John Courtenay, of Molland

John I Courtenay (1466–27 March 1510) (eldest son), married Joan Brett, the sister of Robert Brett (died 1540), lord of the manor of Pilland in the parish of Pilton and the last steward of Pilton Priory who in 1536 following its dissolution purchased the Prior's House (now called "Bull House") next to Pilton Church. Joan married secondly (after 1510), as his second wife, Sir John Chichester (died 1537) of Raleigh in the parish of Pilton, and from her were descended the cadet branch of the Chichester family of Arlington. The Brett family was from Whitestaunton in Somerset and had married the heiress of Pilland late in the 15th. century. The family is today represented by Viscount Esher. The arms of Brett are: Or, a lion rampant between six crosses crosslet fitchy gules. John Courtenay is stated by John Stowe to have fought for King Edward IV at the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471. John's uncle was Peter Courtenay (1440–1492) Bishop of Exeter subsequently Bishop of Winchester. His second son by Joan Brett was John Courtenay who married Elizabeth Chichester, a daughter of James Chichester (died 1548) of Hall, Bishop's Tawton, and who founded a cadet Courtenay line which continued to live at Molland, in residence unknown, until the 18th. century, and intermarried with the senior line of Courtenay of Molland descended from his elder brother Phillip II. The ledger stone of John I Courtenay (d.1510) survives in Molland Church, inscribed in gothic text within a ledger line as follows:

Orate p(ro) a(n)i(m)a Joh(anne(s) Courtenay armigeri qui obiit xxvii die Marciii Anno d(omini) mcccccx cui(us) a(n)i(ma)e p(ro)p(i)cietur Deus. ("Pray for the soul of John Courtenay, esquire, who died on the 27th day of March in the year of The Lord 1510 to whose soul may God be favorably inclined"). In the centre of the slab are incised the letters IHS, ("JH(ESU)S")

Source: wikipedia.org