The Manor of Molland was a medieval manor in North Devon, England. It was largely co-terminous with the parish of Molland, where it was situated the village of Molland. More accurately, it consisted of two separate manors, held from separate overlords, later known as Molland-Bottreaux and Molland-Champson.
Descent of the manor The Exeter Domesday Book of 1086 records three entries for manors called "Molland", two in South Molton hundred and one in North Molton hundred. The latter does not relate to today's village and estate of Molland, but to a separate ancient small manor later called "Molland-Sarazen", about 7 miles to the north-west, in the modern parish of North Molton. It is now memorialized by the name of Higher Molland Farm and Molland Cross.Thorn, part 2, 36,17: "Now in North Molton parish" This manor in North Molton hundred was held by Tetbald, son of Berner, who was the father-in-law of Odo. The two entries for Molland in South Molton hundred relate to a former ancient division of the present unified manor into two parts: One larger part listed under the demesne of the king, the other much smaller part under the lands of Geoffrey de Montbray (died 1093), Bishop of Coutances, both in the county of "Devenesira" or "Devrescira".Victoria County History, Devon, vol. 1, pp. 409, 425, 508 These two divisions of Molland later became known respectively as "Molland Bottreaux" after the Botreaux family and "Molland Champeaux" now memorialized by Champson Farm,Risdon, 1811, pp307-8: "(Molland)... Ralph Champeaux was lord of lands and seated his dwelling here thereof called Champeston, whom divers of that name succeeded"; Arms of Robertus de Champeaux of Molland-Champeaux given by Tristram Risdon in his "Notebook" (Risdon, Tristram, Tristram Risdon's Notebook, c. 1630, p. 16) between Molland Church and West Molland Barton.
The royal manor was granted by the king to the Botreaux family as his tenants-in-chief whilst the smaller manor became a part of the feudal barony of Barnstaple and was granted, by the feudal barons of Barnstaple, several other manors (see below), to one of their knights, a member of the de Champeaux family (Latinised to de Champellis/Campellis).Radulfo de Champeaux was a witness to a charter of King Richard I dated 24 March 1195 given at Fougeres in Normandy confirming to the Abbey of Luzerne and the canons regular there serving God the gifts of William de Sancto Johanne and Hasculf de Soligneio, "according to their charters, and all other gifts, by whomsoever made". The charter is in the archives of the Abbey of St Mary, Montmorel, for Augustinian canons in the diocese of Avranches. (J. Horace Round (editor), Calendar of Documents Preserved in France: 918–1206, no.784, 1899, pp. 281–308)
Molland-Bottreaux
Domesday Book, Molland-Bottreaux
The text of Exeter Domesday Book of 1086, relating to the manor later known as Molland-Bottreaux, under the heading "The King's Demesne belonging to the kingdom in Devenesscira" is as follows (abbreviations indicated by tildes expanded):
Mollande tempore regis Edwardi geldabat pro iiii hidis et uno ferling. Terra est xl carucis. In dominio sunt iii carucae et x servi et xxx villani et xx bordarii cum xvi carucis. Ibi xii acrae prati et xv acrae silvae. Pastura iii leugae in longitudine et latitudine. Reddit xxiiii libras ad pensam. Huic manerio est adjuncta Blachepole. Elwardus tenebat tempore regis Edwardi pro manerio et geldabat pro dimidia hida. Terra est ii carucis. Ibi sunt v villani cum i servo. Valet xx solidos ad pensam et arsuram. Eidem manerio est injuste adjuncta Nimete et valet xv solidos. Ipsi manerio pertinet tercius denarius de Hundredis Nortmoltone et Badentone et Brantone et tercium animal pasturae morarum
Translated as follows:
Molland in the time of King Edward (the Confessor) paid geld for four hides and one furlong. There is land for forty ploughs. In demesne are three ploughs, and ten serfs, and thirty villeins, and twenty bordars, with sixteen ploughs. There are twelve acres of meadow, and fifteen acres of wood. Pasture three leagues in length and breadth. It renders twenty-four pounds by weight. To this manor has been annexed Blackpool.Near South Molton (Thorn & Thorn, part 2, 1,41) Alward held it in the time of King Edward as a manor, and it paid geld for half a hide. There is land for two ploughs. There are five villeins with one serf. It is worth twenty shillings by weight and assay. To the same manor has been unjustly annexed Nymet,Nymet was the ancient name of the River Mole, from which are named several manors, e.g. Bishops Nympton, King's Nympton, etc.(Thorn & Thorn, part 2, 1,41) and it is worth fifteen shillings. To the same manor pertains the third penny of the hundredsThird penny of the revenue from the pleas of the hundred courts to which Harold had been entitled to as Earl(Thorn & Thorn, part 2, 1,41) of North Molton and Bampton and Braunton, and the third animal of the pasture of the moors.Devonshire Domesday, Exeter and Exchequer Books. Extensions and Translations. The Devonshire Domesday and Geld Inquest: Extensions, Translations and Indices. Published by the Devonshire Association for the Advancement of Science, Literature and Art. Volume 1, Plymouth 1884–92. pp. 59 and 61.
