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| Coham of Coham |
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| Bickford of Dunsland |
Dunsland had been a seat of the Arscott family from the 16th century, but on the death of Arthur Arscott in 1662 it passed to his daughter Grace, the widow of William Bickford (d. 1659) of Plympton (Devon) and St Keverne (Cornwall), with whom the genealogy below begins. Grace survived her husband until 1687, when the Dunsland estate passed to their son, Arscott Bickford (c.1636-93), who at once put in hand a major remodelling and enlargement of the house, which seems to have been completed by the time of his death six years later. Arscott married three times, but his only surviving sons were the children of his third marriage and were still minors when he died. The elder son was William Bickford (1684-1740), who again married three times and left four sons by his two later marriages. William does not seem to have altered the house at Dunsland, but his heir, Arscott Bickford (1713-71), may have acquired a very richly carved chimneypiece from Stowe House, Kilkhampton (Cornw.), when that house was dismantled in 1739 and installed it in the drawing room at Dunsland. Arscott died unmarried, having outlived his brothers, and so on his death Dunsland passed to his half-brother, George Bickford (1735-95) of Okehampton (Devon). George and his wife had one son and three daughters, and Dunsland passed in the normal way to his son, Arscott Bickford (c.1769-1817), who pursued a career in the regular army, at first in the infantry and later in the cavalry, retiring as a captain in about 1805. He was active in managing his estate, but he remained unmarried, and so at his death the estate devolved upon his sister Mary (d. 1839) and her husband, the Rev. William Holland Coham (1763-1825) of Coham House.
The Cohams of Coham House in Black Torrington (Devon) have a much more ancient lineage than the Bickfords, and Burke's Landed Gentry in 1898 said 'it is not known when its possessors did not dwell there, they having possessed it from time immemorial". Certainly it is true that many families who took their surnames from their estates did so at a fairly early date, but in the case of the Cohams there seems to be no actual proof of their association with the property before the mid 16th century, partly because a devastating fire at Coham in the early 18th century is said to have destroyed many of the family muniments. However long the family's roots in the rich Devon soil are, however, they were not regarded as county gentry until at least the 17th century, and are ignored in the herald's visitations of 1531, 1564 and 1620. I have chosen to begin the genealogy below with Lewis Coham (1632-91?), who like William Bickford (d. 1659), married into the Arscott family, as it may have been this marriage which raised the social status of the family significantly. Lewis and his wife had a large family of ten children, among whom the heir was their eldest son, Stephen Coham (1676-1756?). At some point in his tenure, probably around 1716, the house at Coham was largely destroyed by fire, and was not immediately rebuilt, as by his marriage of 1706 Stephen had come into possession of a farmhouse at Upcott Avenel in Sheepwash (Devon), to which he removed. It was left to his eldest son, Lewis Coham (1706-78), who spent most of his life as a mercer in Great Torrington, to rebuild the family seat at Coham, which was still unfinished when he died. Lewis and his wife were childless, and his heir was his nephew, Stephen Coham (1751-86), who completed his uncle's house and moved in about 1779. He died unmarried just a few years later, when the estate passed to his younger brother, the Rev. William Holland Coham (1763-1825), whose wife was, as we have seen, the heiress of the Bickfords of Dunsland.
The integration of the estates at Dunsland, Coham, Upcott Avenel, and Warleggan (Cornwall) made the Cohams more prosperous than before, and their status was also strengthened by three successive generations being 'squarsons': clergymen with benefices in the same area as their landholdings. William Holland Coham was succeeded by his eldest son, the Rev. William Bickford Coham (1792-1843), who further strengthened the family's connections by marrying the eldest daughter of Joseph Davie Bassett of Heanton Court and Watermouth Castle, the chairman of Devon Quarter Sessions. Their eldest son and heir, William Holland Bickford Coham (1828-80) did not enter the church but was active in public affairs in the county, including twenty-five years as a member of the North Devon Yeomanry Cavalry. In 1872 he built a new front block to the house at Coham, which he seems to have preferred to the grander house at Dunsland. His wife came from an Anglo-Irish family (how they met seems not to be recorded), but they had no sons and only one daughter. As a result, the estates were divided on William's death in 1880, with Coham passing to his daughter, Elinor (1861-1938), while Dunsland went to his sister, Augusta (1831-1901) under a settlement of 1839. In 1883, Elinor married John Blyth Fleming (1860-1921), who took the name Coham-Fleming on their marriage, and on her death the Coham estate descended to her grandson, William Holland Bickford Coham-Fleming (1912-2008). After military use in the Second World War, he converted the house into an hotel, and later bed-and-breakfast accommodation, and it is now available for short-term lets. The family continue to farm the Coham estate.
