Subsidy of 1524-1527

Another interesting set of images I took at Kew in 2013 for the Devon Subsidy of 1524-1527. 

 North Molton

William Pencombe     G     2

John Pencombe     G     5 

Thomas Pencombe     W     1

South Molton

John Penceme     G     10

Chris Pyncombe     G     5

East Buckland

Thomas Pyncowe     G     2

Elinor Pyncowe     G     2

Ilfracombe

Thomas Pyncowe     G     2.67

Andrew Pyncowe     G     1

Henry Pyncowe     G     1.5

Barnstaple

Henry Pymbroke     G     1

This 1525 Subsidy is thirty six to fourty years after the Pencomb family arrived at North Molton with Lord de la Zouch. By this time, if the unknown Pencomb who arrived with Lord de la Zouch (who was attainted at this time because he was on the side of Richard III when Henry VII was successful at Bosworth Field) was just a young boy of 12 to 18 years (my thought) then at 36-40 plus whatever age he was when he arrived at North Molton he could have a number of adult sons (and daughters but only one Margret was found) thirtysix-fourty years later and that is what we appear to find at North Molton where we have John, William and Thomas (and the value of their property is in descendant order interestingly enough) and at South Molton we have a John Penceme (perhaps a transcription error) and Chris Pyncombe (said to be sons of John the son of the Unknown Pyncombe on the Visitation of Devon 1620). I rather think that John at South Molton with the large property is the son of the Unknown Pyncombe and that Christopher Pyncombe is his eldest son living there as well. It does perhaps give some idea on the age of the Unknown Pyncombe father of this John that he would have a son Christopher and a son John old enough to be considered land owners. When the manor books of North Molton are read more details may be forthcoming. Roger de la Zouche was granted licence to hold a weekly market in the manor and an annual fair on All Saints Day in 1270. In the 15th century the St Maur family (the Zouche family and the St Maur families appeared to be linked in some fashion) held it for a time and then the Bampfylde family. My knowledge of the workings of manors is limited but one is left with the thought that perhaps the de la Zouche family continued to hold some property in North Molton and that was the reason that John La Zouche, 7th Baron Zouche, 8th Bar St Maur went to North Molton in the 1480s. A wikipedia article provides a lot more information explaining this relationship. Although attainted in 1485 he was pardoned in July 1486 but his lands were not returned to him until 1489 and only a portion. This could then be an error of thought using 1485 as date of arrival (the beginning of the reign of Henry VII) reading the Visitation of Devon 1620 which mentions that Lord Zouche was at North Molton (property he was able to keep after 1489) in 1489 (the Visitation states "about the beginning"). The effect of four years is not great actually as the age of the Pyncombe who came with Lord Zouch was likely between 12 and 18 but with grandchildren old enough to own property this Unknown Pyncombe could well now be in 1525 in his late sixties or even seventies if he is still living. He does not appear to have land at this time though. This information continues to make me wonder who Alice Pencombe widow was on the 1544 Subsidy. I will continue to ponder that as I work through the last bits of the second generation.

The East Buckland subsidy caught my eye because Thomas Pencombe does end up there by the 1544 subsidy. However this surname Pyncowe does seem to exist so I rather think that Thomas is still quite a young man and just coming into property. It does give a forename William that could be the third son (one is known to be John and the other Thomas (a third was often labeled John as well in the Visitations but I think it is a transcription error since the original shows John, Thomas and Unknown)). A good find as I work away on the North Molton chart. The family has not really moved far from North Molton; only to South Molton. On the 1544 subsidy there is an Alice Pencombe (widow) but not on the 1525 Subsidy but there are missing sections in both the North Molton and the South Molton sections of the 1525 Subsidy. I will spend some time with the images that I collected again today making sure I did not miss anything. 

I feel confident though moving on to the third generation of the chart as I have entered in all the BMD information that I have thus far for this initial group i.e. the second generation. 

Beautiful snowy day today and it is coming down heavily at the moment. I do so love winter. It is a great time for hibernation and now in my old age I am enjoying the weeks of study and research. Since I never thought about being old when I was young it is like an unplanned and unexpected period in my life; I tended to just live the days as they came ever since the knife attack when I was 19 years of age. Funny how such a happening can control how your life flows. 

Breakfast done and on to work.