Corbet family
This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2018) |
Corbet | |
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One variant of the arms of the Corbet family: Or, a raven sable | |
Country | Kingdom of England, Kingdom of Great Britain, United Kingdom |
Founded | 11th century |
Founder | Roger and Robert Corbet |
Historic seat | Moreton Corbet Castle |
Titles | List
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Motto | DEUS PASCIT CORVOS God feeds the Ravens |
The Corbet family is an aristocratic English family of
The name Corbet derives from the Anglo-Norman word corb, meaning "crow" or "raven",[3] matching the modern French corbeau. Variants of the name include: Corbet, Corbett, Corbitt, Corbit, Corbetts, Corbete, Corben and possibly the variant of Corbin.[4] The underlying derivation is from the Latin word corvus, crow. Generally it is thought to be a jocular reference to a person who was thought to resemble a crow or raven: in hair colour, tone of voice or shape of nose. However, the Scandinavians believed that a raven on the battlefield was a beneficial omen and ensured victory.
Furthermore in Italy there are two families called Corvo (or Corbo) and Corvino (or Corbino), in English they mean Crow and Little Crow respectively. These families descend from the Roman
History
Feudal barons of Caus and their descendants
In the
Corbets of Moreton Corbet
From the eclipse of the senior line at Caus, the most important Shropshire branch of the Corbets was that of Moreton Toret, later called
The Corbets of Moreton Corbet, Stanwardine and Stoke | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Based on pedigrees derived from the Heraldic Visitation of Shropshire, 1623,[8] and in Augusta Corbet's family history,[9] supplemented by more recent information from the History of Parliament Online.[10]
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Channel Islands Corbets
The Corbets of the Channel Islands are documented in numerous Extentes namely; 1309 Roll of Assizes – 2 references to "Richard Corbel" of Trinity 1272 Extentes – 1 reference to "Raoul Corbel" 1331 Extentes – 1 reference to "Richard Corbel", and 2 each to "Jean Corbey" and "William Corbey" 1528 Extentes – 1 reference to "Vincent Corbel" of Trinity 1607 Extentes – 1 reference each to "Silvester Cobell", "Hellier Corbet", "Vincent Corbell", "John Corbell" and 2 references to "Drewet Corbell" 1668 Extentes – 1 reference to Corbel family 1749 Extentes – 2 references to "Elizabeth Corbet, daughter of James Corbet"[citation needed] Some of these Corbets were born Jersey and the most notable was – Major Gov. Moses Corbet (1728–1814) – Lieutenant Governor of Jersey.[citation needed] Most of the Corbets had already moved to or later moved to
Notable descendants and relatives of Jean Thomas Corbet include; – Denys Corbet (1826–1909), poet and painter. (cousin) – Christian Cardell Corbet (born 1976), FA, FRSA, portrait sculptor and painter, sculptor in residence – Royal Canadian Navy and benefactor; regimental sculptor – The Royal Canadian Regiment.[11][12]
Scottish branch
The first Corbet in Scotland came from Shropshire, and settled in
Robert fitz Corbet appeared in Scotland in about 1116 as one of the retinue of Earl David, who later became King David I. The author, Augusta Corbet, who wrote The Family of Corbet – Its Life and Times, says that Robert was the son of Roger Corbet and grandson of Corbet le Normand. It is said he belonged to the family which held Drayton in Northamptonshire.[citation needed]
Robert Corbet was a witness in the instrument or Inquisition made by David, Prince of Cumberland, into the lands belonging to the old Church of Glasgow, and is also a witness in other deeds of David when he was King of Scotland (1124–53).[citation needed]
The Cumberland or Cumbria of those days extended to the Clyde, and included Glasgow, which David incorporated into Scotland. David appears to have allotted lands in Roxburghshire to Robert Corbet, where his descendants were "great lords of several generations". For many centuries the Corbets held lands in the Scottish Borders and were loyal to Scotland. By the late 13th century, the Corbets owned land in the Castle Douglas/ Dalbeattie areas in addition to their traditional tenures. A century later, Constantine Corbet owned lands in Fife and a Walter Corbet owned lands around Lochmaben. By the late 16th century, Corbets owned lands in Clydesdale, with Symont Corbet's will showing land held near Hamilton (1574).
In 1745 the Corbets supported the British Government. When Bonnie Prince Charlie landed in Scotland. Robert Corbet, then provost of Dumfries, rode out with his men to meet him and warned the Prince to stand aside as Dumfries would have nothing to do with him. He then returned to Dumfries and locked the gates against the Prince.[citation needed]
Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, Corbets were busy in Scotland in a variety of occupations, including shipmasters, tanners, tailors, schoolmasters, weavers, etc. In 1784, James Corbett was a weaver in Larkhall and in Hamilton, other Corbetts were prospering in the late 18th century. Janefield, part of the Tollcross estate and now a cemetery, was occupied and farmed by a James Corbett in 1751.[citation needed]
The Scottish Corbett branch of the family currently hold the title Baron Rowallan.[13] Their arms include the raven seen on the arms of the English branch of the family and they share the same motto Deus Pascit Corvo - God feeds the ravens.
Castles and seats
- Acton Reynald Hall is a 19th-century country manor house and park created by the Corbet Family in the 17th century at Acton Reynald, Shropshire, England, and an example of one of the many Corbet Lordships in Shropshire.
- Acton Burnell Castle ruins about eight miles Southeast of Shrewsbury, near to the Acton Burnell Church and Hall, claim attention, from the many interesting and historical facts connected with it; it is recorded a Parliament was held here in the year 1283 by Edward I, on which occasion the Lords sat at Shrewsbury, and the Commons in the banqueting hall of the castle here, the gable ends of which still remain; here it was that the statute known by the name of the Acton Burnell Statute or "Statuta de Mercatoribus (Statutes of Merchants)" was passed. Long before Edward I, William The Conqueror took the Saxon Godric's manor from him and gave it to the Norman Earl of Shrewsbury, who in turn conferred it on Roger Fitz-Corbet. It is supposed that Roger, the Domesday tenant of Actune, was ancestor of those Burnels, from whom afterwards the manor took its distinctive title of Acton Burnell.
