Amyas Bampfylde facts for kids
Sir Amyas Bampfylde (also known as "Amias Bampfield") (1560 – 9 February 1626) was an important person from Poltimore and North Molton in Devon, England. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Devon in 1597. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in a country's parliament.
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Who Was Sir Amyas Bampfylde?
Amyas Bampfylde was the son of Richard Bampfield (1526–1594). His father was from Poltimore and Bampfylde House in Exeter, Devon. Richard Bampfield was the Sheriff of Devon in 1576. A Sheriff was a high-ranking official who managed law and order in a county. Amyas's mother was Elizabeth Sydenham (died 1599), who was the daughter of Sir John Sydenham of Brympton d'Evercy, Somerset.
His Life and Work
Amyas Bampfylde started his education at Exeter College, Oxford in 1575 when he was 15 years old. He then studied law at the Middle Temple in 1576. When his father passed away in 1594, Amyas took over the family estate of Poltimore.
From 1596, he served as a Justice of the Peace (JP) for Devon. A JP is a local judge who handles minor legal cases. In 1597, he was chosen to be a Member of Parliament (MP) for Devon. He was made a knight by the King at Windsor on 9 July 1603. He also served as the Sheriff of Devon from 1603 to 1604. Later, in 1616, he became a Deputy Lieutenant, helping to organize the local military.
His Family
In 1576, Sir Amyas Bampfylde married Elizabeth Clifton. Her father was Sir John Clifton (died 1593) from Barrington Court, Somerset. Elizabeth's mother was Anne Stanley, daughter of Thomas Stanley, 2nd Baron Monteagle. Elizabeth's brother was Gervase Clifton, 1st Baron Clifton (around 1570 – 1618).
A portrait of Elizabeth Clifton from around 1640 is kept at Antony House, Cornwall. There is also a stone statue of her sitting sadly next to her husband's statue in North Molton Church. On their monument, you can see the Bampfylde family crest combined with the Clifton family crest.
Sir Amyas and Elizabeth had six sons and four daughters:
His Sons
- John Bampfylde (around 1586 – around 1657): He was the oldest son and took over the family estates of Poltimore and North Molton. He also became an MP for Tiverton (1621) and Devon (1628–9).
- Richard Bampfield: The second son, who did not have children.
- William Bampfield: The third son.
- Amyas Bampfield: The fourth son, from Weston Bampfield.
- Edward Bampfield: The fifth son, from Stoke Canon.
- James Bampfield (died 1664): The sixth son, who became a Rector (a type of church leader) of Black Torrington.
His Daughters
- Dorothy Bampfield (died 1614): She was married first to Edward Hancock (died 1603), who was an MP and the lord of the manor of Combe Martin, Devon. Later, she married Sir John Doddridge (1555–1628), a judge from Bremridge, near North Molton.
- Jane Bampfield: She married Francis Drake, who was the son of Francis Drake of Buckland.
- Anne Bampfield: She did not have children.
- Elizabeth Bampfield: She did not have children.
Monument for his Daughter
There is a monument in the Lady Chapel of Exeter Cathedral for his daughter Dorothy Bampfield (died 1614). The monument has a Latin inscription that says: "Here lies Dorothy, the wife of John Doderidge, knight, one of the King's Justices, and daughter of Amyas Bampfield, knight, who died on the first of March in the Year of Our Lord 1614."
His Death and Burial
Sir Amyas Bampfylde passed away at Cottonheath on 9 February 1625, at the age of 65. In his will, he said he wanted to be "buried in North Molton church with his parents." However, his parents seem to have been buried in Poltimore Church, where Amyas had put up a large monument for them in 1604. A grand monument for Amyas himself, with his statue, is in the Bampfylde Chapel of North Molton Church.
His Monument at North Molton
A beautiful stone monument honoring Sir Amyas Bampfylde is located on the south wall of the Bampfylde Chapel in North Molton Church. Next to it, a stone tablet has these words:
"Stand passenger gaze such was he
As thou tremble such shalt thou be
He dy'd to live so live to dye
Depart muse on eternity"
The monument also has a long Latin inscription. It explains that the monument was placed by his son and heir, John Bampfylde, in 1626. It describes Sir Amyas as a wise, kind, brave, and friendly person who was good to his family and his country. It also mentions that he worked hard to get back lands for his family after long legal battles.
Family Crests on the Monument
Above Sir Amyas Bampfylde's monument in North Molton Church, there is a shield showing 30 different family crests, or "quarterings." These crests represent the many important families that were connected to the Bampfylde family through marriage over the years. Each crest tells a story about their family history and important connections.
