Family Branch: Devonport

The DEVONPORT Branch of the Pinsent family can be traced back fourteen generations to Robert Pinsent and Dorothy Carpenter of Huxbeare Barton, a small manor farm in Hennock, in South Devon. The couple married in 1586. Robert was probably the son of a William Pinsent who is known to have held the farm in 1570 and he, in turn, was probably a close relative of the Richard Pinsent of Hennock who paid the taxman a substantial “Subsidy” (payment) in 1524. Court records show that Thomas Harvey “clerk” brought an action of Trespass agains Richard and William Pynsent “of Hennock” in the Court of Common Pleas in 1508 (CP40/983).

The parish records tell us that Robert was born in 1562 but they are silent as to his parentage. Fortunately, Hennock’s “Church Warden’s Accounts” are still extant and they fill in some of the blanks. They show that after William died, Robert and his (step-mother?) Joan shared the responsibility for paying the parish rates for Huxbeare. 

Thomas Pinsent, the younger of Robert and Dorothy’s two surviving sons, married (Julian Stidstone) and they had four sons (Robert, John, Thomas and William) all of whom figure in the family’s later history. Robert, the eldest, inherited Huxbeare and it then passed to his eldest son and then his eldest grandson and then his great-grandson—all of whom were named Robert. Sadly, “Robert ye fourth of Huxbeare” died young, probably from a disease that did considerable damage in the parish in the early 1700s.

It is worth mentioning here, that there was a marked deterioration in the climate in Europe toward the end of the 17th Century and in the early years of the 18th Century. The winter of 1663 was particularly harsh and a “Great Storm” struck the continent in November 1703. This was followed, a few years later, by a “Great Freeze” in 1709 (“The little Ice Age: How Climate Made History:” Brian Fagan: basic Books: 2000). The intervening years were not much better – and the damage to crops and life stock, and the resultant shortage of food left the population severely weakened. Thus it is hardly surprising that the two principal farms then in Pinsent hands (“Huxbeare” and “Knighton”) both passed out of the family through lack of heirs in the early 1700s.

Thomas’s second son, John, inherited the smaller, manor farm at “Knighton” (Chudleigh Knighton) at the south end of the parish. He married Philippa Wilmeade and farmed the land until he and his descendants died early deaths at around the same time as their “cousins” at “Huxbeare”.

John’s brother Robert inherited land at “Kelly” – then in the northwest part Hennock and now in Bovey Tracey – and set up a small soap-boiling operation. This was the start of the DEVONPORT family’s foray into trade and commerce. It was successful and Robert’s grandson (Mr. John Pinsent) built it into a much larger business in the nearby town of Moretonhampstead. His grandson, Thomas Pinsent, married a draper’s daughter in the early 1800s and set up a equally successful linen and drapery business in Devonport (Plymouth). From there, it was a short step into law, business and whatever they are up to today. 

Thomas, the third son, married Philippa’s sister Julian Wilmeade in 1657 and through her acquired a tannery at Slade in Bovey Tracey. They were childless – or were they? There are serious breaks in the parish records around then and I think they may have had a son (another Thomas) who took over the business before reverting back to farming. His descendants are still around today—as I can attest—however, because of this one weak link I have placed them in the HENNOCK Branch of the family.

Inconclusive on-line evidence has led some to think that Thomas and Julian Stidstone’s youngest son, William Pinsent, left the parish and founded the TIVERTON Branch of the family. This may be so. 

More Information

For a brief look at the DEVONPORT family tree check out the Branch Summary. For the closer look at how they lived, “notable members” (marked with a “”) include full biographies. Family members marked with “” are discussed in their fathers’ biographies.

