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Woolcombe (Woollcombe) of Ashbury

The Woolcombes of Ashbury held 1,355 acres in Sourton, much of it jointly with other owners. The family came from Pitton near Yealmpton and got Ashbury by a marriage in the 1680s. The 1840 owner, John Morth Woolcombe, was High Sheriff of Devon in 1832 and died in 1866 without children.

In 1840 the tithe lists them as John Morth Woolcombe. 1,355 acres on the Dartmoor-parish tithe maps: Sourton 1,355.

See their land on the map →

Family tree

Click a name to see everything the sources say about that person, with the exact words quoted, below the chart. Yellow marks the 1840 tithe owner.

William Woolcombe of Pitton, 1560

William Woolcombe of Pitton, in Yealmpton, married 1560 Joan, co-heir of John Pitts of Pitton. S1

Children shown: John Woolcombe of Pitton, b. 1573

Where this comes from

S1 Burke, A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry (1879), entry Woollcombe of Ashbury

Mr. Woolcombe d. 1802, and was s. by his eldest son, John Morth Woolcombe, Esq. of Ashbury, High Sheriff for Devon 1832, b. 1783; m. 18 April, 1812, Anne Eleanor, dau. of Sir Thomas Louis, 1st bart. of Chelstone, Rear-Admiral of the White, and d. s. p. 1866, when he was s. by his nephew, Ven. Henry Woolcombe, now of Ashbury.

John Woolcombe of Pitton, b. 1573

John Woolcombe of Pitton, born 1573; signed the Visitation of Devon 1620. Died 1650. S1

Child of William Woolcombe of Pitton, 1560. Children shown: William Woolcombe of Pitton, b. 1606

Where this comes from

S1 Burke, A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry (1879), entry Woollcombe of Ashbury

Mr. Woolcombe d. 1802, and was s. by his eldest son, John Morth Woolcombe, Esq. of Ashbury, High Sheriff for Devon 1832, b. 1783; m. 18 April, 1812, Anne Eleanor, dau. of Sir Thomas Louis, 1st bart. of Chelstone, Rear-Admiral of the White, and d. s. p. 1866, when he was s. by his nephew, Ven. Henry Woolcombe, now of Ashbury.

William Woolcombe of Pitton, b. 1606

William Woolcombe of Pitton, born 1606. Married 1633 Mary, co-heir of John Pascoe of Torr. S1

Child of John Woolcombe of Pitton, b. 1573. Children shown: Henry Woolcombe, John Woolcombe of Pitton, b. 1635

Where this comes from

S1 Burke, A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry (1879), entry Woollcombe of Ashbury

Mr. Woolcombe d. 1802, and was s. by his eldest son, John Morth Woolcombe, Esq. of Ashbury, High Sheriff for Devon 1832, b. 1783; m. 18 April, 1812, Anne Eleanor, dau. of Sir Thomas Louis, 1st bart. of Chelstone, Rear-Admiral of the White, and d. s. p. 1866, when he was s. by his nephew, Ven. Henry Woolcombe, now of Ashbury.

Henry Woolcombe

Henry Woolcombe married 1684 Elizabeth, widow of Richard Stuckey and sister and heir of Henry Walter of Ashbury. Died 1692 without issue, leaving Ashbury to his nephew John Woolcombe. S1

Child of William Woolcombe of Pitton, b. 1606

Where this comes from

S1 Burke, A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry (1879), entry Woollcombe of Ashbury

Mr. Woolcombe d. 1802, and was s. by his eldest son, John Morth Woolcombe, Esq. of Ashbury, High Sheriff for Devon 1832, b. 1783; m. 18 April, 1812, Anne Eleanor, dau. of Sir Thomas Louis, 1st bart. of Chelstone, Rear-Admiral of the White, and d. s. p. 1866, when he was s. by his nephew, Ven. Henry Woolcombe, now of Ashbury.

