Page:Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries.djvu/112

Dev<m Notes and Queries. 73 53. A Knapman Shield of Arms. — The accompanying sketch of a shield of arms I made from the original, painted on an old oak panel, which in the autumn of 1896 I purchased (for appreciative friends across the Atlantic), from the late Mr. George Underhill Wills, who resided at Sticklepath, Samp- ford Courtenay. He was in his 94th year, florid, hale, and hearty, and in the enjoyment of all his faculties (he died Feb. 23rd of this year, 1 902, in his 98th year), but we were unable to gather from him, or from his niece. Miss Wills, anything further concerning the family or house from which it had come, than that when Mr. Wills*s father brought him away, a child of six or seven years, from an early home. West Wyke, it was amongst the lumber, and had served as the footboard of a servant's bedstead. West Wyke is between South Zeal and Throwleighy and possibly this shield of arms, which is that of Knapman of Throwleigh, was obtained at some sale of household effects of one of that family, or of one into which it had married. The shield is dimidiated. The first coat on the dexter half is that of Knapman of Throwleigh {or, on a cross sa, between four Cornish choughs ppr, five blocks of tin marked with a capital W, the lower points of which are encircled by an annulet. But in this example the '* W *' is not a Roman capital, the effect being more that of a double U in " block " type. The Knapman's bore the blocks of tin because they were, with the Battishills of West Wyke — the Endacotts of Throwleigh — the Lethbridges of Nymet Tracey — the Whyddons of Chagford — the Wykes of North Wyke and other Wykes in South Tawton — and other families of that parish — Stannators of the Stannary town of Chagford. I find that Christian, daughter of William Knapman of Throwleigh (first-named in the Visitation of 1620) by Elinor, daughter ot Arscott, was the wife of William Battishill, that the daughter of Henry Endicott of Throwleigh, was the wife of the first William Knapman*s grandson Edward Knapman — that Robert Lethbridge of Nymet Tracey, married Alice, daughter of William Knapman*s grandson Alexander Knap- man by Anne, daughter (by Elizabeth Shilston his wife, a descendant of the Wrays of North Russell or Thrusselton, of Sir John Whyddon, militis, Judge, Justice of the Common