Page:Devon and Cornwall Queries Vol 9 1917.djvu/109

 Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries. 8i 77. Prowse Memorials in Chagford Church. — In the Parish Church of St. Michael, Archangel, at Chagford, Devon, the south choir-aisle was presumably appropriated chiefly to the sittings and burials of the " very ancient and dignous family " whose patronymic is variously written La Paux, Prato, Preaux, Preux, Probus, La Prouse, Prouse, De la Prouz, La Prouze, Prowse, Praz and, " perchance," says Sir William Pole, " Pratellis." Holinshed and others state that a Prouz accompanied Duke William to the conquest of England and took part in the battle of Senlac. Westcote quotes that Willielmus, Comte de la Prouz, alias Le Pauz, was sent by William the Conqueror with " octaginta naves cum quadraginta militibus " to conquer England. Berry calls him Sir Jean. The Rotuli Curiae Regis mention Amiot Le Proz in connection with Devonshire in 1194. Lt.-Col. Arthur B. Prowse, M.D., F.R.C.S., considers that Prato and Pratellis were two distinct families, and he has found no documentary evidence in favour of the supposition that the family name was derived from St. Probus in Cornwall. The first instance he has met with of the association of this family with the place Preaux, is in an early charter of the Abbey of St. Amand, Rouen, which states that " Eudo Dapifer, son of Richard alias Turstin Haldup or Haldub, and Seneschal to William L, William II. and Henry I., gave to the Abbey the whole tithe of the Forest of Tison, great and small [wood], and the tithes of Assarts and cow-walks and swine-walks and sheep-walks, in all the Honour of Preaux." Eudo died in 11 20 at the Castle of Preaux, and was buried in the Abbey of St. John, Colchester, that he had founded, and his Honour of Colchester passed into the hands of Henry I. Ralph de Preaux, or de Pratellis, who is said to have been Eudo's son by Rohesia his wife, daughter of Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare, elder son of Gilbert, Earl of Eu, by Rohaise his wife {vide J. H. Round), sister of Walter Giffard, Earl of Buckingham, had a grandson, Osbert de Preaux, who by Matilda (daughter of Hamelyn, Earl of Surrey, by Isabella de Warrenne his wife) had five sons, John, Ingelran, Roger, William and Peter. Three of these brethren were distinguished knights and " socii Regis," who were with Richard Coeur de Lion in Palestine, to whom the third son, Roger, was Seneschal. In August, G