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Bremridge is a historic estate within the former
hundred 100 or one hundred (Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 and preceding 101. In medieval contexts, it may be described as the short hundred or five score in order to differentiate the English and Germanic use of "hundred" to des ...
of
South Molton South Molton is a town in Devon, England. It is part of the North Devon local government district. The town is on the River Mole. According to the 2001 census the civil parish of South Molton had a population of 4,093, increasing to 5,108 at the ...
in Devon, England. It is now within the parish of
Filleigh Filleigh is a small village, civil parish and former manor in North Devon, on the southern edge of Exmoor, west of South Molton. The village centre's street was, until the 1980s opening of the North Devon Link Road, the main highway between ...
but was formerly in that of
South Molton South Molton is a town in Devon, England. It is part of the North Devon local government district. The town is on the River Mole. According to the 2001 census the civil parish of South Molton had a population of 4,093, increasing to 5,108 at the ...
. It is situated 8 miles north-west of South Molton. Since the construction of the nearby A361 North Devon Link Road direct access has been cut off from Bremridge to Filleigh and South Molton. The surviving wing of the mansion house built in 1654 is a
Grade II* listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Ir ...
. Bremridge Wood is the site of an
Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostl ...
enclosure or
hill fort A hillfort is a type of earthwork used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze Age or Iron Age. Some were used in the post-Roma ...
, the earthwork of which is situated on a hillside forming a promontory above the River Bray. In Bremridge Wood survives a disused tunnel of the former Great Western Railway line between South Molton and Barnstaple, much of the course of which has been used for the A361. The tunnel is 319 yards long and was identified as "Bremridge Tunnel" in the 1889 Ordnance Survey map but as "Castle Hill Tunnel" in subsequent editions.


Descent of the manor


Anglo-Saxon

The Anglo-Saxon holder of the estate of Bremridge immediately before 1066, as recorded by the
Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manus ...
, was a certain ''Edmer'', who also held, amongst others, the nearby estate of ''Alre'', i.e. South Aller, one mile south of Bremridge, also later referred to as ''Aure'' and ''Sudaure''. Concerning the
etymology Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the Phonological chan ...
of Bremridge,
Risdon Risdon is a surname and also a first name, and may refer to: ; Given name * Risdon Beazley (1904–1979), British businessman ; Surname * Dustin Risdon (born 1981), Canadian professional golfer * Elisabeth Risdon (1887–1958) English film act ...
(d.1640) (who called it ''Bromridge'') stated: "lands subject to brambles and briers so the name importeth".


Norman

In the
Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manus ...
of 1086 ''BREMERIGE'' is listed as the 56th of the 99 Devonshire landholdings of
Geoffrey de Montbray Geoffrey de Montbray (Montbrai, Mowbray) (died 1093), bishop of Coutances ( la, Constantiensis), also known as Geoffrey of Coutances, was a Norman nobleman, trusted adviser of William the Conqueror and a great secular prelate, warrior and adminis ...
(d.1093),
Bishop of Coutances The Roman Catholic Diocese of Coutances (–Avranches) (Latin: ''Dioecesis Constantiensis (–Abrincensis)''; French: ''Diocèse de Coutances (–Avranches)'') is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in France. Its mother church is the Cathe ...
, and was one of the 73 holdings he sub-infeudated to ''Drogo son of Mauger'', his chief sub-tenant in Devon. Mauger his father was probably ''Mauger of Carteret'' who is listed in the Domesday Book as a tenant of Robert, Count of Mortain (d.1090) at his Devonshire manor of Donningstone in the parish of Clayhanger, Devon, and was also a tenant of several of the Count's manors in Somerset. The ancient manor of Carteret is on the west coast of
Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
, Manche, immediately to the east of the
Channel Islands The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...
. The (expanded) text of the Domesday Book entry is as follows:
''BREMERIGE. Tenebat Edmer tempore Regis Edwardi. geldabat pro dimidia hida. Terra est vi carucis. In dominio sunt ii carrucae cum i servo iii villani iii bordarii cum i carruca. Ibi xv acrae silvae xxx acrae pasturae. Olim x solidos modo xx solidos''.("Bremridge. Edmer held it in the time of King Edward the Confessor. It paid tax for half a hide. There is land for six ploughs. In demesne there are 2 ploughs with one servant. 3 villagers and 3 smallholders with one plough. there (are) 15 acres of woodland, 30 acres of pasture. (Value) formerly 10 shillings, now 20 shillings")


