Manor of Iron Acton

The historic manor of Iron Acton was a manor centred on the village of Iron Acton in Gloucestershire, England, situated about 9 miles (14 km) north-east of the centre of the City of Bristol. The manor house, known as Acton Court is a Tudor (16th century) building which survives today, situated at some distance from the village and parish church of St Michael. It was long the principal seat of the prominent Poyntz family, lords of the manor, whose manorial chapel is contained within the parish church.

Descent of the manor

de Acton

Arms of de Acton: Quarterly per fess indented argent and azure

The de Acton family long held the manor of Iron Acton, from which they took their surname. Their arms were: Quarterly per fess indented argent and azure. The arms of Reynold de Acton in the Collins Roll of Arms are blazoned as Quarterly per fess indented azure and ermine.[1] The later descent of this family as recorded in the heraldic visitation of Gloucestershire is as follows:[2]

Poyntz

John Poyntz (d.1376)

Effigies believed to represent Sir John Poyntz (d.1376), son of Matilda de Acton, and his wife Elizabeth Clanvowe (d.1372), daughter of Philip Clanvowe

John Poyntz (d. 24 Feb 1376), a younger son of Nicholas II Poyntz (d.1311), feudal baron of Curry Mallet in Somerset, by his second wife Matilda (or Maud) de Acton, aunt and heiress in her issue of John IV de Acton (d.1362) of Iron Acton.[4] he married twice:

Robert Poyntz (1349-1439)

Drawing of tombstones of Sir Robert Poyntz (d.1439) and his 1st wife Anna. From Samuel Lysons' "Collection of Gloucestershire Antiquities", 1803
Preaching cross, Iron Acton churchyard, erected by Sir Robert Poyntz(d.1439). From Samuel Lysons' "Collection of Gloucestershire Antiquities", 1803
Arms of Poyntz: Barry of eight or and gules

Robert Poyntz (1349-1439), son by his father's first marriage. He was MP for Gloucestershire in 1415 and 1417 and Sheriff of Gloucestershire 1396-7. He was steward between 1405–1416 of the estates of Anne of Gloucester (d.1438), dowager Countess of Stafford in Glos., Hants., and Wilts. and by 1439 was steward of the manor of her son Humphrey Stafford, 6th Earl of Stafford(d.1460) at Thornbury Castle.[5] Robert's surviving ledger stone in Iron Acton Church depicts a knight, almost life-size, wearing a helmet with the body in plate armour with a skirt of traces. He wears a gorget with slight traces of chain-mail, round shoulder pieces, brasserts on the arms, gauntlets with pointed cuffs, legs in plate. His feet rest on a dog.[6] The slab is much worn and was broken in two places in the 19th century. The ledger line contains the following inscription: Here lyeth Roberd poyntz Lord of Iren Acton and thys stepyl maked who deyde the fiftene day of Junne the year of oure Lord MCCCCXX...(last XIX worn away) of whos sowle God have mercy Amen.[7] He built the steeple of Iron Acton Church, although the church lacks a steeple today, and none is shown in a 19th-century engraving of the church. The church tower itself appears to date from before the time of Robert, so surely cannot have been "the stepyl" referred to. It is however widely accepted that Robert erected the stone preaching cross in the church yard, which displays escutcheons bearing the arms of Acton and FitzNichol, the latter being the family of his second wife. The second slab is incised with the following words within a ledger line: Here lyeth Anne the firste wife of Roberd Poyntz of whos sowle God have mercy Amen. In the centre is shown a life-sized lady wearing a dress with tight-fitting body, low in the neck, laced from hands to waist with tight sleeves, full skirt and reticulated head-dress.[8] The third slab retains only part of a female figure with a ledger line containing the words: ...erine the second wyfe of Robert Poyntz. The slab was re-incised with a Latin inscription to commemorate Elizabeth Poyntz(d.1631), wife of a much later Robert Poyntz.

