Hams is an historic estate situated within the parish of

Chudleigh Chudleigh () is an ancient wool town located within the Teignbridge District Council area of Devon, England between Newton Abbot and Exeter. The electoral ward with the same name had a population of 6,125 at the 2011 census. Geography Chudl ...

in Devon. The surviving remnant of the former mansion house of the Hunt family, known as Hams Barton is a

grade II* listed 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 Irel ...

building, situated one mile north-east of the town of Chudleigh, near Kate Brook.

History

The Hunt family was settled at Hams before the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603). Thomas Hunt (d.1548) was thrice

Mayor of Exeter This is a chronological list of the Mayors and Lord Mayors of the city of Exeter, England. The role of Mayor was granted the dignity and style of Lord Mayor by letters patent dated 1 May 2002 as the result of a competition to celebrate the Gol ...

, including in 1517 and 1537. The last entry of the name in the Parish Register is the burial of Thomas Hunt in 1730. According to the Devonshire historian Polwhele: ''"Hams was an estate of very considerable extent when in possession of the Hunts"''. It afterwards belonged to the Inglett family (later Fortescue-Inglett) of

Buckland Filleigh Buckland Filleigh is a village, civil parish and former manor in the Torridge district of North Devon, England, situated about 8 miles south of the town of Great Torrington. According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 170. It ...

, who sold it to a certain Mr Beech, who sold it to

Sir Robert Palk, 1st Baronet Sir Robert Palk, 1st Baronet (December 1717 – 29 April 1798) of Haldon House in the parish of Kenn, in Devon, England, was an officer of the British East India Company who served as Governor of the Madras Presidency. In England he served as ...

(1717-1798) of

Haldon House Haldon House (pronounced: "Hol-don") on the eastern side of the Haldon Hills in the parishes of Dunchideock and Kenn, near Exeter in Devon, England, was a large Georgian country house largely demolished in the 1920s. The surviving north wing ...

in the parish of Kenn, Devon. It was sold by Palk to

Charles Clifford, 6th Baron Clifford of Chudleigh Baron Clifford of Chudleigh, of Chudleigh in the County of Devon, is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1672 for Thomas Clifford. The title was created as "Clifford of Chudleigh" rather than simply "Clifford" to differentiat ...

(1759–1831), of

Ugbrooke Ugbrooke House is a stately home in the parish of Chudleigh, Devon, England, situated in a valley between Exeter and Newton Abbot. The home of the Clifford family, the house and grounds are available for guided tours in summer and as an event ...

within the parish of Chudleigh, and in 1852 belonged to his son

Hugh Clifford, 7th Baron Clifford of Chudleigh Hugh Charles Clifford, 7th Baron Clifford of Chudleigh (29 May 1790 – 28 February 1858) was a British peer. He inherited the title from his father on 29 April 1831. Clifford, eldest son of Charles Clifford, 6th Baron Clifford of Chudleigh, and ...

(1790–1858). Hams was originally a large Elizabethan structure, approached by an avenue. In 1852 it had descended in status to a farm house, situated in a court, and surrounded by a few chestnut trees. The principal doorway and several others are arched and made of granite. The ceilings of some of the rooms are supported by oak beams, smoothed and jointed and in 1852 the windows were "of the ancient form, some of them are now blocked up or modernized". A fine banquetting room survives, called by

Pevsner Pevsner or Pevzner is a Jewish surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Aihud Pevsner (1925–2018), American physicist * Antoine Pevsner (1886–1962), Russian sculptor, brother of Naum Gabo * David Pevsner, American actor, singer, da ...

"the sumptuous first-floor great chamber, one of the best of its date in the county", with fireplace overmantle inscribed with the date "1621" and displaying the arms of Hunt (''Azure, on a bend between two water bougets or three leopard's faces gules'') impaling Meredith commemorating the marriage of Bennett Hunt (1573-1643),

, and Elizabeth Meredith (d.1659), a daughter of Thomas Meredith of Slapton. The Bennett family at that time resided at nearby Whiteway. On the opposite wall are the royal arms. The couple's mural monument survives in Chudleigh Church inscribed: ''"Here lyeth the body of Bennett Hunt of Hams, in this p'ish, esqr. who was buried ye first day of July, Anno Dom. 1643, aged 70 years. Also the body of Elizabeth Hunt, the wife of Bennett Hunt, was buried the 2d day of November, 1659. Also the body of Nicholas Hunt, son of Bennett Hunt, was buried the 19h day of October, 1639, aged 22 years. Also the body of Frances, ye wife of John Hunt of Hams, esqr. was buried the 26h day of March, 1672."'' Other monuments to the family also survive in the church.Jones

References

Historic estates in Devon