John Woolcombe of Pitton, b. 1635

John Woolcombe of Pitton, born 1635. Married 1672 Thomasina Francis. S1

Child of William Woolcombe of Pitton, b. 1606. Children shown: John Woolcombe of Pitton and Ashbury, Rev Philip Woolcombe

Where this comes from

S1 Burke, A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry (1879), entry Woollcombe of Ashbury

Mr. Woolcombe d. 1802, and was s. by his eldest son, John Morth Woolcombe, Esq. of Ashbury, High Sheriff for Devon 1832, b. 1783; m. 18 April, 1812, Anne Eleanor, dau. of Sir Thomas Louis, 1st bart. of Chelstone, Rear-Admiral of the White, and d. s. p. 1866, when he was s. by his nephew, Ven. Henry Woolcombe, now of Ashbury.

John Woolcombe of Pitton and Ashbury

John Woolcombe of Pitton and Ashbury, M.P. for Plymouth, High Sheriff 1712. Died without issue 1713, leaving Ashbury to his brother William and Pitton to his brother the Rev. Philip. S1

Child of John Woolcombe of Pitton, b. 1635

Where this comes from

S1 Burke, A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry (1879), entry Woollcombe of Ashbury

Mr. Woolcombe d. 1802, and was s. by his eldest son, John Morth Woolcombe, Esq. of Ashbury, High Sheriff for Devon 1832, b. 1783; m. 18 April, 1812, Anne Eleanor, dau. of Sir Thomas Louis, 1st bart. of Chelstone, Rear-Admiral of the White, and d. s. p. 1866, when he was s. by his nephew, Ven. Henry Woolcombe, now of Ashbury.

Rev Philip Woolcombe

Rev. Philip Woolcombe of Ashbury and Pitton, vicar of Zeal Monachorum. Married Elizabeth, daughter of Offspring Blackall, Bishop of Exeter. S1

Child of John Woolcombe of Pitton, b. 1635. Children shown: John Woolcombe of Ashbury

Where this comes from

S1 Burke, A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry (1879), entry Woollcombe of Ashbury

Mr. Woolcombe d. 1802, and was s. by his eldest son, John Morth Woolcombe, Esq. of Ashbury, High Sheriff for Devon 1832, b. 1783; m. 18 April, 1812, Anne Eleanor, dau. of Sir Thomas Louis, 1st bart. of Chelstone, Rear-Admiral of the White, and d. s. p. 1866, when he was s. by his nephew, Ven. Henry Woolcombe, now of Ashbury.

John Woolcombe of Ashbury

John Woolcombe of Ashbury, born 1720, High Sheriff 1754. Married 1745 Mary, heir of Jeffery Morth of Talland, Cornwall (the Morth name comes from her). Died 1778. S1

Child of Rev Philip Woolcombe. Children shown: John Morth Woolcombe of Ashbury, b. 1747

Where this comes from

S1 Burke, A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry (1879), entry Woollcombe of Ashbury

Mr. Woolcombe d. 1802, and was s. by his eldest son, John Morth Woolcombe, Esq. of Ashbury, High Sheriff for Devon 1832, b. 1783; m. 18 April, 1812, Anne Eleanor, dau. of Sir Thomas Louis, 1st bart. of Chelstone, Rear-Admiral of the White, and d. s. p. 1866, when he was s. by his nephew, Ven. Henry Woolcombe, now of Ashbury.

John Morth Woolcombe of Ashbury, b. 1747

John Morth Woolcombe of Ashbury, born 13 October 1747. Married 20 December 1781 Harriett Helyar. Died 1802. S1

Child of John Woolcombe of Ashbury. Children shown: John Morth Woolcombe of Ashbury, b. 1783, Rev Henry Woolcombe

Where this comes from

S1 Burke, A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry (1879), entry Woollcombe of Ashbury

Mr. Woolcombe d. 1802, and was s. by his eldest son, John Morth Woolcombe, Esq. of Ashbury, High Sheriff for Devon 1832, b. 1783; m. 18 April, 1812, Anne Eleanor, dau. of Sir Thomas Louis, 1st bart. of Chelstone, Rear-Admiral of the White, and d. s. p. 1866, when he was s. by his nephew, Ven. Henry Woolcombe, now of Ashbury.

