Floyer Hayes

The parish church of St Thomas, situated a short distance to the west of the house, was burned down in 1645 during the Civil War, and was rebuilt before 1657.

[4] According to Worthy (1892): "It stood nearly in a line with "Snayle Tower", and on the west side of the river, and must have been very near the ancient priory of Cowick, but a little to the south-west of it".

Floyer Hayes is referred to in a Latin note to the Heralds' Visitation of Devon of 1564, preserved at the College of Arms.

It was held from the Courtenays by the feudal tenure of grand sergeanty described as:[6] According to the Exon Domesday Book of 1086 in the section listing holdings of Terrae Francorum Militum in Devenesira ("Lands of French knights in Devonshire"), a man whose name was Latinised to "Floherus" (in French probably Flohère) held the manor of Sotrebroc in Wonford hundred, which later became known as Floyer Hayes.

[10] This early name of the estate may have come from the Schute Broke, a stream, whose name was recorded by the now lost "Shutbrook Street" in this vicinity.

The descendants of Anne Martin and her husband the older Anthony Floyer retained their one-quarter share in it until 1861, but although at least three subsequent generations made Dorset their home, they lived elsewhere in the county, with the younger Anthony Floyer purchasing Berne House, just west of Bridport.

The Gould family was descended from a certain John Gold, a crusader present at the siege of Damietta in 1217 who for his valour was granted in 1220 by Ralph de Vallibus an estate at Seaborough in Somerset.