THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE FAMILY OF MOUNT EDGOUMBE 

 Br THK Right Hon. THE EARL OP MOUNT EDGCUMBE. 



In the Parish of Milton Abbot, about a mile from the village, 

 and on the edge of the Duke of Bedford's beautiful estate of 

 Endsleigh, is the small house of Edgcumbe, or Lower Edgcumbe, 

 standing where has been from time immemorial the dwelling of 

 the elder branch of the Edgcumbe family. 



In part of the back premises are four granite stones, 

 inscribed with the initials R.E., and a date supposed to be 1292. 

 At any rate one Richard Edgcumbe lived there in the 14th 

 century, and had two sons — 1, John, who succeeded his father in 

 the Edgcumbe estates, and was living in 1390; 2, William, who 

 in 1353 married Hillaria de Cotehele, the heiress of the house 

 and estate of Cotehele, where they henceforth lived and founded 

 that branch of the family which, two centuries later, removed 

 to Mount Edgcumbe. 



The earliest deed I know of which bears the name of 

 Cotehele, is dated 1293, and refers to Eustace Cotehele. His 

 gi-andson, William, married the daughter of Walter de Donne. 

 The children of this marriage were a son, called Ralj)h, and a 

 daughter named Hiilaria, who were both under age when their 

 father died (before 1336). As their ancestors had always held 

 their lands of the Earls of Cornwall, by Knight Service, John de 

 Eltham, then Earl of Cornwall, promptly seized the wardship of 

 these children as Lord Paramount, and gave it to one Richard 

 de Bakhampton, then his' steward in Cornwall, on account of 

 good and agreeable service done to him by the said Richard, 

 who transterred it for a consideration to Maude de Brendon, a 

 lady with a daughter to marry, which daughter was accordingly 

 espoused to young Ralph. 



Ralph died childless, and on the death of his Mother-in-law, 

 about 1352, a contention arose as to the guardianship of his 

 sister HiUaria, and the right to dispose of her in marriage. 



