English: Mural monument to John Mules (d.1633) of Halmeston in the parish of Bishop's Tawton, Devon. Bishop's Tawton Church. Text per Risdon, Tristram (d.1640), Survey of Devon, 1811 edition, London, 1811, with 1810 Additions, p.322:

"Halmeston, in this tything" (Bishops-Tawton) "was the land of Fulk in King Edward III's time, by whose co-heir Alice, Baldwin Ackland was invested therewith, which descended to Joan her heir, married to Thomas Mules, second son of Thomas Mules of Ernesborough" (in the parish of Swimbridge), "in King Henry V's time; and so lineally after six descents to John Mules the late lord thereof, who married the daughter of Chafe; his father the heir of Yeomans of Northamptonshire. His only daughter and heir Anne was married to Bennet."

Text per Rogers, William Henry Hamilton, The Antient Sepulchral Effigies and Monumental and Memorial Sculpture of Devon, Exeter, 1877, pp.299-301[1]:

"MULES. Swimbridge and Bishops Tawton. On the south (sic) side of the Chancel (of Swimbridge Church) is the Chapel of S. Bridget, built by the family of Mules of Ernesborough. "In this parish" says Risdon, "is Ernesborough, which, as the name imports, is a principal place or court house, in the lord's manor, and so this seems by the ruins yet remaining. Baldwin de Ernsborough was lord thereof in the beginning of Henry Ill's reign, whom three of that surname succeeded. After that it was the seat of the Flavels, whose inheritrix brought this heritage with a goodly patrimony to Sir Roger Mules, second son of the Lord Mules of North Cadbury in Somersetshire, a family that flourished there divers descents, until that honour, by Muriel and Isabel the heirs general of that house, passed unto the noble families of Courtenay and Bottreaux. Of this tribe was John Lord Mules, one of the ninety-four barons that, in a Parliament holden at Lincoln, in the reign of King Edward I, anno 1301, subscribed a letter denying the Pope's pretended title to the Kingdom of Scotland. The north aisle of Swimbridge Church was built by Sir John Mules of Ernsborough, as the inscription in a window, and a proof there once fairly painted and gilded, with the arms and matches of that family, make evident; unto the maintenance whereof for ever, he gave to that Church his lands called Furse." The Chantry is entered from the south (sic) aisle by a perpendicular arch of some pretensions, and on the bosses of the roof are the following shields of arms :

He identified the arms painted on the ceiling bosses as follows:^[1]

• 1: Argent, on a bend sable three roses argent (Cary of Clovelly), impaling: Azure, a chevron argent between three pears or (Orchard); memorialising the marriage between Sir Philip Cary (died 1437) of Cockington, Devon, and Cristiana Orchard of (Orchard Wyndham), Somerset.^[2]
• 2: Argent, two bars gules in chief three torteaux (de Moels/Mules);
• 3: Mules, impaling: Azure, three battle axes or (Dennis of Orleigh; possibly intended for Battin of Dunsland which has field argent.^[3]
• 4: Argent, a chevron gules in chief three escallops two and one (Dabernon), impaling: Checquy argent and azure, in the dexter chief a canton argent charged with a bend gules;
• 5: A cross gules.

John Mules was one of the Justices of Edward VI (Westcote, Thomas, A View of Devonshire in 1630 with a Pedigree of most of its Gentry, Exeter, 1845). In Bishop's Tawton Church is a monument to John Mules, Esq., of Halmeston, 1633, with this inscription:

"Erected to admonish the living of there end and to reserve his memory who is not dead but sleepeth John Mulys of Halmeston, Esq., lineally descended from that worthy family of his name Barons of North Cadbury in Somerset whence a branch transplanted to Ernisborough in Swimbridye continewed on the descente to him who here lay down to rest the 12th September 1633".

Arms: An escutcheon quarterly of six :

• 1 & 5: Mules, with crescent for difference ;
• 2: Ermine, on a bend cotised gules three (escallops(?)) argent; (cotise omitted by Rogers). Possibly intended as Ermine, on a bend cotised gules three cats-a-mountain passant guardant or for Cooke of Thorne, Ottery St Mary (Vivian, p.727, pedigree of Thorne of Thorne)
• 3: Barry of nine gules and argent, a canton sable (otherwise: Gules, four bars argent a canton sable); (blazoned erroneously by Rogers as: Barry of nine argent and gules, a canton sable);
• 4: Azure, a fess ermine between two frets argent (blazoned erroneously by Rogers as: Fretty argent and azure, a chief ermine);
• 6: Azure, six fusils conjoined in fesse a canton argent, with a crescent for difference (Chafe of St Giles-in-the-Wood)

Four other shields:

• 1 (left-top): Mules impaling: Ermine, on a bend cotised gules three escallops argent;
• 2 (left-bottom): Mules impaling: Azure, three battle axes or (Dennis of Orleigh, Buckland Brewer);
• 3 (right-top): Mules impaling: Sable, a chevron between three escallops argent;
• 4 (right-bottom): Chequy argent and sable, a fesse gules with a crescent for difference (Acland of Acland, Landkey (later Acland Baronets)) impaling Ermine, on a bend cotised gules three escallops argent (as 1)