Augusta Christiana Davie Dickinson (1831-1901), who inherited Dunsland in 1880, was a widow with a son and twin daughters. Her son, Arscott William Harvey Dickinson (1859-1952) was educated at Oxford and the Inner Temple, and became a barrister. His professional activities being focused in London, he made a new home at Sydenham (Kent) and later retired to Bude on the Cornish coast. Dunsland fell into disrepair, and in 1947 he sold it. In the 1950s its future seemed promising, as it came into the hands of the architect, Philip Tilden, who began repairs, and then passed to the National Trust, which instituted a thorough programme of repairs before opening the house to the public. Unfortunately, in 1967, when work had recently been completed and the house had just been furnished, it was gutted by fire, and the shell being deemed unsafe was too quickly pulled down.
Dunsland House, Bradford (Devon)
An account of this house was given in a previous post.
Coham House, Black Torrington (Devon)
The Cohams have been at Coham House since at least the 16th century, and possibly much longer, but their ancient home was destroyed by fire in about 1716 and the site was abandoned for half a century, with the family moving to Upcott Avenel in Sheepwash parish (Devon).
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| Coham House: what is now the rear wing represents the new house built for Lewis Coham in the 1770s. Image: Chris Andrews. Some rights reserved. |
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| Coham House, Black Torrington: the new front block added in 1872. |
In 1872, William Holland Bickford Coham (1828-80) built a new main block at right-angles to the existing 18th century wings. This is again of two storeys but on a grander scale, with a symmetrical front in a rather severe Tudor style, with bargeboarded gables, a slate roof, and mullioned casement windows under drip moulds. In the centre is a projecting two-storey porch with a castellated oriel above the doorway and an heraldic datestone in the gable, and the end bays are also stepped slightly forward. The ground floor of the new range is largely occupied by an entrance hall with an immense Tudor-style chimneypiece supporting an heraldic overmantel, and a drawing room and dining room placed to either side of it.
The house was requisitioned for military use in the Second World War, and in the 1950s it was converted into an hotel. More recently it has been used as bed-and-breakfast accommodation, and it is currently available for self-catering holidays, but the heirs of W.H.B. Coham-Fleming continue to farm the estate.
Descent: Lewis Coham (1636-91); to son, Stephen Coham (1676-1756?); to son, Lewis Coham (1706-78); to nephew, Stephen Coham (1751-86); to brother, Rev. William Holland Coham (1763-1825); to son, Rev. William Bickford Coham (1792-1843); to son, William Holland Bickford Coham (1828-80); to daughter, Eleanor Mary Bickford Coham (1861-1938), later wife of John Blyth Fleming (later Coham-Fleming) (1860-1921); to grandson, William Holland Bickford Coham-Fleming (1912-2008).
Bickford family of Dunsland
Bickford, William (1605-59). Probably the son of John Bickford of Bickfords Town, Plympton St Mary, baptised at Plympton, 18 October 1605. He married, 9 December 1634 at Bradford (Devon), Grace (c.1601/2-87), second but only surviving daughter and heiress of Arthur Arscott (c.1581-1662) of Dunsland House, and had issue:
(1) Mary Bickford (1634-36), baptised at Plympton St Mary, 10 October 1634; died in infancy, 29 March 1635/6;(2) Arscott Bickford (c.1636-93) (q.v.);(3) Frances Bickford (1637-47), baptised at Bradford, 29 November 1637; died young, 2 May, and was buried at Plympton St Mary, 7 May 1647;(4) Elizabeth Bickford (1639-75), baptised at Bradford, 26 June 1639; married, 24 August 1658 at Bradford, Henry Rowland (d. 1691); buried at Holsworthy, 28 September 1675.
He lived at Bickford Town (Devon) and St. Keverne (Cornw.). His widow inherited Dunsland from her father in 1662.
He was buried at Bradford, 3 November 1659; his will was proved in the PCC, 5 December 1660. His widow was buried at Bradford, 13 January 1686/7; her will was proved at Exeter, 1688.
Bickford, Arscott (c.1636-93). Only son of William Bickford (1605-59) and his wife Grace, daughter and heiress of Arthur Arscott (c.1582-1662) of Dunsland House, born about 1636. Educated at New Inn Hall, Oxford (matriculated 1658). He married 1st, 27 January 1660 at Plympton (Devon), Mary (d. 1675), daughter of Edmund Parker of Boringdon (Devon); 2nd, 24 April 1677 at St Mary, Truro (Cornw.), Honor (1645-81/2), daughter of John Prideaux, and 3rd, 8 July 1683 at Padstow (Cornw.), Bridget (1660-1712), daughter of Edmund Prideaux of Prideaux Place, Padstow (Cornw.), and had issue:
(1.1) Edmund Bickford (d. 1677); died young and was buried at Bradford, 30 September 1677;(2.1) Honor Bickford (1679-1735), baptised at Bradford, 14 November 1679; married, 12 February 1699/1700 at Bradford, William Harris (b. 1674) of Pickwell Manor, Georgeham (Devon), son of John Harris of Wortham (Devon), and had issue at least two sons and three daughters; buried at Holsworthy (Devon), 14 July 1735;(3.1) William Bickford (1684-1740) (q.v.);(3.2) Edmund Bickford (1685-1732), baptised at Bradford, 21 October 1685; educated at St Edmund Hall, Oxford (matriculated 1703) and Inner Temple (admitted 1703; called 1710); barrister-at-law; probably died unmarried; buried in Temple churchyard, London, 5 June 1732;(3.3) Arscott Bickford (d. 1689); died young and was buried at Bradford, 22 May 1689;(3.4) Nicholas Bickford (1689-90), baptised 23 October 1689; died in infancy and was buried 31 July 1690;(3.5) Bridget Bickford (1691-93), baptised 13 February 1690/1; died young and was buried at Bradford, 1 January 1693/4;
(3.6) Arscott Bickford (d. 1696); died young and was buried 19 February 1695/6.
