Richard Beaple

Richard Beaple, Vanitas relief-sculpted portrait. Detail from his mural monument in St Peter's Church, Barnstaple

Arms of Beaple of Barnstaple: Gules, a bend vairy between six escallops argent. In the chaplet encircling the escutcheon are shown the initials "RB" together with his merchant's mark. Detail from monument to Richard Beaple in St Peter's Church, Barnstaple

Merchant's mark of Richard Beaple, as shown on his monument in St Peter's Church, Barnstaple

Richard Beaple (1564-1643) of Barnstaple, Devon, was a wealthy merchant, ship owner and member of the Spanish Company and was thrice Mayor of Barnstaple,^[1] in 1607, 1621 and 1635.^[2] His elaborate mural monument survives in St Peter's Church, Barnstaple.

Origins

He was one of the four sons of James Beaple (d.1616) of Barnstaple (son of Walter Beaple of Barnstaple), Mayor of Barnstaple in 1593 and 1604, by his first wife Elizabeth Goldsmith, daughter and heiress of a certain Mr Goldsmith of Devon.^[3] His uncle was Roger Beaple (1540-1604), a tanner^[4] who was twice Mayor of Barnstaple, in 1590 and 1599.^[5] His two sisters Anne and Joane married into the prominent Barnstaple mercantile families of Delbridge and Horwood respectively.^[6] The first recorded member of the Beaple family to have occupied the position of mayor was John Beaple, Mayor in 1559.^[7]

Beauple of Landkey

Left: arms of the mediaeval Anglo-Norman family Beauple of Landkey and Knowstone, North Devon: Gules, a bend vairy cottised or; right: arms of Beaple of Barnstaple: Gules, a bend vairy between six escallops argent

Although Vivian (1895) traces Richard's ancestry back only two generations to Walter Beaple of Barnstaple, the family appears to be descended from the Anglo-Norman family of Beauple, lords of the manors of Landkey and Knowstone, 2 1/2 miles and 19 miles south-east of the centre of Barnstaple respectively. The family also held the manor of "Hoggs Fee" in Barnstaple, consisting of 26 houses. The jury of an Inquisition Quod Damnum of 1344 were reported to have decided:^[8]

"Also they say that Robert Baupel, chiveler, hath in the said suburbs a certain fee which is called Hogge's Fee, and by which is holden there twenty and six tenements, and he hath his court there from three weeks to three weeks".

The mediaeval family of Beauple is first recorded in the reign of King Henry II (1154-1189) and died out in the senior male line seven generations later on the death of Ralph Beauple, when his heiress was his daughter Margaret Beauple, wife of Sir Neil Loring (c.1320-1386), KG, a founding member of the Order of the Garter.^[9] The armorials given by Pole (d.1635) for Beauple of Knowstone: Gules, a bend vairy cottised or are very similar to the arms of Beaple of Barnstaple, as displayed on Richard Beaple's monument in St Peter's Church, Barnstaple: Gules, a bend vairy between six escallops argent.^[10] The manor of Hogg's Fee however was never held by the Beaple family of Barnstaple. The descent of Hogg's Fee, similar to that of the manor of Barnstaple, is given by Gribble (1830) as follows:^[11]

"It came into the hands of the crown, in the second year of the reign of Queen Mary, by virtue of the attainder of Henry Duke of Suffolk, and so remained until the eighth of James the First, in which year the Manor was granted, by letters patent, to George Whitemore, and Thomas Whitemore, Esquires; from whom it passed, through Richard and William Bennett, to John Pincombe, of South Molton, gentleman. Richard Pincombe, son and heir of the last named, left it to his three sisters Mary, Elizabeth, and Gertrude. Mary married John Tuckfield, Esq. whose daughter and heiress devised her portion of the property to John Crew, Esquire, who sold it to the Mayor and Corporation of Barnstaple. Elizabeth Pincombe, dying without issue, her share of the Manor fell to Gertrude who devised the two-thirds to Roger Tuckfield and John Creyk; they made sale to ... Selter, and others, by whom it was sold to the Mayor and Corporation of Barum, who thus became possessed of the undivided property".

Gribble wrote further:^[12]

"The original extent of the estate of "Hogg's Fee" cannot now be correctly ascertained; a bond-stone, projecting from the front of a house on the East side of Boutport (about half way betwixt Back Lane and Silver Street), and the White Horse Inn, in the same street, are supposed to mark its extent N. and S. The houses, &c. from which the rental is derived, not being in a continuous line, but scattered over different parts of the town, furnish no clue by which to fix the bounds of the Manor".

