BRIXHAM & Kingswear

Domesday 1086   

The population of Brixham in 1068 was 39 households which was very large, with 15 villagers; 12 smallholders and 12 slaves. It consisted of 10 acres of ploughland ; 2 lord's plough teams; 8 men's plough teams on 4 acres of meadow; 12 acres of pasture and 12 acres of woodland; 2 cobs( heavy horses) 4 cattle. 10 pigs. 200 sheep.

The Saxon Lord in 1066 had been a Saxon named Ulf.
After the Norman Conquest in 1086 Judhel of Totnes was lord of the Manor as Tenant-in-chief . He held 96 manors in total in Devon and was feudal baron of Totnes and of Barnstaple .


Fishing boats were undoubtably working out of Brixham from  the time it first became a settlement and
a lone manorial survey of one-third of the manor of Brixham in 1440 show that there were 90 cottages within the whole manor, 30 of which were farm holdings.
The large number of landless cottages seems to indicate that many of the inhabitants worked at sea.



In about 1087, Judhel of Totnes founded Totnes Priory and shortly after the death of William the Conqueror in 1087 he expelled from the barony of Totnes to be replaced Roger of Nonant a favourite of William II . Judhael died before 1130
There was some kind of dispute over the estates held by Ralf de Pomeroy from  Judhel of Totnes in 1086


Totnes Priory        more details here

Totnes Guildhall once part of the Priory

England was under  the ‘feudal system’. Landless serfs , ‘cottars’  and slaves were at the bottom of the social order and above, in ascending order, were  richer peasant ‘villeins’, bound to the land living as tenants in property that required compulsory labour for the lord of the manor.

Then came the ‘freemen’ who owned theri small plot of land, but also owed rent to greater landowners.
These were the tenants-in-chief . The Lord of the manor who in turn held their land directly from the king to whom they owed a knights service for the privilege.  In Feudal England You either owned land or you worked it, we were mainly an agricultural country , with fishing on the coast,.   The countryside population worked the land and herded sheep. The towns were small, even London, and lawyers and  other professions were few. Merchants were few and many came from across the Channel.
 There was an extraordinary growth of the wool trade from around the 13th century which brought England its most significant export.
The result was great wealth for those willing to risk investment  for which we now have the centuries old reminder in the House of Lords The Wool Sack in which the Lord Chancellor still sits for the Opening of Parliament to this day -

 
Wool  made men extremely rich and not only paid for building grand houses, even small castles, but for some men it also bought influence in national politics . These men created dynasties that have survived to the present day - Example the Spencer family of Princess Diana  which started out as sheep farmers .


I praise the Lord and ever shall; 'tis the sheep hath paid for all.



More of Brixham

By 1205 the township of Brikesham was awarded to Henry de Nonant and valued at £18 and from the thirteenth century Brixham was held by various families in dower and often sub-divided. In 1334 Edward III gave John de Leybourne free warren (the taking of rabbits) in all the demesne lands of Brixham.


A deed dated 1335 records that Henry de Pomeroy was one of two Lords of the Manor of Brixham. This deed, a lease, contains probably the first mention of a house in the town, the house and land being that located in ‘Bremele Furlong’.

Further new building is mentioned in 1343 when Johannes de Wynston granted to Ely Baker of Brixham and Laurencya his wife

‘a house in my tenement of La Chircherete [?Church Street] in Brixham which house I have built anew near the tenement of Clement Boghecleve’.

Grants in 1346 included land recognisably at Chiseldon and Summer Lane. Leases for various properties occur throughout subsequent reigns given by the de Pomeroy overlords, many of the cottages or tenements having substantial small holdings of land.


Grants in 1346 included land recognisably at Chiseldon and Summer Lane.

Leases for various properties occur throughout subsequent reigns given by the de Pomeroy overlords, many of the cottages or tenements having substantial small holdings of land.
The size of the property held by Edward Pomeroy’s is revealed in a 1537 grant of his portion of the manor of Brixham, which included 40 messuages (a house with outbuildings and land), a mill, 400 acres of land, and rents in Brixham.

From then on an increasingly number houses and tenements enter the records although placing them is virtually impossible because they are highly subjective described in relation to

other tenements, rather than by a recognisable location.