He inherited the Dunsland House estate from his mother in 1687 and undertook a major remodelling and enlargement of the house before his death.
He was buried at Bradford, 19 June 1693; his will was proved at Exeter, 1694. His first wife was buried at Plympton, 1 September 1675. His second wife is said to have been buried 6 April 1682. His widow was buried at Bradford, 18 June 1712.
Bickford, William (1684-1740). Eldest son of Arscott Bickford (c.1636-93) and his third wife, Bridget, daughter of Edmund Prideaux of Place (Cornw.), baptised 2 September 1684. Educated at St Edmund Hall, Oxford (matriculated 1702). High Sheriff of Devon, 1719-20. He married 1st, 12 November 1707 at Maristow (Devon), Bridget (1684-1709), daughter of Edmund Tremayne of Sydenham (Devon); 2nd, 14 May 1712 at Egloshayle (Cornw.), Damaris (1683-1729), daughter of Edward Hoblyn of Nanswhyddon (Cornw.); and 3rd, 7 November 1733, Elizabeth (d. 1767), daughter of Rev. John Richards, rector of Bradford, and had issue:
(2.1) Arscott Bickford (1713-71) (q.v.)(2.2) Edward Bickford (1715-16), baptised at Bradford, 25 January 1714/5; died in infancy and was buried at Bradford, 21 January 1715/6;(2.3) Damaris Bickford (1716-17), baptised at Bradford, 23 May 1716; died in infancy and was buried at Bradford, 22 May 1717;(2.4) Rev. William Bickford (1717-45), baptised at Bradford, 12 June 1717; educated at Exeter College, Oxford (matriculated 1737; SCL, 1740); ordained deacon, 1740; buried at Bradford, 30 May 1745;(2.5) Edward Bickford (1718-43), baptised at Bradford, 25 August 1718; died unmarried and was buried at Bradford, 12 July 1743;(3.1) George Bickford (1735-95) (q.v.).
He inherited the Dunsland estate from his father in 1693 and came of age in 1705.
He was buried at Bradford, 26 February 1740/1. His first wife died without issue and was buried at Bradford, 11 February 1708/9. His second wife was buried at Bradford, 25 July 1729. His widow lived latterly at Okehampton and was buried at Bradford, 22 June 1767.
Bickford, Arscott (1713-71). Eldest son of William Bickford (1684-1740) and his second wife, Damaris, daughter of Edward Hoblyn of Nanswhyddon (Cornw.), baptised at Bradford, 5 February 1712/3. High Sheriff of Devon, 1760. JP for Cornwall. He was unmarried and without issue.
He inherited the Dunsland estate from his father in 1741. At his death it passed to his half-brother, George Bickford (d. 1795).
He was buried at Bradford, 26 April 1771.
Bickford, George (1735-95). Only child of William Bickford (1684-1740) and his third wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Rev. John Richards, rector of Bradford, baptised at Cookbury, 11 April 1735. JP for Devon and Cornwall. He married, 17 December 1762 at Dulverton (Som.), Mary (1734-1803), daughter of John Palfreyman of Molland (Devon), and had issue:
(1) Bridget Bickford (1763-1804), baptised at Okehampton (Devon), 9 December 1763; married, 21 December 1802 at Bradford (Devon), Philip Furse (1761-1847), but had no issue; died 9 January and was buried in the chancel of St Stephen, Bristol, 12 January 1804;(2) Mary Bickford (1767-1839), baptised at Okehampton, 2 May 1767; married, 29 November 1790, Rev. William Holland Coham (1763-1825) [for whom see below] and had issue four sons and three daughters; died at Dunsland, 4 February 1839;(3) Arscott Bickford (c.1769-1817) (q.v.);(4) Elizabeth Bickford (1773-1820), baptised at Cookbury (Devon), 14 October 1773; died unmarried and was buried at Bradford, 21 January 1820.
He lived at Okehampton until he inherited the Dunsland estate from his half-brother in 1771.