Career

Detail of small relief sculpture on monument in St Peter's Church, Barnstaple to Richard Beaple. The image is one of a pair, designed to remind the viewer of the charitable works of Beaple. The merchant at left, perhaps representing Beaple, points to a coffer or treasure chest. The 3 ships in the background perhaps indicate the source of his wealth

Mercantile career

Little if anything is known of his mercantile career, although his merchant mark appears to be shown on the chaplet surrounding his arms on his monument in St Peter's Church, interwoven with the initials "RB". Three ships, presumably belonging to him and used in trade with Spain, for which he was licensed by his membership of the Spanish Company, are depicted on his monument in St Peter's Church.

Mayor of Barnstaple

Richard Beaple was thrice Mayor of Barnstaple,^[13] in 1607, 1621 and 1635.^[14] His career in the government of the Borough of Barnstaple appears to have started in August 1598, when he was elected a Common Councilman in place of Roger Cade, who was "put out for that he dwell'd out of this Towne above one year".^[15] Roger Cade was the father of his second wife Catherine Cade.

Member of the Spanish Company

Pediment of monument to Richard Beaple in St Peter's Church, Barnstaple, showing centre, arms of Beaple with crest (On a wreath of the colours, two arms embowed issuing out of clouds all proper, holding in the hands a globe or) and supporters (Two sea horses argent, finned or) of the Spanish Company. At left are shown the arms of the Borough of Barnstaple Gules, a castle of three towers conjoined argent the centre tower larger than the others, at right the arms of the Spanish Company Azure in base a sea, with a dolphin's head appearing in the water all proper, on the sea a ship of three masts, in full sail, all or, the sail and rigging argent, on each a cross gules, in the dexter chief point the sun in splendour, in the sinister chief point an estoile of the third; on a chief of the fourth, a cross of the fifth, charged with the lion of England

Richard Beaple was a member of the Spanish Company, the members of which had been granted by royal charter in 1605 exclusive rights to trade with Spain. His membership is evidenced by his use of the Company's arms, supporters and crest on his monument in St Peter's Church. Barnstaple was one of the "privileged ports" of the Spanish Company,^[16] whose armorials are visible also on the mural monument in St Peter's Church to Richard Ferris (Mayor in 1632), who together with Alexander Horwood, received a payment from the Corporation of Barnstaple in 1630 for "riding to Exeter about the Spanish Company",^[17] on the decorated plaster ceiling of the former "Golden Lion Inn",^[18] 62 Boutport Street (now a restaurant next to the Royal and Fortescue Hotel) and on the 1630 plaster strapwork overmantel of Higher Rookabear House, Fremington, the country house of the Paige family, merchants of Barnstaple.^[19] The royal charter of 1605 which re-established the Spanish Company names several hundred founding members from named English ports, the 12 Barnstaple members being: William Gay, John Salisbury, John Darracott, John Mewles, George Gay, Richard Dodderidge, James Beaple, Nicholas Downe, James Downe, Robert Dodderidge, Richard Beaple and Pentecost Dodderidge, "merchants of Barnstaple". Richard Dodderidge and James Beaple were named as amongst the "first and present assistants and chief councillors of the fellowship".^[20]

Builds Penrose's Almhouses

Penrose's Almshouses, Lichdon Street, Barnstaple, built by Richard Beaple and his four co-executors of the will of his son-in-law John Penrose (d.1624)

Between 1624 and 1627^[21] he and his four co-executors of the will of his son-in-law John Penrose (d.1624), Mayor of Barnstaple in 1620, built the large structure in Litchdon Street, Barnstaple, known today as Penrose's Almshouses. It consists of a cobbled courtyard around which are twenty almshouses, for forty poor residents, with chapel and board room, with vegetable gardens behind. His achievement in carrying out the terms of the bequest is recalled to the viewer by the depiction of the almshouses on the monument of Richard Beaple.

