Orcheton, Modbury
Orcheton(ancientlyOrcharton,etc.) is an historic estate in the parish ofModburyin Devon. The present house, known asGreat Orcheton Farmis situated1+1⁄2miles south-west of Modbury Church.
Descent
[edit]de Vautort
[edit]TheDomesday Bookof 1086 listsORCARTONEas the 65th of the 79 Devonshire holdings[1]ofRobert, Count of Mortain,uterinehalf-brother of KingWilliam the Conqueror.Robert's tenant was Reginald de Vautort (died post 1121), 1stfeudal barony of Trematon[2]in Cornwall, one of his major followers, who held from Robert numerous manors in Devon and Cornwall, including the manor of Modbury.[3]Reginald de Vautort's principal seat wasTrematon Castlein Cornwall, also held from Robert, Count of Mortain, which became thecaputof thefeudal barony of Trematon.Orcheton and Modbury thus descended as possessions of theHonourof Trematon.[4]
de Orcharton
[edit]The de Orcharton family took its surname from its seat, as was usual. The last holder was John de Orcharton, whose daughter and heiress was Isabella de Orcharton (died 1249), first wife of Geoffry Pridyas, as younger son of Richard Predieux (died 1250)[5]ofPrideaux Castle,nearFowey,in Cornwall.
Prideaux
[edit]
TheBook of Fees(c.1302, contents earlier) lists Geoffreyde PridiasasholdingOrcherdton,as a member of the manor of Modbury, from the Honour of Trematon.[7]The Prideaux family is believed to be of Norman origin and to have first settled in England at some time after theNorman Conquestof 1066 atPrideaux Castle,nearFowey,in Cornwall. It abandoned that seat and moved to Devon, where it spread out in various branches, earliest at Orcheton. Later branches were seated at Adeston,Holbeton;Thuborough,Sutcombe;Soldon, Holsworthy;Netherton, Farway(seePrideaux baronets);Ashburton;Nutwell,WoodburyandFord Abbey,Thorncombeand atPrideaux Placein the parish of Padstow, Cornwall, where the Prideaux-Brune family still resides today. It was one of the most widespread and successful of all thegentry families of Devon,and as remarked upon bySwete(died 1821), exceptionally most of the expansion was performed by younger sons,[8]who by the custom ofprimogeniturewere expected to make their own fortunes.
The son and heir of Geoffry Pridyas by his first wife Isabella de Orcharton (died 1249) was Sir Roger Pridyas (living 1297),Sheriff of Devonin 1271, 1272 and 1273.[9]His elder son and heir by his wife a certain Gilda, was Peter de Pridias (died 1316), who married a certain Clarice. His son and heir was Sir Roger de Pridias (d.pre-1357), aMember of ParliamentforDevonin 1331,[10]who married Elizabeth Treverbyn, daughter and co-heiress of Huge de Treverbyn of Treverbyn in the parish of St Austell in Cornwall. His second son was John Prideaux who founded the branch of the family seated at Adeston. His eldest son and heir was Roger de Pridias, who predeceased his father, having married twice. Firstly to a certain Elizabeth, by whom he had children, and secondly to Joan Clifford (daughter of Peter Clifford), who in 1357 claimed Orcheton as herdoweras is recorded in the accounts of theDuchy of Cornwall,[11]the overlord of theHonour of Trematon.Roger de Pridias's eldest son and heir was Sir John Prideaux (c. 1347 – 1403), twice aMember of ParliamentforDevonin 1383 and 1388,[12]whose much mutilated effigy survives in Modbury Church. He was granted the manor ofColumb Johnby the Earl of Devon.[13]As he died without male children his heir became his younger brother Sir Richard Prideaux (died 1408).[14]
The descent in the Prideaux family continued for a further seven generations until Sir Robert Prideaux (1550-post 1603), knighted in July 1603,[15]sold it to SirJohn Hele(c. 1541 – 1608) ofWemburyin Devon, aserjeant-at-law,[16]Recorder of Exeter(1592–1605) and aMember of ParliamentforExeterwho purchased the manors ofYealmptonandWemburyin Devon[17]and whose effigy survives in Wembury Church.
References
[edit]- ^Thorn, Caroline & Frank, (eds.) Domesday Book, (Morris, John, gen.ed.) Vol. 9, Devon, Parts 1 & 2, Phillimore Press, Chichester, 1985, 15:65
- ^Sanders, I.J. English Baronies: A Study of their Origin and Descent 1086-1327, Oxford, 1960, pp. 90–1, Barony of Trematon
- ^Thorn, Caroline & Frank, (eds.) Domesday Book, (Morris, John, gen.ed.) Vol. 9, Devon, Parts 1 & 2, Phillimore Press, Chichester, 1985, 15:64 Part 2 (notes), 15:64,65
- ^Thorne, part 2, 15:65
- ^Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L.,(Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising theHeralds' Visitationsof 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p.616
- ^"PRIDEAUX, Sir John (C.1347-1403), of Orcheton in Modbury, Devon. | History of Parliament Online".
- ^Thorne, part 2, 15:65
- ^Gray, Todd& Rowe, Margery (Eds.), Travels in Georgian Devon: The Illustrated Journals of The ReverendJohn Swete,1789-1800, 4 vols., Tiverton, 1999, vol.2, p.107
- ^Vivian, p.616
- ^Vivian, p.616
- ^Vivian, p.616
- ^"PRIDEAUX, Sir John (C.1347-1403), of Orcheton in Modbury, Devon. | History of Parliament Online".
- ^Pole, Sir William(died 1635), Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon,Sir John-William de la Pole(ed.), London, 1791, p.170
- ^"PRIDEAUX, Sir John (C.1347-1403), of Orcheton in Modbury, Devon. | History of Parliament Online".
- ^Vivian, p.617
- ^Prince, John,(1643–1723) The Worthies of Devon, 1810 edition, London, p.650; Pole, pp. 311–12
- ^Risdon, Tristram(died 1640), Survey of Devon, 1811 edition, London, 1811, with 1810 Additions, p.200