He died in May 1795. His widow was buried at Bradford, 10 November 1803.
Bickford, Arscott (c.1769-1817). Son of George Bickford (d. 1795) and his wife Mary, daughter of John Palfreyman of Molland (Devon), baptised at Okehampton (Devon), 16 January 1770. An officer in the army (Ensign, 1788; Lt., 1792; Capt., 1795; retired c.1805). He was unmarried and without issue.
He inherited the Dunsland estate from his father in 1795. At his death he was succeeded by his sister Mary.
He died at Exmouth (Devon) and was buried at Bradford (Devon), 25 July 1817; his will was proved in the PCC, 23 September 1817.
Coham of Coham and Dunsland
Coham, Lewis (1632-91?). Son of Stephen Coham of Coham, baptised at Black Torrington, 15 March 1632. He married, 22 December 1669 at Black Torrington, Mary (1645-1722), daughter of John Arscott (1613-75) of Tetcott (Devon), and had issue:
(1) Mary Coham (b. 1672), baptised at Black Torrington, 7 May 1672; married 1st, 29 June 1704 at Black Torrington, Benony Bampfylde (d. 1721) of Black Torrington (Devon), and 2nd, 11 April 1722 at Black Torrington, William Battishall; death not traced;(2) Susanna Coham (b. 1673), baptised at Black Torrington, 2 September 1673; married, 22 December 1703 at Black Torrington, as his second wife, Clement Gay (b. 1675), who is said to have been related to the poet and dramatist, John Gay (1685-1732), who was born in Barnstaple;(3) Gertrude Coham (b. 1675), baptised at Black Torrington, 23 February 1674/5;(4) Stephen Coham (1676-1756) (q.v.);(5) John Coham (1678-1736?), of Bovacott in Bradford (Devon), baptised at Black Torrington, 3 April 1678; married, 23 May 1712, probably at Shebbear (Devon), Margaret, second daughter and co-heiress of William Holland of Upcott Avenel, Sheepwash (Devon), and Thorne (Devon), and had issue three sons (including Rev. Arthur Coham, later Archdeacon of Wiltshire); probably the man of this name buried at Black Torrington, 6 March 1735/6;(6) Grace Coham (b. 1681), baptised at Black Torrington, 2 February 1680/1; married, 8 January 1709/10, Humphry Braund (d. 1720); buried at Black Torrington, 13 February 1727/8;(7) Elizabeth Coham (b. 1682), baptised at Black Torrington, 6 December 1682;(8) Lewis Coham (b. 1684), baptised at Black Torrington, 26 August 1684;(9) Arscott Coham (1686-1760), baptised at Black Torrington, 12 November 1686; buried at Black Torrington, 2 August 1760;(10) Arthur Coham (1691-1725?), baptised at Black Torrington, 15 March 1690/1; married, 4 July 1715, Elizabeth Burdon (b. 1693) of Burdon in Highampton, and settled at Holsworthy (Devon); possibly the man of this name buried at Black Torrington, 2 April 1725.
He inherited the Coham estate from his father.
He may be the person of this name buried at Black Torrington, 1 September 1691, although that entry could refer to his son and namesake. His widow was buried at Black Torrington, 1 June 1722.
Coham, Stephen (1676-1756). Eldest son of Lewis Coham (1632-91?) and his wife Mary, daughter of John Arscott of Tetcott (Devon), baptised at Black Torrington, 3 October 1676. He married, 9 May 1706 at Black Torrington, Mary (1683-1725), daughter and co-heiress of William Holland of Upcott Avenel, Sheepwash (Devon), and had issue:
(1) Lewis Coham (1706-78) (q.v.);(2) William Coham (1708-53), baptised at Black Torrington, 16 December 1708; lived at Bideford (Devon); married, 20 November 1745 at Bideford, Jane Kelly (d. 1780); buried at Black Torrington, 9 April 1753;(3) John Coham (1711-25), baptised at Black Torrington, 1 February 1710/11; died young and was buried at Black Torrington, 24 April 1725;(4) Mary Coham (1713-92?), baptised at Black Torrington, 22 April 1713; married, 8 May 1745 at Highampton (Devon), Edmund Herring (d. 1771), and had issue two sons and one daughter; probably the woman of this name buried at Hatherleigh (Devon), 4 December 1792;(5) Stephen Coham (1715-57?), baptised at Black Torrington, 10 May 1715; mercer in Great Torrington; probably died unmarried and may be the man of this name buried at Black Torrington, 24 August 1757;(6) Susan Coham (b. & d. 1717), baptised at Sheepwash, 3 May 1717; died in infancy and was buried at Black Torrington, 26 December 1717;(7) Gertrude Coham (1718-65), baptised at Buckland Filleigh, 30 December 1718; married, 21 August 1744 at Black Torrington, John Bradford (d. 1785) of Sheepwash, and had issue five sons and six daughters; buried at Sheepwash, 4 July 1765;(8) Rev. Holland Coham (1720-77) (q.v.);(9) Susanna Coham (1722-1813), baptised at Sheepwash, 7 October 1722; married, 11 February 1751/2 at Buckland Filleigh (Devon), John Silke (1725-94?), and had issue two daughters; died aged 91 and was buried at Buckland Filleigh, 24 November 1813.
