SIR JOHN HOLCOMBE (THOMAS OF CONN) n King Richard the Lion-Heart
Posted 28 Apr 2018 by donnacain60
In the 12th Century, King Richard the Lion-Heart, King of England, led an army of his finest and bravest Knights to fight for the return of the One True Cross, and to clear the passage of Christians on Pilgrimage to the Holy City of Jerusalem. Among those chosen for this daring adventure was, Sir John Holcombe (the First). These Crusaders fought their way to the Holy Lands, winning decisive battles against Muslim forces. He was reported to have been knighted and granted the Manor of Holcombe by King Richard The Lion Hearted for his actions in Palestine in the third crusade.
Records in the College of Arms, in London And elsewhere indicate that the Holcombe family is one of the most ancient in England. It is reported that a Holcombe soldier in the Battle of Hastings bore the Standard of Britiric Aldorman, of Devon.
There is a very old cemetery in Devizes, Wiltshire, with tombstones bearing the name of HoIcomb and Holcombe, and the church records of Canterbury Cathedral bear the name of Samuel Holcombe, There is a very old town in Lancashire, near Liverpool, called "Holcombe," and another place known as "Holcombe Brook,
It is in Devon, however, that the family became permanently established. Herald's Visitations of 1680 giving a list of seven
generations of Holcombes who had lived there. A Papal letter, #1., 1138-1304, p. 417 (N.Y. C. Library), says: "The Pope,
having ordered the Bishop of Exeter, on Richard's resignation of Holcombe, to make provision for him, etc."
Feudal Aids, Vol. I, p. 545, we find "Devon of 1303" Stundredem de Wonford," Stephamos (?) de Hoccomb", Hamfredus call tenet in Holcombe", p. 346- Uprecote (?) Cum Holecombe in Exministre quartum partem".
"In Devonshire Wills "index" p. 773, appears the will of Thomas Holdomb, St., Sidwell 1649 - Thomas Holdombe 1705,
Halberton, Elizabeth 1628, Elisabeth 1664, John 1620, John 1622, John 1665, Thomas Holcombe 1622 at Okahampton."
In the catalogue of "Ancient Deeds, Calander of State Papers of Great Britain, #1 (p. 490) on December 26, the 12th year
of Edward IV" is a grant by Richard Cach of Cokefield to John 0nstye alias Holcombe, the Elder.
Also in "Catalogue of Ancient Deeds in the 16th year of Henry III, grant in frank by Walter, son of Amfrid de Bereford of
Land in Holcombe, etc."
Also p. 485-Grant of Thomas Alisander of Dorchester to Nicholas de Noble over headland. ......... .extending to. . . .and a
djoining to highway leading to Holcombe (signed) Friday after St. John , the Baptist, 1st year of Edward III.
In Victorian History of County of Devon, p. 390, "These lands were the dower which Henry I bestowed on his natural son
Robert, on his marriage with Maud (eldest daughter of Robert of Tar of Hamen). ln l241 those manors were included in the
honour (?) of Gloucester, Followed by description of Holcombe Burnell. P. 400 describes salt wells (saltum) at Hollacomb
and Tower Holcombe...p. 455 savs "Baldu in Sheriff has a manor called Holcoma (Holcombe).
In the Domesdav Book in Exminster Hundred Lower Holcombe in Drewlish is noted - p. 480 (Victorian History) says "Ralf has
a virgate (?) called Holcomma (Holcomb).
There was a Holcombe Hall and a Holcombe Monument, in an old church on an old Holcombe estate at Bainscombe, Devon.
The house used by the Holcombe families, for many generations still stands and is used as a farm house. Holcombe Rogus
lies on the line between Devonshire Somerset, the boundary line running down the central aisle of the church
, the architecture on each side of the aisle being the architecture of that county in which it lies. Inside the church there
are tombs in "the alcoves which open on each side of the pulpit, The village of Holcombe is very beautiful, lying between
two hills ("a valley between two hills"). The adjacent country is fertile and there are groves and beautiful drives in a
bundance. It was here that Sir Walter Raleigh was born and it is reported that his mother was a Holcombe, For many
years and until recently a magazine was regularly published called "The Holcombe Parish Almanac." The village is located a
bout seven miles west of Exeter and about fifteen miles northeast of Dartmoor Forest. Some fifteen miles away are l
ocated Tiverton and Dulverton from whence John and Jacob Holcombe (p. 110) emigrated to America in 1700.
Among the manuscripts in the possession of Sir Thomas Philips, Baronet, was one from which a part of the following chart is
taken (Sir Thomas, himself, was connected by marriage with the Holcombes of Devon).
The earliest ancestor (through intermarriage) of the Holcombe family was WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR. He was born
1027 (or 1028), the son of Robert, duke of Normandy, Robert started on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and induced Noman
Barons to accept William as his successor. His early years were spent amidst the dangers and conspiracies of his enemies.
He was a great warrior with great aptitude toward government; when twenty years old he stamped out alone a serious
uprising in two of his districts. In 1051 he visited England and probably received a promise of the throne of England from
his kinsman, Edward the Confessor, He married Matilda, daughter of Baldwin V of Flanders, who traced her descent in
female line from Alfred the Great. This marriage was politically, and in the eyes of religious beliefs of the day, inadvisable.