Notable Members of the Tree

Adolphus Ross Pinsent, company director, London and Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1851 – 1929.
Alfred Pinsent, construction trades worker, London, 1848 – 1919.
Alfred Charles Pinsent, construction trades worker, London, 1877 – 1948.
Alfred Charles Pinsent, construction steel erector, Luton, Bedfordshire, 1881 – 1942.
Alfred Sidney Pinsent, tinsmith, Luton, Bedfordshire, 1909 – 1983.
Andrew Clive Macpherson Pinsent, Commander in the Royal Navy, 1922 – 1982.
Basil Hume Pinsent, solicitor, London, 1911 – 2000.
Cecil Ross Pinsent, garden architect, 1884 – 1963.
Charles Pinsent, East India Company Army sapper and miner, India, 1837 – 1862.
Charles Pinsent, brewer, Newton Abbot, Devon, and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, 1883 – 1937.
Charles Pinsent, cheesemonger, London, 1812 – 1863
Charles Alfred Pinsent, soldier and police constable, 1905 – 1961.
Christopher Roy Pinsent, Baronet, artist, and lecturer, Camberwell, 1922 – 2015.
Clive Pinsent, Commander in the Royal Navy and farm manager, 1886 – 1948.
David Hume Pinsent, mathematician, 1891 – 1918
Donovan Henry Douglas Pinsent, engineer, Paignton, 1901 – 1980.
Ellen Frances Pinsent, novelist and mental health advocate, 1866 – 1949.
Ewen Macpherson Pinsent, Minister of Scottish Episcopal Church, 1930 – 2020.
Frederick Pinsent, bricklayer, Hackney, London and Walthamstow, Essex, 1852 – 1929.
Frederick Charles Pinsent, caterer, Walthamstow, Essex, 1875 – 1951.
Frederick Henry Pinsent, clerk for the Indian Telegraph Service, 1868 – 1937.
George Pinsent, tailor, London, 1814 – 1894.
George Pinsent, East India Company Army and public works supervisor, India, 1840 – 1875.
Gerald Arnot Pinsent, dental surgeon, North Vancouver, BC, Canada, 1917 – 2013.
Gerald Hume Saverie Pinsent, civil servant, London, 1888 – 1976.
Gerald Swain Pinsent, wine and spirit merchant, Totnes, Maidenhead, 1904 – 1993.
Harold Ross Pinsent, businessman, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1913 – 1988.
Harold William Pinsent, construction business, Surbiton and Esher, Surrey, 1910 – 1967.
Hume Chancellor Pinsent, solicitor, Birmingham, Warwickshire, 1857 – 1920.
Ivor Barry Pinsent, millwright, Luton, Bedfordshire, 1938 – 2009.
James Macpherson Pinsent, officer of the Royal Navy and member of the London Stock Exchange, 1925 – 1983.
James Stanley Pinsent, mechanical engineer, Fetcham, Surrey, 1928 – 1987.
John Pinsent, soap boiler, Plymouth, Devon, 1745 – 1804.
John Pinsent, soap boiler, Kelly, Hennock and Moretonhampstead, 1723 – 1800.
John Pinsent, soap boiler, Kelly and Leigh, Hennock, 1690 – 1737.
John Pinsent, Knighton, 1626 – 1663.
John Pinsent, tallow chandler and confectioner, London and New York City, NY, USA, 1799 – 1870.
John Pinsent, confectioner and farmer, New York City, NY, and Nyack, NY, USA, 1826 – 1914.
John Ball Pinsent, brewer, Newton Abbot, Devon, 1844 – 1890.
John Ball Pinsent, brewer, Newton Abbot, Devon, 1819 – 1901.
John Douglas Pinsent, bank manager, Portsmouth, Hampshire, 1872 – 1936.
John Laurence Pinsent, farmer, 1916 – 2014.
John Ryland Pinsent, army officer, teacher, and Mayor of Winchester, 1888 – 1957.
Leslie Grahame Pinsent, motor car garage owner, Portsmouth, Hamsphire, 1910 – 1988.
Michael Edward Pinsent, driver, Luton, Bedfordshire, 1943 – 2017.
Michael Roy Pinsent, Solicitor, Pinsent & Co., Birmingham, 1927 – 2019.
Neville James Quintus Pinsent, electrical engineer, South America, 1921 – 2013
Paul Desmond Pinsent, engineer and businessman, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1915 – 1997.
Richard Alan Pinsent. 1931 – 2019.
Richard Alfred Pinsent, solicitor and Baronet, Birmingham, Warwickshire, 1852 – 1948.
Richard Parker Pinsent, soldier, 1894 – 1915.
Richard Steele Pinsent, draper, Devonport, Devon, 1820 – 1864
Robert Pinsent, soap boiler, Kelly, 1661 – 1729.
Robert Pinsent, 1624 – 1671.
Robert Pinsent, Woodhouse Down and Huxbeare Barton, 1562 – 1626.
Robert Pinsent, 1654 – 1686.
Robert Pinsent, 1589 – 1650.
Robert Pinsent, 1678 – 1707.
Robert Maye Pinsent, merchant, Totnes and Teignmouth, 1881 – 1944.
Robert William Pinsent, advertising executive, Kingston upon Thames, 1948 – 2024.
Roger Philip Pinsent, civil servant, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1916 – 1997.
Roy Pinsent, solicitor and Baronet, 1883 – 1978.
Savery Pinsent, solicitor, Durban, Natal, South Africa, 1815 – 1886.
Sidney Hume Pinsent, mechanical engineer and businessman, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1879 – 1969.
Stanley Arthur Pinsent, construction business, 1903 – 1985.
Thomas Pinsent, brewer, Newton Abbot, Devon, 1842 – 1889.
Thomas Pinsent, chandler, Wolborough and Greenhill, Kingsteignton, Devon, 1754 – 1841.
Thomas Pinsent, draper, Devonport and Greenhill, Kingsteignton, Devon, 1782 – 1872.
Thomas Pinsent, Leigh, Hennock and Kingsteignton, 1726 – 1757.
Thomas Pinsent, Knighton, Hennock, 1652 – 1711.
Thomas Pinsent, Huxbeare Barton and Knighton, Hennock, 1597 – 1649.
Thomas Pinsent, tanner, Slade, Hennock, 1633 – 1701.
Victor Charles Pinsent, insurance agent, Walthamstow, Essex, 1907 – 1993.
William Pinsent, confectioner, New York City, NY, USA, 1825 – xxxx.
William Pinsent, mariner, Newton Abbot, Devon and Liverpool, Lancashire, 1808 – xxxx.
William Pinsent, Huxbeare Barton, 1527 – 1601.
William Pinsent, 1638 – xxxx.
William Henry Pinsent, brewer and lodging house keeper, Newton Abbot and Teignmouth, 1874 – 1949.
William Swain Pinsent, brewer, Newton Abbot, Devon, 1843 – 1920.

All Members of the Tree