Feudal barony of Barnstaple

Bremridge was a constituent manor of the large feudal barony of Barnstaple, whose first Norman lord was
Geoffrey de Montbray Geoffrey de Montbray (Montbrai, Mowbray) (died 1093), bishop of Coutances ( la, Constantiensis), also known as Geoffrey of Coutances, was a Norman nobleman, trusted adviser of William the Conqueror and a great secular prelate, warrior and adminis ...
(d.1093),
Bishop of Coutances The Roman Catholic Diocese of Coutances (–Avranches) (Latin: ''Dioecesis Constantiensis (–Abrincensis)''; French: ''Diocèse de Coutances (–Avranches)'') is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in France. Its mother church is the Cathe ...
. Thus the descent of Bremridge followed the descent of the barony. At some time before his death in 1100 King William II re-granted the barony of Barnstaple to
Juhel de Totnes Juhel de Totnes (died 1123/30) (''alias'' Juhel fitz Alfred, Juhel de Mayenne, Judel, Judhel, Judael, Judhael, Joel, Judhel de Totenais), Latinised to Judhellus filius Aluredi, "Juhel son of Alured") was a soldier and supporter of William the Con ...
(died 1123/30), formerly feudal baron of
Totnes Totnes ( or ) is a market town and civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England, within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is about west of Paignton, about west-southwest of Torquay and abo ...
. Juhel's son and heir was Alfred de Totnes, who died '' sine prole'' some time before 1139, leaving two sisters as his co-heiresses each to a
moiety Moiety may refer to: Chemistry * Moiety (chemistry), a part or functional group of a molecule ** Moiety conservation, conservation of a subgroup in a chemical species Anthropology * Moiety (kinship), either of two groups into which a society is ...
of the barony: Aenor and a sister whose name is unknown, wife of Henry de Tracy (died pre-1165).


de Tracy

The Totnes sister of unknown name married Henry de Tracy (died pre-1165), to whom approximately half of the constituent manors of the barony, including Bremridge, were allocated as his wife's inheritance. Henry left a son and heir Oliver I de Tracy (died c. 1184), who in 1165 was charged
scutage Scutage is a medieval English tax levied on holders of a knight's fee under the feudal land tenure of knight-service. Under feudalism the king, through his vassals, provided land to knights for their support. The knights owed the king military s ...
on 25
knight's fee In feudal Anglo-Norman England and Ireland, a knight's fee was a unit measure of land deemed sufficient to support a knight. Of necessity, it would not only provide sustenance for himself, his family, and servants, but also the means to furnish h ...
s for his moiety. In the
Cartae Baronum In the kingdom of England, a feudal barony or barony by tenure was the highest degree of feudal land tenure, namely ''per baroniam'' (Latin for "by barony"), under which the land-holder owed the service of being one of the king's barons. The du ...
of 1166 he declared 23 1/3 and in 1168 30 1/2 knights' fees. Oliver I left a son and heir Oliver II (died 1210), who left as his heir Henry de Tracy (died 1274), who also inherited in 1213 the other moiety of the barony. The Book of Fees (compiled ''circa'' 1198-1292) lists ''Bremelrig'' and ''Sudaure'' (Bremridge and South Aller) as held by "Oliver de Tracy".


