Family and Education

b. 1531, 2nd but 1st surv. s. of Thomas Yarde of Bradley by his 1st w. Elizabeth, da. of John Lewson. m. (1) bef. 1557, Agnes, da. of William Strode of Newnham, 5s. 3da. (2) Anne, da. of Gregory Huckmore^† of Buckyett and Buckland Barton, 1s. 2da. suc. fa. 1557.

Offices Held

Agent of the 2nd Earl of Bedford in the west country by 1573; j.p. Devon from 1575.

Biography

Yarde was out of the country during at least part of Mary’s reign, his father, on making his will in October 1557, wondering ‘if he be now alive’, and he was friendly with a number of west-country puritans. Though the family owned a little property in Dartmouth and elsewhere, Yarde was added to the commission of the peace only after he had become the Earl of Bedford’s west-country agent, and it was no doubt through Bedford that he was returned for the borough. He was responsible for a more intensive exploitation of the Russell estates. Customary tenure was replaced by leasehold, and in the period from about 1565 to 1585, £2,59 13s. 3d. was raised by way of fines. Yarde died towards the end of 1582, being buried at Brixham 4 Jan. 1583. Letters of administration were granted to his second wife, Anne, on 13 June 1583.

C142/122/32; Vivian, Vis. Devon, 829-30; PCC 45 Wrastley; Egerton 2345, f. 10; SP 12/104; Royal 18 D 111; Lansd. 737, f. 134v; J. A. Youings, ‘Disposal of Devon Monastic Property 1536-58’ (London Univ. PhD thesis 1950), p. 254; Roberts thesis, 56; PCC admon. act bk. 1583, f. 71.

Ref Volumes: 1558-1603

Author: A. M. Mimardière

Notes