Family and Education

b. by 1536, 1st s. of (Sir) Richard Edgecombe by 2nd w. and bro. of Richard^†. m. c.1555, Margaret, da. of Sir Andrew Luttrell of Dunster Castle, Som., 5s. inc. Richard^† 4da. suc. Fa. 1 Feb. 1562.1

Offices Held

J.p. Devon 1561-4 or later, q. by 1569-d., Cornw. 1569-d.; sheriff, Devon 1565-6, Cornw. 1569-70; v.-adm. by 1568; commr. musters, Devon 1569; receiver of loan, Cornw. 1570, custos rot. Cornw. 1573; steward, Liskeard by 1574-87; dep. lt. Cornw. 1587.2

Biography

Peter Edgecombe was well under age when he was returned to the Parliament of 1555 for Totnes, where his father owned the manor and castle. Both his father and grandfather, Sir Peter Edgecombe, had been closely associated with the earls of Bedford, from whom they leased property in Devon and Cornwall: a knell was tolled at Totnes on the death of Sir John Russell, the 1st Earl. Unlike some of the 2nd Earl’s followers, however, Edgecombe did not follow the lead of Sir Anthony Kingston in voting against a government bill.3

Edgecombe did not sit in Parliament again until the reign of Elizabeth, when he was to serve as knight of the shire in both Devon and Cornwall. He died on 4 Jan. 1608.

Ref Volumes: 1509-1558

Author: A. D.K. Hawkyard

Notes

• 1. Date of birth estimated from age at fa’s. i.p.m. C142/134/66. Vis. Cornw. (Harl. Soc. ix), 63-64; Vis. Som. ed. Weaver, 43.
• 2. CSP Dom. 1547-80, p. 389; Sloane 3194; HMC Foljambe, 25; J. Allen, Liskeard, 58, 231-3, 280.
• 3. P. Russell, Totnes, 53.