de Tracy confirmation

An undated confirmation deed relating to ''Bremelrigge'' sealed by Henry de Tracy survives as the oldest of the mediaeval deeds amongst the Cruwys Papers at Cruwys Morchard House. It was dated by Dr. Oliver as ''tempore'' King
Richard I Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine and Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, and Count of Poitiers, Anjou, Maine, and Nantes, and was ...
(1089-1099), but by more modern authorities as ''circa'' 1220. The text (translated) is as follows:
Know ye present and future that I, Henry de Tracy, have given and granted and by this present charter have confirmed to Oliver de Tracy, for his homage and service, all the land of Bremelrigge and the service of Aure which belongs to the said land, with all its appurtenances, to have and to hold to himself and his heirs or to whomsoever he shall have wished to give or assign it, from me and my heirs, for ever freely, quietly, peacefully, wholly, doing for it royal service as much as pertains to the
fee A fee is the price one pays as remuneration for rights or services. Fees usually allow for overhead, wages, costs, and markup. Traditionally, professionals in the United Kingdom (and previously the Republic of Ireland) receive a fee in cont ...
of one knight for all service and demand, to me and my heirs, he and his heirs or assigns. And I, the aforesaid Henry, and my heirs, are bound to warrant the title of the said land of Bremelrigge with the service of Aure and with all its appurtenances to the said Oliver and his heirs or their assigns against all men for ever. And that this my grant, gift and confirmation by charter may remain stable and unbroken for ever I have strengthened the present charter with the impression of my seal. Witnesses: Hugh Peverel; Willm de Widewich; Richard de Cruwes; Philip de Bello Monte; Nicholas de Filelaya; Hugh de Chaggkeford; Willm Coffin; Alexander de Cruwes; Henry de Bello Monte; Ralph de Widewich; Thomas le Brutun; Gregory de Stoke, clerk; and many others.
Amongst the witnesses were members of the Cruwys family, which still survives today in residence at its ancient seat of Cruwys Morchard, anciently held as tenants of the de Tracey family; members of the Beaumont family ( Latinised to ''Bello Monte'') of Youlston in the parish of
Shirwell Shirwell is a village, civil parish and former manor in the local government district of North Devon, in the county of Devon, England. It was also formerly the name of a hundred of Devon. The village lies about 3.5 miles north-east of the town ...
, great landowners, a member of the de Filleigh family
lord of the manor Lord of the Manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England, referred to the landholder of a rural estate. The lord enjoyed manorial rights (the rights to establish and occupy a residence, known as the manor house and demesne) as well as seig ...
of
Filleigh Filleigh is a small village, civil parish and former manor in North Devon, on the southern edge of Exmoor, west of South Molton. The village centre's street was, until the 1980s opening of the North Devon Link Road, the main highway between ...
, in which parish is now situated Bremridge; and Hugh de Chagford, of
Chagford Chagford is a market town and civil parish on the north-east edge of Dartmoor, in Devon, England, close to the River Teign and the A382, 4 miles (6 km) west of Moretonhampstead. The name is derived from ''chag'', meaning gorse or broom, and ...
, Dartmoor. Also William Coffin of
Portledge Portledge Manor is an English manor house in the parish of Alwington, southwest of Bideford, Devon. It and the land surrounding it belonged to the Coffin family, a noble family of Norman origin, for almost 1000 years. History The house sits ...
, lord of the manor of
Alwington Alwington is a village and civil parish in the Torridge district of Devon, England. The parish is on the coast and includes the hamlets of Alwington, Fairy Cross, Ford, Knotty Corner and Woodtown. The parish has a total population of 381 (2001 ...
, which family survived there in the male line until 1766.


FitzMartin

The eventual heiress of the barony was Maud de Brian, granddaughter of Henry de Tracy (died 1274), who married
Nicholas FitzMartin Nicholas is a male given name and a surname. The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglican Churches celebrate Saint Nicholas every year on December 6, which is the name day for "Nicholas". In Greece, the name and its ...
(d.1260), feudal baron of Blagdon in Somerset. Maud's son was William I FitzMartin (died 1324) whose son and heir William II FitzMartin died sine prole in 1326. The 1326 Inquisition post mortem of William II FitzMartin (died 1326) lists his fees pertaining to the Barony of Barnstaple, comprising 88 estates, including ''Bremelrugg and South Alre'' (Bremridge & South Aller), forming one
knight's fee In feudal Anglo-Norman England and Ireland, a knight's fee was a unit measure of land deemed sufficient to support a knight. Of necessity, it would not only provide sustenance for himself, his family, and servants, but also the means to furnish h ...
and tenanted by John Tracy.


