Sir John de la Pole, 6th Baronet

Sir John de la Pole, 6th Baronet (1757–1799), in uniform of Deputy Lieutenant of Devon,[1] in the library of New Shute House, Devon, built by him between 1787 and 1789, holding a plan of his new house in his right hand, from close study of which Maureen Turner (1999) was the first to discover the name of the architect Thomas Parlby, Esquire (1727–1802), his wife's uncle, the business partner and brother-in-law of James Templer, Senior, Sir John's father-in-law.[2][3] The Doric portico is visible through the window. Portrait by Thomas Beach (1738–1806), collection of Sir Richard Carew-Pole, Antony House, Cornwall
Arms of Pole of Shute: Azure semée of fleur-de-lys or, a lion rampant argent[4]

Sir John William de la Pole, 6th Baronet (26 June 1757 – 30 November 1799) of Shute in the parish of Colyton, Devon, was a Member of Parliament for the rotten borough of West Looe. In 1791 he published, under the title Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, the researches on the history and genealogy of Devonshire made by his ancestor the antiquary Sir William Pole (d.1635), which he did not publish in his lifetime[5] and which were enlarged by his son Sir John Pole, 1st Baronet,[6] but which were partly destroyed during the Civil War at Colcombe Castle.[7]

  1. ^ Bridie, p. 150
  2. ^ Turner, Maureen, 1999, p.23: Thomas Parlby, Esquire, of Gravesend, Kent, and apparently of Stour (Stone?) Hall, Devon. The identity of the architect was unknown to Pevsner and W.G. Hoskins. Parlby designed the new kitchen at Saltram House and was instrumental in the building of Parlby Dock, Plymouth Dockyard
  3. ^ Quoted from [1] Proceedings of the ICE (Institution of Civil Engineers), Engineering History and Heritage, Volume 163, Issue 3, 1 August 2010 , pages 189–198 "James Templer (1722–1782) and Thomas Parlby (1727–1802) were men of humble origin who became prominent contractors in the second half of the eighteenth century, working mainly, though not exclusively, in the royal dockyards for the Navy Board. Over 40 projects have been attributed to them or to one of their constituent organisations. England's quest for maritime supremacy throughout the eighteenth century led to an expansion in the royal dockyards, requiring large-scale civil engineering and building projects. These were undertaken variously by dockyard workers or by external contractors or, sometimes, both working together. Templer, a house carpenter and Parlby, a stonemason, emerged from the ranks of artisans to create a large and effective workforce operating across the south of England. Between them, they acquired properties in London, Middlesex, Kent, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset and Devon. Although their businesses brought them wealth and social standing, their interests were not pursued by later generations of either family and their firms shrank into obscurity after 1802"
  4. ^ Pole, Sir William (d.1635), Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, Sir John-William de la Pole (ed.), London, 1791, p. 497; Debrett's Peerage, 1968, p. 645
  5. ^ Pole, Sir William (d.1635), Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, Sir John-William de la Pole (ed.), London, 1791, Introduction, p.i
  6. ^ Pole, 1791, Introduction, p.xi
  7. ^ Pole, 1791, Introduction, p.xi