Knightstone, Ottery St Mary
Knightstone is an historic manor in the parish of Ottery St Mary in Devon. The surviving mediaeval and Tudor grade I listed manor house is situated one mile south-east of St Mary's Church, Ottery St Mary. It was the seat of the Bittlesgate (alias Bedlisgate, etc.) family, the heiress of which Joan Bittlesgate, daughter of Thomas (or John) Bittlesgate by his wife Joan Beauchamp, was the wife of Richard Woodville (died 1441), grandfather of Elizabeth Woodville (c.1437-1492) Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Edward IV. In 1381 the Bittlesgate family  obtained a licence from the Bishop of Exeter to build and operate a private chapel at their home, but no trace of the structure survives. The house has been much altered since the time of the Bittlesgate family. One Tudor-era fireplace survives in a bedroom. History. The earliest recorded holder was the "de Knightstone" family. In 1370 Richard de Knightstone, son of John de Knightstone, conveyed the estate to Thomas I Bittlesgate. His sister Margaret de Knightstone, wife of John Upton, together with her son Elias Upton, also executed a deed of release of her interest. Eventually his descendant  Thomas II Bittlesgate entailed his lands to the children of his son Thomas III Bittlesgate, in failure of which to William Lord Bonville. As all the grandchildren of Thomas III Bittlesgate died childless, in accordance with the entail the estates descended to the great heiress Lady Cecily Bonville (1460-1529), wife of Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset (1455-1501), the son of Elizabeth Woodville by her first husband Sir John Grey (c.1432-1461) of Groby in Leicestershire. The marriage of her son to the great heiress was arranged by the king as a mark of favour to Elizabeth. Cecily 's inheritance was challenged, without success, by Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers (c.1440-1483), descended from the Bittlesgate family, brother of Elizabeth Woodville. Cecily, who lived at Shute House near Axminster, Devon, built the magnificently vaulted "Dorset Aisle" on the north side of Ottery St Mary Church, and the north porch. Following the attainder of Cicely's grandson Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk (1517-1554), his estates escheated to the Crown, which sold Knightstone to William Sherman, a wealthy merchant of Ottery St Mary. Sherman. Three monumental brasses of the Sherman family survive in Ottery St Mary Church, at  the east end of the south aisle, one dated 1542, another 1583. William Sherman (fl.1567). William Sherman (fl.1567), who purchased Knightstone, was the son of John Sherman of Ottery St Mary, and was the grandson of Robert Sherman of Yaxley in Suffolk. On the fireplace of the great hall is sculpted the date 1567 and his initials "WS". He married twice: John Sherman (d.1617). John Sherman (d.1617), eldest son and heir. Gyddion Sherman (born 1598). Gedeon Sherman (born 1598), son and heir, was living at Knightstone at the time of Pole (d.1635).