John Morth Woolcombe of Ashbury, b. 1783

John Morth Woolcombe of Ashbury, High Sheriff 1832, born 1783. Married 18 April 1812 Anne Eleanor Louis, daughter of Sir Thomas Louis. Died without issue 1866. The 1840 tithe owner; succeeded by his nephew. S1

Child of John Morth Woolcombe of Ashbury, b. 1747

Where this comes from

S1 Burke, A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry (1879), entry Woollcombe of Ashbury

Mr. Woolcombe d. 1802, and was s. by his eldest son, John Morth Woolcombe, Esq. of Ashbury, High Sheriff for Devon 1832, b. 1783; m. 18 April, 1812, Anne Eleanor, dau. of Sir Thomas Louis, 1st bart. of Chelstone, Rear-Admiral of the White, and d. s. p. 1866, when he was s. by his nephew, Ven. Henry Woolcombe, now of Ashbury.

Rev Henry Woolcombe

Rev. Henry Woolcombe, born 1781 (as printed), married 1812 Jane Louis. His eldest son, the Ven. Henry Woolcombe, succeeded his uncle at Ashbury. S1

Child of John Morth Woolcombe of Ashbury, b. 1747

Where this comes from

S1 Burke, A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry (1879), entry Woollcombe of Ashbury

Mr. Woolcombe d. 1802, and was s. by his eldest son, John Morth Woolcombe, Esq. of Ashbury, High Sheriff for Devon 1832, b. 1783; m. 18 April, 1812, Anne Eleanor, dau. of Sir Thomas Louis, 1st bart. of Chelstone, Rear-Admiral of the White, and d. s. p. 1866, when he was s. by his nephew, Ven. Henry Woolcombe, now of Ashbury.

Stories from the record

Each story is backed by at least two independent sources, at least one of them a printed or official record. The sources are listed under it.

The squire who ordered every fox on his estate destroyed

John Morth Woolcombe of Ashbury kept hounds himself and for a time preserved the Broadbury country for the Rev. John Russell's fox hunting. After Woolcombe's brother Robert tried to buy Russell's whole pack and was refused, Woolcombe ordered his keepers and tenants to trap, shoot and destroy every fox on his land. A newspaper paragraph claimed 250 foxes had been killed, and placards stating this were printed at Okehampton and posted locally. The hunting world condemned it, though Russell's memoir says Woolcombe seems to have acted from conscientious scruples. A 1965 local-history book says separately that he fell out with the hunt and nailed the pads to the stable door.

Sources: E. W. L. Davies, A Memoir of the Rev. John Russell and his Out-of-Door Life (1878), pp. 205-208 (Internet Archive scan); E. W. Martin, The Shearers and the Shorn (1965), extract on the Woollcombe family site

Places on this family's land

Places on this site that stand on, or beside, the fields this family held in 1840.

On their 1840 fields (1)

Where the sources differ

Burke gives Rev. Henry Woolcombe's birth year as 1781, which cannot be right for a younger son of a father who married in 1781.
The squire who ordered every fox on his estate destroyed. The figure of 250 foxes is a newspaper claim reported by Davies, not a count. Martin gives John Morth Woolcombe's birth as 1783 or 1784 in different places.

Notes

Burke prints the name both Woolcombe and Woollcombe. The tithe lists treat Woolcombe, John Woolcombe and George Woolcombe (489 acres in Shaugh Prior) separately; only the John Morth entries (1,355 acres) are counted above.

Several Sourton entries name Woolcombe jointly with Hamlyn, Newton or Gloyn, so the figure above understates the total he shared in.

Sources

S1 Burke, A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry (1879), entry Woollcombe of Ashbury

Mr. Woolcombe d. 1802, and was s. by his eldest son, John Morth Woolcombe, Esq. of Ashbury, High Sheriff for Devon 1832, b. 1783; m. 18 April, 1812, Anne Eleanor, dau. of Sir Thomas Louis, 1st bart. of Chelstone, Rear-Admiral of the White, and d. s. p. 1866, when he was s. by his nephew, Ven. Henry Woolcombe, now of Ashbury.

Tithe polygons: Devon Tithe Mapping Polygonisation Project (Adnams 2023), © Devon County Council and Devon Heritage Centre, CC BY 4.0. Transcriptions: Devon County Council.