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Over the centuries, several notable people have owned or been linked with Hemyock Castle.
Hemyock Manor is listed in the Domesday Book as Hamihoch, held by King William, granted to Baldwin. It appears to have belonged to William Cheever. The church later went to Torre Abbey and the manor went to the honor of Plympton.
For more information see: Hemyock in the Domesday Book.
Hemyock Manor was granted to Robert Foliot by Richard de Redvers, Earl of Devon.
1195: Hemyock was in the King's hands as the result of an escheat.
1198: Robert Foliot's lands were in the joint possession of Geoffrey de Barenton, Thomas Foliot, Richard de Hidon and Emma de Botreaux, his grandchildren.
Hidon Shield
Between 1212 and 1228, Richard de Hidon became the sole lord of the manor of Hemyock. In 1238 he held it of the honor of Plympton.
In the late 13th Century, Margaret Hidon inherited the Manors of Hemyock and Clayhidon from her father Sir Richard Hidon, and the Manors of Morleigh and Storridge from her mother Isabel (née Fisacre).
Dynham Shield
Margaret Hidon married three times. In 1292, she married Joyce (or Josce) de Dynham, the eldest son of Sir Oliver Dynham of Hartland, another Norman family, originally from Dinnant in Brittany. They had two sons, John and Oliver. Margaret was widowed in 1300 or 1301.
In 1309 she married Sir Gilbert Knoville, a widower of Honyngton (ie. Honiton) Devon, who was Sheriff of Devon. They had no children. He died in 1314.
Margaret's son, John Dinham, came of age in 1316. Apart from brief periods, the Dinham family held the manor until the death of the last member, Sir John Dinham, in 1502. Sir John had been Sheriff of Devon and Lord High Treasurer of England.
For further details see: Dinham Family Line.
Uvedale Shield
In 1324, Margaret Hidon married her third husband, Sir Peter de Uvedale, a much younger man, born in 1296. They made Hemyock their home. They funded and endowed a perpetual Chantry in Hemyock Parish Church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Saint Katherine.
Sir Peter died in 1336. Lady Margaret lived on until 1357. They are both buried under the floor of their Chantry Chapel, now incorporated into St. Mary's Church, Hemyock.
There is more information about the Uvedales, including an intriguing encounter with General Simcoe (a later owner of Hemyock) at:
http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/u/d/e/Gordon-Udell/
Asthorpe Shield
In the late fourteenth century Sir William Asthorpe married the Dynham heiress Lady Margaret.
On 5th November 1380, King Richard II granted Sir William and Lady Margaret Asthorpe (née Dynham) a licence to crenellate their fortified manor house at Hemyock. Records include:
Entry in the Patent Rolls: 4 Richard II, Membrane 11, Nov 5th 1380, Northampton.
Summary: Licence for William Asthorp, knight, and Margaret his wife, to crenellate the dwelling house of their manor of Hemyok with a wall of stone and lime. By p.s.
On the same day, King Richard II also granted Sir William and Lady Margaret "free warren", ie. hunting rights, over all of their manors:
Entry in the Charter Rolls: 4 Richard II, Membrane 6, Nov 5th 1380, Northampton.
Summary: Grant, of special grace, to William Asthorpe, knight, and Margaret his wife, and their heirs, of free warren in all their demesne lands of Hemyok, Hidon, Sandford Peverel, Alre Peverel and Morlegh, co. Devon, and Camlerton, co. Somerset.
Sir William Asthorpe died in 1399, shortly after Lady Margaret, his wife. Because he was "illegitimate" and died without an heir, Sir William's estates including Hemyock Castle were taken into the King's hands before eventually reverting to his wife's family.
For further details see: Asthorpe Family Line.
On the death of Sir John Dinham, Hemyock was divided between his four sisters and co-heiresses:
The Arundells also owned Wardour Castle near Shaftesbury, Wiltshire.
Further information is displayed at the Castle, and in the booklet "Hemyock Castle - The Continuing Story".
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Hemyock Castle, Hemyock, CULLOMPTON, Devon, EX15 3RJ, UK.
© 2001 - 2009. Prepared and published by Curlew Communications Ltd.
