Page:Devon and Cornwall Queries Vol 9 1917.djvu/140

 ro6 Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries. Ashton Church corrects Messrs. Lysons' statement in that one of the daughters of Compton married Roger de Cockington and their daughter married John Chudleigh of Chudleigh, father of the first John Chudleigh of Ashton. This connection between Ashton and Cockington is con- firmed in a remarkable manner by the architecture of the churches, the tower of Ashton Church being apparently built to the plan of that of Cockington. In describing the evolution of the parish church of Cockington two years ago, and as stated in the descriptive pamphlet to be obtained in the church, I gave my reasons for regarding the tower as the work of the Canons of Torre Abbey soon after their acquisition of the " capella " in 1236 on perpetual lease from the Abbey of St. Dogmaels. I also attributed the addition of the first three bays of the north aisle to Roger de Cockington. As I read this evidence of heraldry and architecture, we learn for the first time that Roger de Cockington married a daughter of Compton of Compton, and that their daughter married John Chudleigh of Chudleigh ; their son was affianced to Thomasine, daughter of Sir Richard Prouse, and heiress through her uncle William le Pruz's wife (Alice Ferrers) of the estate of Ashton. Wishing to consummate the union of his son with such an heiress by gift to the mother church, John Chudleigh built the tower of Ashton Church about the year 1320, if not earlier, when, following the custom of the times, the affiancement of his son took place. Remembering, perhaps, in her childhood, the construction of the Cockington tower with diagonal buttresses, the first probably thus built in this county, and doubtless admired then as it is to-day, the daughter of Roger de Cockington would not improbably use her influence with her husband, John Chudleigh, to construct the new tower at Ashton after the design of the Canons of Torre. Comparatively very few of the early towers in the county have angle buttresses. Both William de Comptone and Roger de Cockington witnessed deeds for Abbot Richard (22nd May, 1270 — circa 1301), and in 1340 Johann de Chuddeleghe is charged to assist Abbot Simon (de Plympton, 15th August, 1330-1345), of Torre Abbey, to collect the tax on fleeces (^Cartulary of Torre Abbey).