The Seymours Berry Pomeroy Castle

the shell of seymour house

in 1547 edward seymour, 1st duke of somerset, lord protector young king edward vi, bought castle sir thomas pomeroy. bought many other properties @ around time, , may never have visited berry pomeroy. fell out of favour court , beheaded on charge of treason in 1552, upon lands forfeit crown. not until 1558, after complex property dealings, son first marriage, sir edward seymour, gained title castle. became considerable landowner, high sheriff of devon in 1583 , justice of peace in 1591. between 1560 , 1580 removed earlier pomeroy buildings inside castle walls , erected new four-storey house in fashionable style of period @ north end of courtyard, shell of survives original height.

after sir edward s death in 1593, lands passed son, edward, added north range castle in 1600. in late 16th century there concern @ threat of spanish invasion , received commission colonel , twice sheriff devon. died in 1613, 2 years after being created baronet. there well-preserved monument him in berry pomeroy church.

sir edward seymour, 2nd baronet, son, governor of dartmouth , member of parliament , knighted in 1603. involved in shipping , lived in style @ castle until civil war, when sided royalists. captured , while imprisoned in london castle raided parliamentarians. estates sequestered cromwell, allowed stay @ castle, died in 1659. son, edward (later 3rd baronet), royalist , appointed colonel in 1642. in latter part of civil war imprisoned in exeter , not released until 1655. after restoration in 1660, however, life took turn better , deputy lieutenant devon. later became vice-admiral , member of parliament totnes. on death in 1688 inventory of castle drawn up. indicates house contained around fifty rooms, although buildings in poor repair, due vast expense seymour had incurred in royalist cause.

his son, edward, 4th baronet, aged 55 when father died, , earnest politician – member of parliament exeter , 1673 speaker of house of commons. because of berry pomeroy s distance london , poor condition of castle, preferred live @ bradley house in maiden bradley, wiltshire, had inherited. although there no documentary evidence, stripped castle of useful materials fund rebuilding of bradley house completed in 1710.

certainly, berry pomeroy castle ruin 1701 when john prince, had known castle in heyday, said in book worthies of devon:

...the apartments within splendid; dining room, adorn d, besides paint, statues , figures cut in alabaster [...] tis demolished, , glory lieth in dust...