Cobleigh

Margaret Cobleigh (died 1547) of Brightley, Chittlehampton, died seized of the manors of Brightley, Stowford, Snape, Wollacombe Tracy, Bremridge and Nymet St. George. Margaret was the only child and sole heiress of John Coblegh (d.1542) of Brightley by his wife Joan Fortescue, whose small monumental brasses survives in
Chittlehampton Chittlehampton is a village and civil parish in the North Devon district of Devon, England. The parish is surrounded clockwise from the north by the parishes of Swimbridge, Filleigh, South Molton, Satterleigh and Warkleigh, High Bickington ...
Church. Joan (or Jane) Fortescue was a daughter of William Fortescue (d.1520), 2nd son of John Fortescue, of Whympston, Modbury, which John Fortescue was 1st cousin of
Sir John Fortescue John Fortescue may refer to: * Sir John Fortescue (judge) (c. 1394–1479), English lawyer and judge, MP for Tavistock, Totnes, Plympton Erle and Wiltshire * Sir John Fortescue of Salden (1531/1533–1607), third Chancellor of the Exchequer of Eng ...
(c. 1394–c. 1480), Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales and ancestor of
Earl Fortescue Earl Fortescue is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain that was created in 1789 for Hugh Fortescue, 3rd Baron Fortescue (1753–1841), a member of parliament for Beaumaris and Lord-Lieutenant of Devon. History The Earls Fortescue desce ...
of Filleigh. Margaret Cobleigh married Sir Roger Giffard (d.1547) and thus Brightley, together with other estates including
Tapeley Tapeley is a historic estate in the parish of Westleigh in North Devon, England. The present mansion house known as Tapeley Park is a grade II* listed country house, built or enlarged from an existing structure in about 1704, remodeled i ...
in the parish of Westleigh, passed to the Giffard family.


Dodderidge


John Dodderidge (1555-1628)

At some time the estate of Bremridge became the inheritance of Sir
John Doddridge Sir John Doddridge (akas: Doderidge or Dodderidge; 1555–1628) was an English lawyer, appointed Justice of the King's Bench in 1612 and served as Member of Parliament for Barnstaple (UK Parliament constituency), Barnstaple in 1589 and for Horsham ...
(Doderidge or Dodderidge, etc.) (1555–1628),
Justice of the King's Bench Justice of the King's Bench, or Justice of the Queen's Bench during the reign of a female monarch, was a puisne judicial position within the Court of King's Bench, under the Chief Justice. The King's Bench was a court of common law which modern ...
in 1612 and
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...
for Barnstaple in 1589 and for Horsham in 1604. The Dodderidge family had long been prominent merchants in nearby South Molton and later in Barnstaple. He was son of Richard Doddridge, merchant, of Barnstaple. According to the family's historian, Rev. Sidney E. Dodderidge (1882), the family took its name from the estate of ''Dotheridge'' (anciently ''Dudderidge'') in the parish of
Alwington Alwington is a village and civil parish in the Torridge district of Devon, England. The parish is on the coast and includes the hamlets of Alwington, Fairy Cross, Ford, Knotty Corner and Woodtown. The parish has a total population of 381 (2001 ...
in North Devon. They were feudal tenants of the Coffin family of
Portledge Portledge Manor is an English manor house in the parish of Alwington, southwest of Bideford, Devon. It and the land surrounding it belonged to the Coffin family, a noble family of Norman origin, for almost 1000 years. History The house sits ...
,
lords of the manor Lord of the Manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England, referred to the landholder of a rural estate. The lord enjoyed manorial rights (the rights to establish and occupy a residence, known as the manor house and demesne) as well as seigno ...
of Alwington. In 1250 Sir Richard Coffin renewed his grant of Dudderidge to Thomas de Dudderidge, a supposed ancestor of the Dodderidge family. Other sources, most notably John Prince (d.1723) supposed the family to have originated at the manor of ''Dodderidge'' in the parish of Sandford, near Crediton, in Mid-Devon. Richard was the son of a wool merchant and was born in
South Molton South Molton is a town in Devon, England. It is part of the North Devon local government district. The town is on the River Mole. According to the 2001 census the civil parish of South Molton had a population of 4,093, increasing to 5,108 at the ...
, in which town he married. With his wife and eight children before 1582 he moved to Holland Street, Barnstaple and served as Mayor of Barnstaple in 1589. A certain John Dodderidge, perhaps a relation, is recorded earlier in 1579 as mayor of Barnstaple. In 1585 he bought a house in Cross Street from his fellow burgess Thomas Skinner, which descended in turn to his sons Sir John and to the latter's brother
Pentecost Dodderidge Pentecost Dodderidge (died c. 1650) of Barnstaple in North Devon, was three times Member of Parliament for Barnstaple in 1621, 1624 and 1625. Origins Dodderidge was a son of Richard Doddridge, merchant, of Barnstaple. His elder brother was ...
(d. circa 1650), MP for Barnstaple in 1621, 1624 and 1625 and mayor of Barnstaple in 1611, 1627 and 1637. This large timber-framed house, known as the "Dodderidge House" was demolished in about 1900 to make way for a post office, the present large sandstone building with the date "1901" sculpted on its parapet. A room of ornate carved oak panelling dated 1617 from this house survives in Barnstaple Guildhall, known as the "Dodderidge Room" and an ornate overmantel displays the date 1617 between the initials "PD" and "ED", signifying Pentecost and his wife Elizabeth. The room is now used to display the Corporation's silver and the mayor's regalia. Richard entered the shipping business and owned a 100-ton prize-ship named ''Prudence'', a privateer effectively engaged in licensed piracy. She is recorded as having had 80 men on board in 1590, and landed a record prize taken off the Guinea Coast, probably from Spanish galleons from South America, consisting of four chests of gold worth £16,000 with in addition chains of gold and civet-fur. The gold landed at Barnstaple from this voyage weighed 320 lbs. Between June and October 1590 ''Prudence'' sent back to Barnstaple two further prizes of unrecorded value and in January 1592 brought in a prize of £10,000. In March 1596 the Privy Council ordered the mayor of Barnstaple to send a ship to challenge two or three Spanish ships in the Irish Sea and the ''Prudence'' was selected for this task. She was victualled for five months, for a crew of 40, at a cost exceeding £900, borne by the North Devon population. On 8 August 1596 she returned to Barnstaple, loaded with much pillage taken during the attack on Cadiz conducted by Lords Essex and Howard. Richard received at some time letters patent as one of six west country merchants licensed to trade with "the River of Senegal and Gambia in Guinea". Richard presented to the Corporation of Barnstaple "a great boale with its covering, wrought in silver and a silver-gilt table lamp". Sir John Dodderidge is said by
Hoskins Hoskins is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Allen Hoskins (1920–1980), American child actor who played Farina in the Our Gang series * Andrew Hoskins (born 1975), Canadian rower * Anthony Hoskins (1828–1901), Royal Navy a ...
(1959) to have built a new mansion at Bremridge in 1622.