However, Pope Nicholas II granted the needful dispensation in 1059. In penance, William and his wife established the
Abbies of St. Stephens and the Holy Trinity at Caens. He became King. of England after the treachery of Harold (who
had seemingly promised him tne throne) and the winning of the Battle of Senilac (or Hastings) (14 October, 1066) on
Christmas Day, 1066. He overcame North England; in 1072 he conquered the Scots under King Malcom; invaded Brittany,
1076; was wounded in campaign against his son, Robert; left England in 1086 and never returned. In 1087 he invaded
French Vixen and was killed after a fall from his horse. He was buried under a plain slab at St. Stephen's at Caen (His
bones were scattered by Hugenots in 1562). He was noted, in a profligate age, for the purity of his married life and
temperate habits, powerful physique, a.nd close-cropped hair. He expelled many English Church dignitaries and installed
Normans; refused homage to Pope Gregory VIII; did not allow English prelates to attend Gregory's general council;
consented to levy of Peter's Pence; instituted the Domesday Book. His children were: Robert, Duke of Nornamdy;
Richard (killed while hunting); William II and Henry I (future Kings); five or six daughters (including Adela who married
Stephen, Count of Blois).
1~ HENRY I (Youngest son of William (1) the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders, born 1068 on English Soil) was nicknamed
Beauclerk; Knighted in 1086; he is reported to have "an unlettered King is a crowned ass". He lived two years in great
poverty in French Vexin. By choosing the Anglo'-Scottish princess, Edity-Matilda, daughter of Malcolm III, King of the
Scots, as his future queen he cemented that alliance with the native English which was the foundation of his greatness.
He crushed the revolt of the Montgomeries in 1102 . He was feared by the Baronage "out popular with the non-feudal
classes; a conservative legislator; issued few ordinances. He married, after the death of Matilda in 1118, Adelaide
(daughter of Godfrey, Count of Louvan), He died in 1135 and was buried in the Abbey of Reading which he founded.
Empress Matilda (who had married Henry V and thus saved Normandy to the King) was designated his successor and
received the homage of English Baronage in 1126 and again in 1131.i; (woc, wod). His son, Reginald, Earl of Cornwall,
had a son Henry, also a daughter, Beatrice de Valle, who married Lord William de la Bruer (below).
Sir Geoffrey de la Bruer had two children, the youngest of whom was Anthony de la Bruer whose son. Sir William de la Bruer,
married. Isabel de la Bruer (his cousin, she being a daughter of Lord William de la Bruer, brother of Anthony de la Bruer).
Lord William de la Bruer (son of Sir Geoffrey) was one of the most powerful noblemen of his day and enjoyed the singular
good fortune of being the favorite of Henry II, Richard (the Crusader), John and Henry III. Upon Richard's going to the
Holy Land he was (with the Bishops of Durham and Ely) appointed to the government of the realm. King John granted him
many manors, and Henry III made him sheriff of twelve counties. His sons dying without issue, his daughters succeeded
to his vast inheritance. The La Bruers were of Norman decent and came to England with William the Conqueror. Isabel,
daughter of Isabel de la Bruer, married Sir Ralph Downe (born *1255; son of Isabel of Bartholomew de Mosa, born 1230*;
and of Sir Ralph Downe). Their son. Hugh Downe, Esquire of Down, born 1280*, had three children, Isabel (born 1320 (?);
married SIR JOHN HOLCOMBE, (next p.) and Amy (who married Henry Ledred.).
(A) JOHN HOLCOMBE is the first to be mentioned in the Visitations of England. He served in the War of the Crusades,
to Palestine, indications being that he participated in two of the Crusades. During the Third Crusade, while in battle,
with one mighty sweep of his sword he severed the heads of three Mohammedans. This explains the significance of the
four heads on the Coat of Arms which was bestowed upon him when he was meritoriously knighted for this deed of valor
by King Richard in the "latter part of the 11th Century." The Heraldic Office describes the Holcombe Arms as follows:
"Azure field; chevron, argent, between three Turks' heads in profile, couped at shoulders or, wreathed about the temples,
sable and of the second. Crest - a man's head, full faced couped at the breast proper, wreath around the temples or,
and azure." The Motto "Veritas et fortitudo", in English is Truth and Courage. The effigy of the Knight Holcombe now
rests in the old Abbey Church of Dorchester, England, one of the oldest abbies in England' [Excerpt from THE HOLCOMB (E)
GENEALOGY; ..., by Jesse Seaver, American Historical- genealogical Society (Philadelphia, 1925). Lib Cong CS71 .H725.]
John de Holcombe was a knight of the Crusades; knighted by King Richard the Lionheart for bravery in battle. Legend tells that Sir John beheaded three "Turks" with one mighty swing of his sword. The Holcombe coat of arms depicts the heads of the three Turks on an azure field. During one of the final battles, Sir John received wounds that ended his quest. He never recovered from his injuries, living long enough to complete the accompanying record, and to survive only part of the journey back to his beloved homeland and family in Dorchester, England. After being orphaned at the age of three and reared in poverty, Sir John later became one of the wealthiest and most respected men of his time. In the short period remaining from his final battle in the Crusades until his ultimate death, he wrote this account of the experiences and knowledge that brought him fame, wealth, and happiness. Sir John died of wounds received on the battlefield and is buried in Dorchester Abbey, Dorchester-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England.
"The Holcombes - Nation Builders" by Elizabeth Weir McPherson has an extensive dissertation on Holcombe Rogus and its history.Source: http://view.atdmt.com/iaction/ancestrycom_non_secure_universal_v3/v3/atc1.-lib-TinyMce_2_1_0-blank_htm
The Effigy
Although he cannot be identified with certainty, it seems most likely that this knight is William de Valance the Younger (died 1282), and not Sir John de Holcombe (died 1270) as was formerly believed. His effigy is one of the best pieces of 13th century funerary sculpture in England. Unusually life-like, in the act of drawing his sword, with every detail of his clothing and armour there for you to see and touch, this knight probably went on one of the Crusades to the Holy Land. When first made the sculpture would have been brilliantly coloured in blue, red and green, and traces of these colours can still be seen in the folds of the cloak.
