The historic manor of Iron Acton was a manor centred on the village of Iron Acton in Gloucestershire, England, situated about north-east of the centre of the City of Bristol. The manor house, known as Acton Court is a Tudor building which survives today, situated at some distance from the village and parish church of St Michael. It was long the principal seat of the prominent Poyntz family, lords of the manor, whose manorial chapel is contained within the parish church.
Descent of the manor
de Acton
The de Acton family long held the manor of Iron Acton, from which they took their surname. Their arms were: Quarterly per fess indented argent and azure. The arms of Reynold de Acton in the Collins Roll of Arms are blazoned as Quarterly per fess indented azure and ermine. The later descent of this family as recorded in the heraldic visitation of Gloucestershire is as follows:
John de Acton
Sir John de Acton, son, who married a certain Helena, by whom he had one son and two daughters:
*John de Acton, son and heir, see below.
*Johanna de Acton, wife of a certain Randolph
*Matilda de Acton, who married Nicholas Poyntz, feudal baron of Curry Mallet in Somerset, by whom she had issue. She survived her husband and remarried to Roger Chandos, by whom she had a son Thomas Chandos.
John de Acton, son and heir, who married a certain Milicent.
John de Acton, son, who married a certain Johanna and died childless, following which his heir to Iron Acton became the descendant of his aunt Matilda de Acton, wife of Nicholas Poyntz.
John Poyntz, a younger son of Nicholas Poyntz, feudal baron of Curry Mallet in Somerset, by his second wife Matilda de Acton, aunt and heiress in her issue of John de Acton of Iron Acton. he married twice:
Robert Poyntz, son by his father's first marriage. He was MP for Gloucestershire in 1415 and 1417 and Sheriff of Gloucestershire 1396-7. He was steward between 1405–1416 of the estates of Anne of Gloucester, dowager Countess of Stafford in Glos., Hants., and Wilts. and by 1439 was steward of the manor of her son Humphrey Stafford, 6th Earl of Stafford at Thornbury Castle. Robert's surviving ledger stone in Iron Acton Church depicts a knight, almost life-size, wearing a helmet with the body in plate armour with a skirt of traces. He wears a gorget with slight traces of chain-mail, round shoulder pieces, brassarts on the arms, gauntlets with pointed cuffs, legs in plate. His feet rest on a dog. The slab is much worn and was broken in two places in the 19th century. The ledger line contains the following inscription: Here lyeth Roberd poyntz Lord of Iren Acton and thys stepyl maked who deyde the fiftene day of Junne the year of oure Lord MCCCCXX... of whos sowle God have mercy Amen. He built the steeple of Iron Acton Church, although the church lacks a steeple today, and none is shown in a 19th-century engraving of the church. The church tower itself appears to date from before the time of Robert, so surely cannot have been "the italic=no" referred to. It is however widely accepted that Robert erected the stone preaching cross in the church yard, which displays escutcheons bearing the arms of Acton and FitzNichol, the latter being the family of his second wife. The second slab is incised with the following words within a ledger line: Here lyeth Anne the firste wife of Roberd Poyntz of whos sowle God have mercy Amen. In the centre is shown a life-sized lady wearing a dress with tight-fitting body, low in the neck, laced from hands to waist with tight sleeves, full skirt and reticulated head-dress. The third slab retains only part of a female figure with a ledger line containing the words: ...erine the second wyfe of Robert Poyntz. The slab was re-incised with a Latin inscription to commemorate Elizabeth Poyntz, wife of a much later Robert Poyntz. He married twice:
Firstly to a certain Anna, without children.
Secondly to Catherine FitzNichol, a daughter and co-heiress of Sir Thomas FitzNichol of Hill, Gloucestershire, many times MP for Gloucestershire. She is said to have been murdered by one of her younger sons Maurice Poyntz, who was executed for matricide. By his second wife he left numerous children.
Nicholas Poyntz (died 1461)
Nicholas Poyntz, son by his father's second wife. He married twice:
Firstly to Elizabeth Mills, daughter of Sir Edward Mills of Horscomb, Gloucestershire, by whom he had children:
*John Poyntz, eldest son and heir, see below.
*Humphrey Poyntz, of Langley, Yarnscombe, Devon, who married Elizabeth Pollard, of the Pollard family of Langley.
*Elizabeth Poyntz, wife of John Carne.
Secondly to Elizabeth Hussey, daughter of Henry Hussey of Sussex, by whom he had children:
*Henry Poyntz, who founded the Poyntz family of Ockendon, Essex.
*Alice Poyntz, wife of Maurice Denys, Esquire, of Siston, Gloucestershire, twice Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1460 and 1461.
John Poyntz, eldest son and heir by his father's first wife. He married Alicia Cocks, of Bristol, who survived him and remarried to Sir Edward Berkeley of Beverstone castle. By his wife he had children:
Sir Robert Poyntz, eldest son and heir, a supporter of the future King Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. He was buried in the Gaunt's Chapel, Bristol, in the magnificent "Chapel of Jesus", a chantry chapel built by him. He married Margaret Woodville, the illegitimate daughter and only child of Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers, Knight of the Garter, by his mistress Gwenlina Stradling, daughter of William Stradling of St Donat's Castle, Glamorgan. By Margaret Woodville he had five sons and four daughters including:
Sir Nicholas Poyntz, eldest son and heir by his father's first wife. He was a prominent courtier during the latter part of the reign of King Henry VIII. His portrait drawing by Hans Holbein the Younger survives in the Royal Collection. He added the east wing to the moated manor house of Acton Court, which addition was lavishly decorated to impress King Henry VIII, who with his second wife, Anne Boleyn, visited the house in 1535 during a tour of the West Country. He married Joan Berkeley, daughter of Thomas Berkeley, 5th Baron Berkeley, of Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire, by whom he had five or six sons and three daughters, including his eldest son and heir Nicholas Poyntz.
Nicholas Poyntz (c. 1528 – 1585)
Sir Nicholas Poyntz, eldest son and heir. He was a Member of Parliament for Totnes, Devon, in 1559 and for Gloucestershire in 1571. He was knighted in 1559 and was appointed Sheriff of Gloucestershire for 1569-70. He married twice:
Firstly to Anne Verney, daughter of Sir Ralph Verney of Penley, Hertfordshire, by whom he had a son and heir John Poyntz and two daughters.
Sir John Poyntz, eldest son and heir. He was Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1591 and was knighted before 1593. He was elected Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in 1593. He died insolvent and intestate in 1633 and was buried at Iron Acton. He married four times:
Firstly to Ursula Sydenham, daughter of John Sydenham of Brampton, Somerset,
Secondly to Elizabeth Sydenham daughter and heiress of Alexander Sydenham of Luxborough in Somerset, by whom he had children:
*Dorothy Poyntz, wife of John Gifford of Whiteladies in Staffordshire.
Sir Robert Poyntz (died 1666)
Sir Robert Poyntz, KB, son and heir. He was the last Poyntz of Iron Acton. He was appointed Knight of the Order of the Bath on 2 February 1626, at the coronation of Charles I. In 1626 he was elected Knight of the Shire for Gloucestershire and was re-elected in 1628 and sat until 1629 when King Charles I decided to rule without parliament for eleven years. He was High Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1637. He married Francisca Gibbons, a daughter and co-heiress of Geruatus Gibbons of Kent, by whom he left no male children, only two daughters:
Grissel Poyntz, who married Richard Porter
Margareta Poyntz, who married firstly Sir Richard Hastings and secondly Samuel Gorges.