Pentecost Dodderidge

Sir John Dodderidge's heir was his brother
Pentecost Dodderidge Pentecost Dodderidge (died c. 1650) of Barnstaple in North Devon, was three times Member of Parliament for Barnstaple in 1621, 1624 and 1625. Origins Dodderidge was a son of Richard Doddridge, merchant, of Barnstaple. His elder brother was ...
(d. circa 1650), MP for Barnstaple in 1621, 1624 and 1625 and mayor of Barnstaple in 1611, 1627 and 1637. Pentecost Dodderidge's heir was his son John Dodderidge (1610–1659), MP (see below). Pentecost had several daughters including: *Elizabeth Dodderidge, wife of Richard Crossing (born 1608), son of Thomas Crossing (d.1644) of Exeter (brother of Hugh Crossing, Mayor of Exeter). Bremridge was ultimately inherited by the Crossing family on the failure of the Dodderidge male line. Richard Crossing left no male progeny by his wife Elizabeth Dodderidge, only three married daughters: **Sarah Crossing (born 1634), wife of John Blundell **Rebecca Crossing (born 1637), wife of John Bankes **Dorothy Crossing (born 1637), wife of Edward Fortescue (d.1702), of Spridlestone, Brixton, Devon, a distant cousin of the Fortescues of Filleigh, who later acquired Bremridge. *Anne Dodderidge, wife of John Martin of Exeter, a descendant of the mediaeval FitzMartin family, feudal barons of Barnstaple. *Dorcas (''alias'' Dorothy) Dodderidge (d.1666), wife of John Lovering of Wear Giffard, Devon.


John Dodderidge (1610-1659)

