Beschrijving
United Kingdom, d.d. 10 september 1771. Vellum charter, 33×43 cm. Good condition. Copperplate hand engrossed, calligraphy, with large hand coloured coat-of-arms. Two wax seals of the mentioned kings of arms, in perfect condition, in decorated tin cases, attached to the document by silk ribbons. The charter comes encased in a contemporary oblong leather case, decorated with embossed, gilt patterns, lined with decorated coloured paper, broken at the hinges and worn. This charter confirms the coat-of-arms of Roope to Roope Harris of Bristol, who took the name and the coat-of-arms of Roope on 11 July 1771. Roope Harris (1747-1811), son of Ambrose Harris, son of Nicholas Harris of Dittisham, inherited the Roope estate at Greenway on the river Dart from Margaret Deeble (Margaret’ Deebles Will 1777), so long as he agreed to take on the surname of Roope, hence the name ‘Roope Harris Roope’. Roope Harris is the link between two branches of the Roope family, the Roope’s of Little Dartmouth, Devon and the Roope’s of Oporto, Dittisham, Kingswear etc. Greenway was bought by Agatha Christie in 1938 as a summer house for her and her husband Max Mallowan. The house is now owned by the National Trust. Greenway was previously owned by The Gilberts who finally sold Greenway around 1700 to Thomas Martyn, about whom nothing is known, but through him the property descended to the Roopes, a family of successful Dartmouth merchants. By 1780 Roope Harris Roope was the owner. He had apparently been born in Massachusetts (USA) and later travelled widely on business whilst also having 15 children, 6 of them born at Greenway. In 1791 Roope sold Greenway to Edward Elton, a Bristol merchant venturer and MP (his family also owned Clevedon Court). H168
