THE VILLAGES OF DOLTON, DOWLAND
IDDESLEIGH AND ROBOROUGH

The Stafford/Kellaway Tree

Stafford/Kellaway Families
STAFFORD BARTON


The three villages of Dolton, Dowland and Iddesleigh run in an approximate North – South line each separated by about 1 mile. Dolton is the largest and most northerly and is about 10 miles SE of Great Torrington, Devon. Roborough is somewhat separated and about 5 miles North of Dolton.

Stafford Barton, the family home of the Stofford/Stafford/Kellaways for about 700 years is close to Dolton and the churches of these vilages contain several monuments to the family including stained glass windows, carved bench ends and burial tablets.

Dolton

The Parish Church of St Edmund dates from C13 with C16 additions. It was restored and partially rebuilt in 1888. The Font is of particular interest as it consists of two carved Saxon stones which may well be over 1000 years old.

Parish Registers commence 1602 and are entered into IGI. They contain references to both Kellaway and Stofford/Stafford families

The Parish Church of St Edmund The Church Interior The Church Font
Church of St Edmund The Interior The Font
Dolton Church September 2009


Bench Ends

There are four very old carved bench ends, each divided into upper and lower panels. The lower panels are abstract carvings. One of the top panels is blank and the other three commemorate Stafford events. One dated 1581 has Stafford arms and the initials J.S. for John Stafford. It is not entirely certain which John Stafford this refers to, probably John born c.1530 and it could be the date of his death. A second has Stafford Arms impaled with Copplestone for the marriage of Thomas Stofford and Ann Copplestone c.1450 and a third has Stafford arms impaled with Prouz for a marriage of Thomas Stofford with Prouz c.1360.

Date 1581, Stafford Arms
J.S.for John Stafford
Stafford Arms impaled with CopplestoneStafford Arms impaled with Prouz
Bench End Dolton ChurchBench End Dolton ChurchBench End Dolton Church
Dolton Church June 2010


Stained Glass

There are two stained Glass window panels commemorating firstly the Thomas Stofford and Ann Copplestone marriage c.1450. This shows Stafford Arms: Argent two glaziers′ irons in saltire sable between four pears or: impaled with the chevron and leopard′s faces of Copplestone. The glaziers seem to have an interesting take on these images. The pears resemble shallots and the leopard′s faces when seen close up reveal a very different creature!

Stafford – Copplestone A close up of the glass
Stained Glass Window The Window close up
Dolton Church September 2009


The second window commemorates the marriage between Philip Stafford and Alice Yeo c.1480. This window when seen September 2009 had been mis–hung and reversed. It should appear more like the second picture which has been flipped round. The arms are Stafford impaled with the three ducks azure of the Yeo family. Earlier photographs in the church show this window hung correctly.

Stafford – Yeo Reversed to show Correct orientation
Stained Glass Window The Window Reversed
Dolton Church September 2009


Thomas Stafford and Eliza Stafford Tablet

Marble TabletInscription
Tablet Dowland ChurchSACRED
TO THE MEMORY
OF
THOMAS STAFFORD ESQ
OF STAFFORD BARTON IN THIS PARISH
WHO DIED
XXI OF FEBRUARY MDCCCXXXV
AGED XXXI
HIS REMAINS ARE INTERRED TRINITY CHURCH LONDON
I Will raise him up at the last Day
John VI 40

ALSO TO THE MEMORY
OF
ELIZA STAFFORD
WIDOW OF THE ABOVE
WHO DIED 13TH OCTOBER 1887
AGED 84
Thomas died 21 February 1835 aged 31 and Eliza 13 October 1887 aged 84
Dolton Church September 2009


Dowland

Dowland is a much smaller village and is about 1 mile south of Dolton along a very narrow road.

The Parish Church of St Peter has some Norman fabric with the tower added C15, futher additions C16 and restoration in 1876. The late medieval Font is roughly Octagonal and stands on a C20 base.

“The Church is a Gothic fabric with a tower and five bells. The poor have 50s. a year out of the great tithes, left by Hugh Stafford in 1671. An old building, called the Church House, is occupied by paupers..” [From White′s Devonshire Directory (1850)] In 1678 Hugh Stafford Esq was one of the Dowland contributers to the rebuilding of St Paul′s Cathedral

Parish registers begin in 1742 and baptisms are entered into IGI

Church of St Peter The Interior
Church of St Peter The Interior
Dowland Church September 2009


Slate memorials

Dowland Church has many memorials to the Stafford Family including a number of slate tablets in the floor of the aisles and in front of the altar: Commemorating:
Thomas Stofford died 1617
Julian wife of John Stoford died 1629
Eleanor wife of Hugh Stafford buried 14 October 1653
Hugh Stafford died 23 December 1675, aged 76
William son of Hugh Stafford of Pyne who died 21st October 1678
Margaret Stofford wife of Thomas Stofford the mother of Robert Avery who died 03 September 1600
These can be seen below:

