Robert Incledon

Robert Incledon (1676-1758) of Pilton House. Portrait by Studio of Thomas Hudson (1701–1779), collection of Barnstaple Town Council, displayed in Barnstaple Guildhall

Arms of Incledon of Incledon and Buckland in the parish of Braunton, and of Pilton House, North Devon: Argent, a chevron engrailed between three tuns sable fire issuing from the bung hole proper^[1] Quasi-canting arms "incend-tun"

Pilton House, Pilton, near Barnstaple, Devon, built in 1746 by Robert Incledon^[2] (1676-1758)

Mural monument in Pilton Church to Christopher Lethbridge (d.1713) of Westaway House, Pilton. Above the inscription are the arms of Robert Incledon (1676-1758) of Pilton House, impaling the arms of his first wife Mary Lethbridge (d.1709), a daughter of Christopher Lethbridge (Argent, over water proper a bridge of five arches embattled gules and over the centre arch a turret in chief an eagle displayed sable charged on the breast with a bezant^[3])

Robert Incledon (1676–1758) of Pilton House, Pilton, near Barnstaple in North Devon, was a lawyer of New Inn, London, a Clerk of the Peace for Devon, Deputy Recorder of Barnstaple^[4] and was twice Mayor of Barnstaple, in 1712 and 1721.^[5] In 1713 as mayor he supervised the building of the Mercantile Exchange (now known as Queen Anne's Walk, a grade I listed building ) on Barnstaple Quay, as recorded on the building by a contemporary brass plaque and sculpture of his armorials. He built Pilton House in 1746.^[6]

Origins

He was a member of the local ancient gentry family of de Incledon (later Incledon, pronounced "Ingleton"), which originated at the estate of Incledon, in the parish of Braunton, North Devon, which family is first recorded in 1160.^[7] He was the younger of the two sons of Lewis III Incledon (1636-1699) of Buckland House, Braunton, about 5 miles to the north-west of Pilton, by his second wife, whom he married at nearby Tawstock, Elizabeth Fane (d.1717), daughter of Hon. Robert Fane of Combe Bank,^[8] Sevenoaks, Kent, 7th son of Francis Fane, 1st Earl of Westmorland (1580-1629). Tawstock Court was the seat of Henry Bourchier, 5th Earl of Bath (1593-1654), whose wife was Rachell Fane (d.1681), a daughter of the 1st Earl of Westmorland. Robert's elder brother was Henry Incledon (1671-1736) of Buckland and Incledon, who inherited the paternal estates.

Builds Mercantile Exchange

Arms and brass tablet relating to Robert Incledon on Queen Anne's Walk, Barnstaple, the construction of which he supervised in 1713

During his first mayoralty of the Borough of Barnstaple (1712–13) he was responsible for supervising the building of the Mercantile Exchange, a grade I listed building now known as Queen Anne's Walk, on Barnstaple Quay, as is recorded on the east parapet of the building by a sculpture of his armorials and a contemporary brass plaque inscribed in Latin as follows:

Faciendum curavit Robertus Incledon Generosus Oppidi Praefectus Anno Christi MDCCXIII ("Robert Incledon, Esquire, Prefect (i.e. Mayor) of this town, supervised the making. 1713")

Above is a plumed helm placed on a fasces, part of an antique trophy of arms.

Marriages & progeny

Robert Incledon married twice:

• Firstly to Mary Lethbridge (d.1709), daughter of Christopher Lethbridge (d.1713)^[9] of Westaway House, Pilton, the latter of whose "big and sumptuous" mural monument survives in Pilton Church,^[10] by his wife Margaret Bowchier, daughter and heiress of Philip Bowchier (d.1687) of Westaway.^[11] At the base of the monument are shown impaled by Lethbridge the arms of the family of his wife Margaret Bowchier, a daughter of Philip Bowchier: Argent, a cross chequy gules and or between four water bougets gules each between four ermine spots. These are a differenced version of the arms of Bourchier, Earls of Bath, of nearby Tawstock Court: Argent, a cross engrailed gules between four water bougets sable. The Bourchier Earls of Bath (which name was spelled historically in various ways) died out in the male line in 1654 on the death of the 5th Earl. Philip Bowchier (d.1687) was the son of Rev. Roger Bowchier, vicar of Pilton during the Civil War.^[12] It is not known what relationship if any the Bowchiers of Westaway were to the Bourchiers of Tawstock. Without issue.
• Secondly to Penelope Sandford, daughter of John Sandford of Ninehead, Somerset, by whom he had issue:
  • James Incledon (d.1741), eldest son, pre-deceased his father and died unmarried.
  • Benjamin Incledon (1730-1796), 2nd son, of Pilton House, eldest surviving son and heir to his father. Known as "The Antiquary",^[13] he was a genealogist of the ancient gentry families of Devon and historian of the ancient Borough of Barnstaple. He served in the honourable position of Recorder of Barnstaple (1758–1796).^[14] He married Margaret Newton (d.1803), second daughter and co-heiress of John Newton of Tiverton. She died at The Castle, Barnstaple, on 8 September 1803.
  • Amy Incledon (1721-1782), eldest daughter, who in 1747 at Pilton married Charles Chichester (1723-1798) of Hall, Bishop's Tawton, Devon.^[15] Their eldest son and heir Charles Chichester (1750-1835) married Henrietta Webber (d.1835), 7th daughter of Philip Rogers Webber (1732-1819) of Buckland House, by his marriage to Robert Incledon's great-great-niece Mary Incledon (1736-1802), heiress of Buckland House.^[16]
  • Lucy Incledon (born 1724), 2nd daughter, who in 1760 at Milton Damerel married Peregrine Courtenay (1720-1785) "of Raleigh"^[17] (possibly Raleigh, Pilton, adjacent to Pilton House), 3rd son of Sir William Courtenay, 2nd Baronet (1675-1735) of Powderham, without progeny.^[18]

Death

He died and was buried on 9 December 1758 in Pilton Church. By the depiction of the arms of Incledon impaling Lethbridge, he is commemorated on the "big and sumptuous" mural monument surviving in Pilton Church^[19] to his father-in-law Christopher Lethbridge (d.1713) of Westaway House, Pilton.

Sources

• Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry, 15th Edition, ed. Pirie-Gordon, H., London, 1937, pp. 2390–1, pedigree of Incledon-Webber of Buckland
• Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, pp. 497–9, pedigree of Incledon of Buckland

References

1. Per Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p.497, pedigree of Incledon of Buckland. As visible (with gilded flames) on various mural monuments to the Incledon and Webber families in St Brannock's Church, Braunton and on the frieze of Queen Anne's Walk (Mercantile Exchange, circa 1708), Barnstaple, Devon
2. Reed, Margaret A., Pilton: Its Past and Its People, Barnstaple, 1985, p.143; Listed building text
3. (Debrett's Peerage, 1967, Lethbridge Baronets, p.497)
4. Vivian, 1895, p.498
5. Lamplugh, Lois, Barnstaple: Town on the Taw, South Molton, 2002, p.15
6. Reed, Margaret A., Pilton: Its Past and Its People, Barnstaple, 1985, p.143; Listed building text
7. Vivian, 1895, p.497
8. Per inscription on monument to lewis III Incledon, Braunton Church
9. Reid, 1985, p.188
10. Pevsner, Nikolaus & Cherry, Bridget, The Buildings of England: Devon, London, 2004, p.629
11. In 1666 Philip Bowchier of Harford in the parish of Landkey held the estate of Westaway from Sir John Chichester, 1st Baronet (1623-1667) of Youlston, from his principal manor of Raleigh, Pilton (see: Reed, Margaret A., Pilton, its Past and its People, Barnstaple, 1985, pp 29-30, 243, 188)
12. Reid, 1985, p.188
13. Vivian, 1895, p.499
14. http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/benjamin-incledon-recorder-17581796-94636
15. Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p.499, pedigree of Incledon of Buckland; p.178, pedigree of Chichester of Hall
16. Vivian, pp.499 & 178
17. Vivian, p.499
18. Vivian, p.249, pedigree of Courtenay of Powderham
19. Pevsner, Nikolaus & Cherry, Bridget, The Buildings of England: Devon, London, 2004, p.629