Source: http://www.dorchester-abbey.org.uk/historical-tour/
Posted 28 Apr 2018 by donnacain60
In the 12th Century, King Richard the Lion-Heart, King of England, led an army of his finest and bravest Knights to fight for the return of the One True Cross, and to clear the passage of Christians on Pilgrimage to the Holy City of Jerusalem. Among those chosen for this daring adventure was, Sir John Holcombe (the First). These Crusaders fought their way to the Holy Lands, winning decisive battles against Muslim forces. He was reported to have been knighted and granted the Manor of Holcombe by King Richard The Lion Hearted for his actions in Palestine in the third crusade.
Records in the College of Arms, in London And elsewhere indicate that the Holcombe family is one of the most ancient in England. It is reported that a Holcombe soldier in the Battle of Hastings bore the Standard of Britiric Aldorman, of Devon.
There is a very old cemetery in Devizes, Wiltshire, with tombstones bearing the name of HoIcomb and Holcombe, and the church records of Canterbury Cathedral bear the name of Samuel Holcombe, There is a very old town in Lancashire, near Liverpool, called "Holcombe," and another place known as "Holcombe Brook,
It is in Devon, however, that the family became permanently established. Herald's Visitations of 1680 giving a list of seven
generations of Holcombes who had lived there. A Papal letter, #1., 1138-1304, p. 417 (N.Y. C. Library), says: "The Pope,
having ordered the Bishop of Exeter, on Richard's resignation of Holcombe, to make provision for him, etc."
Feudal Aids, Vol. I, p. 545, we find "Devon of 1303" Stundredem de Wonford," Stephamos (?) de Hoccomb", Hamfredus call tenet in Holcombe", p. 346- Uprecote (?) Cum Holecombe in Exministre quartum partem".
"In Devonshire Wills "index" p. 773, appears the will of Thomas Holdomb, St., Sidwell 1649 - Thomas Holdombe 1705,
Halberton, Elizabeth 1628, Elisabeth 1664, John 1620, John 1622, John 1665, Thomas Holcombe 1622 at Okahampton."
In the catalogue of "Ancient Deeds, Calander of State Papers of Great Britain, #1 (p. 490) on December 26, the 12th year
of Edward IV" is a grant by Richard Cach of Cokefield to John 0nstye alias Holcombe, the Elder.
Also in "Catalogue of Ancient Deeds in the 16th year of Henry III, grant in frank by Walter, son of Amfrid de Bereford of
Land in Holcombe, etc."
Also p. 485-Grant of Thomas Alisander of Dorchester to Nicholas de Noble over headland. ......... .extending to. . . .and a
djoining to highway leading to Holcombe (signed) Friday after St. John , the Baptist, 1st year of Edward III.
In Victorian History of County of Devon, p. 390, "These lands were the dower which Henry I bestowed on his natural son
Robert, on his marriage with Maud (eldest daughter of Robert of Tar of Hamen). ln l241 those manors were included in the
honour (?) of Gloucester, Followed by description of Holcombe Burnell. P. 400 describes salt wells (saltum) at Hollacomb
and Tower Holcombe...p. 455 savs "Baldu in Sheriff has a manor called Holcoma (Holcombe).
In the Domesdav Book in Exminster Hundred Lower Holcombe in Drewlish is noted - p. 480 (Victorian History) says "Ralf has
a virgate (?) called Holcomma (Holcomb).
There was a Holcombe Hall and a Holcombe Monument, in an old church on an old Holcombe estate at Bainscombe, Devon.
The house used by the Holcombe families, for many generations still stands and is used as a farm house. Holcombe Rogus
lies on the line between Devonshire Somerset, the boundary line running down the central aisle of the church
, the architecture on each side of the aisle being the architecture of that county in which it lies. Inside the church there
are tombs in "the alcoves which open on each side of the pulpit, The village of Holcombe is very beautiful, lying between
two hills ("a valley between two hills"). The adjacent country is fertile and there are groves and beautiful drives in a
bundance. It was here that Sir Walter Raleigh was born and it is reported that his mother was a Holcombe, For many
years and until recently a magazine was regularly published called "The Holcombe Parish Almanac." The village is located a
bout seven miles west of Exeter and about fifteen miles northeast of Dartmoor Forest. Some fifteen miles away are l
ocated Tiverton and Dulverton from whence John and Jacob Holcombe (p. 110) emigrated to America in 1700.
Among the manuscripts in the possession of Sir Thomas Philips, Baronet, was one from which a part of the following chart is
taken (Sir Thomas, himself, was connected by marriage with the Holcombes of Devon).
The earliest ancestor (through intermarriage) of the Holcombe family was WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR. He was born
1027 (or 1028), the son of Robert, duke of Normandy, Robert started on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and induced Noman
Barons to accept William as his successor. His early years were spent amidst the dangers and conspiracies of his enemies.
He was a great warrior with great aptitude toward government; when twenty years old he stamped out alone a serious
uprising in two of his districts. In 1051 he visited England and probably received a promise of the throne of England from
his kinsman, Edward the Confessor, He married Matilda, daughter of Baldwin V of Flanders, who traced her descent in
female line from Alfred the Great. This marriage was politically, and in the eyes of religious beliefs of the day, inadvisable.
