Bableigh, Parkham

Descent

de Oilgi

Risdon

13th century

• Robert Risdon, held Bableigh in 1274

15th century and subsequent

• Thomas Risdon, the first member of the family recorded in the Heraldic Visitations of Devon.
• Gefferie Risdon
• Richard Risdon who married Matilda Braye, daughter of John Braye.
• John Risdon
• Giles Risdon, whose monument survives in Parkham Church, with inscription worn away. He built the north aisle of Parkham Church, in which is situated his monument, and also Veybridge over the River Torridge. He married twice:
• *Firstly to Elizabeth Bremelcombe, daughter and heiress of Thomas Bremelcombe of Honichurch, Devon. By his first wife he had children two daughters and seven sons including:
• **Thomas Risdon, his eldest son and heir to Bableigh,
• **Ambrose Risdon, who founded his own branch of the Risdon family in the parish of Buckland Brewer, adjacent to Parkham.
• **William Risdon, of Winscott, St Giles in the Wood, father of the Devon historian Tristram Risdon. William married Joanna Pollard a daughter of George Pollard of Langley, Yarnscombe by his wife Thomazine Coplestone, a daughter of John Copleston "The Great Copleston" of Copleston, Devon. Joanna's younger brother Pollard, or another close relation, of unknown first name, was Gentleman Usher to Queen Elizabeth I and to her successor King James I and married a sister of Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury . Pollard's daughters by this marriage were Maids of Honour to Queen Elizabeth I.
• **Edward Risdon who was a Jesuit priest, a Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford and one of the founders of the College of Douai in France, established in about 1561 for Catholic exiles from Protestant England.
• **John Risdon, rector of Parkham.
• *Secondly in 1649/50 he married Phillipa, of unrecorded family, widow of Mountjoy, by whom he had further children.
• Thomas Risdon, a Justice of the Peace for Devon, a lawyer who was double Reader of the Inner Temple. He died along with several other Justices of the Peace and members of the Devon Gentry at the Black Assize of Exeter 1586, having contracted jail fever. He married Willmot Giffard, a daughter of his neighbour Thomas Giffard of Halsbury, in the parish of Parkham, by his wife Margaret Monck, a daughter of Anthony Monck of Potheridge in Devon, great-great-grandfather of George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle. He had five daughters and two sons, the younger of whom was Thomas Risdon, of Sandwell, in the parish of Harberton, near Totnes, Devon, Reader of the Inner Temple, one of the Worthies of Devon of John Prince. His monument survives at Harberton Church, Devon. He made his fortune in the law and purchased the estate of Sandwell. As he died without children he made his great-nephew Thomas Risdon his heir, the son of Francis Risdon of Bableigh by his 3rd wife Dorothy Bluett. A monument survives in Harberton Church in memory of Dorothy Bluett erected by her son Thomas Risdon of Sandwell.
• Giles Risdon, who married Elizabeth Viell, a daughter and co-heiress of William Viell of Trevorder in Cornwall, and of Vielston in the parish of Buckland Brewer, adjacent to Parkham, in Devon. He had three daughters and three sons.
• Francis Risdon, who married three times:
• *Firstly to Frances Hill, without children;
• *Secondly in 1630 to Frances Greene of Harberton, Devon, by whom he had a son and heir Giles Risdon.
• *Thirdly to Dorothy Bluett, youngest daughter of Arthur Bluett of Holcombe Rogus, Devon, and widow of Giles Poyntz, a relative of her step-father Philip Poyntz. Her monument survives at Harberton Church, Devon. By Dorothy Bluett Risdon had two children including a son Thomas Risdon of Harberton, whose monument survives at Harberton Church, Devon.
• Giles Risdon, who married Grace Hill, whose monument survives at Harberton Church, by whom he had five daughters and seven sons.
• Giles Risdon . He married three times:
• *Firstly in 1677 to Katherine Coffin, third daughter of Richard Coffin of nearby Portledge, in the parish of Alwington, Sheriff of Devon in 1683, of a very ancient Devon family. Without children.
• *Secondly in 1684 to Jane Carter, a daughter and co-heiress of John Carter of St Columb Major in Cornwall, by whom he had a daughter Jane Risdon.
• *Thirdly to Anne Darrell, daughter of Thomas Darrell of Trewornan, Egloshayle, Cornwall, who survived him and remarried to John Carveth. By Anne Darrell he had three daughters and a son and heir Giles Risdon.
• Giles Risdon, who in 1729 married Anne Bruton, and had a daughter Elizabeth Risdon and a son and heir Giles Risdon.
• Giles Risdon, who married a certain Frances, who survived him.