Simon Leach (1567-1638)
Sir Simon Leach (1567-1638) of the parish of All Hallows, Goldsmith Street, Exeter and of Cadeleigh, Devon, was Sheriff of Devon in 1624.[3] His surviving monument in St Bartholomew's Church, Cadeleigh is the largest of its type in any Devon parish church.[4]
Origins
He was a son of Simon Leach (d.1579) of Crediton in Devon, a blacksmith, by his wife Elizabeth Rowe, daughter of John Rowe of Crediton.[5] The arms of Leach of Cadeleigh (Ermine, on a chief indented gules three ducal coronets or) are those of the ancient Leche family of Carden, near Chester, which estate held by the family until the late 20th century had been acquired during the reign of King Henry IV (1399-1413) by John Leche (descended from the family of Leche of Chatsworth in Derbyshire) on his marriage to Lucy Cawarden, heiress of Carden.[6]
Career
He served as Sheriff of Devon in 1624[7] He was knighted by King Charles I at Ford on 26 September 1625.[8]
Landholdings
- Cadeleigh, which manor he purchased in about 1600 from Sir John Horton,[9] and where he made his seat at Cadeleigh Court.
- Spencer Combe, near Crediton, which he purchased from Bevil Prideaux.[10]
Marriages & progeny
He married twice:[11]
- Firstly in 1597 to Elizabeth Borrough (d.1599), daughter of Walter Borrough of Exeter, by whom he had progeny:
- Simon Leach (born 1598), eldest son, died young.
- Sir Walter Leach (1599-pre-1637), second son and heir apparent, who predeceased his father. He was knighted by King Charles I at the Palace of Whitehall on 3 December 1626. In 1626 he married Sara Napier, a daughter of Sir Robert Napier, 1st Baronet (1560-1637), of Luton Hoo in Bedfordshire.
- Secondly he married Katherine Turbervile (d.pre-1637), eldest daughter of Nicholas Turbervile of Crediton by his wife Charity Prideaux, a daughter of Richard Prideaux (d.1603) of Thuborough, Sutcombe, Devon.[12] The arms of Turbervile of Devon were: Argent, a lion rampant gules crowned or, which arms were borne by the ancient de Turberville family of Coity Castle in Glamorgan, the English founder of which was Sir Payn de Turberville, one of the Twelve Knights of Glamorgan, the legendary followers of Robert FitzHamon (d.1107), the Norman conqueror of Glamorgan. By Katherine he had progeny:
- Simon Leach (born 1601), 3rd son, died without progeny
- George Leach (1602-pre-1637), 4th son, whose wife a certain Margaret survived him and remarried to Bevil Prideaux (a grandson of Richard Prideaux (d.1603) of Thuborough) of Spencer Combe near Crediton. Bevil Prideaux sold Spencer Combe to Sir Simon Leach (d.1638).[13]
- Nicholas Leach (d.1646), 5th son, of Newton St Petrock, who married Grace Mallock, daughter of Roger Mallock of Exeter.
- Katherine Leach, who married as her second husband Thomas Giffard (1607-1648)[14] of Halsbury, Parkham, Devon.
- Elizabeth Leach
- Rebecka Leach
- Anne Leach
Death & burial
He was buried in Cadeleigh Church, where survives his monument.
Monument in Cadeleigh Church
His monument in Cadeleigh Church shows recumbent effigies of himself and his second wife Katherine Turbervile, with kneeling effigies of his eldest son Sir Walter Leach at their heads and of Sir Walter's wife his wife Sara Napier at their feet. Below are two groups of kneeling progeny, to the left four sons to the right four daughters, each group separated by a prie-dieu. On top of the monument are shown the arms of Leach (left), of Leach impaling Turbervile (centre) and of leach impaling Napier (right).
Monument to Elizabeth Leach (d.1661)
A mural monument survives in Braunton Church in memory of Balthazar Beare (1616-1682) inscribed as follows:
"Neare this place lyeth buried Balthazar Beare of Ashe in Brannton, Esquire, who dyed on the 10th of December in the yeare of our Lord 1682; the sonne of George Beare of Ashe, Esquire, whom he succeeded. And nigh him his wife Elizabeth, who dyed on the 5th of May 1661, daughter of Sir Walter Leach of Cadeleigh in this county, knight. Beare and Forebeare"
Above within a chaplet is an escutcheon showing the arms of Beare: Argent, three bear's heads and necks erased sable muzzled or,[15] with a crescent for the difference of a second son, impaling Leach, lords of the manor of Cadeleigh: Ermine, on a chief indented gules three ducal coronets or.[16] George Beare was also seated at the estate of Frankmarsh,[17] near Barnstaple[18] and was a barrister of the Middle Temple and a judge of oyer and terminer during the reign of King Charles I.[19]
References
- ↑ A chief "indented" per Vivian, p.526, as is shown on the escutcheon in St Brannock's Church, Braunton, Devon, on the mural monument of Balthazer Beare of Ash, Braunton, husband of Elizabeth Leach (d.1661), daughter of Sir Walter Leach (1599-pre-1637)
- ↑ Pevsner, Nikolaus & Cherry, Bridget, The Buildings of England: Devon, London, 2004, p.241
- ↑ Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p.526, pedigree of Leach
- ↑ Pevsner, Nikolaus & Cherry, Bridget, The Buildings of England: Devon, London, 2004, p.241
- ↑ Vivian, p.526
- ↑ Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry, 15th Edition, ed. Pirie-Gordon, H., London, 1937, p.1340
- ↑ Vivian, p.526;Risdon, Tristram (d.1640), Survey of Devon, 1811 edition, London, 1811, with 1810 Additions, The Sheriffs of Devon since the Conquest, p.13
- ↑ Vivian, p.526
- ↑ Lysons, Magna Britannia, Vol.6, Devon, 1822
- ↑ Pole, Sir William (d.1635), Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, Sir John-William de la Pole (ed.), London, 1791, p.227
- ↑ Vivian, p.526
- ↑ Vivian, pp.526, 619, 740, pedigrees of Leach, Prideaux, Turbervile
- ↑ Pole, Sir William (d.1635), Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, Sir John-William de la Pole (ed.), London, 1791, p.227
- ↑ Vivian, p.398
- ↑ Vivian, p.59, amended
- ↑ Vivian, p.526, pedigree of Leach of Cadleigh
- ↑ Vivian, p.62
- ↑ Frankmarsh near Barnstaple] per inscription on mural monument in Chittlehampton Church of Rev. John Beare (1589-1656)
- ↑ Vivian, p.62