Executor of Westlake's Gift

Richard Beaple was appointed in 1636 one of the executors of the will of Katherine Westlake, with instructions to put into effect her charitable bequest, described by Gribble as follows:^[22]

"Katherine Westlake, of Barnstaple, widow, by her will, bearing date 19th April, 1636, gave to her executors £300, to the intent that they should put forth the same into some good hands for profit, and that the increase and profit thereof should, yearly, be distributed amongst the poor artificers of the town of Barnstaple, according to the discretion of her said executors; the said gift to continue for ever. And she directed, that when three of her executors should be dead, the two survivors should associate to themselves three other inhabitants of the said town, and so from time to time for ever, as often as by death they should be reduced to two, having regard to those of the common council of the said town, and likewise to those of her kindred; which persons should have the same powers, as if they had been appointed by her will, to execute all things, as her executors might do. She also gave to the executors £100, to the intent that they should yearly distribute the profit thereof amongst such poor young men and women, within the said town of Barnstaple, as should be newly come out of their apprenticeship, towards the setting up of their trade and better livelihood; and she appointed Richard Beaple, William Parnell, George Peard, Richard Medford, and Richard Ferris, to be her executors".

Marriages & progeny

Richard Beaple married thrice:^[23]

• Firstly to Mary Peard, daughter and heiress of Richard Peard of Barnstaple, a member of a prominent Barnstaple mercantile family, of which monuments survive in St Peter's Church. John Peard was Mayor of Barnstaple in 1606 (whom Richard Beaple succeeded in 1607) and in 1622. An earlier Richard Peard had been Mayor in 1517,^[24] and Oliver Peard in 1565 and Baldwin Peard in 1537 had similarly occupied the same position.^[25] By Mary Peard he had no male progeny, only two daughters and co-heiresses:

The barren vine of Beaple conjoined to the fruitful vine of Gay, with escutcheon of arms of Gay quartering Beaple. detail from monument to Richard Beaple, St Peter's Church

• • Elizabeth Beaple, sole daughter and heiress, who in 1609 married Anthony Gay of Goldsworthy in the parish of Parkham, North Devon, 12 miles south-west of Barnstaple. He was probably a relative of her step-mother Grace Gay. Their eldest son John Gay (1613-1678) of Frithelstock, North Devon, was the grandfather of the Barnstaple-schooled poet and dramatist John Gay (1685-1732).^[26] The surviving monument to Richard Beaple in St Peter's Church was erected by Anthony Gay, as appears from an escutcheon at the base showing the arms of Gay (Or, a chevron between three escallops azure^[27])impaling Beaple. A pictorial rendering of the failure of the Beaple family in the male line is shown by a barren vine with the arms of Beaple at dexter meeting at sinister a fruitful vine with the arms of Gay. Below is shown a single escutcheon of Gay quartering Beaple, signifying Anthony Gay's marriage to an heraldic heiress.
  • (Daughter) Beaple. His other daughter was the wife of John Penrose (d.1624), of Fremington, Mayor of Barnstaple in 1620, who by his will founded in 1627 a very large almshouse in Litchdon Street, Barnstaple, for 40 poor persons. Penrose apparently died childless. One of his five executors charged with the setting up and governing of the almshouses, including the purchase of the site, was named as his father-in-law Richard Beaple, who made his own endowment to the almshouses, known as "Beaple's Gift".^[28] Penrose's Almhouses are depicted on the monument of Richard Beaple.

Arms of Cade of Fremington: Argent, three piles in point wavy sable^[29]

• Secondly he married Catherine Cade (born 1577), daughter of Roger Cade (d.1618) of Barnstaple, Mayor of Barnstaple in 1591,^[30] a member of a prominent Barnstaple mercantile family, seated in the nearby parish of Fremington.^[31] Without progeny. Her sister Sara Cade was the wife of Gilbert I Paige (d.1647) of Barnstaple, and of Rookabeare House in the adjoining parish of Fremington,^[32]Devon, a merchant who was twice Mayor of Barnstaple in 1629 and 1641.^[33] The will of Gilbert Paige dated 1642 names "my brother-in-lawe Master Richard Beaple" as the first overseer of his will and also bequeaths "to the poore people of Master John Penrose's Almshouses ffive poundes to be imployed towardes the buyeing of sea coles for the poore of that howse for ever".^[34]
• Thirdly he married Grace Gay (d.1651), daughter of a certain Mr Gay, probably a member of the family of Gay of Goldsworthy in the parish of Parkham. She was the widow of a certain Mr Estmond and mother of Edward Estmond.^[35] Without progeny. In her widowhood, during the Civil War, In June 1645, as one of the leading citizens of Barnstaple she was selected as the hostess of the 15-year-old Prince Charles (the future King Charles II), and his large entourage, who had been sent away by his father the king from the royal fortress of Bristol Castle to escape the plague. The visit lasted from about 15 June to 8 July 1645.^[36] As for the choice of Barnstaple as a refuge for the Prince, Hyde (d.1674) wrote in his History of the Rebellion: "No place was thought so convenient for the Prince of Wales' residence as Barnstaple, a pleasant town in the north of Devon, well fortified and with a good garrison in it". He reported at the time: "The Prince is much delighted with this place and indeed it is a very fine sweete towne as ever I saw".^[37] During this stay the Prince visited Henry Bourchier, 5th Earl of Bath (1587–1654) at nearby Tawstock Court, which event is recorded in the surviving Tawstock household accounts.^[38] Amongst the provisions purchased by the Earl for the occasion were lobsters, artichokes, raspberries and masards, a cherry long grown in the locality. A cook was brought in from Barnstaple and payments were made to the Prince's own cooks and musicians.^[39] The Prince's stay in her house was very costly for Grace, not only in provisions, entertainment and services rendered, but also due to a loan she made to him. These expenses were not easily recovered from the crown, and it was not until after her death that her executor Elizabeth Estmond received the sum of £200 from the royal funds of King Charles II "in discharge of money lent and services rendered to the King when at Barnstaple".^[40]

