Wall tablet in Totnes, Devon commemorating Lieutenant Octavius Benthall RN, d. 1846

Location

St Mary's Church, Totnes, Devon, England

Transcript

'To the memory of JOHN PRINCE, A.M. Author of "The worthies of Devon”. / Vicar of Totness from 1675 to 1681, and then till his death on 9th Sepr. 1723 Vicar of Berry Pomeroy, / in the church of which parish he was buried, and where a brief mention is made of him on a tablet. / He was of the family of PRINCE of the Abbey Foregate, Salop; / and was maternally descended from AGNES daughter of NICHOLAS CORBET of Moreton Corbet, Salop; / (who was of kin to the houses of Corbet, Valletort, and Pomeroy, of this County) / by JOHN BENTHALL her husband, fourth in descent from PHILIP DE BENETHAL, / who was eldest son of JOHN BURNELL of Acton Burnell, and his wife MARGERY, / daughter and co-heir of PHILIP DE BENETHAL of Benethal, and adopted his mother's sirname [sic]. / The deceased author was also connected with Totness; / through the descent of the family of BENTHALL, from JUDAEL DE TOTENAIS, BRAOSE and ZOUCHE; / successive Lords of the manor and castle of Totness, and from the houses of FITZ ALAN and BURNELL; / in common with those of CHAMPERNOWNE and SEYMOUR: they through LOVEL and NORREYS. / He was the son of BERNARD PRINCE of Newham Abbey, near Axminster, / by his first wife MARY daughter of JOHN CROCKER of Lynham, and born there in 1643. / In 1660 he became a student of Brazenose [sic] College, / and graduated in 1664 as A.B. at Oxford and as A.M. at Cambridge in 1668. / He was sucessively curate of Bideford, and minister of St. Martin's, Exeter. / Throughout his career he zealously defended the principles of the Church of England. // Also to the memory of OCTAVIUS BENTHALL, Lieut. R.N., /(son of WILLIAM SEARLE BENTALL of Totness, and of Buckfast Abbey, in this County), / who was drowned with four of his shipmates of H.M.S. Osprey, in crossing the bar of Hokianga Bay, / New Zealand, 21st April 1846, and was buried with them in Hokianga church-yard. / His brother officers jointly testifying their esteem and regard for him. He was born 5th April 1818, / and was 16th in paternal descent from the above PHILIP BURNELL otherwise DE BENETHAL. // Likewise to the memory of the grandmother of the above WILLIAM SEARLE BENTHALL: / ELIZABETH widow of JOHN BENTALL [sic], of Colchester, Merchant; / and daughter of the Rev. WILLIAM THORNTON, Rector of Birkin in the County of York; / in whose benefice he succeeded his father and grandfather, being the only brother of JOHN THORNTON, who was the ancestor of the THORNTONS of Birkin, and Clapham, of the Earls of Leven, / and families of WILBERFORCE, and JOHN BIRD SUMNER, Archbishop of Canterbury. / She died in Septr 1783, while visiting her son WILLIAM, father of WILLIAM SEARLE BENTHALL; / and was buried in a vault near, and due south of the north door' [On the apron) 'WILLIAM SEARLE BENTHALL was buried A.D. 1854, at Willen, / and his son WILLIAM; A.D. 1877, at Dartington, (the latter died S.P.)'

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