Transcript

of

Slapton Manor

In First Report of the Committee on Peculiar Tenures of Land. Trans. Devon Assoc., 1880, Vol XII, p. 155.

by

Edward Windeatt

Prepared by Michael Steer

The manor of Slapton belonged to the ancient family of De Brian, as early as the reign of Henry II., and they continued to possess it till that of Henry IV.: it eventually became the property of Percy, Earl of Northumberland, as descended from the sole heiress of Sir Guy de Brian the younger, through Fitz Payne and Poynings. It was allotted to the Earl of Northumberland, by arbitration, after a long litigation with St. Maur, descended from one of the sisters of the said Sir Guy de Brian. Henry, Earl of Northumberland, sold this manor to Sir Matthew Arundell, father of Lord Arundell of Wardour, who possessed it in the reign of Charles I. After this, it was in the Kellands: a moiety was purchased of Lady Northcote, one of the co-heiresses of Kelland, by the grandfather of A. H. Holdsworth, Esq.,. The other moiety was purchased, about 1799, of Lord Cork and Mr. Pointz, representatives of the other co-heiress of Kelland, (through the Courtenays,) by William Roberts, Esq. The article, 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. 

The following account of a peculiar tenure is from Fragment Antiquitatis, Antient Tenures of Zand, and Jocular Customs of some mannors, made public for the diversion of some and instruction of others. By J. B., of the Inner Temple, Esquire. Published in 1679. It is evidently an abridgement of a full account in Izaack's Antiquities of Exeter:

"Hugh Courtenay, Esquire, son and heir of Sir Hugh Courtenay, Knight, held the mannor of Slapton, in com. Devon, of the Bishop of Exeter, by the service of being steward at the installation feast of every Bishop of that See. The particulars whereof were, after some controversie thus ascertained by Walter Stapleton, then Bishop of Exeter, and his Dean and Chapter, under their seals, at Newton, Plympton, the morrow after the feast of St. Thomas the Apostle, anno dom. 1308, 2 Edward II. The said Hugh or his heirs, shall at the first coming of the Bishop of Exeter, meet him at the east gate of the city, when he descendeth from his horse, and then going a little before him on the right hand shall keep off the press of people, and attend him unto the quire of the Cathedral Church, there to be installed. And shall at the installing feast serve in the first mess at the Bishop's own table. In consideration of which service the said Hugh Courtenay and his heirs shall have for their fee four silver dishes of those which he shall so place at the first mess: two salt-cellars, one cup, wherein the Bishop shall drink at the meal, one wine-pot, one spoon and two basons, wherein the Bishop shall then wash. All which vessels are to be of silver. Provided the said Hugh, or his heirs being of full age do attend this service in person, if not hindered by sickness or the king's writ, &c., then to appoint some worshipful knight to supply the place by a deputation, who shall swear that his lord is sick, &c."

Edward Windeatt.