Pentecost Dodderidge's heir was his son John Dodderidge (1610–1659), MP, whose will, dated 20 Jan 1658 and proved 20 Jun 1659 may be summarised thus: ::''John Doddridge of Bremeridge, Devon, Esq. 20 January 1658, proved 20 June 1659. If I happen to die within thirty miles of Cheshunt, Herts, my body may be carried thither and there interred in the Vault of my honored father in law Sir Thomas Dacres of Cheshunt, knight, as near the body of my very dear virtuous and truly loving wife Martha, the youngest daughter of the said Sir Thomas Dacres, as conveniently may be, who hath promised me a burying place there according to my great desire. But if I happen to die within thirty miles of the town of Barnastaple, Devon, then I very much desire that my body may be carried to Barnstaple and buried as near the body of my dear virtuous and loving wife Jane as may be. Bequests to the town of Barnstaple, for the poor there, to the aldermen of Bristol (forty pounds) for a piece of plate with my coat of arms engraven upon it and this inscription "Ex Dono Johanni Doddridge Recordatoris Civitatis Bristoll"'' (i.e "From the gift of John Dodderidge Recorder of the City of Bristol"). ''To the poor of Ilfracombe, Fremington, and South Molton. My most dear wife Judith. My dear sisters Mistress Elizabeth Crossing, Mistress Dorothy Lowring (i.e. Lovering) and my nephew Master John Martin. My father in law John Gurdon Esq. and my loving brothers John Hele Esq., Thomas Dacres Esq., Robert Gurdon Esq., Master John Martin, Master Richard Crossing, Master John Lowring, Master Joseph Jackson and my friends Master Robert Aldworth, Master Edward Watts and Master Richard Sherbrook. I give and bequeath unto the College in New England towards the maintenance of scholars there the yearly sum of ten pounds forever, issuing and going forth out of my Rectory of Fremington in the County of Devon. I also give and bequeath unto the Trustees for the maintenance of select scholars at the University, according to the model drawn up by Master Poole and other godly ministers, the like yearly sum of ten pounds &c. My cousin Dorothy Watts wife of Master Edward Watts, Sarah Walker daughter of Thomas Walker minister of Assington, Suffolk. Cousin Roger Hill one of the Barons of the Exchequer. My manor of Abbotts Bury in Porbury, in the County of Somerset. My niece Jane Martin.'' A monument exists in
Cheshunt Cheshunt ( ) is a town in Hertfordshire, England, north of London on the River Lea and Lee Navigation. It contains a section of the Lee Valley Park, including much of the River Lee Country Park. To the north lies Broxbourne and Wormley, ...
Church, Hertfordshire, inscribed as follows:
''"To the memory of Martha Doddridge, wife of John Doddridge, of Branbridge, in the county of Devon, Esq., youngest daughter of Sir Thomas Dacres, of Hertford, Knt., who died in 1655. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. (Prov. xxx. 29) This is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day. (Gen. xxxv. 19, 80)''.
It would thus appear that the surviving house at Bremridge, apparently originally part of a larger structure, was built by John Dodderidge (1610-1659) as the date "1654" is sculpted on the labels of the Tudor arched front entrance. High above the front door inset into the wall is a stone heraldic displaying the arms of Dodderidge (''Argent, two pales wavy azure between nine cross croslets gules'')
impaling Impalement, as a method of torture and execution, is the penetration of a human by an object such as a stake, pole, spear, or hook, often by the complete or partial perforation of the torso. It was particularly used in response to "crimes aga ...
(''A chevron sable between three escallops''). These appear to be the arms of three possible families: Gay of Goldsworthy and Barnstaple, Westcott or Pollard The senior branch of the influential Pollard family was seated at
King's Nympton King's Nympton (Latinised to ''Nymet Regis'') is a village, parish and former manor in North Devon, England in the heart of the rolling countryside between Exmoor and Dartmoor, some 4½ miles () S.S.W. of South Molton and N. of Chulmleigh. The ...
in Devon. The identity of the wife bearing these escallop arms is unclear from surviving records. John Dodderidge (1610-1659) is known to have married three times but his only son John predeceased him. His wives included: *Martha Dacres (d.1655), the youngest daughter of Sir Thomas Dacres of Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. *Jane *Judith One of his wives was the daughter of John Gurdon of Assington Hall, Sudbury, Suffolk. Dodderidge died in 1659 at Cheshunt at the age of about 49. He bequeathed his library of 112 books to his wife Judith who in turn gave or bequeathed them in 1667 to the town of Barnstaple. The collection, known as the Dodderidgian Library (Latin: ''Bibliotheca Doddridgiana'') was housed in a purpose-made building erected at the north-east corner of St Peter's Church, Barnstaple, which survives. The collection is now on permanent loan to the
University of Exeter , mottoeng = "We Follow the Light" , established = 1838 - St Luke's College1855 - Exeter School of Art1863 - Exeter School of Science 1955 - University of Exeter (received royal charter) , type = Public , ...
. As his only son predeceased him, his heirs were his two sisters, Elizabeth Dodderidge, wife of Richard Crossing, and Dorcas Doddridge, the wife of John Lovering (d.1675) "The Elder", of
Weare Giffard Weare Giffard is a small village, civil parish and former manor in the Torridge district, in north Devon. The church and manor house are situated 2 1/2 miles NW of Great Torrington in Devon. Most of the houses within the parish are situated ...
, a merchant based at Barnstaple who served as one of his executors. John Lovering's son was John Lovering "The Younger" (d.1686) who married Elizabeth Venner daughter of William Venner of
Hudscott Hudscott is a historic estate within the parish and former manor of Chittlehampton, Devon. From 1700 it became a seat of a junior branch of the influential Rolle family of Heanton Satchville, Petrockstowe and in 1779 became a secondary seat ...
,
Chittlehampton Chittlehampton is a village and civil parish in the North Devon district of Devon, England. The parish is surrounded clockwise from the north by the parishes of Swimbridge, Filleigh, South Molton, Satterleigh and Warkleigh, High Bickington ...
. According to Lysons (1822) Bremridge passed via female heirs of the Dodderidge family to the families of Crossing and Blundell, thence by purchase to Fortescue.


