Feudal barony of Okehampton


The feudal barony of Okehampton was a very large feudal barony, the largest mediaeval fiefdom in the county of Devon, England, whose caput was Okehampton Castle and manor. It was one of eight feudal baronies in Devonshire which existed during the mediaeval era.

Descent

The first holder of the feudal barony of Okehampton was Baldwin FitzGilbert called in the Latin Domesday Book of 1086 Baldvinus Vicecomes, "Baldwin the Viscount", which office equated to the earlier Saxon office of Sheriff of Devon. As younger son of Gilbert, Count of Brionne, he was cousin of William the Conqueror. His fiefdom listed in Domesday Book comprised 176 land-holdings, mostly manors, but 2 of which, listed first, comprised groups of houses in Barnstaple and Exeter. The third holding listed for his fiefdom is Okehampton: Ipse Balduin ten de rege Ochementone, ibi sedet castellum. The nature of the feudal land tenure for feudal barons was per baroniam, that is to say they were bound to serve the king as one of his barons, which involved onerous duties not only of attending parliaments to advise the king but also of providing knights and soldiers for military service to the royal army for specified periods each year. The baron himself was frequently present in battle.

Norman

The descent of Okehampton in the family of Baldwin fitzGilbert was as follows:
The ownership of Okehampton then becomes obscure for two decades, before it was held by a descendant of Baldwin fitzGilbert.
The barony comprised originally the following manors held in-chief per baroniam by Baldwin the Sheriff, in order of Domesday Book listing:
No.Name of manorHundredBaldwin's tenantPre-1066 tenant
119 houses in ExeterHundredUnknownLordship of King Edward the Confessor
26 destroyed houses in BarnstapleHundredUnknownUnknown
3OkehamptonLiftonin demesneOsferth
4ChichacottLiftonRogerBrictmer
5Bratton ClovellyLiftonin demesneBrictric
6BoasleyLiftonRolfBrictric
7BridestoweLiftonRalpf de PomeroyEdmer
8GermansweekLiftonRainerEdnoth
9LewtrenchardLiftonRoger de MeullesBrictric
10WarsonLiftonRoger of MeullesWaddell
11KellyLiftonModbertOsferth
12DuntertonLiftonRalph de BruyèreBrictmer
13GuscottLiftonColwinBrictric
14Sampford CourtenayTorringtonin demesneNorman
15BelstoneTorringtonRichardOsferth
16DunslandTorringtonCadioWulfric
17MonkokehamptonTorringtonBaldwin's tenantre 1066 tenant
18ExbourneTorringtonRogerAelmer
19HighamptonTorringtonRogerBrictmer
20LashbrookTorringtonRogerAlgar Long
21BradfordTorringtonin demesneAlgar Long
22KigbeareTorringtonRainerSaewin
23InwardleighTorringtonOtelinIngvar
24OakTorringtonRichardOsgot
25GorhuishTorringtonBernardAlnoth
26Broadwood KellyTorringtonModbertLeofric
27HoneychurchTorringtonWalterAlwin Black
28MiddlecottTorringtonRanulfAlwold
29BrixtonTorringtonRichardWulfnoth
30MiddlecottTorringtonRichardAlwold
31AshmansworthyHartlandGilbertBrictmer
32YarnscombeHartlandRobertGodwin
33ParkhamMertonRichardAlgar
34Little TorringtonMertonBaldwin's tenantEdmer
35Heanton SatchvilleMertonRalph de BruyereEdwin
36PotheridgeMertonAubreyUlf
37StockleighMertonAubreyColwin
38WoolladonMertonAubreySaewin
39MeethMertonBernardAlnoth
40LandcrossMertonRobertAelfeva
41WoolleighMertonColwinAlsi
42HelescaneMertonWilliamEdric
43ChawleighShebbearin demesneSiward
44DoltonShebbearWilliam son of WimundUlf