However, Pope Nicholas II granted the needful dispensation in 1059. In penance, William and his wife established the
Abbies of St. Stephens and the Holy Trinity at Caens. He became King. of England after the treachery of Harold (who
had seemingly promised him tne throne) and the winning of the Battle of Senilac (or Hastings) (14 October, 1066) on
Christmas Day, 1066. He overcame North England; in 1072 he conquered the Scots under King Malcom; invaded Brittany,
1076; was wounded in campaign against his son, Robert; left England in 1086 and never returned. In 1087 he invaded
French Vixen and was killed after a fall from his horse. He was buried under a plain slab at St. Stephen's at Caen (His
bones were scattered by Hugenots in 1562). He was noted, in a profligate age, for the purity of his married life and
temperate habits, powerful physique, a.nd close-cropped hair. He expelled many English Church dignitaries and installed
Normans; refused homage to Pope Gregory VIII; did not allow English prelates to attend Gregory's general council;
consented to levy of Peter's Pence; instituted the Domesday Book. His children were: Robert, Duke of Nornamdy;
Richard (killed while hunting); William II and Henry I (future Kings); five or six daughters (including Adela who married
Stephen, Count of Blois).
1~ HENRY I (Youngest son of William (1) the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders, born 1068 on English Soil) was nicknamed
Beauclerk; Knighted in 1086; he is reported to have "an unlettered King is a crowned ass". He lived two years in great
poverty in French Vexin. By choosing the Anglo'-Scottish princess, Edity-Matilda, daughter of Malcolm III, King of the
Scots, as his future queen he cemented that alliance with the native English which was the foundation of his greatness.
He crushed the revolt of the Montgomeries in 1102 . He was feared by the Baronage "out popular with the non-feudal
classes; a conservative legislator; issued few ordinances. He married, after the death of Matilda in 1118, Adelaide
(daughter of Godfrey, Count of Louvan), He died in 1135 and was buried in the Abbey of Reading which he founded.
Empress Matilda (who had married Henry V and thus saved Normandy to the King) was designated his successor and
received the homage of English Baronage in 1126 and again in 1131.i; (woc, wod). His son, Reginald, Earl of Cornwall,
had a son Henry, also a daughter, Beatrice de Valle, who married Lord William de la Bruer (below).
Sir Geoffrey de la Bruer had two children, the youngest of whom was Anthony de la Bruer whose son. Sir William de la Bruer,
married. Isabel de la Bruer (his cousin, she being a daughter of Lord William de la Bruer, brother of Anthony de la Bruer).
Lord William de la Bruer (son of Sir Geoffrey) was one of the most powerful noblemen of his day and enjoyed the singular
good fortune of being the favorite of Henry II, Richard (the Crusader), John and Henry III. Upon Richard's going to the
Holy Land he was (with the Bishops of Durham and Ely) appointed to the government of the realm. King John granted him
many manors, and Henry III made him sheriff of twelve counties. His sons dying without issue, his daughters succeeded
to his vast inheritance. The La Bruers were of Norman decent and came to England with William the Conqueror. Isabel,
daughter of Isabel de la Bruer, married Sir Ralph Downe (born *1255; son of Isabel of Bartholomew de Mosa, born 1230*;
and of Sir Ralph Downe). Their son. Hugh Downe, Esquire of Down, born 1280*, had three children, Isabel (born 1320 (?);
married SIR JOHN HOLCOMBE, (next p.) and Amy (who married Henry Ledred.).
(A) JOHN HOLCOMBE is the first to be mentioned in the Visitations of England. He served in the War of the Crusades,
to Palestine, indications being that he participated in two of the Crusades. During the Third Crusade, while in battle,
with one mighty sweep of his sword he severed the heads of three Mohammedans. This explains the significance of the
four heads on the Coat of Arms which was bestowed upon him when he was meritoriously knighted for this deed of valor
by King Richard in the "latter part of the 11th Century." The Heraldic Office describes the Holcombe Arms as follows:
"Azure field; chevron, argent, between three Turks' heads in profile, couped at shoulders or, wreathed about the temples,
sable and of the second. Crest - a man's head, full faced couped at the breast proper, wreath around the temples or,
and azure." The Motto "Veritas et fortitudo", in English is Truth and Courage. The effigy of the Knight Holcombe now
rests in the old Abbey Church of Dorchester, England, one of the oldest abbies in England' [Excerpt from THE HOLCOMB (E)
GENEALOGY; ..., by Jesse Seaver, American Historical- genealogical Society (Philadelphia, 1925). Lib Cong CS71 .H725.]
John de Holcombe was a knight of the Crusades; knighted by King Richard the Lionheart for bravery in battle. Legend tells that Sir John beheaded three "Turks" with one mighty swing of his sword. The Holcombe coat of arms depicts the heads of the three Turks on an azure field. During one of the final battles, Sir John received wounds that ended his quest. He never recovered from his injuries, living long enough to complete the accompanying record, and to survive only part of the journey back to his beloved homeland and family in Dorchester, England. After being orphaned at the age of three and reared in poverty, Sir John later became one of the wealthiest and most respected men of his time. In the short period remaining from his final battle in the Crusades until his ultimate death, he wrote this account of the experiences and knowledge that brought him fame, wealth, and happiness. Sir John died of wounds received on the battlefield and is buried in Dorchester Abbey, Dorchester-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England.
"The Holcombes - Nation Builders" by Elizabeth Weir McPherson has an extensive dissertation on Holcombe Rogus and its history.Source: http://view.atdmt.com/iaction/ancestrycom_non_secure_universal_v3/v3/atc1.-lib-TinyMce_2_1_0-blank_htm
The Effigy
Although he cannot be identified with certainty, it seems most likely that this knight is William de Valance the Younger (died 1282), and not Sir John de Holcombe (died 1270) as was formerly believed. His effigy is one of the best pieces of 13th century funerary sculpture in England. Unusually life-like, in the act of drawing his sword, with every detail of his clothing and armour there for you to see and touch, this knight probably went on one of the Crusades to the Holy Land. When first made the sculpture would have been brilliantly coloured in blue, red and green, and traces of these colours can still be seen in the folds of the cloak.