Thomas Stoford Inscriptions Julian Stoford
Slate memorial 1617 Left:
Gent
Thomas Stofforde
1617

Right:
Julian the wief of
John Stofford gent
1629
Slate memorial 1629
Dowland Church September 2009


Elianor Stofford 1653 Hugh Stofford 1675 William Stoford 1678
Slate memorial 1653 Slate memorial 1675 Slate memorial 1678
HERE LYETH Y BODY
OF ELIANOR THE WIFE
OF HUGH STOFFORD
GENT WHO WAS BURIED
THE 14 DAY OF OCTOBER
1653
HIC JACKET HUGO STOFFORD
ARMIGER QUI OBIIT VICESSIMO
TERTIO DIE DECEMBRIS ANO SALUTI
MDCLXXV ANO AETATIS LXXVI
(d.23.12.1675 aged 76)
------------------
STAFFORD FILIUS HUGONIS
STAFFORD DE PYNE ARM
QUI OBIIT VICESSIMO PRIMO
DIE OCTOBRIS MDCLXXVIII
ANNO AETATIS IVTO
(slate partially obsured but William son of Hugh died 1678. This is the grandson of Hugh who died 1675)
Dowland Church September 2009


Margaret Stoford Inscriptions
Slate memorial Here Lyeth the body of
Margaret Stofford the
Wief of Thomas Stofford
Gent the mother of Robert
Avery who died the third
of September Anno ______
(this is Margaret Avery née Bramelcombe)
Dowland Church September 2009


Bench Ends

Bench End Dowland Church This bench end has the Stafford Coat of arms with Menwenick. The pears look very much like apples.
The letters on the chevron are R ~ E.
The date carved above is 1546.

At the base there are letters:
Bench End Dowland Church

Robert Stafford married Elizabeth Menwenick c.1520

Iddesleigh

The southern most of the three villages is again very small with just a small number of thatched cottages and houses.

The Parish Church of St James has C13 origins but the main fabric is C15. It was partly rebuilt and restored in C19. The octagonal Font dates from about 1538. Parish Registers begin in 1541 and are entered into IGI.

The Parish Church of St James The Church Interior The Village
Church of St James The Interior The Village
Iddesleigh September 2009


Nearby is Ash the Family seat of the Mallet family and there is a striking stained glass window in St James′ Church, erected in 1939 by Sir Claude Coventry Mallet, K.T., C.M.G., and Lady Mallett, C.B.E., in memory of the Mallet family. It commemorates the history of this Mallet family and the many marriages including one for William Mallet and Susanna Burnaby Stafford c.1575.

The Mallet Window The Mallet–Stafford Marriage
 The Mallet Window, Church of St James The Mallet Stafford Marriage
Iddesleigh September 2009


The Mallet Window Left What′s Depicted The Mallet Window Right What′s Depicted
The Mallet Window

GRANVILLE 1066





CURY–MALLET 1066




WADHAM YOUNG




VYELL STAFFORD




OSBORNE COPPLESTONE





GEORGE COVENTRY MALLET
MARGARET FLOYD
The Mallet Window

ENMORE 1130





DEUDON 1272




HOLCOMBE BOURNE




VEAL HENDIMEN




COVENTRY BATHURST





MATILDA DITA MALLET
PHILIP DU CROSS
The Mallet Arms Impaled with the arms listed above. Iddesleigh September 2009


In the church there is a Headstone Memorial to Oliver Mallet (son of William Mallet and Susanna Burnaby Stafford) and later Mallet descendents.

The Mallet Headstone Wording
 The Mallet Headstone, Church of St James OLIVER MALLET Esq
Of Ash was buried here Feb 1633
Also WILLIAM MALLET Esq
was buried here Dec 1662
Also HUGH MALLET Esq
was buried here Jun 1693
SIR CLAUDE COVENTRY
MALLET K T. C M G.
H M DIPLOMATIC SERVICE
Died 25th April 1940
CECIL CONSTANTINE MALLET
Died 14th May 1941
LADY MATILDE MALLET C B E
Died 17th Oct 1964
Iddesleigh June 2010

Roborough

The Parish Church of St Peter dates from C13. There is a 15C Tower but much of the rest of the church was rebuilt in 1868. There are a number of 15C carved bench ends. One of these shows the Kellaway/Stafford Coat of Arms.

Parish Registers commence 1549 and are entered into IGI. They contain references to Stofford/Stafford and other linked families

The Parish Church of St PeterBench End: Stafford Arms
Church of St PeterBench End Roborough Church
Roborough Church September 2009Roborough Church July 2012
With thanks to Dave Dingley
for this photograph.




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© Lesley Haigh 2009

Dolton, Dowland, Iddesleigh and Roborough Page
Last updated April 2023
Web Page by Les Haigh. Email: (les.haigh at btinternet.com)

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