Botreaux
The larger manor was granted by the king to a Norman knight named de Botreaux, probably from Les Bottreaux, Upper Normandy, 40 km SW of Evreux, in the modern departement of Eure,Lower's "Family Names", quoted by Cokayne, Complete Peerage who had built a castle at Forrabury on the North Cornish coast, now known as Boscastle after his family.1870–72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England: "Boscastle: Its name is a corruption of Bottreaux-Castle; and was taken from a baronial mansion, the seat of the Norman family of De Bottreaux, which stood on what is now a green mound The manor which then became known as "Molland-Bottreaux" included the adjacent manor of Knowstone and before 1189 either the original recipient of Molland or his descendant, a certain "William de Botreaux" gave the advowsons of the churches of Forrabury, Molland and Knowstone to the newly founded Hartland Abbey, on the coast about half-way between Forrabury and Molland. These grants were confirmed by King Richard I (1189–1199) soon after he became king, in a charter dated 8 November 1189.Chope, R. Pearse, The Book of Hartland, Torquay, 1940, p. 57 A further grant dated 1295 by the Bishop of Exeter of the Church of Knowstone to Hartland Abbey survives in the Somerset Records Office, with good impressions of seals.Miscellaneous deeds: SOMERSET DD\WY/7/Z1b 1280-1536/7 The advowsons of all three churches continued to be held by Hartland until the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The earliest member of the family who can be firmly identified is Reynold (died 1273), father of William (died 1302), father of William (died 1342), father of Reynold (died 1346), father of William (died 1349) who was the father of William de Botreaux, 1st Baron Botreaux (1337–1391).George E. Cokayne, Complete Peerage, new edition, Vol. 2, pp. 241–244, note (d), p. 241 The Botreaux landholdings expanded greatly when William de Botreaux (died 1349) married Isabel de Moels, daughter and co-heiress of her father John de Moels, 4th Baron Moels (died 1337) whose family had held since the time of Nicholas de Moels(died. c. 1270) a moiety of the feudal barony of North Cadbury, Somerset. Isabel's co-heiress was her sister Muriel, wife of Sir Thomas Courtenay (died 1356), younger son of Hugh Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon (died 1340)). The sisters' uncle Nicholas de Moels, 2nd Baron Moels (died 1316) had been the husband of Margaret Courtenay (died 1349), the 1st Earl's sister. The caput of the feudal barony was at North Cadbury.Sanders, I.J. English Baronies: A Study of their Origin and Descent 1086-1327, Oxford, 1960, p. 68. Sanders names baronies by the manor forming the caput, preface vii John de Botreaux the 3rd son of the 1st Baron is said to have lived at Molland.Rogers, W.H. Hamilton, The Antient Sepulchral Effigies and Monumental and Memorial Sculpture of Devon, Exeter, 1877, p. 388 The first baron's son was William de Botreaux, 2nd Baron Botreaux (1367–1395) and his son was William de Botreaux, 3rd Baron Botreaux (1389–1462), who was the last of the male line, and was buried in North Cadbury Church, where his effigy with that of his wife Elizabeth Beaumont survives today. In 1435 he was appointed by Richard, Duke of York (died 1460), father of the future King Edward IV (1461–1483), as forester of the royal forests of Exmoor and of Neroche, Somerset.Sir Christopher Hatton's Book of Seals, Oxford, 1950, p. 177.
Hungerford On the death of the 3rd Baron Botreaux without male heir his sole heiress to his large estates including Molland was his daughter Margaret de Botreaux (died 1477) who married Robert Hungerford, 2nd Baron Hungerford (died 1459), to whom the lands passed jure uxoris. When Lord Hungerford's sister Elizabeth married Sir Philip Courtenay (1404–1463) of Powderham, she took with her the manor of Molland-Bottreaux for her marriage portion.Rogers, p. 385: "Sir Philip Courtenay (second son of Sir Philip Courtenay of Powderham and Elizabeth daughter of Walter Lord Hungerford) had, through his mother, who was sister of Robert, Lord Hungerford, who married Margaret daughter and heiress of William, the last Lord Bottreaux, Molland given to him as his portion" Sir Philip was the grandson of Sir Philip Courtenay, KG, (1340–1406) of Powderham, the 4th son of Hugh Courtenay, 2nd Earl of Devon (1303–1377) by his wife Margaret de Bohun, daughter of Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford (died 1322). He had been bequeathed the Bohun manor of Powderham by the will of his mother dated 1390,Vivian, Heralds' Visitation of Devon, 1895, p. 244 the estates of his father having all descended to his eldest brother Hugh Courtenay, K.G. (1326–1349) and his descendants, Earls of Devon.
Courtenay of Molland
Sir Philip Courtenay (1430–7 February 1489)