Hartland Contents & Search

I am a descendent of several Hartland families, and thought it would be interesting and even useful to provide evidence of names in the Manor and Parish for family historians. The Manor included part of Upper Clovelly, Moorwinstow, and also Woofardisworthy. The 1301 and 1566 Manorial documents contain locations, and a fuller version can be seen in the Transactions of the Devonshire Association. The local writer Mr Chope was the editor of these. The Muster Rolls and Subsidy Rolls have been printed by A. J. Howard and T.L. Stoate. This document is dedicated to my cousins Mark and Peter, and newly found cousins in Cumbria, Marion and Catherine, the Emlyn-Jones family of Bristol and the descendants of the Neath Burnards, Cliffords, Colwills and Joneses.

The oddest 1301 name is Yol-the-hat,(my hyphens) some surnames are really proto-surnames which the descendents may or may not have retained. Mr Wellesford in 1566 was resident in Welsford. The Transactions suggest that Sir John Perrett may have been a descendent of King Henry viii. Sir John had a daughter who married a Prust, which is the most numerous in my list, with 35 entries. Other Knights were St Leger, and Fulford. Other frequent listings are for Baggilhole (26) Nickoll (21) Atkin (16) and Dayman (16). The Gentry included Gyfford, whom we are told originated from Clifford, which was their 1301 name, Abbott, Coole, Kempthorne, and Stucley. The Baggilholes were also listed in 1301. See "Nectanus" in 1581, and several wealthy women.

In the Subsidy and Musters, a rough guide to wealth is indicated under G for goods, and L for land, valued in pounds. This is not the tax, but the figure upon which it was levied. The surnames Father and Husband were noted. My favourite is Canon Robert Giffard, of Clovelly whose illegitimate daughter Margery lived in Gorvin, Hartland in the 1300s. Three types of Manorial Tenants are indicated: Customary (C) , Free (F), Demesne and Barton, (D&B). Individuals often had fragmented holdings.