Filleigh Devon
Church of St Paul, Filleigh Devon - The name of the village derives from the name of a monk, Saint Fili, who founded a church here in Saxon times.
According the 1086 Domesday Survey "Baldwin the sheriff has 1 estate which is called Filleigh, which Osfrith held on the day that King Eadweard was alive and dead, and it paid 〈geld〉 for 4 virgates. 8 ploughs can plough these. Of it Baldwin has 1 virgate and 3 ploughs in demesne and the villans 2 virgates and 6 ploughs. There Baldwin has 9 villans and 6 bordars and 3 slaves and 3 swineherds, who pay 15 pigs, and 14 beasts and 10 pigs and 60 sheep and 10 acres of woodland and 7 acres of meadow and 30 acres of grazing-land; and it is worth 3 pounds a year and, when he received it, it was worth as much 40 shillings"
The manor was held in the 14c by a family which took its name from the manor, de Filleigh
On default of male heirs, the manor passed by marriage to the Denzell / Densyll family. .
In 1454 Sir Martin Fortescue 1472 second son of Sir John Fortescue 1485, Chief Justice, of Ebrington Manor Gloc. flic.kr/p/2dxAxJD married Elizabeth Densyll 1508 a daughter and co-heiress of Richard Densyll of Filleigh, and thereby the manor became a possession of the Fortescue family, together with substantial other Densyll manors including Weare Giffard, Buckland Filleigh, Combe and Tamerton. Elizabeth Denzell survived her first husband and remarried to Sir Richard de Pomeroy 1496 of Berry Pomeroy in 1473 flic.kr/p/ywRdcg
The old mediaeval church was demolished by Hugh Fortescue, Lord Clinton in c 1730.
The only surviving objects from the old church are two monumental brasses on the north wall of the nave which formerly adorned the now lost tomb-monument of Richard Fortescue 1570 flic.kr/p/iEdToj & his brother in law Sir Bernard Drake 1586 flic.kr/p/iFRa23
The present parish church was built in 1732 on a new site 1/2-mile west of the new Palladian mansion of Castle Hill which was then being built by Lord Clinton.
Originally Classical in style, It was re-modelled in 1876–1877 to the plans of Clark of Newmarket, (Gilbert Scott having been consulted) in 1864, this Victorian remodelling converted the church into the Norman style, with the addition of a south aisle, now the "Fortescue Chapel", and a new chancel in the form of an apse. There are several memorials to members of the Fortescue on the walls , furnishings and in stained glass..
It now consists of a west tower, nave, short transepts, south aisle and apsidal chancel.
The nave, north transept and chancel windows are all round-arched single lights with Norman style mouldings applied to the original Georgian openings, The gabled south porch has an external stair turret to the organ gallery on west side. It is topped with a large wheel window above doorway with fishscale patterning to the tympanum.
The north transept terminates in the Fortescue vault with embattled parapet, inscribed on the north side 'to memory of Hugh 3rd Earl Fortescue and of 4 generations of his ancestors',
The two stage tower was topped with a spire in late 19c.
Inside there are semi-circular headed arches in Norman style to tower and transepts, and to 2 bay south aisle arcade with scalloped capitals. The ceiled wagon roofs throughout have panels painted with foliated decoration, were painted by Lady Susan Fortescue c. 1880.
The chancel apse ceiling is panelled in leaf patterns of multicoloured stone, continued as mosaics behind the choir stalls, with inscription to George Damer, 7th son of Earl Fortescue, lost in HMS Wasp in the China seas 1887.
After the chancel had been added with an apse it needed new windows, www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/3vQPT97tr8 which were dedicated to Georgiana, Countess Fortescue 1866, the wife of the 3rd Earl who also had a new font dedicated to her memory. (The original large 4 light east chancel window was moved to the south aisle during the 1876-7 restoration and filled with stained glass in memory of the first Earl Fortescue. www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/603uVc6HTT)#
The most unforgettable monument is to one year old Diana Fortescue as she is being lead heavenward by 2 angels
Roger Cornfoot CCL www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6287852
Filleigh Devon
Church of St Paul, Filleigh Devon - The name of the village derives from the name of a monk, Saint Fili, who founded a church here in Saxon times.