Source: http://www.dorchester-abbey.org.uk/historical-tour/
SIR JOHN HOLCOMBE (THOMAS OF CONN) n King Richard the Lion-Heart
Posted 28 Apr 2018 by donnacain60
In the 12th Century, King Richard the Lion-Heart, King of England, led an army of his finest and bravest Knights to fight for the return of the One True Cross, and to clear the passage of Christians on Pilgrimage to the Holy City of Jerusalem. Among those chosen for this daring adventure was, Sir John Holcombe (the First). These Crusaders fought their way to the Holy Lands, winning decisive battles against Muslim forces. He was reported to have been knighted and granted the Manor of Holcombe by King Richard The Lion Hearted for his actions in Palestine in the third crusade.
Records in the College of Arms, in London And elsewhere indicate that the Holcombe family is one of the most ancient in England. It is reported that a Holcombe soldier in the Battle of Hastings bore the Standard of Britiric Aldorman, of Devon.
There is a very old cemetery in Devizes, Wiltshire, with tombstones bearing the name of HoIcomb and Holcombe, and the church records of Canterbury Cathedral bear the name of Samuel Holcombe, There is a very old town in Lancashire, near Liverpool, called "Holcombe," and another place known as "Holcombe Brook,
It is in Devon, however, that the family became permanently established. Herald's Visitations of 1680 giving a list of seven
generations of Holcombes who had lived there. A Papal letter, #1., 1138-1304, p. 417 (N.Y. C. Library), says: "The Pope,
having ordered the Bishop of Exeter, on Richard's resignation of Holcombe, to make provision for him, etc."
Feudal Aids, Vol. I, p. 545, we find "Devon of 1303" Stundredem de Wonford," Stephamos (?) de Hoccomb", Hamfredus call tenet in Holcombe", p. 346- Uprecote (?) Cum Holecombe in Exministre quartum partem".
"In Devonshire Wills "index" p. 773, appears the will of Thomas Holdomb, St., Sidwell 1649 - Thomas Holdombe 1705,
Halberton, Elizabeth 1628, Elisabeth 1664, John 1620, John 1622, John 1665, Thomas Holcombe 1622 at Okahampton."
In the catalogue of "Ancient Deeds, Calander of State Papers of Great Britain, #1 (p. 490) on December 26, the 12th year
of Edward IV" is a grant by Richard Cach of Cokefield to John 0nstye alias Holcombe, the Elder.
Also in "Catalogue of Ancient Deeds in the 16th year of Henry III, grant in frank by Walter, son of Amfrid de Bereford of
Land in Holcombe, etc."
Also p. 485-Grant of Thomas Alisander of Dorchester to Nicholas de Noble over headland. ......... .extending to. . . .and a
djoining to highway leading to Holcombe (signed) Friday after St. John , the Baptist, 1st year of Edward III.
In Victorian History of County of Devon, p. 390, "These lands were the dower which Henry I bestowed on his natural son
Robert, on his marriage with Maud (eldest daughter of Robert of Tar of Hamen). ln l241 those manors were included in the
honour (?) of Gloucester, Followed by description of Holcombe Burnell. P. 400 describes salt wells (saltum) at Hollacomb
and Tower Holcombe...p. 455 savs "Baldu in Sheriff has a manor called Holcoma (Holcombe).
In the Domesdav Book in Exminster Hundred Lower Holcombe in Drewlish is noted - p. 480 (Victorian History) says "Ralf has
a virgate (?) called Holcomma (Holcomb).
There was a Holcombe Hall and a Holcombe Monument, in an old church on an old Holcombe estate at Bainscombe, Devon.
The house used by the Holcombe families, for many generations still stands and is used as a farm house. Holcombe Rogus
lies on the line between Devonshire Somerset, the boundary line running down the central aisle of the church
, the architecture on each side of the aisle being the architecture of that county in which it lies. Inside the church there
are tombs in "the alcoves which open on each side of the pulpit, The village of Holcombe is very beautiful, lying between
two hills ("a valley between two hills"). The adjacent country is fertile and there are groves and beautiful drives in a
bundance. It was here that Sir Walter Raleigh was born and it is reported that his mother was a Holcombe, For many
years and until recently a magazine was regularly published called "The Holcombe Parish Almanac." The village is located a
bout seven miles west of Exeter and about fifteen miles northeast of Dartmoor Forest. Some fifteen miles away are l
ocated Tiverton and Dulverton from whence John and Jacob Holcombe (p. 110) emigrated to America in 1700.
Among the manuscripts in the possession of Sir Thomas Philips, Baronet, was one from which a part of the following chart is
taken (Sir Thomas, himself, was connected by marriage with the Holcombes of Devon).
The earliest ancestor (through intermarriage) of the Holcombe family was WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR. He was born
1027 (or 1028), the son of Robert, duke of Normandy, Robert started on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and induced Noman
Barons to accept William as his successor. His early years were spent amidst the dangers and conspiracies of his enemies.
He was a great warrior with great aptitude toward government; when twenty years old he stamped out alone a serious
uprising in two of his districts. In 1051 he visited England and probably received a promise of the throne of England from
his kinsman, Edward the Confessor, He married Matilda, daughter of Baldwin V of Flanders, who traced her descent in
female line from Alfred the Great. This marriage was politically, and in the eyes of religious beliefs of the day, inadvisable.
