 During the reign of King Henry II (1154-1189) the manor of Gidleigh was held by Walter Prous (otherwise Prouz, Prouse, le Prouz, etc., Latinized as "Probus", meaning "upright, honourable").It was believed by Ralph Brooke (1553–1625), York Herald, and by others, that his ancestor Peter Prouse of "Eastervale" married Mary de Vernon, daughter of William de Redvers, 5th Earl of Devon (died 1217), feudal baron of Plympton, Devon, and widow of Robert de Courtenay (died 1242), of Okehampton Castle, Devon, feudal baron of Okehampton, son of Reginald de Courtenay (died 1194) by his wife Hawise de Curcy (died 1219), heiress of Okehampton.From this marriage the Courtenays later inherited the barony of Plympton in 1293 and in 1335 were declared Earls of Devon.