Orcheton, Modbury

Great Orcheton Farm, viewed in 2006

Orcheton (anciently Orcharton, etc.) is an historic estate in the parish of Modbury in Devon. The present house, known as Great Orcheton Farm is situated 1 1/2 miles south-west of Modbury Church.

Descent

de Vautort

The Domesday Book of 1086 lists ORCARTONE as the 65th of the 79 Devonshire holdings[1] of Robert, Count of Mortain, uterine half-brother of King William the Conqueror. Robert's tenant was Reginald I de Vautort (died post 1121), 1st feudal 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 I de Vautort's principal seat was Trematon Castle in Cornwall, also held from Robert, Count of Mortain, which became the caput of the feudal barony of Trematon. Orcheton and Modbury thus descended as possessions of the Honour of Trematon.[4]

de Orcharton

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 (d.1249), first wife of Geoffry Pridyas, as younger son of Richard Predieux (d.1250)[5] of Prideaux Castle, near Fowey, in Cornwall.

Prideaux

Arms of Prideaux: Argent, a chevron sable in chief a label of three points gules
Mutilated effigy in Modbury Church believed to represent Sir John Prideaux (c.1347-1403) of Orcheton, twice a Member of Parliament for Devon[6]

The Book of Fees (c.1302, contents earlier) lists Geoffrey de Pridias as holding Orcherdton, 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 the Norman Conquest of 1066 at Prideaux Castle, near Fowey, 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 (see Prideaux baronets); Ashburton; Nutwell, Woodbury and Ford Abbey, Thorncombe and at Prideaux Place in the parish of Padstow, Cornwall, where the Prideaux-Brune family still resides today. It was one of the most widespread and successful of all the gentry families of Devon, and as remarked upon by Swete (d.1821), exceptionally most of the expansion was performed by younger sons,[8] who by the custom of primogeniture were expected to make their own fortunes.

The son and heir of Geoffry Pridyas by his first wife Isabella de Orcharton (d.1249) was Sir Roger Pridyas (living 1297), Sheriff of Devon in 1271, 1272 and 1273.[9] His elder son and heir by his wife a certain Gilda, was Peter de Pridias (d.1316), who married a certain Clarice. His son and heir was Sir Roger de Pridias (d.pre-1357), a Member of Parliament for Devon in 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 progeny, and secondly to Joan Clifford (daughter of Peter Clifford), who in 1357 claimed Orcheton as her dower as is recorded in the accounts of the Duchy of Cornwall,[11] the overlord of the Honour of Trematon. Roger de Pridias's eldest son and heir was Sir John Prideaux (c.1347-1403), twice a Member of Parliament for Devon in 1383 and 1388,[12] whose much mutilated effigy survives in Modbury Church. He was granted the manor of Columb John by the Earl of Devon.[13] As he died without male progeny his heir became his younger brother Sir Richard Prideaux (d.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 Sir John Hele (c.1541–1608) of Wembury in Devon, a serjeant-at-law,[16] Recorder of Exeter (1592-1605) and a Member of Parliament for Exeter who purchased the manors of Yealmpton and Wembury in Devon [17] and whose effigy survives in Wembury Church.

References

  1. ↑ Thorn, Caroline & Frank, (eds.) Domesday Book, (Morris, John, gen.ed.) Vol. 9, Devon, Parts 1 & 2, Phillimore Press, Chichester, 1985, 15:65
  2. ↑ Sanders, I.J. English Baronies: A Study of their Origin and Descent 1086-1327, Oxford, 1960, pp. 90–1, Barony of Trematon
  3. ↑ 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
  4. ↑ Thorne, part 2, 15:65
  5. ↑ Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p.616
  6. ↑ http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1386-1421/member/prideaux-sir-john-1347-1403
  7. ↑ Thorne, part 2, 15:65
  8. ↑ Gray, Todd & Rowe, Margery (Eds.), Travels in Georgian Devon: The Illustrated Journals of The Reverend John Swete, 1789-1800, 4 vols., Tiverton, 1999, vol.2, p.107
  9. ↑ Vivian, p.616
  10. ↑ Vivian, p.616
  11. ↑ Vivian, p.616
  12. ↑ http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1386-1421/member/prideaux-sir-john-1347-1403
  13. ↑ Pole, Sir William (d.1635), Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, Sir John-William de la Pole (ed.), London, 1791, p.170
  14. ↑ http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1386-1421/member/prideaux-sir-john-1347-1403
  15. ↑ Vivian, p.617
  16. ↑ Prince, John, (1643–1723) The Worthies of Devon, 1810 edition, London, p.650; Pole, pp.311-12
  17. ↑ Risdon, Tristram (d.1640), Survey of Devon, 1811 edition, London, 1811, with 1810 Additions, p.200
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