orthcote at East Down, near Barnstaple, and in the middle of the
sixteenth century Walter Northcote was living at Uton, in the parish of
Crediton. In this neighbourhood his descendants remained until Sir
Henry's marriage, when they came to Pynes.

John Northcote was one of the Devonshire justices who attended Quarter
Sessions during the later part of the reign of Elizabeth, and he lived
till within ten years of the outbreak of Civil War. From his epitaph, it
appears that he was tried by the Star Chamber; the verse has been
translated as follows:

'To him the Queen's Commission in his youth
Trusted the scales of Justice and of Truth.
Fair was the balance held, and pure his fame,
Though by Star Chamber tried, as gold by flame.'

Nothing is known of the trial, not even the charge, but it is pretty
certain that, in common with several other justices at that time, he
had showed 'a want of "forwardness"' in collecting ship-money.

Another justice, Walter Yonge, notes in his diary that in 1627 letters
were sent to the justices of Devon, 'to the Mayors of port-towns,
Exeter, Dartmouth, Totnes, Plymouth, and Barnstaple, bidding the towns
provide ships, and the country, men and victuals.' Later, letters were
sent demanding that a large sum should be raised 'to set a fleet at sea
... we having but six or seven days to raise the money, and to return it
to London; but _our county refused to meddle therein_.' John Northcote
was Sheriff just at this time, and was most probably held responsible
for the intractability of his countrymen.

Sir John Northcote, his son, was born in 1599, and became a Member of
Parliament, he and Sir Edmund Fowel representing Ashburton in the Long
Parliament. During his first few weeks in the House of Commons, Sir John
took notes of the proceedings, and the small brown volume in which they
are written still exists. The notes have been transcribed by Mr A. H. A.
Hamilton, and are very interesting, for they record threatenings of the
great storm so soon to burst over England. The pages open with
'Proceedings against the Earl of Strafford. Mr Pimm's [Pym]
Report'--which report prefaces terrible accusations with a personal
touch: 'Long known the person charged by acts of friendship.'

Many letters, reports, and commissions, refer to Jesuits and priests,
and often the Queen's name appears intervening on their behalf; laws
against them were more and more relaxed, 'signifying his Majesty's
pl