However, Pope Nicholas II granted the needful dispensation in 1059. In penance, William and his wife established the
Abbies of St. Stephens and the Holy Trinity at Caens. He became King. of England after the treachery of Harold (who
had seemingly promised him tne throne) and the winning of the Battle of Senilac (or Hastings) (14 October, 1066) on
Christmas Day, 1066. He overcame North England; in 1072 he conquered the Scots under King Malcom; invaded Brittany,
1076; was wounded in campaign against his son, Robert; left England in 1086 and never returned. In 1087 he invaded
French Vixen and was killed after a fall from his horse. He was buried under a plain slab at St. Stephen's at Caen (His
bones were scattered by Hugenots in 1562). He was noted, in a profligate age, for the purity of his married life and
temperate habits, powerful physique, a.nd close-cropped hair. He expelled many English Church dignitaries and installed
Normans; refused homage to Pope Gregory VIII; did not allow English prelates to attend Gregory's general council;
consented to levy of Peter's Pence; instituted the Domesday Book. His children were: Robert, Duke of Nornamdy;
Richard (killed while hunting); William II and Henry I (future Kings); five or six daughters (including Adela who married
Stephen, Count of Blois).
1~ HENRY I (Youngest son of William (1) the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders, born 1068 on English Soil) was nicknamed
Beauclerk; Knighted in 1086; he is reported to have "an unlettered King is a crowned ass". He lived two years in great
poverty in French Vexin. By choosing the Anglo'-Scottish princess, Edity-Matilda, daughter of Malcolm III, King of the
Scots, as his future queen he cemented that alliance with the native English which was the foundation of his greatness.
He crushed the revolt of the Montgomeries in 1102 . He was feared by the Baronage "out popular with the non-feudal
classes; a conservative legislator; issued few ordinances. He married, after the death of Matilda in 1118, Adelaide
(daughter of Godfrey, Count of Louvan), He died in 1135 and was buried in the Abbey of Reading which he founded.
Empress Matilda (who had married Henry V and thus saved Normandy to the King) was designated his successor and
received the homage of English Baronage in 1126 and again in 1131.i; (woc, wod). His son, Reginald, Earl of Cornwall,
had a son Henry, also a daughter, Beatrice de Valle, who married Lord William de la Bruer (below).
Sir Geoffrey de la Bruer had two children, the youngest of whom was Anthony de la Bruer whose son. Sir William de la Bruer,
married. Isabel de la Bruer (his cousin, she being a daughter of Lord William de la Bruer, brother of Anthony de la Bruer).
Lord William de la Bruer (son of Sir Geoffrey) was one of the most powerful noblemen of his day and enjoyed the singular
good fortune of being the favorite of Henry II, Richard (the Crusader), John and Henry III. Upon Richard's going to the
Holy Land he was (with the Bishops of Durham and Ely) appointed to the government of the realm. King John granted him
many manors, and Henry III made him sheriff of twelve counties. His sons dying without issue, his daughters succeeded
to his vast inheritance. The La Bruers were of Norman decent and came to England with William the Conqueror. Isabel,
daughter of Isabel de la Bruer, married Sir Ralph Downe (born *1255; son of Isabel of Bartholomew de Mosa, born 1230*;
and of Sir Ralph Downe). Their son. Hugh Downe, Esquire of Down, born 1280*, had three children, Isabel (born 1320 (?);
married SIR JOHN HOLCOMBE, (next p.) and Amy (who married Henry Ledred.).
(A) JOHN HOLCOMBE is the first to be mentioned in the Visitations of England. He served in the War of the Crusades,
to Palestine, indications being that he participated in two of the Crusades. During the Third Crusade, while in battle,
with one mighty sweep of his sword he severed the heads of three Mohammedans. This explains the significance of the
four heads on the Coat of Arms which was bestowed upon him when he was meritoriously knighted for this deed of valor
by King Richard in the "latter part of the 11th Century." The Heraldic Office describes the Holcombe Arms as follows:
"Azure field; chevron, argent, between three Turks' heads in profile, couped at shoulders or, wreathed about the temples,
sable and of the second. Crest - a man's head, full faced couped at the breast proper, wreath around the temples or,
and azure." The Motto "Veritas et fortitudo", in English is Truth and Courage. The effigy of the Knight Holcombe now
rests in the old Abbey Church of Dorchester, England, one of the oldest abbies in England' [Excerpt from THE HOLCOMB (E)
GENEALOGY; ..., by Jesse Seaver, American Historical- genealogical Society (Philadelphia, 1925). Lib Cong CS71 .H725.]
John de Holcombe was a knight of the Crusades; knighted by King Richard the Lionheart for bravery in battle. Legend tells that Sir John beheaded three "Turks" with one mighty swing of his sword. The Holcombe coat of arms depicts the heads of the three Turks on an azure field. During one of the final battles, Sir John received wounds that ended his quest. He never recovered from his injuries, living long enough to complete the accompanying record, and to survive only part of the journey back to his beloved homeland and family in Dorchester, England. After being orphaned at the age of three and reared in poverty, Sir John later became one of the wealthiest and most respected men of his time. In the short period remaining from his final battle in the Crusades until his ultimate death, he wrote this account of the experiences and knowledge that brought him fame, wealth, and happiness. Sir John died of wounds received on the battlefield and is buried in Dorchester Abbey, Dorchester-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England.
"The Holcombes - Nation Builders" by Elizabeth Weir McPherson has an extensive dissertation on Holcombe Rogus and its history.Source: http://view.atdmt.com/iaction/ancestrycom_non_secure_universal_v3/v3/atc1.-lib-TinyMce_2_1_0-blank_htm
The Effigy
Although he cannot be identified with certainty, it seems most likely that this knight is William de Valance the Younger (died 1282), and not Sir John de Holcombe (died 1270) as was formerly believed. His effigy is one of the best pieces of 13th century funerary sculpture in England. Unusually life-like, in the act of drawing his sword, with every detail of his clothing and armour there for you to see and touch, this knight probably went on one of the Crusades to the Holy Land. When first made the sculpture would have been brilliantly coloured in blue, red and green, and traces of these colours can still be seen in the folds of the cloak.