According the 1086 Domesday Survey "Baldwin the sheriff has 1 estate which is called Filleigh, which Osfrith held on the day that King Eadweard was alive and dead, and it paid 〈geld〉 for 4 virgates. 8 ploughs can plough these. Of it Baldwin has 1 virgate and 3 ploughs in demesne and the villans 2 virgates and 6 ploughs. There Baldwin has 9 villans and 6 bordars and 3 slaves and 3 swineherds, who pay 15 pigs, and 14 beasts and 10 pigs and 60 sheep and 10 acres of woodland and 7 acres of meadow and 30 acres of grazing-land; and it is worth 3 pounds a year and, when he received it, it was worth as much 40 shillings"
The manor was held in the 14c by a family which took its name from the manor, de Filleigh
On default of male heirs, the manor passed by marriage to the Denzell / Densyll family. .
In 1454 Sir Martin Fortescue 1472 second son of Sir John Fortescue 1485, Chief Justice, of Ebrington Manor Gloc. flic.kr/p/2dxAxJD married Elizabeth Densyll 1508 a daughter and co-heiress of Richard Densyll of Filleigh, and thereby the manor became a possession of the Fortescue family, together with substantial other Densyll manors including Weare Giffard, Buckland Filleigh, Combe and Tamerton. Elizabeth Denzell survived her first husband and remarried to Sir Richard de Pomeroy 1496 of Berry Pomeroy in 1473 flic.kr/p/ywRdcg
The old mediaeval church was demolished by Hugh Fortescue, Lord Clinton in c 1730.
The only surviving objects from the old church are two monumental brasses on the north wall of the nave which formerly adorned the now lost tomb-monument of Richard Fortescue 1570 flic.kr/p/iEdToj & his brother in law Sir Bernard Drake 1586 flic.kr/p/iFRa23
The present parish church was built in 1732 on a new site 1/2-mile west of the new Palladian mansion of Castle Hill which was then being built by Lord Clinton.
Originally Classical in style, It was re-modelled in 1876–1877 to the plans of Clark of Newmarket, (Gilbert Scott having been consulted) in 1864, this Victorian remodelling converted the church into the Norman style, with the addition of a south aisle, now the "Fortescue Chapel", and a new chancel in the form of an apse. There are several memorials to members of the Fortescue on the walls , furnishings and in stained glass..
It now consists of a west tower, nave, short transepts, south aisle and apsidal chancel.
The nave, north transept and chancel windows are all round-arched single lights with Norman style mouldings applied to the original Georgian openings, The gabled south porch has an external stair turret to the organ gallery on west side. It is topped with a large wheel window above doorway with fishscale patterning to the tympanum.
The north transept terminates in the Fortescue vault with embattled parapet, inscribed on the north side 'to memory of Hugh 3rd Earl Fortescue and of 4 generations of his ancestors',
The two stage tower was topped with a spire in late 19c.
Inside there are semi-circular headed arches in Norman style to tower and transepts, and to 2 bay south aisle arcade with scalloped capitals. The ceiled wagon roofs throughout have panels painted with foliated decoration, were painted by Lady Susan Fortescue c. 1880.
The chancel apse ceiling is panelled in leaf patterns of multicoloured stone, continued as mosaics behind the choir stalls, with inscription to George Damer, 7th son of Earl Fortescue, lost in HMS Wasp in the China seas 1887.
After the chancel had been added with an apse it needed new windows, www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/3vQPT97tr8 which were dedicated to Georgiana, Countess Fortescue 1866, the wife of the 3rd Earl who also had a new font dedicated to her memory. (The original large 4 light east chancel window was moved to the south aisle during the 1876-7 restoration and filled with stained glass in memory of the first Earl Fortescue. www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/603uVc6HTT)#
The most unforgettable monument is to one year old Diana Fortescue as she is being lead heavenward by 2 angels
Roger Cornfoot CCL www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6287852