 Roger of Brixham here                                                                    Brixham research here                             

BRIXHAM BMDS-  From the parish registers


WILLIAM POMERYE Bb 24 Apr 1597 son of William POMERYe who was s/o Sir Thomas d 1566 by his wife Joan Edgecumbe
married an Elizabeth

Honor POMERYe Bb 22 Jul 1610 in Brixham dau of William & Elizabeth  

HENRYE POMEROY Bb s/o Willyam & Elizabeth  23/ 07/ 1614

 
     POMERYe Arthur Bb 1609 Brixham, Devon, s/o Valentine
    POMERYe Elizabeth Bb 1607   Brixham, Devon, d/o Valentine   
     Note  Valentine son of Thomas & Honor was born in about 1575   would have been 20 in 1595  He could have married  before his  1st recorded marriage  Jane Reynell in 1616

 Valentine POMEROY of Sandridge born about 1575 died 14 Aug 1645   son of Thomas POMEROY Esq of Beenleigh in Harberton and his wife Honor Rolle  married 1st by licence of Jan 23rd in 1616 to  Jane Reynell  dau of Sir Thomas Reynell of West Ogwell
 children were  Jane Pomeroy born 1617 who married Nicholas Roope 1643;  Lettice b 1620 d 1641 ; Valentine Born & buried 1621; Elizabeth buried 1622 died young ; wife Jane Reynell Pomeroy died 1622 probably at the birth of Elizabeth

Valentine in 1628 married 2nd wife  Margaret Whiddon by whom he had  at least 4 children

Roger Pomeroy by MW Bb Sept 1629 married Jane Wyvell of Saltash
Gilbert  Pomeroy  Bb on 26 feb 1630/31 in Stoke Gabriel, inherited from Hugh of Sandridge  died 1715 leaving his land &property to sons of his cousin Paul  Pomeroy (gent) of Brixham
Valentine Pomeroy of Beenleigh B 1631  died 1691 married  in 1680 to Lucy Hody
  John  Pomeroy Born in 1638 in Stoke Gabriel,  died age 32 in a drowning accident near Dittisham on the Dart with Francis Whiddon & William Harris. Buried together in same grave on 8 Sep 1670  in Stoke Gabriel. John may have married & had a son John in 1655

Edward POMEROY son of Thomas Esq & Honor Rolle married Wilmot Perryman in Drewsteignton  28 June 1602

Children of Edward and Wilmot 

Their 1st child Susanna was baptised 28 Jan 1602  at Drewsteignton
- January coming after June when the year ran from March to March 

Other children followed

William POMERY 25 Sep 1606 Baptism Brixham, Devon, 

Arthur Pomeroy Bb  8 Jan 1608 son of Edward

HONOR. 18 April  1611   d/o EDWARD & WILMOT  

ARTER POMEROY s/o  EDWARD & WILMOT  11 May 1614 died in infancy

I found several Peryman /Perriman's in Drewsteignton presumably farmers

 however there might be familial connection between Pomeroys & Perryman in  Chagford -
  John Perriman & William  Ford were wealthy wool merchants  Chagford  -
Ford  was grandfather to John Ford who married  Mary Pomeroy of Ingsdon 1588     
John Perryman married by banns 7 June 1596 to Christian Sowford at Chagford  

Mistress Wilmot Pomery died & was buried at St Marys, Brixham on 22 Jan 1660

William Bb 15 Sept 1606  son of Edward & Wilmot married  1st in 1629 and then again in 1634
died before 1660
1st married by licence at Chudleigh to Judith White widow Call  on  26 Oct 1629  she was buried Brixham 17 May 1633.  

  3 children did not survive
MARY POMEROY Bb 22 Aug 1630 Baptism Brixham dau of William

2nd wife was  Jane Wolfe married 22 May 1634 in Churston Ferrers near Paignton

EDWARD  son of   Mr WILLIAM  Baptism at St Mary's  Brixham 15 Feb 1634 

Catherine. Born in 1636 in Brixham dau of William & Jane
WILLIAM POMEROY Bb s/o  Mr WILLIAM 29/12/ 1638
Anna Bb 1640 Brixham dau of William & Jane
THOMAS  Born in 1643 in Brixham
ROGER  Bb  4 Jan 1645 in Brixham   s/o  Mr WILLIAM 01/ 1645/
PAUL POMEROY Bb s/o WILLIAM Gent 31/ 08/ 1655
JOHN Pomeroy son of Mr William Pomeroy signed protestation Rolls 1642.  married Susan Rewe or Rowe 1624

Mistress JANE POMEROY   died 20 Nov 1660 recorded as WIDOW of William P  gent


Unravelling the tangle

William Pomeroy  gent Bb 15 Sep 1606  3rd  son of Edward Pomeroy of Sandridge by his wife Wilmot Perryman  of  Drewsteignton 

Lieutenant William  Pomeroy  serving on the merchant ship ' London ' under Captain John Stephen in 1642 was part of  Kings  summer guard ( of the seas)  By 1663 had his own ship & had been made Captain William Pomeroy. 

1st married by licence at Chudleigh to Judith White widow Call  on  26 Oct 1629  who was buried  in Brixham on 17 May 1633.  

