first to
inherit Morlegh after the death of his sister Isabella?
William de Morlegh held 4 knights’ fees in 1242 (Testa
de N.). In 1284-6 Peter de Fishacre held these estates.
I suggest that Margaret’s mother was the sister of
William and Peter de Fishacre. " [2]

In fact, Col. Prideaux was correct as to his suggestion
concerning the relationship of 'Dame Margaret de Uredale' to the
Fissacre family: this was in fact Margaret de Hydon, daughter of Sir
Richard de Hydon of Clyst Hidon, Clayhidon and Hemyock, Devon
(d. bef 24 Mar 1291/2) and his wife Isabel/Isabella de Fissacre.
Margaret subsequently married (2ndly) Sir Gilbert de Knoville (d. 20
Jan 1313/4), and (3rdly) Sir Piers d'Uvedale, Lord Uvedale (d. bef 2
May 1336) [3]. It was therefore 'Dame Margaret d'Uvedale', née de
Hidon (d. 15 May 1357) who held the manor and advowson of Morleigh,
Devon in 1350 and 1354.

The following chart reflects the relationships set forth in the
assise of mort d'ancestor (14th cent.) and the Episcopal Registers
of Exeter concerning the manor and advowson of Morleigh, Devon. A
detailed pedigree of the descendants of Sir Martin de Fissacre (fl.
ca. 1200) is given at the end of this post. Known descendants
(through descent from the Lords Dinham) include the following:

1. William Asfordby

2. William Bladen

3. Charles Calvert, 3rd Lord Calvert

4. Sir Anthony Eden, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom,
1955-1957 (later Lord Avon)

5. William Farrar

6. Mary Launce

7. Sir William Pole of Shute, Devon (d. 10 Mar 1634/5)

8. William Skepper

9. Maria Johanna Somerset

Cheers,

John *

_____________________________________________________

FISSACRE of Morleigh, Devon
<M> designates tenant of the manor
and advowson of Morleigh - Note [2]

William de Wadeton
of Morleigh, Devon
I
I
Sir Martin de Fissacre = Isabel de Wadeton
fl. temp. K. John I
_______________________________I_____________
I I
Sir William de Fissacre Peter de Fissacre
of Fishacre and Wadeton, Devon of Morleigh, Devon
I I
I _____________________________I________
I I I I
Sir Giles Sir Peter Sir Martin Sir Richard = Isabel
d. bef 4 Sep d. aft 1312 d. aft de Hydon I <M>
1305 <M> 13 Jan 1315 I
I I
I I
William (1) Sir Josce = Margaret
I d. 130 Mar 1300/1 I de Hydon <M>
I ______________________I___
I I I
Ivo Sir John de Dinham Oliver Sir Guy
d. aft 1331 d. bef 15 Apr 1332 d. 1346 de Brien
I I I I <M>
I I I I
Sir Martin de Sir John de Dinham Oliver = Joan
Fissacre d. 7 Jan 1382/3 d. 1351 I
_______I______ I _______________I________
I I I I I I I
Alice Joan <M> Sir John Oliver Margaret others
= John =1) John de Dinham = Sir William
Ufflet Holway d. 1428 de Asthorpe <M>
<M> 2) John
Maynard

~ I should note, there is one reference to the Fissacre/Fishacre
family that I have not yet been able to locate:

"Hugh R. Watkin, Morleigh and the family of de Fissacre"
(Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries, 13:5 (1925) pp. 226-231).

It is possible that nothing other than what Col. Prideaux
provided is given in that article. However, should anyone have
access to same, any further documentation concerning the above
(or details provided below) would be most welcome.

NOTES

[1] C. Demain-Saunders, The Early Maynards of Devon and St. Albans
(The Genealogists' Magazine, Vol. 6, No. 12 (Dec. 1934)), p. 591
et seq.

[2] Col. F. B. Prideaux, Notes and News 'with regard to the pedigree
of Fishacre,' (The Genealogists' Magazine, Vol. 7, No. 10 (June,
1937)), pp. 536-7.

[3] CP IV:371-2, sub Dinham or Dinaunt.

_________________________________________________

DESCENDANTS of Sir Martin de Fissacre, of Fissacre and Wadeton

1 Sir Martin de Fissacre
----------------------------------------

of Coomb Fishacre, Devon

'Moreleigh had come to the Fisshacres through the marriage of Sir
Martin Fisshacre (temp. King John) with Isabel, daughter and heir
of William de Wadeton.' [ Gen. Mag. VI:624[1]]

Spouse: Isabel de Wadeton
Father: William de Wadeton

Children: Sir William [1.1]
Peter [1.2]

1.1 Sir William de Fissacre
----------------------------------------