PRINCE'S

"

WORTHIES OF DEVON" AND THE

"DICTIONARY OF NATIONAL BIOGRAPHY."

PART I.

BY W. PENGELLY, F.R.S., F.G.S., ETC.

(Read at Seaton, July, 1885.)

ON the appearance, in January 1885, of the first volume. of the Dictionary of National Biography, edited by Leslie Stephen, it occurred to me that it would be interesting to examine the volumes as they were published in order to see how Prince's Worthies fared in them. How many of them were thought worthy of a niche in the National work; how many, if any, Worthies, or Celebrities-to use a more comprehensive term-Prince had overlooked; how many, and what, Devonians since 1701 were acknowledged to have achieved such immortality as the Dictionary could give; and, finally, how far the sketches prepared by Prince agreed with those by writers in the Dictionary or elsewhere.

It is here intended to give in alphabetical order the names of all Devonshire Celebrities mentioned in Prince and in the Dictionary; to follow Prince in the orthography of the names in his work, and the Dictionary in the case of those not in him; to note such Slips as present themselves; and to offer such remarks as seem appropriate.

The first two volumes of the Dictionary-all yet issued— extend to the article BAIRD, William, M.D.; that is far enough to have included nine of Prince's Worthies, assuming the same orthography to have been used for the names in the two works. The first of the nine is Sir John Ackland, of Cullum John, second son of John Akeland, of Akeland near Barnstaple, with whom our examination will therefore begin.

1. ACKLAND, Sir John, of Cullum John. His name occurs in Prince and in the Dictionary.

Orthography of his Surname:-Sir William Pole, who died in 1635, and must have been a contemporary, wrote it Akeland and Akland; Risdon (1580-1640), another contemporary, Acland; Prince, Ackland, as above; Colonel J. L. Vivian, in his Visitations of the County of Devon, now in course of publication, Akeland. The Dictionary writes it Acland. I learn from Mr. H. Michelmore, Clerk of the Peace for Devonshire, that among the county Records there is an autograph letter by Sir John, in which he wrote his name Aclande.

The orthography of this surname seems to have sported considerably; thus, and to go no further at present than the head of the family in each generation, Colonel Vivian's pedigree, extending through 23 generations to the present day, and copied for the first 16 from the "Original Visitation of Devon," shows that in the 1st generation the name was written Eccelin; in the 2nd, Acalan; in the 3rd, de Acalan; in the 4th, de Akelane; in the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th, Akelane of Akelane; in the 9th, Akelane; in the 10th, Akelane of Akelane; in the 11th, Akeland; in the 12th, 13th, and 14th, Akeland of Akeland; in the 15th and 16th, Akelane; in the 17th and all succeeding generations, Acland. In short, omitting mere adjuncts and some early non-enduring forms, the prevalent surnames of the heads of the family have been Akelane through 9 generations, Akeland through 4, while Acland, the existing form, first borne, as the name of the head of the family, by Sir Francis Acland, who died in 1649, has continued through 7 consecutive generations.

Though, as just stated, no head of the family took the form Acland until the 17th generation, it had been introduced by a younger son, when, in the 12th generation, Anthony, the second son of John Akeland, and brother of John Akeland of Akeland, took the name of Acland.

An unusual outburst of sporting occurred in the 15th generation, when of the four sons of Hugh Akeland of Akeland and nephews of our Sir John Ackland—the eldest was Arthur Akelane-thus reverting to the family usage in the 8th generation-the second was John Akeland, the third and fourth respectively, William, and Francis, Acland.

His Mother's Christian Name:-Prince and Vivian agree in calling his mother Margaret, while the Dictionary gives her the name of Mary. They all state that she was the daughter and co-heir of Hugh Ratcliff, or Redcliff, or Radcliff, of Stepney.

The Christian Name of his Second Wife:-According to Prince and Vivian it was Margery, while the Dictionary names her Margaret. Margery, however, is said to be a diminutive of Margaret.

They all state that she was of the Portman family in Somerset, and was a widow, named Hawley, when Sir John married her.

Date on which he was Knighted:-Prince says it was 15th March, 1603; the Dictionary, 15th March, 1603-4; but Colonel Vivian, 15th November, 1603-4. There is no necessary or probable discrepancy between the statements of Prince and the Dictionary, inasmuch as for a considerable period before the 1st of January, 1753, while the Historical year began on 1st of January, the Civil, Ecclesiastical, and Legal year began on 25th March; hence any event between those dates occurred apparently a year later according to the Historical reckoning than it did according to the Civil, Ecclesiastical, or Legal usage; and it cannot be said that one was more correct than the other. In the case before us, Prince, a clergyman, probably used the Ecclesiastical reckoning and, correctly from his stand-point, made the year 1603; the Dictionary, by using the form "1603-4," gave every reader the opportunity to call it 1603 or 1604 as pleased him best. According to the invariable and general usage of the present day, Sir John Ackland was knighted on 15th March, 1604.