  They had 3 children who did not survive

Married  his 2nd wife  Jane WOULFE. in Churston Ferrers in 1643   daughter of Roger Woulfe Esq of Harberton 
Jane died 20 Nov 1660 recorded as WIDOW of William P gent

 Children 

 Thomas. Born in 1643 in Brixham 

 Roger. Born on 4 Jan 1645 in Brixham   

 Paul Pomeroy; constable (1655-1733)  


John Pomeroy ( son of William Pomeroy & his wife Wilmot Perryman   signed protestation Rolls 1642)  ; married Susan Rewe or Rowe 1624

They had 7 children. 

Richard, 1624, Valentine, 1630 d 1634; ELIZABETH 1633, married Daniel Whiddon;  Margaret 1634,   and George 1635;  John 1638 ;  John   1639 

 Elizabeth Pomeroy b 9 Jul 1633 dau of John Pomeroy & his wife Susan Rowe married Daniel Whiddon. on 5 Feb 1654.   

Their daughter Marion Whiddon /Marine born 24 Jun 1656   married  of John Bartlett  in Brixham in 1681
they had 7 children
William  & Millance Bap  23 July 1682  children of John and Marrion -  Miiance /Millina a family name

Elizabeth Bartlett Bb 13 April 1684 dau of of John and Marrion - may have married Samuel Bartlett 30 Dec 1708 St Mary’s Brixham

Silfine Bartlett B 3 Oct 1686 parents of John and Marrion

Edmund  Bartlett 20 Feb 1687 Brixham son of John-  married tMrs Mary Pickford of St Marychurch at Marldon 1724

Margaret & Mary Bartlett Bap 12 Nov 1689  children of John & Marrion  posthumous children John having died in June that year

Mary died 1699


Paul Pomeroy , Bb 1655 became Constable  of Brixham   married  15 Nov 1683 at St Mary's Brixham to Anne Dyer b 22 May 1634  from Churston Ferrers.  
His wife Ann died in 1703 &   in 1705 he  married  a 2nd time. Marion Whiddon  had married  John Bartlett  in Brixham in 1681 . He died in June 1689 and she was 49 when married  the  50 year old widower Paul Pomeroy, Gent. On 25 Dec 1705 


BAPTISMS children of his first marriage 

Wife Ann died 14 March  1703 & was buried in wool;   

Marine / Marion POMEROY died and was buried on 4 Dec 1722  in Brixham, St Mary, Devon 

PAUL POMEROY died and was buried on 14 Jan1733  in Brixham, St Mary, Devon

This BRIXHAM tree is headed by James Pomeroy and his wife Joanna  Scoble, who married in 1781 St Savoir, London.

 They were married in 1781 in Southwark, St Saviour (London); this is in Pallot's Index, without a date.  Their  first child was baptised in Brixham in 1784. The single DNA result associated with this tree, which came from an American tree member, and puts it firmly in the same genetic family as the Beaminster 1617 tree of emigrant Eltweed Pomeroy.

James is buried 13 Feb 1835 St Mary’s Church Brixham, Devon.
His son James’ marriage record (1838) states that his father had been a grocer. James, Jr was a Tallow Chandler

John Pomeroy son of William Pomeroy & his wife Wilmot Perriman   signed protestation Rolls 1642. He married  Susan Rewe or Rowe married  in 1624  - and had 7 children - 
including  George was born 1635  and another George Pomery , a son of John & daughter Susan in Brixham Bb 1636

George Pomeroy of Kingsweare  married by Banns 1 Nov 1657 Brixham, St Mary
his wife was  Izabell /Elizabeth Thomas of Brixham on  15 Nov 1658
Isabal /Elizabeth Thomas dau of Leonard Thomas  in DARTMOUTH  Bb 8 Feb 1645 If this was her she was  about 13 or 14 in 1658
 She died 2 years later,  presumably in childbirth,  buried  6 Apr 1659 -  
Admirable George Pomeroy of Kingswear 1684
George remarried 9 months later  in January 1659   ( The year ran March to March -  changed to New Calendar in 1750 )

George POMEROY SON OF JOHN Pomery married to Mary OGIER of Brixham  dau of  Thomas  Ogier by banns 13 Jan 1659   witnesses William Reeve, Edward Lawrence . No children found  .  

 What was his occupation ?   

George Pomeroy buried Brixham 24 May 1688 buried in woollen ;

 He was a very honest and religious person a constant attendant on ye holy ordinance according to ye usage of the Church of England of which he was a most dutiful and affectionate son , he lived in fear of God beloved of all men ( who ) where of his acquaintance and died much lamented by them..... Affidavit was made before JUSTICE Pomeroy and Susan Webber.


