John Collamore's Ancestors

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Peter Collamore's ancestry comes solely from books. This researcher has not found any records documenting his birth. In Vivian’s The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Herald's Visitations of 1531, 1564, & 1620, he is listed as the son of Andrew Collamore, and an unnamed wife. Most researchers say he was born in 1474 in Braunton, Devonshire, England. One researcher gives a birth date of May 14, 1474, at Luscot in Braunton and a mother’s name of Joane, but without supporting documentation.

In Vivian’s Visitation, Saint-George’s 1620 Visitation, and Pole’s Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, Peter married Isabel Cushe, daughter and heir of Thomas Cushe and his wife, whose given name is unknown, but her surname was Chanterell. Isabel’s surname is spelled Cusshe by Saint-George. Pole mentions the marriage in the Braunton Hundred, Bawley Manor section, but it is not clear if they lived there or not. Some researchers say they married in 1499, others say 1500. Isabel is said to have been born about 1478, also in Braunton.

From the above mentioned books we learn that Peter and Isabel had at least two children — ancestor John and a daughter named Jone, who married John Yeo. The only record for Peter’s name in Braunton that this researcher has found is held at the North Devon Record Office. On July 5, 1483, Peter Colomore and John Yeo were witnesses to a dispute over Joan Incledene's dowry. But this couldn’t be our Peter as he’d only be 9 years old or is the estimated year of his birth off by 10 or more years? Is it just a coincidence that these two names are on the record? Unfortunately, we will never know!

He also had difficulties in dealing with his fellow citizens. He was convicted once for slander and once for the more serious charge of “defamation in a high degree.” In two additional suits, charges of “profane swearing, lyeing, drunkenness, wanton loose laciviouse carriages, besides intolerable bawdy language” were not legally proved, but the judges cautioned that they would “seveerly deale” with him if such charges were proved in the future.

It is not known where and when Peter and Isabel died, but it was probably in Braunton.

Andrew Collamore’s ancestry comes solely from two versions of the Visitations of Devon-Vivians’s and Saint-George’s, 1620. Andrew was the son and heir of William Collamore and Joane, his wife. Researchers have estimated his birth from between 1440 and 1454, but none give any documentation. It is not known who Andrew married, but they had at least two sons — John, the heir, was buried in St Brannock Churchyard in Braunton, Devonshire, England on April 2, 1547; and ancestor Peter. Unfortunately, it is not known where and when Andrew died.

Thomas Cushe’s ancestry comes solely from books. His parents, place and date of birth are unknown and this researcher has not found any records for him. In both Visitations he is listed as the father of Isabel who married Peter Collamore. In Pole’s Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, he is listed as being married to the unnamed daughter of William Chanterell, under the Braunton Hundred, Bawley section. It seems to be a description of the generations that held the manor.

The landed gentry and nobility of England bore heraldic arms beginning in the age of heraldry, about 1200–1215. Visitations tours of inspection occurred to register and regulate the coats of arms of nobility, gentry and boroughs, and to record pedigrees. In Devonshire they were done in 1531, 1564 and 1620. In Sir Bernard Burke’s, The General Armoey of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, there is a listing for the surname of Cushe, or Cush, that describes their coat of arms as “Ar. on a chev. sa. three fountains, in the dexter chief point a mullet of the second. Crest—A cock sa. combed and wattled gu.” Wikipedia states it as “Cushe : Argent, on a bend sable three crescents barry wavy argent and azure.” This seems to imply that the Cushe family were at one point probably landed gentry. Being that their pedigree is not in the visitation books means that there weren’t any Cushe’s left in Devonshire when the inspections took place. In the book The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States of America, it states that the Cushe name is a derivative of the name Cuat, or De Gouis or Gouvis, from Gouviz, near Falaise. Unfortunately, nothing else is known about Thomas Cushe and his wife.

William Collamore’s ancestry comes solely from two versions of the Visitations of Devon-Vivians’s and Saint-George’s, 1620, where he is listed as William Collemore of Saunton, in Branton parish. His wife is listed merely as Joane. In Sir William Pole’s, Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, there is a manor called Santon in the former administration area called the Braunton Hundred, listed right after Luscott, but there is no mention of the Collamore name in the description. In the Survey оf the County of Devon, Tristram Risdon states, “Santon is in the parish of Branton, not unaptly so termed, the Town by the Sand, that hath overblown many hundred acres of land.”

Researchers have estimated Both William and Joane’s births in 1410 in Braunton, but give no documentation. In both Visitations, William and Joane have only one child, son and heir, ancestor Andrew. Unfortunately, nothing else is known about them.

