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Sir Richard CHAMPERNOWNE, of Modbury

Sir Richard CHAMPERNOWNE, of Modbury

Male 1255 - 1310  (55 years)


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  • Name Richard CHAMPERNOWNE  [1
    Prefix Sir 
    Suffix of Modbury 
    Birth 1255  Modbury, Devonshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2
    Gender Male 
    Name Richard Champernon  [3
    Name Richard of Modbury  [2
    _FSFTID GJFZ-KJ8 
    _FSLINK https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/GJFZ-KJ8 
    _UID A92A23B457704FB0913CC9045F71B615A584 
    Death 1310  Modbury, Devonshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    Person ID I3760  Carney Wehofer July 2025
    Last Modified 22 Sep 2024 

    Father Richard CHAMPERNOWNE,   b. 1236, Modbury, Devon, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1269, Modbury, Devon, England Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 33 years) 
    Mother Joan OKESTON,   b. Abt 1238, Modbury, Kingsbridge, Devonshire, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1319, Inceworth aker, Cornwall, England Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 81 years) 
    Family ID F1770  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Joan VALLETORT, of Cornwall,   b. Abt 1258, Of, Cornwall, Cornwall, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Bef 1319, East Winch, Norfolk, England Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 60 years) 
    Children 
     1. Richard CHAMPERNOWNE, III,   b. Abt 1278, Devon, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Bef 26 Nov 1338, Modbury, Devon, England Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 60 years)
     2. Margaret CHAMPERNON,   b. 1290, Cornwall, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 7 Jan 1360, Barnstable, Devon, England Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 70 years)
     3. Oliver CHAMPERNON,   b. 1291, Modbury, Devon, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Bef 1346, North Tawton, Devonshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 54 years)
    Family ID F536731886  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 22 Sep 2024 

  • Notes 
    • Per Ronny Bodine's 1999 research summary at this archive: Now a dead link that needs replaced.

      Unlike the Modbury and Ilfracombe branches of the family, the Champernouns of North Tawton are a bit more difficult to place. Vivian (p. 160) calls Oliver the son of John Champernoun and grandson of Sir William Champernoun, of Ilfracombe, who died in 1305 and appears as No. 3 under Champernoun of Ilfracombe. However, insofar as Sir William's son John was a cleric whose church career covered the period from 1309 until his death in 1335, it does not seem likely that he was Oliver's father.

      The 1422/3 IPM of Oliver's grandson, Otho Champernoun, is quite extensive, and being childless, and an only child himself, names a number of relatives as his heirs. Included among several aunts he names a cousin, Alexander son of Richard Champernoun. It should be remembered that by this time the Champernouns of Ilfracombe had died out long before in their male issue and only the Modbury family was still flourishing.

      But where could Oliver fit that would make some sense? It is my belief he was a younger brother of Sir Richard Champernoun, of Modbury. Consider that Oliver was already an adult by 1332 and he was married to Egelina de Valletort, a daughter and co-heiress of Hugh de Valletort of North Tawton. Her sister, Elizabeth, was the wife of Sir Richard Champernoun of Modbury. Whereas Richard was not a name that appeared in the Ilfracombe family, it certainly does so in each generation of the Modbury line. As the brother and brother-in-law of a Richard Champernoun, uncle and great-uncle of other Richard Champernouns, Oliver also named one of his sons Richard. The 1332 Devonshire Lay Subsidy assigns only property in North Tawton to Oliver Champernoun and this came to him through his marriage, thus there appears to be no way to connect him to property he may have received from his father. The rationale, though logical, is admittedly weak and any other alternatives are welcome.

      Sources are noted throughout. For more complete citations please refer to Champernoun of Modbury, Part 2 of 2.

      GENERATION 1

      1. OLIVER CHAMPERNOUN. Appears at North Tawton on the 1332 Devonshire Lay Subsidy (DCRS, n.s., vol. 14 [1969], p. 77). He was married to Egelina de Valletort (DCNQ, 20: 294). She survived her husband, as Sir Richard Stapleton held the advowson of the church of North Tawton of Egelina Champernon in Edw. III's time (Pole's Devon: 427). She was still living in 1346 (Feudal Aids, 1, p. 422).

      Children:

      2. Otho Champernoun, d.s.p. Known only from Vivian, p. 160.
      3. Hugh Champernoun, d.s.p. Known only from Vivian, p. 160.
      4. Osmond Champernoun, d.s.p. Known only from Vivian, p. 160.
      5. Richard Champernoun, m. Agnes Dodescombe.
      6. Johanna Champernoun, m. Richard Atwood.
      7. Elizabeth Champernoun, m. William Gilbert.
      8. Margaret Champernoun, m. Thomas Stonehouse. Sources

      ? 1.0 1.1 Vivian, J. L. (John Lambrick)., College of Arms (Great Britain). (1895). The visitations of the county of Devon: Comprising the herald's visitations of 1531, 1564, & 1620. Exeter: For the author, by H. S. Eland. 160
      ? Burke, John, 1787-1848. A Genealogical And Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain And Ireland Enjoying Territorial Possessions Or High Official Rank: but Uninvested With Heritable Honours. Volume II. London: Colburn, 183638. pg 271

  • Sources 
    1. [S1160] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch Family Tree (http://www.familysearch.org), ((http://www.familysearch.org)), accessed 30 Dec 2022), entry for Richard CHAMPERNOWNE, person ID LZXL-N8L. (Reliability: 3).

    2. [S1160] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch Family Tree (http://www.familysearch.org), ((http://www.familysearch.org)), accessed 30 Dec 2022), entry for Richard CHAMPERNOWNE, person ID GJFZ-KJ8. (Reliability: 3).

    3. [S1160] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch Family Tree (http://www.familysearch.org), ((http://www.familysearch.org)), accessed 22 Sep 2024), entry for Richard CHAMPERNON, person ID GFFY-82W. (Reliability: 3).