He married twice:

Nicholas Poyntz (d.1461)

Nicholas Poyntz (d.1461), son by his father's second wife. He married twice:[9]

John Poyntz (d.1465/1472)

John Poyntz (d.1465/1472), eldest son and heir by his father's first wife. He married Alicia Cocks, of Bristol, who survived him and remarried to Sir Edward Berkeley of Beverstone castle.[10] By his wife he had progeny:

Sir Robert Poyntz (d.1520)

Poyntz Chapel in the Gaunt's Chapel, Bristol, built by Sir Robert Poyntz (d.1520); left: view towards east end formerly occupied by an altar, with Spanish floor-tiles; right: the fan-vaulted ceiling with Poyntz arms impaling Woodville in centre

Sir Robert Poyntz (d.1520), eldest son and heir, a supporter of the future King Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. He was buried in the Gaunt's Chapel, Bristol, in the magnificent "Chapel of Jesus" (known as the "Poyntz Chapel"), a chantry chapel built by him. He married Margaret Woodville, the illegitimate daughter and only child of Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers, by his mistress Gwenlina Stradling, daughter of William Stradling[11] of St Donat's Castle, Glamorgan. By Margaret Woodville he had progeny 5 sons and 4 daughters including:

Sir Anthony Poyntz (c.1480–1533)

Early 16th century Easter Sepulchre monument against south wall of the Poyntz Chapel, Iron Acton Church, possibly of Sir Anthony Poyntz (c.1480–1533). Three heraldic escutcheons appear, one showing the de Acton arms, the other two now blank. No inscription survives

Sir Anthony Poyntz (c.1480–1533), eldest son and heir, a diplomat and naval commander. He married twice:

Sir Nicholas Poyntz (1510-1556)

Sir Nicholas Poyntz (1510-1556), eldest son and heir by his father's first wife. He was a prominent courtier during the latter part of the reign of King Henry VIII. His portrait drawing by Hans Holbein the Younger survives in the Royal Collection. He added the east wing to the moated manor house of Acton Court, which addition was lavishly decorated to impress King Henry VIII, who with his second wife, Anne Boleyn, visited the house in 1535 during a tour of the West Country. He married Joan Berkeley, daughter of Thomas Berkeley, 5th Baron Berkeley (d.1533), of Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire, by whom he had five or six sons and three daughters, including his eldest son and heir Nicholas Poyntz (c.1528-1585).

Nicholas Poyntz (c.1528-1585)

Sir Nicholas Poyntz (c.1528-1585), eldest son and heir. He was a Member of Parliament for Totnes, Devon, in 1559 and for Gloucestershire in 1571.[12] He was knighted in 1559 and was appointed Sheriff of Gloucestershire for 1569-70. He married twice:

Sir John Poyntz (d.1633)

Sir John Poyntz (d.1633), eldest son and heir. He was Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1591 and was knighted before 1593. He was elected Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in 1593. He died insolvent and intestate in 1633 and was buried at Iron Acton. He married four times:

Sir Robert Poyntz (d.1666)

Sir Robert Poyntz (d.1666), KB, son and heir. He was the last Poyntz of Iron Acton. He was made a Knight of the Bath on 2 February 1626, at the coronation of Charles I. In 1626 he was elected Knight of the Shire for Gloucestershire and was re-elected in 1628 and sat until 1629 when King Charles I decided to rule without parliament for eleven years. He was High Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1637. He married Francisca Gibbons, a daughter and co-heiress of Geruatus Gibbons of Kent, by whom he left no male progeny, only two daughters:[14]

References

  1. ↑ See
  2. ↑ Maclean, 1885, pp.128–135, pedigree of Poyntz
  3. 1 2 3 4 Maclean, 1885, p.131
  4. ↑ Maclean, 1885, pp.131-2
  5. ↑ History of Parliament biog. p.132
  6. ↑ Description from church booklet, p.4
  7. ↑ The date stated in the published source (Church guide, Iron Acton Church) is thus 1420, yet his biographers give the date of 1439, adding the worn away final XIX i.e. History of Parliament biography, pp.132–134
  8. ↑ Description quoted from church booklet
  9. ↑ Maclean, 1885, pp.128;131-2
  10. ↑ Maclean, 1885, p.129
  11. 1 2 Maclean, 1885, p.133
  12. ↑ "POYNTZ, Sir Nicholas (c.1528-85), of Iron Acton, Glos.". History of Parliament Online.
  13. ↑ Maclean, p.129
  14. 1 2 3 Maclean, p.135

Sources

Further reading

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