Source: http://www.dorchester-abbey.org.uk/historical-tour/
Posted 28 Apr 2018 by donnacain60
In the 12th Century, King Richard the Lion-Heart, King of England, led an army of his finest and bravest Knights to fight for the return of the One True Cross, and to clear the passage of Christians on Pilgrimage to the Holy City of Jerusalem. Among those chosen for this daring adventure was, Sir John Holcombe (the First). These Crusaders fought their way to the Holy Lands, winning decisive battles against Muslim forces. He was reported to have been knighted and granted the Manor of Holcombe by King Richard The Lion Hearted for his actions in Palestine in the third crusade.
Records in the College of Arms, in London And elsewhere indicate that the Holcombe family is one of the most ancient in England. It is reported that a Holcombe soldier in the Battle of Hastings bore the Standard of Britiric Aldorman, of Devon.
There is a very old cemetery in Devizes, Wiltshire, with tombstones bearing the name of HoIcomb and Holcombe, and the church records of Canterbury Cathedral bear the name of Samuel Holcombe, There is a very old town in Lancashire, near Liverpool, called "Holcombe," and another place known as "Holcombe Brook,
It is in Devon, however, that the family became permanently established. Herald's Visitations of 1680 giving a list of seven
generations of Holcombes who had lived there. A Papal letter, #1., 1138-1304, p. 417 (N.Y. C. Library), says: "The Pope,
having ordered the Bishop of Exeter, on Richard's resignation of Holcombe, to make provision for him, etc."
Feudal Aids, Vol. I, p. 545, we find "Devon of 1303" Stundredem de Wonford," Stephamos (?) de Hoccomb", Hamfredus call tenet in Holcombe", p. 346- Uprecote (?) Cum Holecombe in Exministre quartum partem".
"In Devonshire Wills "index" p. 773, appears the will of Thomas Holdomb, St., Sidwell 1649 - Thomas Holdombe 1705,
Halberton, Elizabeth 1628, Elisabeth 1664, John 1620, John 1622, John 1665, Thomas Holcombe 1622 at Okahampton."
In the catalogue of "Ancient Deeds, Calander of State Papers of Great Britain, #1 (p. 490) on December 26, the 12th year
of Edward IV" is a grant by Richard Cach of Cokefield to John 0nstye alias Holcombe, the Elder.
Also in "Catalogue of Ancient Deeds in the 16th year of Henry III, grant in frank by Walter, son of Amfrid de Bereford of
Land in Holcombe, etc."
Also p. 485-Grant of Thomas Alisander of Dorchester to Nicholas de Noble over headland. ......... .extending to. . . .and a
djoining to highway leading to Holcombe (signed) Friday after St. John , the Baptist, 1st year of Edward III.
In Victorian History of County of Devon, p. 390, "These lands were the dower which Henry I bestowed on his natural son
Robert, on his marriage with Maud (eldest daughter of Robert of Tar of Hamen). ln l241 those manors were included in the
honour (?) of Gloucester, Followed by description of Holcombe Burnell. P. 400 describes salt wells (saltum) at Hollacomb
and Tower Holcombe...p. 455 savs "Baldu in Sheriff has a manor called Holcoma (Holcombe).
In the Domesdav Book in Exminster Hundred Lower Holcombe in Drewlish is noted - p. 480 (Victorian History) says "Ralf has
a virgate (?) called Holcomma (Holcomb).
There was a Holcombe Hall and a Holcombe Monument, in an old church on an old Holcombe estate at Bainscombe, Devon.
The house used by the Holcombe families, for many generations still stands and is used as a farm house. Holcombe Rogus
lies on the line between Devonshire Somerset, the boundary line running down the central aisle of the church
, the architecture on each side of the aisle being the architecture of that county in which it lies. Inside the church there
are tombs in "the alcoves which open on each side of the pulpit, The village of Holcombe is very beautiful, lying between
two hills ("a valley between two hills"). The adjacent country is fertile and there are groves and beautiful drives in a
bundance. It was here that Sir Walter Raleigh was born and it is reported that his mother was a Holcombe, For many
years and until recently a magazine was regularly published called "The Holcombe Parish Almanac." The village is located a
bout seven miles west of Exeter and about fifteen miles northeast of Dartmoor Forest. Some fifteen miles away are l
ocated Tiverton and Dulverton from whence John and Jacob Holcombe (p. 110) emigrated to America in 1700.
Among the manuscripts in the possession of Sir Thomas Philips, Baronet, was one from which a part of the following chart is
taken (Sir Thomas, himself, was connected by marriage with the Holcombes of Devon).
The earliest ancestor (through intermarriage) of the Holcombe family was WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR. He was born
1027 (or 1028), the son of Robert, duke of Normandy, Robert started on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and induced Noman
Barons to accept William as his successor. His early years were spent amidst the dangers and conspiracies of his enemies.
He was a great warrior with great aptitude toward government; when twenty years old he stamped out alone a serious
uprising in two of his districts. In 1051 he visited England and probably received a promise of the throne of England from
his kinsman, Edward the Confessor, He married Matilda, daughter of Baldwin V of Flanders, who traced her descent in
female line from Alfred the Great. This marriage was politically, and in the eyes of religious beliefs of the day, inadvisable.
