other disputes are preserved--in one case
at great length. In the reign of Henry VII, Sir Edward Pomeroy fell out
with 'the Mayor of Totnes and his brethren'; several gentlemen
arbitrated between them, and eventually 'awarded that the said Sir
Edward Pomeroy shall clearly exclude, forgive, and put from him all
malice and debates ... and from hensforth to be loving unto theym,' and
the same conciliatory spirit was to be shown by the other side. As a
really satisfactory conclusion, Sir Edward was desired to send the Mayor
and his brethren a buck to be eaten in state, 'Provided that the same
Sir Edward be at the etyng of the same bucke, in goodly manner.
Furthermore we award that the said maiour and his brethren shal paye for
the wyne which shal be dronke at the etyng of the same bucke.'

Sir Thomas Pomeroy, the last of this family to own the Castle, fell into
disgrace through joining in the Western rebellion against the
Prayer-Book, and his estate passed to the Protector Somerset.

It would be absurd in this chapter to attempt to touch on more than a
very few points in the history of the great family of the Seymours, or
to touch on any that are not connected with Devonshire. Amongst the Duke
of Somerset's papers are some extremely interesting letters and
documents relating to Sir Edward Seymour's descendants in this county.
The second wife of the Protector Somerset, Ann Stanhope, is described in
no flattering terms, one biographer attributing some of the Duke's later
troubles to 'the pride, the haughty hate, the unquiet vanity of a
_mannish_, or rather of a _divellish_, woman.' Haywood says she was
'subtle and violent in accomplishing her ends, and for pride,
monstrous.' It can easily be imagined, therefore, that she persuaded the
Duke to set aside her stepson in favour of her own eldest son; but all
the honours that should have passed to him were forfeited by the
attainder of the Duke. The title of Earl of Hertford was, however,
restored to Ann Stanhope's son in the reign of James I.

The true heir, Sir Edward Seymour, to whose descendants the dukedom has
now reverted, was given Berry Pomeroy by his father. His grandson,
Edward, showed great zeal in making ready the defences of the coast when
the Armada was expected, and from various letters, orders, and
'precepts,' it is obvious that these preparations brought him great
responsibility and an immense amount of work. In 1586 a letter was
forwarded to him from the Lord-