Death

Richard Beaple died on 30 December 1643, aged 79, as is recorded on his surviving monument in St Peter's Church.

Legacy

Diagram showing familial connections between the founders of the principal charities, almshouses and schools in or around the town of Barnstaple in the 17th century

Penrose Almshouses, Lichdon Street, Barnstaple, founded in 1627 by will of John Penrose (d.1624) and built and governed by his father-in-law Richard Beaple. Detail of small relief sculpture on monument in St Peter's Church to Richard Beaple. The four men (and a woman behind at right, possibly a wife), possibly depict the four poor beneficiaries of his later benefaction known as "Beaple's Gift" (see below)

He was a generous benefactor of "Penrose's Almshouses", the almshouses in Lichadon Street in Barnstaple, which still stand, founded in 1627 by the will of John Penrose (d.1624), of Fremington, Mayor of Barnstaple in 1620. His generosity is recorded as part of the verse inscribed on his monument (see below):

As for this senator, his nobler minde

Within one age did scorne to bee confin'd

For which to future ages he convay'd

So rich a portion duly to bee pay'd

That thenceforth tears being banish't it might bring

To the orphans joy and make poor widowes sing

A small coloured relief-sculpted depiction of these almshouses with a group of four poor inmates (with a woman, perhaps a wife, behind), within a roundel survives on the right side of Richard Beaple's monument, to match one on the left side depicting a merchant pointing to a treasure chest with three sailing ships on the sea behind.

Beaple's Gift

Gribble described "Beaple's Gift" as follows:^[41]

"Richard Beaple, by his will, bearing date 13th April, 1641, gave to his executors £420, to the intent that they should therewith purchase so much land of inheritance as should be of the yearly value of £20 the yearly profits thereof to be bestowed upon four poor people of the new almshouse erected by Mr. John Penrose, deceased, such of them as he should nominate in his life-time, and in default thereof, such as should be nominated by his executors, by £5 a-piece, to be paid quarterly ; and the same annuity of £20 to continue for ever to four poor people of the said almshouse, to be nominated, after the death of all his executors, by the mayor, aldermen, and common council of Barnstaple, or the major part of them. And he directed that until the said lands should be purchased, the said £420 should be put forth at interest at six per cent the profits thereof to be bestowed upon the said four poor people. It is supposed that the tenement called Darracott, in the parish of Georgeham, now belonging to this charity, (No. 6 in the rental,) was purchased with the money thus given by Richard Beaple; but we have not been able to find the purchase-deeds of that tenement. In the returns made to Parliament in 1786, it is stated, that the said Richard Beaple gave a third part of the residue of his effects to this almshouse with which a house was purchased, let, at the time of making those returns, at the rent of £8 8s. per annum. As there is a house in High-Street, Barnstaple now in possession of the charity, let at £8 8s. per annum (No. 7 in the rental,) it is probably the house alluded to in the returns; but upon an inspection of this donor's will, which was proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, it is not found to contain any such bequest of a part of the residue of his effects to this almshouse".

Monument

Mural monument to Richard Beaple in St Peter's Church, Barnstaple

His surviving monument in St Peter's Church is now located in the south aisle of the chancel. Before the Victorian restoration it was located in the Mayor's Aisle in the north aisle, as was recorded in 1780 by Benjamin Incledon (1730-1796) who described it as a "Neat monument wherein is the figure of a man. In the Mayor's Isle ag(ain)st nth. east wall".^[42] It contains two slate tablets inscribed as follows, top tablet:

"To the memorie of the Wor(shipful) Richard beaple, merchant, thrice may(or) of this towne who departed this life Decemb(er) 30th A(nn)o aetat(is)^[43] 79 1643".

