Sampson Hele (1585 - 1655)

Born 1585 in Gnaton, Newton Ferrers, Devon, England

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1655 at about age 70 in Gnaton, Newton Ferrers, Devon, England

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Biography

Sampson Hele of Gnaton, Newton Ferrers, Devon was the eldest son and heir of Walter Hele of Gnaton and Elizabeth Strode, daughter of William Strode of Newnham, Devon.^[1] Designed of Gnaton in 1620, of Halwell in 1653. Aged 24 years at death of his father (1609) thus born 1585.^[2] Sampson is also noticed in the lineage provided in Prince's "Worthies of Devon" in his Additional Notes on Sir John Hele.^[3]

He inherited the estates of Gnaton, in Newton Ferrers, in 1609; the estates comprising c. 850 acres at the time.

In 1614 he was returned to Parliament for Plympton Erle on the interest of his cousin Sir Warwick Hele.

As sheriff of Devon, in 1621, he was ineligible to stand at the next general election. However, in 1624 he was elected at Tavistock on the interest of his brother-in-law Francis Glanville.

He sided with the king during the Civil War. On campaign with Prince Maurice in 1643, he delivered the summons for the parliamentarian garrison of Dartmouth, Devon to surrender, but when he attempted the same feat at Plymouth he was arrested as a spy, and narrowly escaped with his life.

In his will, dated 10 Oct. 1653, he bequeathed more than £6,000 to his wife and children, in addition to lands he had already bestowed on them. He probably died around two years later, as his will was proved on 4 Dec. 1655. ^[4]

Family

He married Joan (Joanne) Glanvile, daughter of John Glanville, of Kilworthy, Justice of Commissions and Common Pleas who survived him. Marriage date estimated at 1615, based on birth of children. They had a number of children (8 sons and 5 daughters):^[5]

Daughters

• Alice Hele, 1st daughter, died as an infant.^[6]
• Elizabeth Hele, 2nd daughter, died before 1653, unmarried.
• Joan Hele, 3rd daughter, married 21 April 1635 at Southpoole to William Bastard. ^[7]
• Sara Hele. She is named in her father's Will (1653) and living unmarried.
• Alice Hele. She is named in her father's Will (1653) as married, her husband is not named.

Sons

• Mathew Heale, 1st son and heir stated as 4 in 1620.^[8] Later of Holwell, was Sheriff of Devon in 1660. ^[9] He married twice; 1st. to Joan Rolle, daughter of Sir Samuel Rolle, they were married at Petrockstowe on 11 Oct 1641, one son Walter; and 2nd to an unnamed Bourchier, with one son Mathew (died without heir in 1674) who was son and heir.^[10] Mathew, the younger, having died without heir, was succeeded by his uncle, Sampson Hele, born 1621 and died in 1704, having married Mary Neale.
• John Hele, 2nd son, stated as "about one yeare olde" in 1620. Named, as dead, in his father's Will in 1653.
• Sampson Hele, 3rd son, living and named in his father's Will in 1653. Born 1621 and died in 1704.^[11] He is eventual heir to his brother Mathew. Sampson married Mary Neale with a son, Sampson Hele. The latter died in his father's lifetime, in 1685, married Dorothy Drake, daughter of Sir Francis Drake, Baronet, and left a son Roger Hele, of Holwell.^[12]
• Walter Hele, 4th son, living and named in his father's Will in 1653.
• Francis Hele, 5th son, named and living in his father's Will in 1653.
• William Hele, 6th son, he is named in his father's Will but dead before 1653. No children named.
• Arthur Hele, 7th son, living and named in his father's Will 1653.
• Nicholas Hele, 8th son.^[13] Named in his fathers Will and living as a student in 1653.

Sources

Footnotes:

1. ↑ A genealogical and heraldic history of the extinct and dormant baronetcies of England, by J. and J.B. Burke - Google Books Sampson Hele appears on page 252
2. ↑ Vivian: Sampson Hele appears on Page 462
3. ↑ Danmonii orientales illustres: or, The worthies of Devon. John Prince; 1810 Page 489, Sir John Heale, Searjeant-at-law, Additional Notes, citing a pedigree in possession of Paul Treby.
4. ↑ Vivian: Sampson Hele appears on Page 462
5. ↑ A genealogical and heraldic history of the extinct and dormant baronetcies of England, by J. and J.B. Burke - Google Books Sampson Hele appears on page 252
6. ↑ Vivian: Sampson Hele appears on Page 462
7. ↑ Vivian: Sampson Hele appears on Page 462
8. ↑ Vivian: Sampson Hele appears on Page 462
9. ↑ Danmonii orientales illustres: or, The worthies of Devon. John Prince; 1810 Page 489, Sir John Heale, Searjeant-at-law, Additional Notes, citing a pedigree in possession of Paul Treby.
10. ↑ Danmonii orientales illustres: or, The worthies of Devon. John Prince; 1810 Page 489, Sir John Heale, Searjeant-at-law, Additional Notes, citing a pedigree in possession of Paul Treby.
11. ↑ Danmonii orientales illustres: or, The worthies of Devon. John Prince; 1810 Page 489, Sir John Heale, Searjeant-at-law, Additional Notes, citing a pedigree in possession of Paul Treby.
12. ↑ Danmonii orientales illustres: or, The worthies of Devon. John Prince; 1810 Page 489, Sir John Heale, Searjeant-at-law, Additional Notes, citing a pedigree in possession of Paul Treby.
13. ↑ Vivian: Sampson Hele appears on Page 462

Publications:

• A genealogical and heraldic history of the extinct and dormant baronetcies of England, by J. and J.B. Burke - Google Books archive.org Hele starts on page 251.

• Vivian, J. L., The Visitations of the County of Devon Comprising the Herald's Visitations of 1531, 1564, & 1620 (Henry S. Eland, Exeter, 1895)

• History of Parliament; HELE, Sampson (c.1582-c.1655), of Gnaton, Newton Ferrers, Devon

• Danmonii orientales illustres: or, The worthies of Devon. John Prince; 1810 archive.org Note: This publication provides source material for the person on this profile as well as his ancestors. Care must be taken with the early lineage provided as it no longer is believed accurate by genealogists.