Fortescue

The Devon historian
Richard Polwhele Richard Polwhele (6 January 1760 – 12 March 1838) was a Cornish clergyman, poet and historian of Cornwall and Devon. Biography Richard Polwhele's ancestors long held the manor of Treworgan, 4 3/4 miles south-east of Truro in Cornwall, whi ...
(d.1838) in his work ''History of Devonshire'' (1793-1806) stated Bremridge to be the property of the Fortescue family (created
Earl Fortescue Earl Fortescue is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain that was created in 1789 for Hugh Fortescue, 3rd Baron Fortescue (1753–1841), a member of parliament for Beaumaris and Lord-Lieutenant of Devon. History The Earls Fortescue desce ...
in 1789), whose principal seats were at
Weare Giffard Weare Giffard is a small village, civil parish and former manor in the Torridge district, in north Devon. The church and manor house are situated 2 1/2 miles NW of Great Torrington in Devon. Most of the houses within the parish are situated ...
and at nearby
Filleigh Filleigh is a small village, civil parish and former manor in North Devon, on the southern edge of Exmoor, west of South Molton. The village centre's street was, until the 1980s opening of the North Devon Link Road, the main highway between ...
, where in about 1728
Hugh Fortescue, 1st Earl Clinton Hugh Fortescue, 1st Earl Clinton ( – 3 May 1751) was an English peer and landowner. He built the Palladian English country house of Castle Hill, which survives to this day. Origins He was the eldest surviving son and heir of Hugh Fortescu ...
(1696–1751), built the present grand Palladian mansion Castle Hill on the site of the old manor house. According to Hoskins (1954) part of Bremridge was demolished in about 1830, and the building materials were used elsewhere. In the 1839
Tithe A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash or cheques or more ...
apportionment Bremridge Barton was listed as comprising 301 acres of mixed arable and pasture valued at £30 15s. 3d. The tenants were Henry Skinner and his son John Skinner. Earl Fortescue retained 130 acres of woodland on the estate for his own use, known as Bremridge Wood.


Hill

In 2014 the estate of Bremridge is the property of Tony Hill of nearby Rapscott, the son of Olympic horserider
Bertie Hill Albert "Bertie" Edwin Hill (7 February 1927 – 5 August 2005) was a British equestrian who competed at three Olympic Games. After serving in the Home Guard during the Second World War, Hill became an amateur jockey in ...
(1927-2005), gold medallist at the 1956 games in Stockholm. It is let to tenants.


Sources

*Thorn, Caroline & Frank, (eds.) Domesday Book, (Morris, John, gen.ed.) Vol. 9, Devon, Parts 1 & 2, Phillimore Press, Chichester, 1985. *Sanders, I.J., English Baronies, Oxford, 1960, pp. 104–5, Barony of Barnstaple *Lamplugh, Lois, Barnstaple: Town on the Taw, Chichester, 2002
Dodderidge, Rev. Sidney E., Pedigree of Dudderigge alias Dodderidge, of Dotheridge, South Molton, and Barnstaple, Co. Devon, Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries, vol. 3, no. 5, (1905) pp.166-169


References

{{Authority control Historic estates in Devon