William Pinsent: 1580 – 1664 DRO0032
Denns (?) Noseworthy: xxxx – 1653
Married: 1611: Ilsington, Devon
Children by Denns (?) Noseworthy:
Elizabeth Pinsent: 1613 – xxxx (Married Peter Gromdon, Colesbrook, 1632)
Thomasine Pinsent: 1616 – xxxx (Married John Piddsleigh, St. Martin, Exeter, 1643)
Agnes Pinsent: 1622 – xxxx
William Pinsent: 1622 – 1677 (Married Mary Burrington, Colebrooke, 1658?)
Family Branch: Combe
PinsentID: DRO0032
William, the son of Hugh and Joanna Pinsent, was baptized in Ilsington and brought up at Horridge as part of a large family comprised of five girls and seven boys. Three of his brothers Thomas, Hugh and George have yet to be traced and two, Peter and Matthew, died as young men so it was left to Jonas (who went into law) and John (who likely looked after the family’s mining interests, at Owlscombe in Bovey Tracey) to carry on the family line.
Hugh had an interest in a tin mine and did some development work on it with two of his sons, William and John, in the early 1600s. This triggered a prolonged dispute with one of his colleagues, Stephen Collings, who also owned a piece of the mine. It was over the amount of tin the two of them took from the mine. The issue was aired in the Stannary Court, a court dedicated to tin-related matters, in 1611. The initial outcome led to a disagreement over a £200 bond that continued long after the death of the two principals involved. William and John were sued over the bond by one of Stephen’s sureties, Hugh Smale, in the Court of Chancery in 1651. There is a review of case included in John Pinsent’s life story and the details can be found in the original records (C10//7/115 & C78/1283).
Hugh acquired a life interest in Horridge farm through his wife and it probably reverted to the Woodley family after his death, in 1626. Nevertheless, his widow, Johanna (née Woodley) was able to stay on at the farm until she too died. Hugh was a wealthy farmer whose eldest son, Jonas, had become a lawyer in London who lived in Bovey Tracey.
According to Boyd’s Marriage Index (1538-1859) as transcribed and available through FindmyPast.com, William married Denns (sic) Noseworthy in Ilsington, in 1611. The original document is not available on line. Denns could be Denise; however I can find no birth for such a lady. There was a Johan Noseworthy born in Ilsington in 1591 who would, perhaps have been a likely candidate.
The couple probably moved to a farm in Colebrook, near Crediton. However, there is no definitive link (and there were other Williams’ about – including one from Tedburn St. Mary) but the Ilsington man was wealthy enough and he seems the most likely candidate.
They had a son and three daughters, one of whom was born the same year as his son, although they were baptized separately. Interestingly, many of the baptism and related entries in the Colebrook registers in the 1600s refer to “William Pynson” not “William Pinsent” and their farm there came to known as “Penson Barton.” It was then or later became a large farm: “Colebrooke, Devon: To be Let by Tender, for a term of 10 to 15 years, from Michaelmas 1847, all that Capital Barton, called PENSON, with part of Coombe, now in the occupation of Mr. John Pearce; comprising an excellent farm house, barns and other convenient outbuildings and 285 acres (more or less), of rich arable meadow, orchard and pasture land, situate in the parish of Colebrooke, distant about 4 miles from Crediton. Also to be added to the above, all that excellent close of arable land called the Broad down, part of Coombe, containing 13 acres. The tenant will be required to keep in repair the thatch and covering of the houses and outhouse, and the gates and fences, on being allowed rough timber. The tenant will also be required to discharge the tithe rent chares, poor, Church and highway rates. The Land Tax is redeemed. For viewing the above, apply to Wm. Downey, the Hind, at Coombe Farm; and for further particulars to Messrs. Croote and Son, Lapford near Crediton, to whom Tenders may be delivered on or before Monday the 1st of February next: Dated 4th January 1847 [Western Times: Saturday 9th January 1847 & Exeter Flying Post: Thursday 7th January 1847].
At some point in the 1900s the farm was split into two, “Higher” and “Lower Penson.” Several cottages were reported sold in 1909 (Western Times: 17th September 1909) and a piece of land at “Penson Farm, Colebrooke” was sold at Bow Market in 1942 (Western Times: 2nd April 1942). Clearly the name remained long after the family moved on. An early map of the area, the “Georgian and Victorian Ordnance Survey Old Map Series / First Maps of the British Isles (1805-1845)” shows the location of “Pinson;” however, no modern maps do. Instead, they refer to “Penstone”. They appear to be one and the same.
Dean and Chapter records show that William was one of the Overseers of the Poor in Colebrooke when a dispute broke out over the cost of paying for the funeral of George Beare in 1637 (Moger Abstracts: Series I, Bundle 25). What that was about I do not know.
The parish records show that “Elizabeth,” the wife of William Pinson was buried in 1653. Perhaps this is a more accurate take on her name than “Denns.” However, it is conceivable that she is from a second marriage.
Two of William’s daughters, Elizabeth and Thomasine, had married by 1653. They both married in St. Martin’s church in Exeter. William’s son, another Mr. William Pynson was a wealthy man when he married the widow of John Burrington in 1658. His life is described elsewhere.
Mr. Pinsent, presumably “the elder” then living, died in Colebrook in 1664. It is worth noting that there was another branch of the family encroaching on the parish around this time. Thomas Pinsent of Tedburn St. Mary owned the rights to Gunston mill in Colebrooke (C9/409/283) in the mid to late 1600s. He is not thought to be closely related.
Interestingly, a John Pinson was a freeholder in Colebrook as late as 1727, but that is a different story.
Family Tree
Grandparents
Grandfather: John Pinsent: xxxx – 1575
Grandmother: Johanna Unknown: xxxx – 1570
Parents
Father: Hugh Pinsent: 1540 – 1626
Mother: Johanna Woodley: xxxx – xxxx
Father’s Siblings (Aunts, Uncles)
John Pynsent: 1532 – 1615
George Pinsent: xxxx – 1598
Thomas Pinsent: xxxx – xxxx
Elizabeth Pinsent: xxxx – xxxx
Hugh Pinsent: 1540 – 1626
Margaret Pinsent: 1542 – xxxx
Walter Pinsent: 1544 – xxxx
Mary Pinsent: 1546 – xxxx
Johanna Pinsent: 1549 – xxxx
Male Siblings (Brothers)
Jonas Pinsent: 1575 – 1637
Peter Pinsent: 1576 – 1597
John Pinsent: xxxx – xxxx
William Pinsent: 1580 – xxxx
Thomas Pinsent: 1586 – xxxx
Hugh Pinsent: 1591 – xxxx
George Pinsent: 1593 – xxxx
Matthew Pinsent: 1596 – 1616
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