Tiverton Castle facts for kids
Tiverton Castle is an old castle in Tiverton, Devon, England. It sits high above the River Exe, which was a good spot for defense. After the English Civil War, the castle was taken apart. In the 1600s, it was turned into a country house.
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What Tiverton Castle Looks Like
Tiverton Castle used to be much bigger. Today, you can see parts of its old walls, towers, and buildings. These parts were built at different times in history. A Norman mound and fence castle was first built here in 1106.
Castle History
The English Civil War
During the English Civil War, Tiverton Castle was a strong base for the King's supporters, known as Royalists. In 1645, Fairfax led the Parliamentarian army to attack the castle. He set up his main camp at Blundell's School. His big cannons were placed on Skrink Hills, about half a mile away.
The Parliamentarian army used a large cannon called a Culverin. It could shoot very far. One lucky shot hit a chain holding up the castle's drawbridge. The drawbridge fell down, and a small group of Parliamentarian soldiers quickly got inside. This ended the attack almost as soon as it began. After the castle was captured, the Parliamentarian troops tore down most of its defenses. They did this to stop anyone from using it as a military base again.
A report from October 19, 1645, describes what happened. It says that Major General Massey took the town of Tiverton. Only the castle and church were still held by the enemy. On October 17, Sir Thomas Fairfax began his attack on the castle. When the Royalists refused to give up, the Parliamentarians set up their cannons.
On October 19, the cannons started firing early in the morning. After many shots, one cannonball broke the chain of the drawbridge. This allowed the soldiers to rush in. They quickly took control of the castle and church. Four Parliamentarian soldiers were killed. Even though they took the castle by force, General Fairfax ordered that everyone still alive should be spared.
The Parliamentarians captured:
- Colonel Sir Gilbert Talbot, who was in charge.
- Major Sadler.
- 20 other important officers.
- 200 regular soldiers.
- Four cannons.
- 500 weapons, plus lots of supplies and treasure.
The castle was very strong, and its defenses were well-built.
Who Owned Tiverton Castle?
The Redvers Family
In 1106, King Henry I gave the important land of Tiverton to Richard de Redvers. He was the one who built the first castle here. His son, Baldwin de Redvers, became the first Earl of Devon around 1141. Later, Mary de Redvers married Robert de Courtenay. The last Redvers Earl died in 1262 without children. His sister, Isabella de Forz, became the Countess of Devon.
The Courtenay Family
Isabella de Forz died in 1293. Her heir was her distant cousin, Hugh de Courtenay. He was already a powerful landowner. In 1335, he was named the first Earl of Devon of a new creation. Tiverton Castle became the main home for the Courtenay Earls of Devon for many years.
One famous Courtenay was William Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon. His wife, Catherine of York, was the daughter of King Edward IV. She was also the sister of King Edward V and aunt of King Henry VIII. However, these royal connections did not save her son, Henry Courtenay, 1st Marquess of Exeter, 2nd Earl of Devon. He was accused of plotting against King Henry VIII and was executed in 1539. The Courtenays also owned Okehampton Castle and later built Colcombe Castle, both in Devon.
Russell, Seymour, and Gates Families
After Henry Courtenay was executed in 1539, King Henry VIII gave Tiverton Castle to John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford. Later, King Edward VI gave it to his uncle, Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset. The Duke was executed in 1552. Then, the castle was given to Sir Henry Gates. Sir Henry was later accused of treason but was pardoned. However, he did not get his lands back.
Restored to the Courtenay Family
Queen Mary I gave Tiverton Castle back to Edward Courtenay, the only son of the executed Henry Courtenay. She made him the Earl of Devon. When Edward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon died in 1556 without children, the castle and lands were divided among his distant cousins. These cousins were related through the four sisters of his great-grandfather. Some of these heirs sold their parts of the estate.
The Giffard Family
One of the first people to buy a share of the castle was Roger Giffard (1533-1603). He made Tiverton Castle his family home. He was an important person, though much of his story is now lost. Roger Giffard bought a quarter share of the manor of Tiverton and all the buildings of Tiverton Castle. For a while, the castle was even known as "Giffard's Court."
He built a new tower porch inside the castle courtyard. You can see the date "1588" and his initials "RG" carved into the wall there. Roger Giffard lived through a terrible fire in Tiverton in 1598. This fire killed 33 people and destroyed many homes. His grandson, Roger Giffard, later died without sons. His daughter became the sole heir and married Roger Burgoyne. The Burgoyne family later sold the castle and their share of the manor to Peter West.
The West Family
Around 1605, Mr. John West, a merchant from Tiverton, bought a quarter share of the castle. The West family also bought another share. It seems the Wests lived in the castle until it was taken apart after the Civil War. However, they later rebuilt part of it to live in.
The Carew Family
When John West died in 1728, his family owned most of the original manor. Since he had no sons, the property went to his daughter, Dorothy West, and her husband, Sir Thomas Carew. By 1822, Sir Henry Carew, 7th Baronet owned even more of the manor. The Carews had rented out the castle, but then they took it back. It was fixed up as a home for Lady Carew, Sir Henry's mother, and she lived there in 1822.
The Campbell Family
The Carew family's descendants sold Tiverton Castle in 1923. After a few different owners, Ivar Campbell bought it in 1960. His nephew, Angus Campbell, inherited the castle in 1985.
