Tawstock Court

Performance Spaces

Overview

History

Bibliographic Sources

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18th c. view
Coat of arms
Entrance door
Gatehouse
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Venue Type & Location

Private Residence

Site Name: Tawstock House
Location: near Barnstaple
County: Devon
Location Type: Town - near town at determined location
http://www.stmichaelsbarnstaple.fsnet.co.uk/

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

The 18th c. house with its Tudor gatehouse is now St Michael's School, an independent Church of England institution.

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 Dates Titles
Affeton, Katherine 0-1467 Lady
Bourchier, Fulk 1445-1479 4th Baron
Bourchier, John 1470-1539 5th Baron , 2nd Earl of
Bourchier, John 1499-1561 Knight , Lord , 6th Baron , 3rd Earl of , Baron
Bourchier, John 1529-1557 Lord , Knight
Bourchier, William 1414-1469 3rd Baron
Bourchier, William 1557-1623 Baron , 7th Baron , 4th Earl of
Sapcote, John 1448-1501 Knight

Bibliographic Sources

View a list of abbreviations.

  • Cherry, Bridget, and Nikolaus Pevsner. Devon. The Buildings of England. 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. 06/09/2005 (http://www.devon.gov.uk/library/locstudy/etched.html)
  • Hoskins, W.G. Devon. A New Survey of England. 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.