However, Pope Nicholas II granted the needful dispensation in 1059. In penance, William and his wife established the
Abbies of St. Stephens and the Holy Trinity at Caens. He became King. of England after the treachery of Harold (who
had seemingly promised him tne throne) and the winning of the Battle of Senilac (or Hastings) (14 October, 1066) on
Christmas Day, 1066. He overcame North England; in 1072 he conquered the Scots under King Malcom; invaded Brittany,
1076; was wounded in campaign against his son, Robert; left England in 1086 and never returned. In 1087 he invaded
French Vixen and was killed after a fall from his horse. He was buried under a plain slab at St. Stephen's at Caen (His
bones were scattered by Hugenots in 1562). He was noted, in a profligate age, for the purity of his married life and
temperate habits, powerful physique, a.nd close-cropped hair. He expelled many English Church dignitaries and installed
Normans; refused homage to Pope Gregory VIII; did not allow English prelates to attend Gregory's general council;
consented to levy of Peter's Pence; instituted the Domesday Book. His children were: Robert, Duke of Nornamdy;
Richard (killed while hunting); William II and Henry I (future Kings); five or six daughters (including Adela who married
Stephen, Count of Blois).
1~ HENRY I (Youngest son of William (1) the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders, born 1068 on English Soil) was nicknamed
Beauclerk; Knighted in 1086; he is reported to have "an unlettered King is a crowned ass". He lived two years in great
poverty in French Vexin. By choosing the Anglo'-Scottish princess, Edity-Matilda, daughter of Malcolm III, King of the
Scots, as his future queen he cemented that alliance with the native English which was the foundation of his greatness.
He crushed the revolt of the Montgomeries in 1102 . He was feared by the Baronage "out popular with the non-feudal
classes; a conservative legislator; issued few ordinances. He married, after the death of Matilda in 1118, Adelaide
(daughter of Godfrey, Count of Louvan), He died in 1135 and was buried in the Abbey of Reading which he founded.
Empress Matilda (who had married Henry V and thus saved Normandy to the King) was designated his successor and
received the homage of English Baronage in 1126 and again in 1131.i; (woc, wod). His son, Reginald, Earl of Cornwall,
had a son Henry, also a daughter, Beatrice de Valle, who married Lord William de la Bruer (below).
Sir Geoffrey de la Bruer had two children, the youngest of whom was Anthony de la Bruer whose son. Sir William de la Bruer,
married. Isabel de la Bruer (his cousin, she being a daughter of Lord William de la Bruer, brother of Anthony de la Bruer).
Lord William de la Bruer (son of Sir Geoffrey) was one of the most powerful noblemen of his day and enjoyed the singular
good fortune of being the favorite of Henry II, Richard (the Crusader), John and Henry III. Upon Richard's going to the
Holy Land he was (with the Bishops of Durham and Ely) appointed to the government of the realm. King John granted him
many manors, and Henry III made him sheriff of twelve counties. His sons dying without issue, his daughters succeeded
to his vast inheritance. The La Bruers were of Norman decent and came to England with William the Conqueror. Isabel,
daughter of Isabel de la Bruer, married Sir Ralph Downe (born *1255; son of Isabel of Bartholomew de Mosa, born 1230*;
and of Sir Ralph Downe). Their son. Hugh Downe, Esquire of Down, born 1280*, had three children, Isabel (born 1320 (?);
married SIR JOHN HOLCOMBE, (next p.) and Amy (who married Henry Ledred.).
(A) JOHN HOLCOMBE is the first to be mentioned in the Visitations of England. He served in the War of the Crusades,
to Palestine, indications being that he participated in two of the Crusades. During the Third Crusade, while in battle,
with one mighty sweep of his sword he severed the heads of three Mohammedans. This explains the significance of the
four heads on the Coat of Arms which was bestowed upon him when he was meritoriously knighted for this deed of valor
by King Richard in the "latter part of the 11th Century." The Heraldic Office describes the Holcombe Arms as follows:
"Azure field; chevron, argent, between three Turks' heads in profile, couped at shoulders or, wreathed about the temples,
sable and of the second. Crest - a man's head, full faced couped at the breast proper, wreath around the temples or,
and azure." The Motto "Veritas et fortitudo", in English is Truth and Courage. The effigy of the Knight Holcombe now
rests in the old Abbey Church of Dorchester, England, one of the oldest abbies in England' [Excerpt from THE HOLCOMB (E)
GENEALOGY; ..., by Jesse Seaver, American Historical- genealogical Society (Philadelphia, 1925). Lib Cong CS71 .H725.]
John de Holcombe was a knight of the Crusades; knighted by King Richard the Lionheart for bravery in battle. Legend tells that Sir John beheaded three "Turks" with one mighty swing of his sword. The Holcombe coat of arms depicts the heads of the three Turks on an azure field. During one of the final battles, Sir John received wounds that ended his quest. He never recovered from his injuries, living long enough to complete the accompanying record, and to survive only part of the journey back to his beloved homeland and family in Dorchester, England. After being orphaned at the age of three and reared in poverty, Sir John later became one of the wealthiest and most respected men of his time. In the short period remaining from his final battle in the Crusades until his ultimate death, he wrote this account of the experiences and knowledge that brought him fame, wealth, and happiness. Sir John died of wounds received on the battlefield and is buried in Dorchester Abbey, Dorchester-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England.
"The Holcombes - Nation Builders" by Elizabeth Weir McPherson has an extensive dissertation on Holcombe Rogus and its history.Source: http://view.atdmt.com/iaction/ancestrycom_non_secure_universal_v3/v3/atc1.-lib-TinyMce_2_1_0-blank_htm
The Effigy
Although he cannot be identified with certainty, it seems most likely that this knight is William de Valance the Younger (died 1282), and not Sir John de Holcombe (died 1270) as was formerly believed. His effigy is one of the best pieces of 13th century funerary sculpture in England. Unusually life-like, in the act of drawing his sword, with every detail of his clothing and armour there for you to see and touch, this knight probably went on one of the Crusades to the Holy Land. When first made the sculpture would have been brilliantly coloured in blue, red and green, and traces of these colours can still be seen in the folds of the cloak.
Source: http://www.dorchester-abbey.org.uk/historical-tour/