Colonel Vivian's statement is a different matter, inasmuch as any doubtfulness in the case must have been independent of the day on which the year began. There are two modes of accounting for his statement: 1st. It may mean that the ceremony took place on the 15th of November, either in 1603 or 1604, but that the exact year was uncertain; or 2nd. That, through a Slip, the Colonel wrote "November" when he should have written March." In the latter case, the substitution of the one word for the other would make the three authorities agree.

Since writing the above, Colonel Vivian has kindly informed me that in his work the word "Nov." is a misprint for "Mar."

Date on which he became M.P.:-Prince says merely, "He was one of the knights of the shire for this county" [Devon] "in parliament." According to the Dictionary, "At a byeelection (27 Jany., 1606-7) in the first Parliament of that monarch" [James I.] "he became knight of the shire for Devon;" while Colonel Vivian says briefly, "M.P. for Devon

1604." He has been so good as to write me that it was 1604, as stated in his Visitations.

Date of his Death :-Prince tells us that" Sir John Ackland laid aside what of mortality he had at his house aforesaid" [Cullum John] "A.D. 1613, which was honourably interred in the parish church of Broad-Clist . . . where a very stately monument is erected to his memory . . . whereupon. . . . lieth his portraiture, in full proportion, lively cut in stone. . . His two ladies are placed by, kneeling each before a desk. . . . A little below are these inscriptions: on the one Anno Domini . . . on the other 1613." (pp. 4, 5.) According to the Dictionary also, "He died in 1613;" but Colonel Vivian's statement is, "obijt. 14 Feb. 1620 s. p. Inq. p. m. W. & L. 20 Jas., Bundle No. 230. Will 9 Feb., proved 4 July, 1620 P. C. C. (Soame, 76.)”

The monument is still intact, and, as Prince states, bears the date 1613; but I learn from a member of the family, whose perfect knowledge of the facts cannot be doubted, that there are two dates on the monument, one over two death's heads (A°DM over the one death's head, 1614 over the other), while behind some Corinthian pillars which support the entablature is another date (1613) over the arms, which are above the entablature. There is no inscription besides the date, though there is a place for one. In short, neither the name of Sir John Ackland nor of any other person is on the monument. The only guess I can make, and nothing beyond guessing seems possible in the case, is that the monument, if really erected in memory of Sir John Ackland, was executed in his lifetime, at his order and cost, and was completed-perhaps erected-in 1613-14. Pre-mortem monuments are by no means rare. (See Rogers's Ancient Sepulchral Effigies, &c., of Devon, pp. 347-8, 356, 1877.)

Colonel Vivian writes me that, notwithstanding Prince and the Dictionary, Sir John died in 1620; or, written fully, on "14 Feb., 1619-20."

His Birthplace:-Prince says he "was born most likely, at Ack-land house, standing in the parish of Lankey." My kind informant, already mentioned, has endeavoured to learn whether there is any positive proof that Sir John was born in Devonshire, but has failed. He can only say "there is no reason to doubt it, so far as I have heard."

2. ACKLAND, Baldwin, B.D., according to Prince, was born near Exeter, was Treasurer of Exeter Cathedral, and died 27th August 1672, in the 64th year of his age.

His name does not occur in the Dictionary; hut, according to Colonel Vivian, he was the eldest son of John Acland, Mayor of Exeter, and Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Duck, of "Hevytree, in Com. Devon," was baptized 13th April 1607, at St. Olave, Exeter, at. 13; and married Mary, daughter of Thomas Lord Clifford of Chudleigh.

3. ACLAND, John (fl. 1753-1796), according to the Dictionary, was the second son of John Acland of Woolly, Yorkshire; M.P. for Callington; and younger brother of Sir Hugh Acland, sixth baronet, of Columb John, co. Devon.

According to Col. Vivian's Acland pedigree, John Acland, brother of Sir Hugh Acland, sixth baronet, was the third, not the second, son of John Acland of Wooleigh, and was living in 1716. The second son was Richard Acland, according to the same authority. Though a member of the Devonshire family, there is apparently no evidence that he was a native of that county.

His dates render it impossible for his name to have been in Prince.

4. ACLAND, John Dyke, is styled, in the Dictionary, a soldier and politician; and the eldest son of Sir Thomas Acland and Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Thomas Dyke of Tetton in Somerset. According to Col. Vivian's Acland pedigree, he was of Pixton in Somerset; married Lady Christian Harriet Caroline Fox, daughter of Stephen first Earl of Ilchester; died 31st October, and was buried at Broadclyst 28 November 1778. I have found no intimation of the place of his birth.

According to the Dictionary, his wife, of whom it contains a memoir, was named Lady Christian Henrietta Caroline; and "was the third surviving daughter" of her father.

His dates render it impossible for his name to have been in Prince.

5. ACLAND, Sir Thomas Dyke, according to the Dictionary, was a politician and philanthropist; the eldest son of Sir Thomas Dyke Acland and the only daughter of Sir Richard Hoare; born in London 29th March, 1787; married to Lydia Elizabeth only daughter of Henry Hoare of Mitcham Grove; and died suddenly at Killerton, Broad Clyst, 22nd July 1871. It may be added, on the authority of Col. Vivian, that he was born in South Audley Street, London; baptized 18th April, 1787, at St. George's Hanover Square; and that his mother's name was Henrietta Anne.