- Alberbury Castle was built by Fulke Fitz Warine in the 13th century and held under the Barons of Caus, was added protection for Shrewsbury Castle against the threat of the Welsh. In addition, Shropshire was also given a Norman sheriff called Warin who held a number of manors around Oswestry.
- Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Shrewsbury(Shropshire) and King William the Conqueror.
- Hopton Castle is in the village of the same name and is located between Knighton, Powys, Wales and Craven Arms (Newton), Shropshire, England. Hopton Castle passed by marriage to the Moreton Corbet family in the 15th century.
- High Ercall Hall & High Ercall Church (pronounced High Arcal) in the borough of Telford & Wrekin, were owned by the Corbets by marriage to the Newport's.
- Longnor Hall A 17th-century manor house built by the Corbets in the Shropshire village of Longnor, Shropshire. The hall displays the Corbet crow arms on its gable end.
- Moreton Corbet Castle in Shropshire, England was acquired by the Corbets in 1235, when Sir Richard Corbet of Wattlesborough b. 1191, who married Joan Thoreton b. 1200 the daughter of Bartholomew Thoreton of Moreton Thoret. Sometime around 1560 Sir Andrew Corbet rebuilt the castle and built a new east range with a great hall, to this was added an ornate south range designed in a L-shape by Sir Andrew's son, Robert Corbet. It is this latter addition that stands as one of the landmarks in English architectural history.
- Rowallan Castle was the seat for later chiefs of the Corbets which was originally the seat of the chiefs of Clan Muir.[15][16]
- Sibdon Castle in Sibdon Carwood, near Craven Arms, Shropshire, England. The fortified manor at Sibdon Carwood, the predecessor to the 17th-century Sibdon Castle country house, is given the name "Shepeton Corbet" by a number of historical documents, including that of John Leland (c. 1535–43), who also gives the suffix to Hopton Corbet Castleand Moreton Corbet Castle. This is an indication that the Corbet family owned these fortified manors around the time, of which Moreton Corbet's castle both remains in their ownership and retains the suffix to this day.
- Sundorne Castlewas home of the Corbet-Pigott family
- Wattlesborough Castle was a fortified manor held by the Barons of Caus, which later passed from the Corbets to the John de Mowthe Family.
- Siston, Gloucestershire, which branch died out in the late 14th century. The arms of Corbet of Siston continued to be quartered by the Denys family of Siston, which inherited the Corbet estates by marriage, although no children resulted.
Armorials
Family legend has a mythical Corbet le Normand arriving in 1066 with William the Conqueror from Normandy carrying a banner displaying a raven, from his supposed name Le Corbeau, usually translated from Norman French as "the Raven".[19]
Sir Roger Corbet displayed two ravens proper on a gold shield with a bordure red engrailed under King Edward III;
Sir Peter Corbet, 2nd Baron of Caus, displayed two ravens proper on a gold shield at the
Sir Thomas Corbet, displayed two ravens proper on a gold shield; Sir Thomas Corbet, displayed three ravens proper on a gold shield at the First Dunstable Tournament in 1308;
Sir Thomas Corbet, displayed six ravens proper on a gold shield with a red canton with 2 silver lions passant gardant in 1567.
Other variations include A Raven or two Ravens and a key on a Silver Shield. The arms of the recently extinct Corbet baronets are: Or, a raven sable.[20]
References
Citations
- ^ Sanders, I. J., English Baronies, Oxford, 1960, Caus, p. 29.
- ISBN 9780851157221.
- ^ Hanks et al. (2002), p. 141
- ^ Hanks et al. (2002), p. 152
- ^ Sanders, I. J., English Baronies, Oxford, 1960, p. 29.
- ^ "Open Domesday Project". University of Hull. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
- ^ Coulton (2010), p. 40
- ^ Grazebrook and Rylands, p. 134-38.
- ^ Corbet, facing p. 368.
- ^ History of Parliament Online.
- ^ "The Regimental Website of the Royal Canadian Regiment". Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
- ^ "A Royal Portrait | Prince Philip".
- ^ "No. 28512". The London Gazette. 11 July 1911. p. 5169.
- ^ Leighton, Stanley (1901): Shropshire houses past & present
- ^ "Rowallan Castle Ancestral Home of Clan Muir". Clan Muir. Retrieved 25 May 2009.
- ^ "Rowallan Castle, Kilmarnock, Scotland". old-picture.com. Retrieved 25 May 2009.
- ^ Debrett's Peerage, 1968, p. 204.
- ^ Burke's General Armory, p. 228.
- ^ Corbet, Augusta E., The Family of Corbet, its Life and Times, vol. 1
- ^ Debrett's Peerage, 1968, p. 204.
Bibliography
- Coulton (2010), Regime and Religion: Shrewsbury 1400–1700, Logaston Press, ISBN 978-1-906663-47-6
- Hanks, Patrick; Hodges, Flavia; Mills, A. D.; Room, Adrian (2002), The Oxford Names Companion, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-860561-7
Further reading
Sir Bernard Burke: The general armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, Harrison, London, 1884, accessed 9 December 2013 at Internet Archive
Augusta Elizabeth Brickdale Corbet: The family of Corbet; its life and times, Volume 2 at Open Library, Internet Archive, accessed 9 December 2013.
George Grazebrook and
History of Parliament Online: Members, History of Parliament Trust, 1994, accessed 9 December 2013.