Venue Type & Location
Overview
The rebuilt house is splendidly situated on a hill overlooking the beautiful Taw Valley a few miles S of Barnstaple.
Only the Tudor freestone ashlar and brick gatehouse remains S of the 18th c. house.
Performance History
A probable performance venue. No Bourchier household records have been found for the period but for several generations entertainers under the family's patronage performed elsewhere in the southwest and as far N as Coventry. John Sapcote's entertainers are also recorded as performing in Devon in th 1470s and 1480s.
Current Status
History of the Venue
1437 William Bourghchier acquired Tawstock via marriage to Thomasine, 3rd Baroness FitzWarin (via mother), daughter of Sir Richard Hankeford.
1480--1501 John Sapcote held Tawstock via marriage to Elizabeth, widow of Fulk Bourghchier, 4th Baron Fitzwarin.
ca. 1574 William Bourchier, 4th Earl of Bath, rebuilt the medieval house. The gatehouse is dated 1574.
1654 Sir Christopher Wrey acquired Tawstock via marriage to Anne, daughter and coheir of Edward Bourchier, 5th Earl of Bath.
1787 House destroyed by fire. Rebuilt by Sir Bourchier Wrey, according to his own Gothic design.
1940 Converted as a school.
Record Source
REED Bristol 54, 114, 117; Coventry 282; Cumb/West/Glos 306; Devon 30--5, 39--42, 127--34, 148, 229, 231, 233, 247; Somerset 1.11, 1.44--6
Patrons who owned this venue
| Name | Date | Titles |
|---|---|---|
| Affeton, Katherine | 0-1467 | Lady FitzWarin |
| Bourchier, Fulk | 1445-1479 | Baron FitzWarin |
| Bourchier, John | 1470-1539 | Baron FitzWarin |
| Bourchier, John | 1470-1539 | Earl of Bath |
| Bourchier, John | 1499-1561 | Lord FitzWarin |
| Bourchier, John | 1499-1561 | Earl of Bath |
| Bourchier, John | 1499-1561 | Baron Daubeney |
| Bourchier, John | 1499-1561 | Knight |
| Bourchier, John | 1499-1561 | Baron FitzWarin |
| Bourchier, John | 1529-1557 | Lord FitzWarin |
| Bourchier, John | 1529-1557 | Knight |
| Bourchier, William | 1557-1623 | Earl of Bath |
| Bourchier, William | 1557-1623 | Baron FitzWarin |
| Bourchier, William | 1557-1623 | Baron Daubeney |
| Bourchier, William | 1414-1469 | Baron FitzWarin |
| Sapcote, John | 1448-1501 | Knight |
Bibliographic Sources
- Cherry, Bridget, and Nikolaus Pevsner. Devon. London: Penguin Books, 1989
- The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. 1887–98 (8 vols); 1910–59 (13 vols). 6 vols. Gloucester: Alan Sutton, 1982
- Etched on Devon's Memory.
- Hoskins, W.G. Devon. Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 1973
- Lysons, Daniel and Samuel. Magna Britannia; being a concise topographical account of the several counties of Great Britain. 6 vols. London: T. Cadell and W. Davies, 1806--22
- Polwhele, Richard. The History of Devonshire. 1st ed. [1793--1806] printed by Trewman and Son for: Cadell, Johnson and Dilly (vol 1); Cadell, Dilly and Murray (vol 2); Cadell and Davies (vol 3); all in London. 3 vols. Dorking: Kohler & Coombes, 1977