Mohuns Ottery

[9] The first appearance of the place-name is in the Domesday Book (1086) where it is recorded as Otri – one of the twelve places in Devon that had that or a very similar name.

[3] In 1247 it was recorded as Otery Flandrensis (Latin "of Flanders") and as Ottery Flemeng'  in 1279, after the family of William le Flemmeng who held part of the manor between 1219 and 1244.

[11] The name later reflected the residency of the Mohun family, appearing in the Feudal Aids in 1285 as Otermoun, and as Oteri Mohoun in an Inquisition post mortem of 1297.

[3] Tristram Risdon, writing in the early 17th century, referred to it as Mohun's Ottery,[12] while his close contemporary Thomas Westcote, called it Mohuns-Ottery.

It passed at some time, by means unknown, from Walter of Douai to the de Mandeville family, feudal barons of Marshwood[20] in Dorset.

[28] He married twice: Sir Leonard Carew (1343–1369),[25] son and heir by his father's first wife Margaret de Mohun.

[33] As the Earl obtained an annulment of his first marriage on the basis of both parties having been under-age, Sir Edmund FitzAlan was bastardised and thus prevented from inheriting the earldom.

[51] He was predeceased by his eldest son and heir apparent: This may be translated into English as follows: "Pray for the souls of Nicholas, sometime Baron Carew, and of the Lady Margaret his wife, daughter of John, Lord Dinham, Knight; which Nicholas died on the 6th day of the month of December in the year of our Lord 1470 and the aforesaid Lady Margaret died on the 13th day of the month of December in the year 1470".

[58] He left numerous issue, who with their descendants "multiplied into almost a galaxy of distinguished men that for chivalry and learning took front rank among those who added such brilliancy and renown to the remarkable reign of the Virgin Queen and the early Stuart".

[61] Later Carew lords of the manor included: The manor was purchased (probably from the co-heiresses of Sir Popham Southcote[68]) by Sir Walter Yonge, 2nd Baronet (c.1625-1670), of Great House, Colyton, Devon, who according to the Devon historian Polwhele (d.1838), "had begun to build a seat at the ancient mansion of Mohuns Ottery in the parish of Luppitt, near Ottery, but Sir Walter Yonge, taking a liking to the situation of Escot, purchased it and immediately began to build the present seat".

[72] This was his son and heir Sir Walter Yonge, 3rd Baronet (1653–1731), who in about 1680 built Escot House in the parish of Talaton, Devon.

[d] In about 1793 the estates of Sir George Yonge, 5th Baronet (d.1810), K.B., were sold, including the manors of Luppit and Mohuns Ottery, to William II Hawker (d.1806) of Poundisford Lodge, Pitminster, near Taunton, Somerset.

[68][73] Sir George Yonge, 5th Baronet was MP for Honiton and Secretary at War, but died without progeny, when the baronetcy became extinct.

He was described as:[e] "A steady Dissenter and a firm Whig who used to speak with a virtuous glow of his descent on the maternal side from the Reverend and Learned Thomas Sampson, Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, the bold opposer of superstition and tyranny in the reign of Queen Elizabeth" In 1986 "Mohuns Ottery Farm" was occupied by Arthur Francis William Blackmore (born 1911), chairman of the Luppitt Commons Committee, who had lived in the parish of Luppitt all his life.

Mohun's Ottery, as rebuilt in 1868
16th c. gatehouse, Mohun's Ottery, with arms of Carew and Mohun in spandrels with Renaissance decorative elements [ 1 ]
Spandrels of doorway, inner gatehouse, Mohun's Ottery, with arms of Carew and Mohun with Renaissance decorative elements [ 1 ]
Front entrance, Mohun's Ottery, with re-used Tudor doorway from former mansion
Arms of Fleming of Bratton Fleming , North Devon (and possibly of Stoke Fleming and Mohuns Ottery): Vair, a chief chequy or and gules [ b ] These arms appear quartered by Mohun on the mural monument in Exeter Cathedral to Sir Peter Carew (d.1575) of Mohuns Ottery
Canting arms of Mohun of Ottery (ancient): Gules, a maunch ermine the hand argent (here shown proper ) holding a fleur-de-lis or [ 23 ]
Arms of Mohun (ancient) with supporters, sculpted on right spandrel of archway of old gatehouse, Mohuns Ottery, as visible in 1888: Gules, a maunch ermine the hand argent holding a fleur-de-lis or
Arms of Mohun (modern): Or, a cross engrailed sable
Arms of Carew: Or, three lions passant in pale sable [ 27 ]
Empty arched recess in Luppitt Church which may originally have housed an effigy of John Carew (d.1324) [ 28 ]
Haccombe House, Devon
Antony House , Cornwall
Crowcombe Court , Somerset
Detail from 19th c. stained glass window in Shillingford St George Church, showing arms of Sir Edmund Carew (1465–1513) of Mohun's Ottery (lions shown here incorrectly as guardant ) impaling Huddesfield ( Argent, a fess between three boars passant sable (with a crescent argent for difference) ), for his wife Katherine Huddesfield (died 1499)
Mural monument in Exeter Cathedral to Sir Peter Carew (d.1575) "the last and most conspicuous member of this family, and who, owing to the decease of his two brothers, George and Philip, before him, was the last male owner also of this antient seat of his name and blood — Mohuns-Ottery, the which, from his initials, P. C, sculptured in the spandrels of the main door-way, he probably re-built or greatly re-edified" [ 62 ]
Canting arms of Southcote of Indio in the parish of Bovey Tracey and of Mohuns Ottery: Argent, a chevron gules between three coots sable [ 63 ]
Arms of Yonge: Ermine, on a bend cotised sable three griffin's heads erased or