Manor of Molland

[5] The text of Exeter Domesday Book of 1086, relating to the manor later known as Molland-Bottreaux, under the heading "The King's Demesne belonging to the kingdom in Devenesscira" is as follows (abbreviations indicated by tildes expanded): Mollande tempore regis Edwardi geldabat pro iiii hidis et uno ferling.

Ipsi manerio pertinet tercius denarius de Hundredis Nortmoltone et Badentone et Brantone et tercium animal pasturae morarumTranslated as follows: Molland in the time of King Edward (the Confessor) paid geld for four hides and one furlong.

[9]The larger manor was granted by the king to a Norman knight named de Botreaux, probably from Les Bottreaux, Upper Normandy, 40 km SW of Evreux, in the modern departement of Eure,[10] who had built a castle at Forrabury on the North Cornish coast, now known as Boscastle after his family.

[12] A further grant dated 1295 by the Bishop of Exeter of the Church of Knowstone to Hartland Abbey survives in the Somerset Records Office, with good impressions of seals.

When Lord Hungerford's sister Elizabeth married Sir Philip Courtenay (1404–1463) of Powderham, she took with her the manor of Molland-Bottreaux for her marriage portion.

He had been bequeathed the Bohun manor of Powderham by the will of his mother dated 1390,[19] the estates of his father having all descended to his eldest brother Hugh Courtenay, K.G.

[31] Rogers described as "seemingly portions of a raised tomb"[32] fragments[33] of sculpted stone decorated with gothic quatrefoils and heraldic shields, which stand in Molland Church.

These form a small box-like object now situated railed-off on the floor against the east wall of the north aisle under the mural monument to John Courtenay (died 1732).

Their daughter Elizabeth Courtenay (died 1624) married in 1600[56] to the Hollander Peter Muden, a doctor of medicine, of Butterleigh, three miles south-east of Tiverton.

Muden reconstructed Butterleigh parish church[57] and later erected in it a mural monument to his wife which included a female effigy between two children with verse,[58] of which only one fragment survives, a small alabaster statue of a kneeling man.

Shee departed this life the first day of October 1684John II Courtenay was a royalist during the Civil War and his estates were sequestered and he was fined heavily by the victorious parliamentarians in 1647 for his delinquency as the following resolution of the House of Commons of England dated 21 September 1647 records:[59] Resolved, etc., that this House doth accept of the sum of seven hundred and fifty pounds, for a fine, for the delinquency of John Courtney, of Molland in the County of Devon, Esquire: his offence is, that he assisted the forces raised against the Parliament: he rendered before December 1645: his estate, in old rents, in fee, per annum, sixty-eight pounds eleven shillings and fourpence; in demesne, in fee, per annum, one hundred and thirty-seven pounds seven shillings and fourpence; in personal estate, eight hundred pounds: out of which issues thirteen pounds six shillings and eightpence for one life: which leaves the fine, at a tenth, seven hundred and fifty pounds ... An ordinance for granting a pardon unto John Courtney of Molland, in the County of Devon, Esquire, for his delinquency, and for taking off the sequestration of his estate, was this day read; and, upon the question, passed; and ordered to be sent to the Lords for their concurrenceHis younger children included Catherine Courtenay (1632–1671), first wife of John Moore (1636-1700) of Upcott, Cheriton Fitzpaine and James Courtenay (died 1683) of Meshaw who has a large and ornate mural monument in the church there.

These relate to his second wife Elizabeth Lynn (died 1700), with whom he had a "passionate" relationship and who had a very interesting burial arrangement and was responsible for the erection of several monuments in the churches of Molland and Meshaw and Swimbridge.

He was however buried in Molland Church in the grave of his first wife Susanna Sandford, whose slate tombstone is in the floor of the north aisle.

Lynn Esq.r of Southwicke in Northha.ton.re who to ye lasting memory of her Lord did this too slender monument afford, for in her judgement she could scarce approve so mean an offering for so great a love.

and now lyes in this isle interr(ed) in ye same grave with him according to his passionate desires & her pro(mise) to him in testimony of their mutual love.

who erected this monument ye neither his heirs or excequetors disturb the ashes of his honour'd father & mother.On a roundel below: Underneath lieth interr'd the body of George Courtenay, Gent.

She was the eldest of three daughters of the prominent surgeon Professor Alphonsus Ligouri d'Abreu, Lt. Col. Royal Army Medical Corps, OBE, MB, CBE, FRCS, by his wife Elizabeth Ursula Arienwen Throckmorton (1906- ), sister of the 11th Baronet.

In 1958 she married Alan George Tritton, CBE, DL, of Lyons Hall, Great Leighs, Chelmsford, Essex, and of Flood St, Chelsea, London, a director of Barclays Bank, High Sheriff of Essex 1992, CBE June 1999 for services to Anglo-Indial relations & preservation of the cultural heritage.

The hope is that, through the experiment, winter grazing will begin a long-awaited fight-back against the explosion of gorse, bracken and Molinia grass that is threatening the moor’s character".

A further legal suit heard before the Justices Itinerant of King Henry III at Exeter on 24 April 1219 is recorded between John Malherbe and Sibilla his wife, and widow of Nicholas de Champellis, against William de Champellis; She claimed as part of her customary dower (comprising 1/3 of her husband's lands) the township of "Harewde" (West Horwood) and "Moulande".

Robert de Champeaus had granted by gift a moiety of the manor of "Stodlegh" (East Stoodleigh) to Robert FitzPain under the tenure of grand sergeanty comprising the payment of one pair of white gloves or 1 penny due annually on the feast of St Michael, and also of performing the overseas military service which was due by the holder of the manor to the king.

[89] The 1285 landholdings of Geoffrey de Camville (died 1308), jure uxoris feudal baron of Barnstaple included under the heading "hundred of South Molton: "Champeleston, 1/2 a knight's fee in capite.

In 1326 it was held as one knight's fee from the feudal barony of Barnstaple, the lord of which was William II FitzMartin, who died sine prole in 1326.

[96] He is recorded on the Pardon Roll of King Henry VIII during the years 1509–1514 as "Hugh Culme of South Molton and Molland Champiaux".

Hugh II Culme (died 1545) (son) was a minor at the death of his father and in 1526 was awarded in wardship to George Rolle of Stevenstone.

[106] In 1583 Richard Willoughby "clothier of Molland and Exeter", purchased the estate of "La Hill" (Leyhill) in Payhembury, near Honiton.

His monument with reclining effigy is situated in the Lady Chapel of Exeter Cathedral and displays on a cartouche his own arms impaled with Culme.

On the sudden appearance on the scene in his support of Henry Bourchier, 5th Earl of Bath with a body of cavaliers, the population became greatly alarmed and started to arm and reinforce their town's defences.

In 1703 Sir Edward Hungerford sold the Culme estates inherited from his wife to John IV Courtenay (died 1724) of Molland.

[130] Following his purchase John Courtenay "of West Molland" immediately let out Great Champson on a 99 year lease, in September 1703, to James Quartley of Exton, Somerset,[131] who developed there his famous[citation needed] breed of red Devon Cattle.