Woodbury Freeholders
Extract from Introduction by Simon Dixon Friends of Devon Archives Introduction to Devon Freeholders, 1711-1799
I urge you to read the whole introduction and explore the whole index (click here to do so)
Click here to read more about the Friends of Devon Archives
The survival of a series of freeholders books provides a valuable source of information. The books were compiled for the purposes of identifying inhabitants of the county who were eligible to serve on juries. Therefore they contain the names of the elite of eighteenth century Devon society. With certain exceptions, the qualification from 1692 until 1730 was to own freehold or copyhold land with an annual value of £10 or more. After 1730, tenants of land worth £20 per year held on long leases were also eligible. Eligibility was restricted to men between the ages of 21 and 70.2 Therefore, the lists contain the names of the more substantial property owning inhabitants of Devon parishes during the century. Freeholders books survive in the records of the Devon quarter sessions from 1711 until approximately 1816.3 61 volumes are extant up to and including 1800. These web pages contain transcripts of one book for each decade until the end of the eighteenth century. The longest of the published lists is that for 1733, containing 3,723 names, and shortest is that for 1711, with 1,162 names. In addition to the names of inhabitants, the books provide information regarding the status or trade of some of those listed.
I have extracted all the names of people listed in Woodbury . As the books are spread across a number of years the names are often repeated. In that case I have only kept the one instance of the name but where a change occurs (such as variation in spelling or occupation) I have listed that as well. So John Snow would be listed as
Snow John
Snow John gentleman
Snow John yeoman, freeholder
This does not imply there were three separate John Snows in the parish at this time ( although their might have been) but just shows how his status changed over a period of years
This list is designed as a quick finding and you should always check the Friends of Devon original extracts
Woodbury Freeholders
Barnes George gentleman
Barons George gentleman
Barons George yeoman, freeholder
Barons George
Braddick Gilbert gentleman
Braddick John
Braddick William
Brice Worthington leaseholder
Brice Worthington shipwright
Butter Bernard
Butter Jacob
Creedy John
Crockey Thomas
Crockhay Thomas gentleman
Crockhay Thomas , yeoman, freeholder
Dagworthy Johnr yeoman, freeholder
Digworthy Robert
Drake Samuel gentleman
Drake Samuel yeoman, freeholder
Drake Sir Francis
Elliott Isaac
Elliott Philip tanner
Force Josias tanner
Force William
Halse Solomon
Hayman John constable
Hayman Joel
Hayman Joel yeoman, freeholder
Hayman John
Hayman, John yeoman, leaseholder
Heathfield Matthew
Heathfield Thomas
Hole William
Hollwell Nicholas
Holwell Andrew gentleman
Holwell Andrew yeoman, leaseholder
Holwell Edward , butcher
Holwell Henry
Holwell John
Holwell William
Holwill Edward
Hopping Thomas yeoman, freeholder
Horwell Abraham
Kerslake John
King John
Lamprieri Philip
Langdon Gilbert gentleman
Langdon Gilbert surgeon, leaseholder
Lee John yeoman, leaseholder
Lee Joseph constable
Lee Matthew
Lee Matthew gentleman
Lee Thomas
Lee Thomas
Lee Matthew
Lovering Robert mariner
Lovering Thomas mariner, freeholder
Lovering, Robert yeoman
Manston Richard gentleman
Marshall William
Newberry James
Oldner Richard
Pearse Charles
Phillips Zachariah yeoman, leaseholder
Pidgeon John yeoman, freeholder
Pidgeon Thomas yeoman, leaseholder
Pyle William blacksmith, freeholder
Snow John
Snow John gentleman
Snow John yeoman, freeholder
Stabback Peter gentleman
Stabback Samuel
Stabback Peter Stab yeoman, leaseholder
Stogdon John leaseholder
Stogdon John yeoman
Stogdon John
Tapley Edward yeoman, leaseholder
Trose William gentleman
Trosse William gentleman, freeholder
Venn George gentleman
Ware George
Ware Joshua
Ware Moses yeoman
Ware Moses yeoman, leaseholder
Weeks Thomas tanner
Wheaton Richard
Willson Abraham
Yeo John
Extract from Introduction by Simon Dixon Friends of Devon Archives Introduction to Devon Freeholders, 1711-1799
I urge you to read the whole introduction and explore the whole index (click here to do so)
Click here to read more about the Friends of Devon Archives
The survival of a series of freeholders books provides a valuable source of information. The books were compiled for the purposes of identifying inhabitants of the county who were eligible to serve on juries. Therefore they contain the names of the elite of eighteenth century Devon society. With certain exceptions, the qualification from 1692 until 1730 was to own freehold or copyhold land with an annual value of £10 or more. After 1730, tenants of land worth £20 per year held on long leases were also eligible. Eligibility was restricted to men between the ages of 21 and 70.2 Therefore, the lists contain the names of the more substantial property owning inhabitants of Devon parishes during the century. Freeholders books survive in the records of the Devon quarter sessions from 1711 until approximately 1816.3 61 volumes are extant up to and including 1800. These web pages contain transcripts of one book for each decade until the end of the eighteenth century. The longest of the published lists is that for 1733, containing 3,723 names, and shortest is that for 1711, with 1,162 names. In addition to the names of inhabitants, the books provide information regarding the status or trade of some of those listed.
