Sir Richard Coffyn

King Henry III grants freewarren in Coffyn and his heirs forever Charter 28, August 1254

British History Online:

Coffin, of Portledge. — The Coffins possessed the manor of Alwington, in which parish Portledge is situated, as early as the reign of William the Conqueror: different branches of the family were of Combe-Coffin, and Coffin's Well. The heiress of Hathey, and a co-heiress of Hingeston, married into this family. A younger branch, which eventually became the head of the house, was of Goldworthy. Upon the death of Richard Coffin, Esq., the last heir-male, in 1766, Richard Bennet, Esq., his sister's son, took the name of Coffin, and died without issue, in 1796. The representation of this ancient family then became vested in the Rev. John Pine, his great-grandmother having been the elder daughter of Richard Coffin, Esq., who died in 1699; her younger sister married Yeo. Mr. Pine, took the name of Coffin, in addition to that of his own family, by sign-manual, in 1797. He is now resident at Bath: his eldest son, Richard Pine Coffin, Esq., resides at the old family-seat at Portledge.

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Alwington

ALWINGTON, in the hundred of Shebbeare and in the deanery of Hartland, lies about five miles from Bideford.

The small villages of Fairy Cross and Wood-town are in this parish.

The manor of Alwington belonged to the ancient family of Coffin from nearly the time of the Conquest till the death of Richard Coffin, Esq. in 1766. It is now, by inheritance, the property of the Rev. John Pine Coffin of Bath, who assumed the name of Coffin in 1797. Portledge, in this parish, the ancient seat of the Coffin family, is now the residence of Richard Pine Coffin, Esq. eldest son of Mr. Pine Coffin above mentioned.

Yeo-vale, in this parish, was the ancient property and residence of the family of Yeo, whose heiress brought it to Giffard: the heiress of Giffard married Sir George Cary of Cockington. About the year 1683, it was purchased of the Cary family by John Bruton, Esq. whose descendant sold it in 1769 to the Rev. Hooper Morrison, father of the Rev. Thomas Hooper Morrison, the present proprietor. Yeo-vale, the seat of Mr. Morrison, is situated in a beautiful valley. At Yeo-vale, near the mansion, were the ruins of an ancient chapel, which have been removed to a more distant part of the grounds. Risdon speaks of a monument in this chapel to the memory of William Giffard, Esq, who died in 1400. This monument has been preserved, and was removed with the ruins of the chapel.

The barton of Winscot was some time the property and residence of the Burgoynes, and afterwards of their representatives, the Meddons. It is now the property of William Bruton, Esq. and Charles Bruton, Esq.

In the parish church are monuments and other memorials for the families of Coffin (fn. 21) , Pyne (fn. 22) , Morrison (fn. 23) , Bruton (fn. 24) , Burgoyne (fn. 25) , Meddon (fn. 26) , &c. In an aisle belonging to the Yeo-vale estate is a monument without inscription, and in the window the arms of Giffard. Mr. Pine Coffin is patron of the rectory.

Richard Coffin, Esq. in 1696, founded an alms-house for three poor persons, and endowed it with land now about 27l. per annum.

21 Richard Coffin, Esq. 1617 (with half-length effigies of the deceased and his wife, the daughter of Lovis of Cornwall); Katherine, wife of William Hockin and daughter of Coffin, 1648; Bridget, relict of Charles Kelland, Esq., daughter of Coffin, 1697; Richard Coffin, Esq. 1699; John Coffin, Esq. 1703 (married Kelland); Richard Coffin, Esq. 1766; Ann, relict of Richard Coffin, Esq. and daughter of Prideaux, 1705.

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=50567