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7 unusual facts about St Giles in the Wood


John Creemer Clarke

Clarke was the son of Robert Clarke of St Giles in the Wood, Devon and his wife Graciana Creemer, daughter of John Creemer of Exbourne Devon.

St Giles in the Wood

A monument with lively recumbent effigy exists in the parish church of Thomas Chafe (1585-1648) of Dodscott, whose sister Pascoe Chafe was the wife of his neighbour Tristram Risdon (d.1635) of Winscott.

Firstly, immediately beneath the above inscription, a small brass plaque with portrait of a kneeling lady, to commemorate Johanna Risdon (d.17/5/1610), daughter of George Pollard of Langley and mother of Tristram Risdon of Winscott in the parish of St Giles in the Wood, the author of "The Survey of Devon" (c. 1630).

Dodscott, about 3/4 mile NE of the parish church and 3/4 NW of Winscott, was listed in the Doomsday Book of 1086.

Their son Tristram Risdon was thus born at Winscott, and later it became his property when it was bequeathed to him by his childless half-sister Thomazin.

The present large farmhouse is built on the site of the mansion house belonging to Tristram Risdon (d.1635), the historian of Devon, who calls it both a "mansion" and a manor.

The Chafe family had originated at "Chafecombe" (modern Chaffcombe) 2 miles north-east of Chard in Somerset.



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