Standing in a lovely and typically Devonshire combe, leading to Bideford Bay, is Portledge House, one of the ever diminishing number of estates in England which have remained for centuries in a family retaining the original name – in this case that of Coffin.

The estate is now owned by Colonel Claude Pine-Coffin of the Indian Army.
There are many branches of the Coffin family in America who look upon Portledge House as their ancestral home. Some sixty-three years ago there was a notable gathering there of the ‘Clan Coffin’, as it was called. A reader of the Bideford Gazette into whose possession came copies of American newspapers recording this occasion has kindly made them available.
From the American papers it appears that the ‘Clan Coffin’ gathered in 1881 to honour Tristam and Dionis Coffin, two ancestors of the Coffin family who emigrated to the United States of America in 1624 – four years after the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers from the Mayflower. The reports deal at some length with the scenes, incidents and speeches various members of the clan, and in the course of a letter to her nephew describing a visit to Portledge, and which is in the report, Mrs Mary Coffin Johnson, of Brooklyn, reveals the origin of the name Pine-Coffin.
Here is an extract from the letter: ‘Like all ancient buildings of the feudal times, the house is built in a valley or hollow with hills surrounding it, so that it is not to be seen on approaching until one is quite near it. The coat of arms are on the ceiling of the dining room, but have been so blended with those of the Pine family (a noted family in Devon with whom the Coffins have inter-married) that they are not now the original arms of the Coffin family. The grounds belonging to the estate comprise most of the Parish (about 2,700 acres) and extend to the sea’.
The gathering was principally to commemorate the two hundredth anniversary of the death of Tristam Coffin – the first of the family to settle in America. On the course of his opening remarks at the first day’s gathering, Tristam Coffin of Poughkeepsie, called attention to the then recently published ‘Life of Tristam Coffin’ in which it was stated it remained uncertain whether the first English Coffyns were derived from the Norman family of the same name; that it was doubtful whether than particular branch was an offshoot form the early Portledge stock; that several worthy families of Coffyns, represented at different times by prominent knights, flourished in Devon for several centuries prior to the time of Nicholas, the first known progenitor; that it was more than possible that to one of these ancient houses their allegiance was due; that in order to discover the missing links of their connection, to ascertain the relation which existed between the several early English branches, and to determine whether the entire Devonshire family had risen from scions transplanted from Normandy, opened an interesting field for investigation and probably discussion, and controversy.
A further extract from the speaker’s talk reads ‘Meantime, all those who choose may continue to entertain the opinion, which seems still be fairly justified that the originator of our race in England was a stout hearted and strong-armed Norman soldier; that his deeds of valour upon the decisive fields of Senlac, or in the campaigns of the great William which soon after followed, merited and received the notice of the Conqueror, and that his prowess was rewarded by a gift from the royal hand of the broad and beautiful domain of Alwington’
‘The opening exercise of the Clan Coffin Reunion took place on Tuesday morning’ states the report. ‘The 10.30am train took out a party of about 250 passengers and these were followed by nearly as great numbers on each succeeding train. The assembled crowd amused themselves as best they could until the arrival of the band at 1.30pm, the public and general diversion in the meantime being the photographing of the large group of Coffins by a Mr Gardner. Shortly after the arrival of the band the clan assembled at the tables, those who could – some 300 in number – gaining admission to the inner tabernacle, and most of those who could not get inside contenting themselves as best they could at the table on the piazzas. In all about 500 were seated. Following asking of the Divine blessing, which service was performed by the Rev Herbert W Coffin of Plymouth, every man, woman and child attended to the duty they had immediately in hand as fast as food could be served them. The repast consisted of clam chowder, baked clams, baked corn, baked fish, lobster salad, with relishes, tea and coffee for drinks, and water melon for dessert. It was quite late in the afternoon before all parties were served as all the guests could not sit at the tables at once, probably nearly or quite a hundred of them being left over when the first call was made. It was fully half past four o’clock before the hall was cleared of tables and the guest seated’.
Included among the celebration activities was grand ball and this is how the writer described it: ‘Joy is ever unconfined when youth and beauty meet to chase the glowing hours with flying feet’. And this dance was not an exception.....
‘The attire of the ladies was elaborate and as they moved gracefully through the intricate mazes of the .. and quadrille, a kaleidoscope beauty filled the hall, and something of the charms of fairy land hovered over the scene. Perhaps one of the most tender features of the grand reunion ceremonials was the pilgrimage of a large number of the Clan to the sacred spot where once stood the old ancestral home. ‘Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home’. The place selected for the gathering, which lasted a week, was Nantuckett, Massachusetts, USA, where Tristam Coffin and his wife and children, are stated to have settled when they first came to America.

Gazette article March 1944