For the modest sum of three pounds (less perhaps if you go to collect it yourselves) the librarian at Somerset Studies Library, Paul Street, Taunton, will supply a photocopy of an article taken from the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society for 1897. The article is entitled, "HUYSHE of Somerset and Devon. A Pedigree, edited with notes and illustrations by W H Hamilton Rogers, F.S.A.". This runs to well over forty pages, and gives a great deal of information about the Huish family and the arms associated with the family. Details of Richard Huyshe and his wife, Ebbot Lovell, and their family arms are to be found on page twenty of this article. Brief details of his bequest are also to be found on this page.
A "Letter concerning Huish's Charity", from Francis Huish of Clisthydon near Cullompton, Devon, and dated September 1723 is to be found at the Somerset Record Office, also in Taunton. In this letter Francis Huish, a "Countrey Clergyman with no less numerous a Family than eight Children" pleads his claim to being "the first person in the World who had claims to the Huish's Benefaction". It is perhaps worth mentioning that at the church in Clyst Hydon there are some very impressive stained glass windows relating to the Huyshe/Huish family, and these depict about fifteen or so of the marriages of the family and the arms associated with those marriages. I have some rather poor photographs of these windows, and I used one of these photographs to test my scanner. [Note: The enlarged picture can be seen by clicking on the thumbnail; I have reduced it from the original FH sent me - BP]
Huish memorial window at Clyst Hydon (224kb)
- photo: Frank Huish
As far as I can remember the Somerset R.O. also has a copy of "Committee for Advance of Money - Cases". Pages 607 to 611 inclusive, dated 16 Oct 1645, refer to "Huish Hospital and Almshouses, Taunton, Co. Somerset." Amongst these entries are listed some claims by scholars from Oxford and Cambridge who are claiming payment from the Huish scholarships. Also mentioned are the difficulties in obtaining rent from the properties in Blackfriars, which have fallen into disrepair during those troubled times.
I have not done a lot of research on the Taunton Huish family, but there are indications that they were involved with the Civil Wars and Monmouth rebellion, even fleeing Taunton to escape the wrath of the Hanging Judge! If there is anyone who can give me information on this, or indeed anything to do with the family at these times I would be very grateful. Some of my research suggests that there are some minor errors in some of the printed pedigrees relating to the Huyshe/Huish family. In particular I am seeking information about two very colourful brothers-in-law, John Vernon and William Allen, who were Parliamentarian officers and devout Baptists. They managed to greatly upset Oliver Cromwell and got themselves thrown into prison, later released but banished from the country never to return. They did return and helped found the Baptist Meeting House (Loughwood I think it was called) on the Devon/Dorset border. Vernon was a doctor in London at the time of the Great Fire.These two men married two Huish sisters from Sand near Sidmouth. It was from his father-in-law's house there that William Allen was arrested in a dawn raid by armed soldiers - all very exciting stuff. The house at Sand still exists and is lived in by descendants of that family. The Loughwood Meeting House still exists too, and I believe it is still used for the occasional religious service.
In a further note, Mr Huish quotes from a pamphlet on the history of Sand:
"On 13th March 1975 Lt Col Huyshe was granted Royal Licence to bear the arms of Huyshe i.e. argent on a bend sable three roaches the tails or. These arms were assumed by Oliver Hywish in 1376 on marriage to the daughter and heir of Simon de la Roche, instead of the ancient arms of Huyshe.
P V Huyshe, July 1986."