The lower tablet is inscribed in verse thus:

Were't not more wisely done if w^th consent,

Wee join'd to batter downe this monument,

Lest when the sorrowing poor lift up their eyes,

they drown the voyce o' th'sermon w^th their cryes.

Let that bee others doome, such as can give,

With liberall spirit, but onely whiles they live.

As for this senator, his nobler minde,

Within one age did scorne to bee confin'd,

For which to future ages he convay'd,

So rich a portion duly to bee pay'd,

That thenceforth tears being banish't it might bring,

To the orphans joy and make poor widowes sing.

Let those who'de have their monuments to stand,

Take fayr example from this bounteous hand.

Sources

• Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitation of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p. 81, pedigree of Beaple of Barnstaple
• Lamplugh, Lois, Barnstaple: Town on the Taw, South Molton, 2002
• Gribble, Joseph Besly, Memorials of Barnstaple: Being an Attempt to Supply the Want of A History of that Ancient Borough, Barnstaple, 1830

References

1. Per inscription on his mural monument in St Peter's Church, Barnstaple
2. Lamplugh, List of Mayors, p.156
3. Vivian, p.81
4. Vivian, p.81
5. Lamplugh, List of Mayors, p.156
6. Vivian, p.81
7. Lamplugh, List of Mayors, p.155
8. Gribble, Joseph Besly, Memorials of Barnstaple: Being an Attempt to Supply the Want of A History of that Ancient Borough, Barnstaple, 1830, Chapter 1, p.344
9. Vivian, p.101, pedigree of Beauple (part of pedigree of Bonville of Shute)
10. Pole, Sir William (d.1635), Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, Sir John-William de la Pole (ed.), London, 1791, pp.459, 469
11. Gribble, Joseph Besly, Memorials of Barnstaple: Being an Attempt to Supply the Want of A History of that Ancient Borough, Barnstaple, 1830, pp.34-5
12. Gribble, Joseph Besly, Memorials of Barnstaple: Being an Attempt to Supply the Want of A History of that Ancient Borough, Barnstaple, 1830, p.35
13. Per inscription on his mural monument in St Peter's Church, Barnstaple
14. Lamplugh, List of Mayors, p.156
15. Gribble, p.282
16. Croft, Pauline, The Spanish Company, London Record Society, Volume 9, London, 1973
17. Lamplugh, p.165, note 2 to chapter 12, quoting "Borough Records Vol II, p.150"
18. Lamplugh, p.165, note 2 to chapter 12
19. Reed, Margaret A., A Brief History of Higher Rookabear (Collection of North Devon Athaneum, Barnstaple)
20. Croft, Pauline, The Spanish Company, London Record Society, Volume 9, London, 1973
21. Building completed in 1627, per date-stone above main entrance
22. Gribble, pp.131-2
23. Vivian, p.81
24. Lamplugh, List of Mayors, p.156
25. Lamplugh, List of Mayors, p.155
26. Vivian, pp.81 & 393-4
27. Vivian, p.392, footnote 12
28. Gribble, Joseph Besly, Memorials of Barnstaple: Being an Attempt to Supply the Want of A History of that Ancient Borough, Barnstaple, 1830, p.89
29. Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitation of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p.126, pedigree of "Cade of Fremington"
30. Lamplugh, p.156
31. Vivian, p.126, pedigree of Cade of Fremington
32. Reed, Margaret A., A Brief History of Higher Rookabear (Collection of North Devon Athaneum, Barnstaple)
33. "Index to Mayors of Barnstaple 1303-1929". Retrieved 14 November 2015.
34. "Will of Gilbert Paige, Merchant of Barnstaple, Devon", dated 2 January 1642, proved 20 May 1647, lines 56-8, National Archives, PROB 11/200/411
35. Vivian, p.81
36. Lamplugh, p. 71
37. Lamplugh, p. 71
38. Gray, Todd, Devon Household Accounts, 1627–59, Part II, Henry, Fifth Earl of Bath and Rachel, Countess of Bath, 1637–1655, Devon and Cornwall Record Society,Exeter, 1996, p.xlix
39. Gray, 1996, p.xlix
40. Lamplugh, p. 71
41. Gribble, pp.92-3
42. Incledon, Benjamin, Recorder of Barnstaple, Transcripts of Devon Monumental Inscriptions (3 Volumes), Volume I, p.27, 1780
43. Latin anno aetatis, "in the year of his age"