Modbury, Devon One Place Study

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Modbury, Devon, England
Surnames/tags: One_Place_Studies Devon England

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Contents 1 Modbury, Devon One Place Study 1.1 Name 1.2 History 1.2.1 Domesday Book, 1086 1.2.2 Manorial Families 1.3 Population 1.3.1 Notables 1.4 Geography 2 Sources

Modbury, Devon One Place Study

"An OPS researches the residents of a particular place by gathering a full range of historical records, memorabilia, and stories that mention those individuals, and analyze them to gain insights into the social and economic workings of that place...and would generally have as its aims to identify local families and analyze issues like occupational structure, life expectancy, and geographical mobility." [Society for One-Place Studies]

Modbury, Devon, England

Name

The name Modbury is a corruption of the Anglo-Saxon name, Moot burgh from 'Moot' meaning either 'Mud' or 'meeting' and 'bury' meaning 'fortified enclosure'. Wikipedia

History

Domesday Book, 1086

Modbury was a settlement in Domesday Book, in the hundred of Alleriga and the county of Devon. It had a recorded population of 53 households in 1086, putting it in the largest 20% of settlements recorded in Domesday.

Lord in 1066: Wado of Ashbrittle
Over lord in 1066: Ordwulf of Tehidy

Households: 4 villagers. 2 smallholders. 1 slave.
Ploughland: 5 ploughlands. 1 lord's plough teams. 3 men's plough teams.
Other resources: 0.5 lord's lands. Woodland 2 acres.
Livestock in 1086: 6 cattle. 6 pigs. 60 sheep. 30 goats.
Valuation: Annual value to lord: 1 pound 12 shillings in 1086

Modbury in 1086

Lord in 1086: Richard (son of Turolf)
Tenant-in-Chief in 1086: Count Robert of Mortain, half-brother of William the Conqueror
Tenant to Robert: Reginald de Vautort

T.R.E. = tempora regis Eduardis, or 'in the time of King Edward the Confessor'

During World War One, the Domesday books were held for safekeeping in Bodmin Prison, Cornwall, and during World War Two, in Shepton Mallet Prison, Somerset.

Nearly eight hundred years passed before something similar was attempted: the 1873 Return of Owners of Land.

Manorial Families

List of manors in Modbury Parish

Sir Richard Champernon of Modbury became the first Champernowne to be seated at Modbury. He received this via his mother's (Joan Cornwall) family; her childless half-brother, Sir James Okeston had made Sir Richard his heir.

Sir James was the son of Alexander Okeston. Alexander was the second husband of Joan (Unknown) de Vautort, and was granted the manor plus Bridford (Devon) by Sir Roger de Vautort. Sir Roger inherited it from Reginald de Vautort, tenant of Count Robert of Mortain, William the Conqueror's half-brother.

The manor house, named 'Court House' was founded in the 12th century by the Vautort lords of the manor. however, it was destroyed during the Civil War (1642–1651); the ruins were sold in 1705 as building material.

Population

1801	1811	1821	1831	1841	1851	1861	1871	1881	1891	1901	1911
3652	3914	4507	4446	4648	4280	3679	3781	3583	3235	2762	2720

2001	2011	2021	2024
1225	1372	1687	2114

data provided by Vision of Britain and Modbury Parish Council

Modbury was a prosperous town, being a centre for the wool trade. However, when this industry was mechanised, many of the inhabitants of Modbury moved to the larger towns and cities, some even emigrating abroad. The population figures show this, with the current population only being 1687, almost a quarter of its size at its peak.

Notables

• Katherine "Kat" (Champernowne) Ashley, governess to Queen Elizabeth I, and mother to Sir Walter Raleigh
• Sir George Baker, physician to King George III
• William Battie/Batty, president of the Royal College of Physicians
• Thomas Savery, inventor of the steam pump, born at Shilstone

Geography

Continent: Europe

Sovereign State: United Kingdom

Country: England

County: Devon

GPS Coordinates: 50.349111, -3.886896

Elevation:

Sources

• Wikidata: Item Q1242590, en:Wikipedia