Hugh Pollard (sheriff) facts for kids
Sir Hugh Pollard was an important person in Devon, England, during the 1500s. He was the lord of a large estate called manor of King's Nympton. He also served as the Sheriff of Devon in 1535 and was later appointed as the Recorder of Barnstaple in 1545.
Contents
His Family Background
Hugh Pollard was the oldest son of Sir Lewis Pollard (who lived from about 1465 to 1526). His father was a respected judge in a major court called the Justice of the Common Pleas. Sir Lewis also served as a Member of Parliament for Totnes.
Hugh's mother was Agnes Hext. Her father, Thomas Hext, was a well-known lawyer from Kingston. The Pollard family had been in Devon for a long time, even before the 1200s. Their first home was at a place called Way.
His Brother, Richard Pollard
Hugh had a younger brother named Sir Richard Pollard (1505–1542). Richard was even more famous than Hugh. He was also a Member of Parliament for different areas like Taunton and Devon.
Richard worked closely with Thomas Cromwell, a powerful advisor to King Henry VIII. He helped the King take over religious buildings during a time called the Dissolution of the Monasteries. For his help, Richard was given large estates like Combe Martin and Forde Abbey.
Sir Hugh's Career and Influence
In 1545, Sir Hugh became the Recorder of Barnstaple. This was an important job where he helped choose the two people who would represent the town in Parliament. One person he helped choose was George Rolle. George Rolle was a lawyer from London who worked in the same court as Hugh's father.
George Rolle later bought land in the same area where the Pollards lived, at Stevenstone. This land eventually grew into one of the biggest estates in Devon.
Sir Hugh also used his brother Richard's influence to gain control over the care of a young man named Richard Bury. Richard Bury was the son of John Bury, the lord of Colleton. Hugh arranged for his daughter, Elizabeth Pollard, to marry Richard Bury. His brother Richard also married Richard Bury's sister, Jacquetta.
During the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Sir Hugh leased a large religious building called Torre Abbey in 1539. A few years later, in 1543, he bought it outright.
His Marriages and Children
Sir Hugh Pollard was married two times.
First Marriage
His first wife was Elizabeth Valletort. She was the daughter of John Valletort. Together, Hugh and Elizabeth had three sons and one daughter:
- Sir Lewis Pollard, who was their oldest son. His grandson later became Sir Lewis Pollard, 1st Baronet.
- Richard Pollard
- John Pollard
- Elizabeth Pollard. She first married Richard Bury, the young man whose care her father had arranged. After Richard Bury passed away, Elizabeth married Henry Dillon.
Second Marriage
His second wife was Dorothy Carew. She was the daughter of Sir Edmund Carew, a knight who died in battle in 1513. Dorothy was also the widow of John Stowell. With Dorothy, Sir Hugh had another daughter:
- Dorothy Pollard (who died around 1559 or 1560). She was the first of three wives of Robert Courtenay, the lord of manor of Molland.
