30th Generation

1601. Lewis Charles FORTESCUE^110,113 was born on 28 January 1873 in Plymouth, Devon. He was living in 1894. He died in June Quarter 1915 in Liverpool, Lancs. from Diary of Charles(?) or L Fortescue.

Pages 348 to 352 of one of the volumes have the entry for January 2 1947

On page 351 at the bottom of the page through to page 352 part of page, the text reads as follows:

"There are probably monuments to members of our family in East Allington Church, and possibly at Plympton. Indeed, it is difficult to find any part of north or south Devon which is not in some way connected with the family. A branch of the Fortescues was settled for many years at Plymouth, and my grandfather lived in an old house on the western side of Lockier (sic) Street, within a stone's throw of the Hoe. The Fortescues of Plymouth came originally from Buckland Filleigh, about the year 1700; and some are now at rest in St Budeaux churchyard. How greatly Plymouth must have changed since he left Shebbear, at the beginning of the eighteenth century; and when Plymouth, indeed, was composed of three towns. Robert Fortescue, the founder of this branch of the family, married Ann, daughter of Edward Gould, of Lew Trenchard; and who surviving her husband by some years, was buried, at St Budeaux, in January 1753. Robert was also interred here in 1740.He is thought to have been the son of John Fortescue, and Ellen Badcock,---the latter I believe, of South Molton. A descendant, John Fortescue , was buried at St Budeaux in 1783; his wife, Mary Spettigue,was buried in September of the previous year. Another John Fortescue was interred at St Budeaux in August, 1804. Thomas Fortescue was buried, in March, 1743. Robert Fortescue was interred at St Budeaux, in July, 1778. His wife, Nancy, who was also interred in this family burial place, died in 1833, after having actually survived her husband by fifty-five years! Thus eight of our ancestors are buried at St Budeaux, either in the church or the churchyard. The Fortescues of Plymouth cannot prove their descent from John Fortescue, of Buckland Filleigh, because of the very curious circumstance that the pages of the old parish registers of Shebbear, between the years 1660 and 1669, were deliberately cut out of the book, as appears by a manuscript note, added in 1812 and signed by the curate of that time, the Rev: Evans. What is the mystery that lies behind this action? Perhaps there was a scandal to be concealed, or a name that might have influenced a will,--- but a mystery of nearly three hundred years is not likely to be solved now."

Having speculated about the mystery, he writes further down on page 352:

"Besides those ancestors who 'sleep in dust within the stillness of the silent tomb', in St Budeaux churchyard; several were baptized in the church. It would be interesting to see their tombs. I believe two or three of the Aldhams are buried at Ashburton."

he owned a copy of Clermont but it was obviously the First Edition 0f 1869. In 1880 Clermont issued a second edition which insluded the line of descdents from Robert of Ensettle

Ruby I B HART (private).