He inherited the Coham estate from his father, and Upcott Avenel in Sheepwash in right of his wife; after the fire at Coham, c.1716, he lived at Upcott Avenel.
He was buried at Black Torrington, 27 October 1756. His wife was buried at Black Torrington, 14 April 1725.
Coham, Lewis (1706-78). Eldest son of Stephen Coham (1676-1756) of Coham and his wife Mary, daughter and co-heiress of William Holland of Upcott Avenell, baptised at Black Torrington, 19 March 1706. Mercer in Great Torrington (Devon). He married, 18 December 1744 at East Putford (Devon), Lucretia (1703-87), daughter of Abra[ha]m Barnfield of Mambury and Great Torrington (Devon), but had no issue.
He inherited the Coham and Upcott Avenel estates from his father, and built a new house at Coham, which was unfinished at his death, when the property passed to his nephew, Stephen Coham (1751-86).
He was buried at Sheepwash, 20 July 1778; his will was proved in Exeter, 1778. His widow was buried at Sheepwash, 19 September 1787.
Coham, Rev. Holland (1720-77). Fifth and youngest son of Stephen Coham (1676-1756) of Coham and Upcott Avenel (Devon) and his wife Mary, daughter and co-heiress of William Holland of Upcott Avenel, baptised at Sheepwash (Devon), 7 September 1720. Educated at Exeter College, Oxford (matriculated 1739; BA 1742; MA 1745). Rector of Northlew (Devon), 1750-77. He married, 10 July 1750 at Buckland Filleigh (Devon), Christian (b. 1720), daughter of Rev. James Silke of Northlew and Bedminster (Som.), and had issue:
He lived at Northlew.(1) Stephen Coham (1751-86), baptised at Buckland Filleigh (Devon), 5 September 1751; inherited the Coham estate from his uncle in 1778, completed the house and moved there about 1779, but died unmarried, 22 May, and was buried at Black Torrington, 30 May 1786; his will was proved at Exeter, 1786;(2) Christian Coham (1753-87), baptised at Northlew, 20 September 1753; married, 14 July 1776 at Buckland Filleigh, Richard Wivell, and had issue one daughter; buried at Northlew, 7 July 1787;(3) William Coham (1755-59), baptised at Northlew, 21 August 1755; died young and was buried at Northlew, 29 March 1759;(4) John Coham (1757-62), baptised at Northlew, 29 March 1757; died young and was buried at Northlew, 27 August 1762;(5) Lucretia Coham (b. & d. 1761), baptised at Northlew, 14 August 1761; died in infancy and was buried at Northlew, 20 October 1761;(6) Rev. William Holland Coham (1763-1825) (q.v.).
He was buried at Northlew, 23 April 1777; his will was proved at Exeter, 1777. His wife's date of death is unknown.
Coham, Rev. William Holland (1763-1825). Fourth and youngest son of Rev. Holland Coham (1720-77), rector of Northlew (Devon), and his wife Christian, daughter of Rev. James Silke of Northlew (Devon) and Bedminster (Som.), born 23 August and baptised at Northlew (Devon), 28 August 1763. Educated at Exeter College, Oxford (matriculated 1781; BA 1785; MA 1792). Ordained deacon, 1786 and priest, 1788. Curate of Whitstone, 1786-90; rector of Halwill and curate of Black Torrington, 1790-1825; he acted as a surrogate for the issue of marriage licences from 1800. As an estate owner, he was noted as 'a spirited improver'. He married, 29 November 1790, Mary (1767-1839), daughter of George Bickford (d. 1795) of Dunsland [for whom see above], and had issue:
(1) Rev. William Bickford Coham (1792-1843) (q.v.);(2) Mary Anne Coham (1793-1875), said to have been born 20 April 1793 and was baptised at Black Torrington, 7 May 1795; lived with her sister Christiana at The Tower, Compton Gifford, Plymouth (Devon); died unmarried, 3 January, and was buried at Black Torrington, 8 January 1875; will proved 27 January 1875 (effects under £8,000);(3) Christiana Coham (1795-1864), baptised at Black Torrington, 24 August 1795; married, 29 June 1837 at Bradford (Devon), George Boughton Kingdon (1775-1857) of Launcells House (Cornw.), but had no issue; as a widow lived at The Tower, Compton Gifford; died 28 December 1864;(4) Stephen Coham (c.1798-1819), born about 1798 and baptised at Black Torrington, 14 January 1800; a midshipman in the Royal Navy; admitted to St Catherine's College, Cambridge, 1819, but did not go into residence because of his untimely death; died unmarried, when a boat he was commanding was upset near Deal (Kent), 23 October 1819; commemorated on his father's monument at Black Torrington; will proved in the PCC, 24 November 1819;(5) George Lewis Coham (1802-1878), of Upcott Avenel (Devon), baptised at Black Torrington, 17 March 1802; educated at Exeter College, Oxford (matriculated 1819; BA 1823); farmer; JP and DL for Devon; Vice-Chairman of Holsworthy Board of Guardians, 1837; married, 29 July 1841 at Belstone (Devon), Elizabeth Ann (d. 1855), daughter of Rev. John Hole of Belstone, but had no issue; died 1 January 1878; administration of goods granted 14 February 1878 (effects under £1,500);(6) Rev. Holland Coham (c.1804-67), born about 1804 but baptised at Black Torrington, 20 August 1807; educated at Blundells School, Eton, and Trinity College, Cambridge (matriculated 1825; BA 1829); JP for Devon; lived with his sisters at The Tower, Compton Gifford, Plymouth (Devon); died 26 March and was buried at Black Torrington, 2 April 1867; will proved 1 May 1867 (effects under £450);(7) Ellen Coham (b. & d. 1808), baptised at Black Torrington, 8 February 1808; died in infancy and was buried at Black Torrington, 26 April 1808.