I have extracted all the names of people listed in Woodbury . As the books are spread across a number of years the names are often repeated. In that case I have only kept the one instance of the name but where a change occurs (such as variation in spelling or occupation) I have listed that as well. So John Snow would be listed as
Snow John
Snow John gentleman
Snow John yeoman, freeholder
This does not imply there were three separate John Snows in the parish at this time ( although their might have been) but just shows how his status changed over a period of years
This list is designed as a quick finding and you should always check the Friends of Devon original extracts
Woodbury Freeholders
Barnes George gentleman
Barons George gentleman
Barons George yeoman, freeholder
Barons George
Braddick Gilbert gentleman
Braddick John
Braddick William
Brice Worthington leaseholder
Brice Worthington shipwright
Butter Bernard
Butter Jacob
Creedy John
Crockey Thomas
Crockhay Thomas gentleman
Crockhay Thomas , yeoman, freeholder
Dagworthy Johnr yeoman, freeholder
Digworthy Robert
Drake Samuel gentleman
Drake Samuel yeoman, freeholder
Drake Sir Francis
Elliott Isaac
Elliott Philip tanner
Force Josias tanner
Force William
Halse Solomon
Hayman John constable
Hayman Joel
Hayman Joel yeoman, freeholder
Hayman John
Hayman, John yeoman, leaseholder
Heathfield Matthew
Heathfield Thomas
Hole William
Hollwell Nicholas
Holwell Andrew gentleman
Holwell Andrew yeoman, leaseholder
Holwell Edward , butcher
Holwell Henry
Holwell John
Holwell William
Holwill Edward
Hopping Thomas yeoman, freeholder
Horwell Abraham
Kerslake John
King John
Lamprieri Philip
Langdon Gilbert gentleman
Langdon Gilbert surgeon, leaseholder
Lee John yeoman, leaseholder
Lee Joseph constable
Lee Matthew
Lee Matthew gentleman
Lee Thomas
Lee Thomas
Lee Matthew
Lovering Robert mariner
Lovering Thomas mariner, freeholder
Lovering, Robert yeoman
Manston Richard gentleman
Marshall William
Newberry James
Oldner Richard
Pearse Charles
Phillips Zachariah yeoman, leaseholder
Pidgeon John yeoman, freeholder
Pidgeon Thomas yeoman, leaseholder
Pyle William blacksmith, freeholder
Snow John
Snow John gentleman
Snow John yeoman, freeholder
Stabback Peter gentleman
Stabback Samuel
Stabback Peter Stab yeoman, leaseholder
Stogdon John leaseholder
Stogdon John yeoman
Stogdon John
Tapley Edward yeoman, leaseholder
Trose William gentleman
Trosse William gentleman, freeholder
Venn George gentleman
Ware George
Ware Joshua
Ware Moses yeoman
Ware Moses yeoman, leaseholder
Weeks Thomas tanner
Wheaton Richard
Willson Abraham
Yeo John