Family and Education

b. 1519, 2nd s. and h. of John Reynell of East Ogwell, by Margaret, da. of William Fortescue of Wood, Devon. m. Agnes, da. of John Southcote^† of Bovey Tracey, 5s. inc. Carew 1da.1

Offices Held

J.p. Devon from c.1559, q. 1577; justice for maritime affairs, Devon 1578, sheriff 1584-d.2

Biography

Reynell’s family, originally from Cambridgeshire, had lived at East Ogwell since the time of Richard II, intermarrying with prominent Devon families and increasing gradually in landed wealth. Reynell spent his youth at the court of Henry VIII, later travelling in France, Flanders, Italy, Greece and Hungary, where he fought against the Turks. He subsequently served Henry VIII in arms during the French wars. The antiquary Prince said of him that

he was ever most virtuously affected, sound in religion, faithful and serviceable to his princes, upright and zealous in justice, beating down vice, preferring the virtuous and a keeper of great hospitality.

Some of these attributes he was able to display in 1549 when he was active in suppressing the Western Rebellion; for his ‘special good services’, he was granted the manor of Weston Peverell, near Plymouth.3

During During Mary’s reign Reynell no doubt devoted himself to his private affairs, eventually buying West Ogwell from the Courteneys. The only appearance of his name in the national records during this period is in connexion with his standing surety for a debt of his old friend Sir Peter Carew, to whom he doubtless owed his return to Elizabeth’s first Parliament. He died 29 July 1585 and was buried in the family chapel in East Ogwell church. He had united the manors of East and West Ogwell, which passed to his eldest son, who in 1589 rebuilt the manor house of East Ogwell.4

Ref Volumes: 1558-1603

Author: Irene Cassidy

Notes

• 1. Vivian, Vis. Devon, 643-4.
• 2. Lansd. 1218, f. 9; SP12/121/9; CPR, 1560-3, pp. 16, 408; 1563-6, p. 42; Hoker, Desc. Exeter (Devon Rec. Soc. 1919), 584-97.
• 3. J. Prince, Worthies of Devon (1701), pp. 520, 521; F. Rose-Troup, Western Rebellion of 1549, p. 381.
• 4. CPR, 1550-3, p. 399; 1554-5, p. 4; APC, v. 375; Burke, Commoners, iv. 448; Trans. Devon Assoc. xxxii. 233, 241; xxxiii. 695; PCC 42 Brudenell.