He inherited Coham House from his elder brother in 1786, and his wife inherited the Dunsland estate from her brother in 1817.
He died 15 March 1825 and was buried at Black Torrington, where he is commemorated by a monument; his will was proved in the PCC, 17 June 1825. His widow died at Dunsland, 4 February 1839.
Coham, Rev. William Bickford (1792-1843). Eldest son of Rev. William Holland Coham (1763-1825) and his wife Mary, daughter of George Bickford of Dunsland (Devon), born 6 April 1792 and baptised at Black Torrington (Devon), 14 March 1793. Educated at Blundells School and St Catherine's College, Cambridge (matriculated 1811; LLB, 1819). Ordained priest, 1816. Curate of Black Torrington and Beaworthy, 1816, and of Highampton, 1818. He married, 17 April 1827 at Berrynarbour (Devon), Augusta Mary Davie (1802-68), eldest daughter of Joseph Davie Bassett of Heanton Court and Watermouth Castle (Devon), and had issue:
(1) William Holland Bickford Coham (1828-80) (q.v.);(2) Mary Bassett Eleanor Coham (1829-75), baptised at Black Torrington, about September 1829*; married, 17 August 1852 at St Peter, Parkstone (Dorset), William Parr (1826-63) of Fernside, Parkstone (Dorset) and The Tower, Compton Gifford (Devon), but had no issue; died 2 March and was buried at Pennycross (Devon), 6 March 1875; will proved 1 October 1875 (effects under £7,000);(3) Augusta Christiana Davie Coham (1831-1901) (q.v.);(4) Arscott Bickford Courtenay Coham (1832-73), born 29 April and baptised at Black Torrington (Devon), 25 May 1832; solicitor in Holsworthy (Devon); died unmarried, 1 July 1873; will proved 22 August 1873 (effects under £800);(5) Reginald Stephen Coham (b. & d. 1835), baptised at Black Torrington, 10 January 1835; died in infancy, 14 March 1835.
He inherited the Coham and Dunsland estates from his parents.
He died 2 July and was buried at Black Torrington, 11 July 1843; his will was proved in the PCC, 6 February 1844. His widow died 8 October 1868, and was buried at Black Torrington.
* Date missing in parish register.
Coham, William Holland Bickford (1828-80). Eldest son of Rev. William Bickford Coham (1792-1843) and his wife Augusta Mary, eldest daughter of Joseph Davie Bassett of Heanton Court and Watermouth Castle (Devon), baptised at Black Torrington (Devon), 28 July 1828. Educated at St John's College, Cambridge (matriculated 1847). An officer in the North Devon Yeomanry Cavalry (Cornet, 1851; Lt., 1855; Capt., 1867; retired 1875); JP and DL (from 1860) for Devon; Chairman of Holsworthy Board of Guardians. 'His amiability of character made him universally beloved'. He married, 3 September 1857 at Lucan (Co. Dublin), Dora Elizabeth Louisa, youngest daughter of Gen. Sir Hopton Stratford Scott KCB of Woodville (Co. Dublin), and had issue:
(1) Elinor Mary Bickford Coham (1861-1938) (q.v.).
He inherited the Coham and Dunsland estates in Devon and Trevedoe Manor, Warleggan (Cornw.) from his father in 1843 and came of age in 1849. In 1873 his estates comprised 3,744 acres in Devon and 221 acres in Cornwall. He constructed a new main block to the house at Coham, which passed at his death to his daughter, while Dunsland went to his sister Augusta, under a settlement of 1839.
