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:- Baldwin FitzGilbert, Sheriff of Devon. All three of his sons died successively without children.
- William FitzBaldwin, son of Baldwin, died without children
- Robert FitzBaldwin, brother of William, died without children
- Richard FitzBaldwin, brother of Robert, Sheriff of Devon in 1096 and/or 1116, died without children. He founded Brightley Abbey
- Maud d'Avranches, daughter and sole-heiress of Robert d'Avranches, who was son of William fitzWimund by a daughter of Baldwin fitzGilbert. She married firstly William de Curci, by him having a daughter Hawise. As a widow, she would remarry to Robert FitzRoy, a natural son of King Henry I of England. By her second husband Maud had a further daughter, Maud du Sap. Maud du Sap, following her father's death, became a royal ward, and King Henry II married her to Reginald I de Courtenay.
- Hawise de Curci, daughter Maud by William de Curci, married the step-son of her half-sister, Reginald de Courtenay. Through this marriage, the barony came into the possession of the Courtenay family.
Courtenay
- Robert de Courtenay, son of Reginald de Courtenay by his wife Hawise de Curci, heiress of Okehampton. He married Mary de Vernon, daughter of William de Redvers, 5th Earl of Devon, feudal baron of Plympton, Devon. From this marriage the Courtenays later inherited the barony of Plympton in 1293 and in 1335 were declared Earls of Devon.
- John de Courtenay, who married Isabel de Vere, daughter of Hugh de Vere, 4th Earl of Oxford
- Sir Hugh de Courtenay, who married Eleanor le Despenser, daughter of Hugh le Despenser, 1st Earl of Winchester.
- Hugh Courtenay, 9th Earl of Devon,. In 1293 on the death of his cousin Isabella de Forz, Countess of Devon he became heir to the feudal barony of Plympton, and in 1335 was declared Earl of Devon. The descent of the feudal barony of Okehampton thenceforth follows the descent of the earldom of Devon. In 1539 King Henry VIII seized the lands of the barony and had Henry Courtenay, 1st Marquess of Exeter executed for treason. The Earldom of Devon became forfeit, and the Courtenay lands in Cornwall escheated to the crown to be held by the Duchy of Cornwall.
List of constituent manors
| No. | Name of manor | Hundred | Baldwin's tenant | Pre-1066 tenant |
| 1 | 19 houses in Exeter | Hundred | Unknown | Lordship of King Edward the Confessor |
| 2 | 6 destroyed houses in Barnstaple | Hundred | Unknown | Unknown |
| 3 | Okehampton | Lifton | in demesne | Osferth |
| 4 | Chichacott | Lifton | Roger | Brictmer |
| 5 | Bratton Clovelly | Lifton | in demesne | Brictric |
| 6 | Boasley | Lifton | Rolf | Brictric |
| 7 | Bridestowe | Lifton | Ralpf de Pomeroy | Edmer |
| 8 | Germansweek | Lifton | Rainer | Ednoth |
| 9 | Lewtrenchard | Lifton | Roger de Meulles | Brictric |
| 10 | Warson | Lifton | Roger of Meulles | Waddell |
| 11 | Kelly | Lifton | Modbert | Osferth |
| 12 | Dunterton | Lifton | Ralph de Bruyère | Brictmer |
| 13 | Guscott | Lifton | Colwin | Brictric |
| 14 | Sampford Courtenay | Torrington | in demesne | Norman |
| 15 | Belstone | Torrington | Richard | Osferth |
| 16 | Dunsland | Torrington | Cadio | Wulfric |
| 17 | Monkokehampton | Torrington | Baldwin's tenant | re 1066 tenant |
| 18 | Exbourne | Torrington | Roger | Aelmer |
| 19 | Highampton | Torrington | Roger | Brictmer |
| 20 | Lashbrook | Torrington | Roger | Algar Long |
| 21 | Bradford | Torrington | in demesne | Algar Long |
| 22 | Kigbeare | Torrington | Rainer | Saewin |
| 23 | Inwardleigh | Torrington | Otelin | Ingvar |
| 24 | Oak | Torrington | Richard | Osgot |
| 25 | Gorhuish | Torrington | Bernard | Alnoth |
| 26 | Broadwood Kelly | Torrington | Modbert | Leofric |
| 27 | Honeychurch | Torrington | Walter | Alwin Black |
| 28 | Middlecott | Torrington | Ranulf | Alwold |
| 29 | Brixton | Torrington | Richard | Wulfnoth |
| 30 | Middlecott | Torrington | Richard | Alwold |
| 31 | Ashmansworthy | Hartland | Gilbert | Brictmer |
| 32 | Yarnscombe | Hartland | Robert | Godwin |
| 33 | Parkham | Merton | Richard | Algar |
| 34 | Little Torrington | Merton | Baldwin's tenant | Edmer |
| 35 | Heanton Satchville | Merton | Ralph de Bruyere | Edwin |
| 36 | Potheridge | Merton | Aubrey | Ulf |
| 37 | Stockleigh | Merton | Aubrey | Colwin |
| 38 | Woolladon | Merton | Aubrey | Saewin |
| 39 | Meeth | Merton | Bernard | Alnoth |
| 40 | Landcross | Merton | Robert | Aelfeva |
| 41 | Woolleigh | Merton | Colwin | Alsi |
| 42 | Helescane | Merton | William | Edric |
| 43 | Chawleigh | Shebbear | in demesne | Siward |
| 44 | Dolton | Shebbear | William son of Wimund | Ulf |