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After the Conquest of 1066 much of England was divided amongst William’s Barons. Robert, the Count of Mortain, was William’s half-brother and he possessed an estimated 793 manors. 248 of these were in Cornwall and 75 were in Devon and included the manor of Tacabre, or Takkebere.
In 1086 when the Domesday Survey was carried out, it was recorded that, in the reign of Edward the Confessor, Tacabre had been held by a Saxon called Aluric. At the time of the survey the manor was held by Bernard a Priest in demesne to the Count Mortain.
“The Priest held in demesne ¼ part of a ferling and 1 plough, and the villeins the remaining land. There Bernard had 3 bordars, 14 beasts, 11 sheep, 5 acres of under-wood and 40 acres of pasture." It was worth 7s.
From at least 1330 the Tackbear estate was owned by the Crown and, in the following years, it passed through the hands of twelve monarchs. During that time its use and income were granted to various individuals.
James, Lord Audley possessed it for a long period in the fourteenth century but it was subsequently granted to the Abbot and Convent of St Mary de Graces, near the Tower of London. This religious institution had been founded by Edward III in gratitude to the Virgin Mary after he survived a storm at sea. As part of its endowment he purchased the reversion of the manor of Tackbear, and by his last will gave it to the Monastery for celebration of masses.
Richard II granted Tackbear to Robert de Veer, Earl of Oxford in 1386 and to John Holland, Earl of Huntingdon, in 1388. Edward IV granted the manor to his sister, Anne, Duchess of Exeter in 1461 but it was seized by Richard III in 1484. In 1539 Henry VIII then granted it to the Earl of Suffolk. It was during the reign of Elizabeth I that Tackbear was granted to the Gilberts.
Extract from Donn's
survey map of 1765
showing the location of Tackbear
A popular version of this story suggests that Elizabeth granted the Manor to Richard Gilbert because of his marriage to Jaquetta Rolle, the sister of Henry Rolle, an influential and wealthy Tudor lawyer. Richard is credited with building the present house which, it is said, was originally in the form of the letter E.
Richard's marriage to Jaquetta is represented in the drawing room where the arms of Gilbert are impaled with those of Rolle. (?dated 1632)1
However, documents2 dated 1564 show that Tackbear was granted by Royal licence to John Gilbert, the elder, and Elizabeth, his wife, and, at the time, was in the occupation of William Gilbert, John's father. In 1602 another document3 "refers to an Inquisition Post Mortem of Elizabeth Mayne, who held the manor of the Crown, who died at Bridgerule 1602, and that her heir was John Gilbert. " (presumably John the husband of Grace) When John Gilbert died in 1606 the Inquisition Post Mortem named Samuel Gilbert as his son and heir.4
In 1614 Samuel Gilbert of Bridgerule, and Richard Gilbert of North Petherwin, were "given and granted" the Manor of Takebeare in Cornwall.5 This was when the Gilberts' ownership of Tackbear Manor began.
Samuel Gilbert and his wife, Agnes, were Royalists and during their time at Tackbear built a secret room in which to hide fugitive royalists. The plaster ceiling of the dining room features an oak leaf garland, thought to refer to the tree in which the future Charles II hid when he escaped to France.
Around 1715, his great-grandson, Samuel Gilbert, commissioned the Jacobite plaster cast in a bedroom. This depicts Father Time with scythe and hour-glass. On his right is the Old Pretender with a crown descending on his head and, on his left, a naked George I running away with a scourge above him.
In an adjoining bedroom a plasterwork cartouche displays the Kniveton arms quartered with the Gilbert arms. In the hall a large cupboard with arabesque carving of pencil cedarwood bears the name "Samuell Gilbert 1677" and the Gilbert arms.
The Tackbear Gilberts generally used the Rossington arms (a fesse between 3 crescents) and these are found in "several places at Tackbear Manor, in 17th century deeds and on portions of sack bottles dug up in the garden."6
Sources
An Historical Survey of the County of Cornwall: CS Gilbert
Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry: Burke 1847 The buildings of England, Devon: Cherry & Pevsner
2 16 Sept. 6 Eliz. Roger Prydeaux, of Solden, in Holdisworthy, Esq., to John Gilbert the elder, gent., and Elizabeth his wife, of Tackbeare, in Bridgerule, co. Cornwall. Grant by Royal licence of the Manor of Tackbeare and two messuages now in the occupation of Wm. Gilbert, father of sd. John. Five witnesses. Signature (and Firma) of Roger Prydeaux. Seal gone.
10 Feby. 6 Eliz. Roger Prideaux, of Solden, Devon, arm., to John Gilbert and Elizabeth his wife (licence for alienation of Tackbeare). Great seal attached.
Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries Vol 5 part 1
3 A GENERAL LIVERY in the name of James I, to John Gilbert of the Manor of Tackbeare,
in the parish of Bridgerule. In Latin on vellum, in strong black ink, size
10" x 14", about one third remaining of large heavy seal on a
wide tag, showing the back half of a knight on a horse, a rose and a harp.
The portion of the seal remaining is approx. 3" x 4". Fine
calligraphic decoration at top with flourishes along the top margin.
Endorsed on verso and signed by Walter Tooke and W. Curll. 1604.
Refers to an Inquisition Post
Mortem of Elizabeth Mayne, who held the manor of the Crown, who died at
Bridgerule 1602, and that her heir was John Gilbert.
Lesley Aitchison's - Catalogue 81
http://www.localhistory.co.uk/la/cats/tackbeare.htm#CORNWALL
4 12 Aug. 3 Jac. I.P.M. of John Gilbert, gent., who died 26 Mar. last past, seized of Manor, Tackbeare, messuages at Downrowe and Stratton, etc. Samuel Gilbert, gent., being his son and heir. Seals.
Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries Vol 5 part 1
5 Large vellum grant, dated 9th November 1614, relating to the considerations paid to William Heydon, Esquire, for the granting to Nicholas Crispe, of Birchington in Kent, the Manor of Hasilton in Gloucester, with all its members and appurtenances, which was late in the possession of the Monastery called Winchelcombe alias Winchcombe, also William Heydon has given and granted to Samuel Gilbert of Bridgerule in Cornwall, and Richard Gilbert of Northpetherwyn of Devon, the Manor of Takebeare in Cornwall, with superb hand-engraved plumbago portrait of KingJames I holding orb and sceptre, decorated top line and upper border, with portion of Great seal attached by cord, small hole to document and text partially abraded, with accompanying translation.
Mike Durtnall’s site contains a collection of
descriptions of historical documents taken mainly from online auction
catalogues. He lists an entry from 5 Nov 2003:
http://www.durtnall.org.uk/index.html
6Written by Albert de Castro Glubb, owner of Tackbear Manor in the 20th century.
Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries Vol 14, Tackbear Manor.
Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries Vol 13