Bovey Tracey, Little Bovey, Indeo, Knighton and Knighton Heath

Extracts from:

William Pole

Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon

London: J. Nicholls, pp. 266-267

Provided by Michael Steer

BOVEY TRACY

Bovy Tracy, or South Bovy, thauncient mannor of the Tracyes Barons of Barnstaple. The Lord Henry had issue Matild, first married unto Nicas Lord Martyn, of Dertington, & secondly, unto Sr Jeffry Camvill; by Martyn it descended unto ye Lord Jams Audlegh, & (by) vertue of entaile by him for want of heires males of his body; a remainder unto ye Crowne. After the death of Nicolas Lord Audlegh, dying without issue, this mannor escheated unto Kinge Richard 2, and was given by the Kinge unto John Holland, Duke of Exceter, and after the death of Henry Holland, Duke of Exceter, and Anne his wife, it fell agayne unto the Crowne, & theire remained ever sithens.

LITTLE BOVY

Little Bovy hath ever had divers lords; for in ye 27 of Kinge Henry 3, Roger Putford & Roger Medlake held land heer. John at Forde, John Homaz, Richard Leach, Richard Faber, held half a knighte's fee in Little Bovy, & anno 30 of Kinge Edw. (1) and in 8 of Edw 2, Robert Forde, Ailward Homaz, Richard Leach and Richard Faber held the same; and 19 of Kinge Edw 3, Willm at Forde, John Homaz, Richard Leach and Richard Faber held the same.
Hugh Punchardun, with the consent of Reginald his eldest sonne, gave land in Little Bovy unto Mary his daughter in Kynge John's tyme and Roger Punchardun held land in Little Bovy in Kinge Henry 3 tyme.
Roger Putford, with the consent of Margery his wife, gave land in Little Bovy unto Roger de Punchardun his sonne. Richard Punchardun, sonne of Walter Punchardun, held lands in Little Bovy anno 22 R 2; and anno 1, Kinge Henry 5. John Homaz, sonne of John Homaz of Exon held land their.
Soe as it seemeth that this mannor had always bine distracted into many men's hands. John Southcot of Indeho esqr purchased it all, or a good part of this mannor, & soe it hath descended by Thomas his sonne, unto Thomas Southcot Esq, grandchild of Thomas whoe nowe is lord thereof.

INDEHOE

Indehoe lieth in Bovy Tracy, sometyme a priory; but here John Southcot Esq, bwilded a fayre howse; & dwelled theire, and it descended unto Thomas Southcot aforesaid, who hath bestowed it upon Sr Popham Southcot his eldest (sonne), who now dwelleth theire.

KNIGHTON

Knighton lieth in the parish of South Bovy, or Bovy Tracy, and Will'm Clist held half a knighte's fee theire, anno 27 of Kinge Henry 3. & Henry Frankcheyney held the same, 24 of Kynge Edward (1), in wch name of Frankcheyney it contynewed unto Kynge Henry 8 tyme. At what tyme Elizabeth, daughter of John Frankcheyney, married unto ...Strode of Somersetshire (who) sold it unto Ellyot and hee unto Sr Robert Dennys, & (it) descended unto Sr Thomas Dennys.

KNIGHTON HETHFILD

Knighton Hethfild belonged unto therles of Devon.
Thomas Southcot, Esq, hath his mannor of Knighton, descended from his great grandfather.
John de Stookhey held half a knighte's fee of the honor of Bury in Knighteston, in Kinge Edw 2 tyme, which descended unto the family of Beamont.
Patron of the vicarage of Bovy Tracy is the Kinge, valewed 26 I. 2sh. 1d.