The Parker family had risen to prominence in the mid-16th century as the bailiff of the manor of North Molton, Devon, under Baron Zouche of Haryngworth.

The family owned Saltram for about 50 years, their prosperity declining at the end of the century when they began to sell and lease parts of the estate.

However, after the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660, Hatsell was stripped of the house and estate, which were granted to Sir George Carteret in settlement of a loan he had made to the King during the Civil War.

However, in 1819 he employed the Plymouth architect John Foulston to add the Entrance Porch and create the present Library out of two smaller rooms.

His second wife, Frances, continued to develop the artistic legacy of the family by producing her own watercolours and Old Master copies, which are displayed in the house.

The Earl of Morley was ambitious and attempted to develop several industrial and engineering projects on the estate, but many were unsuccessful and the family fell heavily into debt.

[8] Money was so short that Albert Parker, 3rd Earl of Morley, was forced to leave the house between 1861 and 1884, and was only able to return after selling several of the estate's most valuable paintings.

The family's fortunes picked up in 1926 when Edmund Parker, 4th Earl of Morley, inherited several other estates, although the good times were short-lived as the war brought damage from enemy bombing.

Eventually in 1957 the house and its contents were accepted in lieu of death duties by HM Treasury, which transferred them to the National Trust.