Introduction

Summary

Robert Furse of Moreshead in Dean Prior (d. 1593) was a proud man. By his own sagacity and that of his ancestors he had acquired a sizeable estate in Devon. By 1620 his son bore arms and was included in the herald's visitation. He was proud of the arms borne by the Trunchard family, his grandmother being Mary Foxsecombe alias Trunchard. Robert was not ashamed of his humble origins and gave credit to ancestors who, although some were ‘but sympell and unlernede', had nevertheless bettered themselves, acquiring and passing on land. He was proud of relatives who had been in royal service, or that of the Marquess of Exeter, or had been at the inns of court. He inherited Moreshead, now Moorshead, in 1557, and probably married then or soon after, and had nine daughters, and at last, in 1584 what must have been a longed-for son. When the boy was only nine, however, Furse realised he was ill and had not long to live. He refers to having ‘plage', but it cannot have been bubonic plague, for that is a quick death and Furse had time to put his affairs in order. Because his son was too young to be taught all the background to his inheritance, and how to manage it, Furse wrote it all down for him in a book. Although sometimes referred to as his memorandum book it is much more systematic than the jottings which that might suggest. It introduces each known line of ancestry, and then details the lands which that family had and passed on to their heirs. He used ‘evidences', which must have been a considerable collection of deeds, no longer extant, as well as reports of older men and his own experience, particularly in courts of law, and he refers to documents of the Courtenays, to which he appears to have had access.

He was proud of his public offices as constable of Stanborough hundred and juror, and of his high subsidy payment and the substantial quantity of armour and weaponry required of him for a muster. He was proud of the dowries he provided for his daughters. He defended his title at law when provoked to do so and was proud of his legal victories, refused to pay dues not properly authenticated, and defended his seating in church.