William Chanterell’s name comes from Sir William Pole’s, Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon. He is mentioned in the line of succession in the Braunton Hundred, Bawley manor section of the book. In Henry Barber’s 1894 book, British Family Names, there is the following listing, “Cantrell, Fr. Cantrel, Cantrell; p.n. William Chanterell, temp. K. John.” This seems to mean that Chanterell is a French personal name, dating back to the time of King John, 1199 to 1216. In the book, The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants, it states that there was a “William and Roger Cantarel, of Normandy, 1198.” It is believed that a male Caintrell came into England with William the Conqueror in 1066, and his surname was recorded in the Domesday Book. With it’s many spellings, this surname is widespread all over England. Even brothers spelled their surnames differently, but most, if not all, share the same or extremely similar coat of arms.

Pole tells us that William married Elizabeth Curtman, the daughter of Thomas Curtman and his unnamed wife. In the UK National Archives' Catalogue, there is a record for a William Chaunterell, of Morthoe, defendant, who is being sued by Richard Fayreman, of Braunton Abbot, grandson of John Fayreman, concerning Lands in Braunton Abbot, during the mid 1400’s. There are also a few other records for this same name, including wills for William Chaunterell or Chauntrell, Sergeant at Law, dated October 5, 1438; William Chauntre, dated November 28, 1485; and William Chaunttrell, Rector of Westerfield, Suffolk, dated August 7, 1473. All of these wills are extremely difficult to read, but the last will, probably isn’t our William, as he’s living in Suffolk.

Unfortunately we are left with more questions than answers, as nothing else is known about William and Elizabeth. All we know is that they had a daughter, whose given name is unknown, who married Thomas Cushe.

Thomas Curtman’s name is mentioned in Sir William Pole’s, Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon. He is named in the line of succession in the Braunton Hundred, Bawley manor section of the book. (Read the complete description in the chart above.) When and where he was born is unknown, but it was probably in the Braunton Hundred (a former administrative district). His parents were Agnes Doddescombe and Gilbert Curtman. Unfortunately, nothing else is known about him.

Gilbert Curtman and his wife Agnes Doddescombe’s are named in the line of succession in the Braunton Hundred, Bawley manor section of Sir William Pole’s, Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon. In two of Burke’s books, Encyclopædia of Heraldry and The General Armoey of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, there is a listing for Curtman in the county of Devon, which reads as follows, “Ar. three old fashioned helmets sa.” The Ar. is an abbreviation for argent, or silver, or white; and the sa. stands for sable, or black. This seems to imply that the surname of Curtman has been in Devonshire, England since the age of heraldry, about 1200–1215. Unfortunately nothing more is known about Gilbert.

Agnes Doddescombe was the daughter of Susan Langlegh and Walter Doddescombe. The manor at Bawley came down from her mother to her. Unfortunately nothing more is known about Agnes.

Walter Doddescombe and his wife Susan Langlegh are named in the line of succession in the Braunton Hundred, Bawley manor section of Sir William Pole’s, Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon. Walter’s surname has also been spelled with an i, not an e, as follows, Doddiscombe. In two of Burke’s books, Encyclopædia of Heraldry and The General Armoey of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, there is a listing for Walter’s surname as follows, “Doddescombe (Doddescombe-Legh, co. Devon; extinct temp. Edward III. ; heiresses m. Bigbury, Newenham, Prall, and Branscombs). Ar. three eaglets displ. gu.” The coat of arms abbreviations are as follow, Ar. is argent, or silver, or white; and displ. gu. is displayed gules, or red. Pole tells us that Doddescombe-Legh was a manor in the Hundred of Exminster, which came down from another ancestor, Sir Ralph Doddescombe to his son John, who had 5 daughters, referred to the heiresses above. (One of these daughters, Emma was married to John Pollard, and is in our Hext ancestry.) It is not proven that Walter is related to Sir Ralph, but being that they all lived in Devon, it seems possible they were.

Walter’s wife, Susan Langlegh, was the daughter of Richard Langlegh, who passed the Bawley manor down to her. Read more about this line in Richard’s bio. Unfortunately, nothing more is known about Walter Doddescombe and his wife Susan Langlegh.

Richard Langlegh’s name, as spelled here, is the first name listed in the line of succession in the Braunton Hundred, Bawley manor section of Sir William Pole’s, Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon. Because there are no other references to the name Langlegh, some researchers believe Richard is from the Langley family, which was from the historic Langley estate in the parish of Yarnscombe, Devonshire. In Burke’s 1844, Encyclopædia of Heraldry, there are 34 entries for Langley, one for Langley or Langly, and two for Langlee, but none from the county of Devon. In his 1884, The General Armoey of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, there are 28 entries for the surname of Langley and one for Langlee, but again none from the county of Devon. On Wikipedia’s Devon Heraldry page, there is a listing for Langley of Bawley: Ermine, a bend vert, which is the same as Burke’s entry for Langley or Langly. Because records are difficult to find for this period, we may never know if Richard’s surname was Langlegh or Langley, as nothing else is known about him.