He died 22 September 1880 and was buried at Black Torrington (Devon); will proved 25 October 1880 (effects under £3,000). His widow died 19 June 1922; her will was proved 10 January 1923 (estate £15,833).
Coham, Elinor Mary Bickford (1861-1938). Only child of William Holland Bickford Coham (1828-80) and his wife, Dora Elizabeth Louisa, youngest daughter of Gen. Sir Hopton Stratford Scott KCB, born about 1862. She married, 5 June 1883 at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster (Middx), John Blyth Fleming (subsequently Coham-Fleming) (1860-1921), High Sheriff of Devon, 1887, eldest son of John Fleming of Bigadon (Devon) and Clayquhat (Perths.), and had issue:
(1) Blyth Bickford Coham-Fleming (1884-1929) (q.v.).
She inherited Coham House from her father in 1880.
She died 29 March 1938; administration of her goods was granted 15 June 1938 and 22 November 1938 (estate £30,182). Her husband died 18 May 1921; his will was proved 10 November 1921 (estate £10,236).
Coham-Fleming, Blyth Bickford (1884-1929). Only child of John Blyth Fleming (later Coham-Fleming (1860-1921) and his wife Elinor Mary Bickford, daughter of William Holland Bickford Coham of Coham House (Devon), born 5/6 September and baptised at St James, Paddington (Middx), 3 October 1884. An officer in the army during the First World War (2nd Lt., 1917; Lt., 1919; retired 1920) He married, 19 March 1910 at Cofton (Devon), Lilian Alice Sarah (1889-1939), daughter of Charles Francis Reed of Bradford House (Devon), and had issue:
(1) Daphne Lilian Dora Coham-Fleming (1911-89), born 15 July and baptised at Black Torrington, 6 August 1911; nurse and lecturer in nursing at St Thomas' Hospital, London who served in Second World War with Princess Mary's RAF Nursing Service Reserve (Sister; invalided out, 1946); died unmarried, 15 March 1989, and was buried at Black Torrington;(2) William Holland Bickford Coham-Fleming (1912-2008) (q.v.);(3) Brian Jack Avenal Coham-Fleming (1914-98), born 11 July and baptised at Black Torrington, 9 August 1914; served in the army from 1938; married, 30 January 1946 at St Mark, Marylebone (Middx), Elizabeth Primrose (1918-99), nurse, elder daughter of Maurice Bernheim (d. 1922), and had issue one son and one daughter; died 21 January 1998.
He died 10 August, and was buried at Black Torrington, 13 August 1929; his will was proved 5 November and 25 January 1930 (estate £34,969). His widow died 10 December 1939; her will was proved 12 January and 22 November 1940 (estate £21,223).
Coham-Fleming, William Holland Bickford (1912-2008). Elder son of Blyth Bickford Coham-Fleming (1884-1929) and his wife Lilian Alice Sarah, daughter of Charles Francis Reed of Bradford House (Devon), born 2 November and baptised at Black Torrington, 15 December 1912. He was employed by the Indian Forestry Service before the Second World War, and was later an officer in the Indian army (2nd Lt., 1941; Lt.; Capt.; Maj. by 1946, when he was mentioned in despatches) and a farmer in Devon. He married, Apr-June 1979, Caroline Sophia (1915-2012), daughter of Thomas Beamish of Clooneen, Midleton (Co. Cork), and widow of Allan Stewart Maclaren (d. 1971) of Glasgow, son of John Maclaren of Fort Augustus (Inverness), but had no issue.
He inherited Coham House from his grandmother in 1938. After the war he converted the house into an hotel and moved into the former stables.
He died aged 95 on 2 May 2008 and was buried at Black Torrington (Devon); his will was proved 8 September 2008. His widow died 31 March 2012; her will was proved 8 October 2012.
Coham, Augusta Christiana Davie (c.1831-1901). Second daughter of Rev. William Bickford Coham (1792-1843) and his wife Augusta Mary, eldest daughter of Joseph Davie Bassett of Heanton Court and Watermouth Castle (Devon), born about 1831. She married, 29 April 1858 at St Peter, Parkstone (Dorset), Maj. Harvey George Dickinson (1830-66), son of John Dickinson, gent., and had issue:
(1) Arscott William Harvey Dickinson (1859-1952) (q.v.);(2) twin, Augusta Frances Courtenay Dickinson (1863-92), born 25 April and baptised at Quilon, Madras (India), 18 October 1863; married, 3 November 1883 at Compton Gifford (Devon), Adm. Henry Morton Tudor-Jones (later Tudor Tudor) RN (1855-1926), and had issue two sons and one daughter; died 14 October 1892 and was buried at Ford Park Cemetery, Plymouth (Devon);(3) twin, Elinor Mary Coham Dickinson (1863-1923), born 25 April and baptised at Quilon, Madras (India), 18 October 1863; married, 14 April 1884 at Buckland Monarchorum (Devon), Vice-Adm. William McCoy Fitzgerald Castle RN (c.1843-1916), son of Vice-Adm. William Langford Castle (1800-74) of New Lodge, Lymington (Hants), and had issue one son and one daughter; died at Herrison Mental Home, Charminster (Dorset), 17 December 1923; administration of her goods granted to her son, 18 February 1924 (estate £3,515).
