Kitley Heritage - Bastard impaling Bamfylde

9/ Or a chevron azure Impaling Or on a bend gules three mullets of the first – Bastard impaling Bamfylde

During the present writer’s research into the pedigree displayed in the heraldry at Kitley, the presence of this shield initially posed something of a mystery. For, although it was readily apparent at the outset that it tied in with the previous ones (q.v. shields 7 & 8), all published sources consulted recorded that William Bastard, son and heir of another William Bastard (q.v. shield 42), had married a Grace who was a Coppleston daughter.

However, this is certainly incorrect, for the documentary evidence – as, too, the shields themselves – prove otherwise. William Bastard jnr in fact married Grace Bampfield. That this marriage proved so elusive to track down in the first place highlights the difficulties involved with tracing the early ancestry of families, and the confusion amongst previous researchers possibly arose because in this line is a Sir Coppleston Bampfield, who was possibly the brother of Grace. The earlier generations of this line (q.v. shield 6) are still somewhat confused for, of course, as Vivian and others recorded the incorrect surname in their Bastard lineages, recourse cannot be made to their notes on the other families to try and resolve matters.

However, having established the correct maiden name of the spouse, the marriage can also now be assigned an approximate date – unrecorded by any previous writers – to c1659. For a deed of settlement, citing the imminent marriage, was signed in July of that year by the parties involved, and the first child born to the newly married couple is now known to have been baptised in mid 1661. The William Bastard shown in this impalement was Sheriff of Devon in 1676 and MP for Beer Alston 1678-79 (q.v. shield 14).