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Lower Netherton

By Arthur A. Jewers

Devon Notes & Queries, vol. I, (January 1900 to January 1901), pp. 79- 80.

Prepared by Michael Steer

The author of the Querie; Arthur John Jewers was an antiquarian with a particular interest in church records. His publications included Parish Registers and their preservation (1884). He died in 1921. The author seeks a link between mention of an early Jower family of Combeinteignhead and the Jour families of Essex and Suffolk. The extract, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.

Note 54. JOWER NETHERTON. In the Exchequer Plea Rolls, Trinity Term, 22 Elizabeth, is entered the complaint, made on 23 March by Robert Paddon, clerk, against Oliver Whyddon, clerk, Rector of the church of Comb-in-teign-head, for forcibly entering and ejecting him from 4 acres of land, 4 acres of meadow, and 4 acres of pasture, situate in Jower Netherton, in the parish of Comb-in-teignhead, called by the name of two closes, the one called Cleyve Park alias Bywyll, and the other Lytle Genlete, demised to the said Robert by his father, John Paddon.

The name of Jower Netherton does not appear in the Index locorum to Chancery Proceedings, Ric. II. to Eliz., or in those of Inq. P.M. and Escheats temp. Edw. Ill, Hen. V, Hen. VI, Edw. IV, Ric. Ill, and according to Kelly's Devonshire Directory, although the hamlet of Netherton in Combin Teignhead is mentioned, the preceding name of Jower is omitted. This name is unquestionably a family name, and one really belonging to Suffolk, in which county it occurs as early as 1339, on the third of August in which year a pardon was granted, at the request of Ralph de Ufford, to Hugh Jour, of Burgh, for the death of John Sweyn. The family continued at Burgh, at any rate, for over a hundred years after, and under the form of Jowrie, Jury sometimes, but generally Jower. The latter spelling occurs in the Lay Subsidy Rolls in 16 Hen. VIII, and in Chancery Proceedings in 1630, and their wills are to be found at Ipswich.

In 1390, John Jour, of Stisted, in Essex, appears in connection with land and tenements in Southwark and Newington, in the Pedes Finium for Surrey. ' This doubtless led to the settlement of a line of the family in the latter county, for in 1474 the name of John Joure occurs as the largest copyholder in a Court Roll of the Manor of Tongham in the parish of Seal, and about 1500 they held a messuage and thirty acres of the Manor of Peperharrow from the Brocas family, and fifty years later William Jour took proceedings in Chancery against an attempt to evict him by the husband of the heiress of Brocas.

The line continued at Tongham (with a branch at Normandy in Ashe, and another at Easeborne in Sussex) until the end of the last century, but the descent of this family in Suffolk and Surrey has no interest for Devon people, and is only mentioned here to show that although much is known relating to this family, yet nothing is known of their connection with this county, and it would be most interesting if some light could be thrown upon the point, for it must have been more than a passing connection, one would think, to cause the additional name to be used. The entry on the Exchequer Plea Roll is very clear, and is hardly likely to be an error for "Lower."          ARTHUR J. JEWERS.