She inherited the Dunsland estate from her brother in 1880, under a settlement of 1839.
She died 13 July and was buried at Bradford (Devon), 17 July 1901; her will was proved 30 November 1901 (estate £8,945). Her husband died at sea while being invalided home from India, 27 November 1866; his will was proved 16 April 1867 (effects under £100).
Dickinson, Arscott William Harvey (1859-1952). Only son of Maj. Harvey George Dickinson (1830-66) and his wife, Augusta Christiana Davie, younger daughter of Rev. William Bickford Coham of Dunsland (Devon), born 23 April and baptised at Quilon, Madras (India), 29 May 1859. Educated at Lincoln College, Oxford (matriculated 1879; BA 1884; MA 1886) and Inner Temple (admitted 1884; called 1888). Barrister-at-law. JP for Cornwall (from 1898) and Devon (from 1904). He married, 11 January 1893 at Lew Trenchard (Devon), Mary (1869-1945), eldest daughter of Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould of Lew Trenchard Manor, and had issue:
(1) Arscott Sabine Harvey Dickinson (1893-1979), born 28 November and baptised at Lew Trenchard, 31 December 1893; educated at Dulwich College and Worcester College, Oxford (matriculated 1913; BA); served in First World War with Royal North Devon Yeomanry (Lt., 1916); schoolmaster at St Lawrence College, Ramsgate (Kent), 1919-23 and Langport (Som.) Grammar School, 1923; librarian of the Jersey Library, 1934-50; a Fellow of the Library Association; lived at St Clement (Jersey); married, 23 April 1924 at Holy Trinity, Ramsgate (Kent), Eva Louise Mace Sankey (d. 1979); died 24 August 1979 and was buried at St Clement; administration of goods with will annexed granted 30 January 1980 (estate £20,255);(2) Edward Dabernon Dickinson (1895-1961), born 27 June 1895; educated at Dulwich College and Keble College, Oxford; served in First World War with Liverpool Regiment (2nd Lt., 1917; Lt., 1919); export and office manager for a company manufacturing toilet cleaning products; married, 17 October 1921 in Canada, Frances Anne (1899-1960), daughter of Col. George Arnold Brinton of Indian Head, Saskatchewan (Canada), and had issue two sons; died 19 September 1961; will proved 13 October 1961 (estate £14,950);(3) Rev. Bickford Holland Coham Dickinson (1900-75), born 16 July 1900; educated at St Paul's School, London; JP for Devon (from 1943); schoolmaster at Shebbear School, 1945-57; a mature entrant to the church, who trained at Ripon Hall, Oxford; ordained deacon, 1959, and priest, 1960; curate of Holsworthy (Devon), 1959-61; rector of Lew Trenchard, 1961-72?; a keen cricketer (who played for Devon) and lepidopterist in his youth, he was also the author of a biography of his grandfather and predecessor, Sabine Baring-Gould (1970) and other local history works; married, 1947 at Shebbear (Devon), Marjorie Mona Clark (1905-94); died 23 July 1975 and was buried at Bradford (Devon); will proved 14 August 1975 (estate £15,740).
He inherited the Dunsland estate from his mother in 1901, but sold it in 1947. He lived chiefly in Sydenham (Kent) while working as a barrister, and later at Bude (Cornwall).
He died at Bude, 21 January 1952, and was buried at Bradford (Devon); his will was proved 14 March 1952 (estate £31,967). His wife died 31 January 1945; administration of her goods was granted 2 March 1945 (estate £3,530).
Principal sources
Burke's Landed Gentry, 1898, vol. 1, p. 404, 524; H. Meller, The country houses of Devon, 2015, pp. 269-70.
Location of archives
Bickford and Coham of Dunsland and Coham: deeds, family and estate papers, 1494-1876 [Devon Archives & Local Studies, 178B M/E 1-13, M/F 1-3; 2569B Boxes DD, EE, FF, K, L and M]
Coat of arms
Bickford of Dunsland: Argent a chevron engrailed sable between three martlets of the second.
Coham of Coham: Per chevron, engrailed, gules and ermine; in chief, five fleurs-de-lis, three and two; and in base, a lion, rampant, or.
Can you help?
- Can anyone provide photographs or portraits of the people whose names appear in bold above, for whom no image is currently shown?
- If anyone can offer further information or corrections to any part of this article I should be most grateful. I am always particularly pleased to hear from current owners or the descendants of families associated with a property who can supply information from their own research or personal knowledge for inclusion.
Revision and acknowledgements
This post was first published 30 September 2025.
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