The Burying in Woollen Acts 1666-80 were Acts of the Parliament of England which required the dead, except plague victims and the destitute, to be buried in woollen shrouds and an affidavit of this was required or a heavy fine was levied .

Churston Ferrers

EDWARD POMEROY 15 Feb 1634 Bb Brixham son of William

CATHERINE POMEROY 15 Apr 1636  Bb Brixham  dau of Willam & Jane

ANNA POMEROY 12 April 1640 Bb Brixham dau of William & Jane

ROGER POMEROYE 4 Jan 1645 Bb Brixham, St Mary son of William

ELIZABETH POMEROY    9 Jul 1633 Bb daughter of John

MARGARET POMEROY 22 Aug 1635 Bb Brixham Dau of John & Susan

VALENTINE POMEROY 9 Oct 1630 Bb Brixham son of John

RICHARD POMEROY  19 Oct 1624 Bb Brixham, Devon, son of John -
Richrad married at Brixham, St Mary to Elizabeth Skrevene  on 8 Jan 1685. Richard died 1695

WILLIAM POMEROY Bb 21 10 1684 s/o PAUL POMEROY Gent & ANN Dyer 1st wife  

PAUL POMEROY Bb 17/ 10/ 1686 s/o PAUL & ANN

DANIEL POMEROY Bb 19/ 04/ 1691 s/o PAUL & ANN     

JANE POMEROY Bb 10/08/ 1693 s/o  PAUL & ANNE

JANE POMEROY Bb Aug 1695 to Paul

EDWARD POMEROY Bb 19/ 04/ 1696 s/o  PAUL & ANN  

GEORGE  POMEROY Bb 26/ 11/ 1700PAUL & ANN

ANN POMEROY Bb24/ 03/ 1702/3 to PAUL & ANN

JOHN POMEROY Bb 12/ 06/1655 father John


marriages Brixham

Willyam SHYNNER  married   Elizabeth POMEROY  on 8 April 1616 

DANIELL WHIDDON  of Brixham married Elizabeth POMEROY  of Brixham     09 April  1654 

George POMEROY son of John married by banns  Mary OGIER  of Brixham  dau of  Thomason 13 Jan  1659/60  witnesses    William Reeve, Edward Lawrance  

 John TROAK married Judith  POMEROY 28 April 1685

NICHOLAS  CROWTE married  Mary POMEROY of Brixham     13Jane  1659/60 witnesses    William Reeve, Edward Larance   

Paul POMEROY married  Anne DYER   15 Nov  1683 1st wife  2nd wife Marine or Marion BARTLET  married 25 Dec  1705  

Elizabeth Pomeroy b 9 Jul 1633 dau of John Pomeroy & his wife Susan Rowe married Daniel Whiddon. 5 Feb 1654. 
Their daughter Marion Whiddon /Marine  born 24 Jun 1656   married  of John Bartlett  in Brixham in 1681; 
After Paul died in June 1689  age 49  Marion or Marina  married  the widowed Paul Pomeroy, Gent .of Brixham


a later marriage 

Sarah Anne Pomeroy of Lower Brixham, age 31 married on 16 August 1853 to Christopher Adams Green, bachelor age 33 of Lower Brixham , shipowner;

Father of the bride PHILLIP LYDE POMEROY, master mariner ; father of the groom Joseph Green, shipowner in Lower Brixham


CHURSTON FERRERS ( nearby parish )

POMEROY  William  born 1606   s/o Edward de la Pomeroy & Wilmot Peryam who were married at Drewsteignton in 1601 

William  married  22 May 1634  to JANE WOULFE born1613 Harberton, Devon  


FMP BRIXHAM search  June 2018 BMDs

Marriages

POMEROY Elizabeth 8 Apr 1616 Marriage Brixham, St Mary to William Shynner

Pomeroy Agnes 1 633 Marriage Brixham to John Metford

POMEROY Elizabeth 1654 Banns & Marriage Brixham, St Mary,1654 to Danniel Whiddon

POMEROY George 1657 marriage 15 Nov 1658 Brixham,St Mary,to Izabell Thomas

POMEROY George 13 Jan 1659 Marriage Brixham, Devon, Mary Ogier

POMEROY Honner 2 Oct 1637 Marriage Brixham Devon, to John Brown

POMEROY John 1624 marriage Brixham St Mary, Devon, Susan Rewe

POMEROY Judeth 1685 Marriages Brixham, Devon, to John Troke

POMEROY Paul 1683 Marriage Brixham, Devon, England to Anne Dyer

POMEROY Paul 1705 Marriage Brixham, Devon, England to Marine

POMERY Agnes 17 Jan 1633 Marriage Brixham, Devon, England to John Metford

POMERY Paul 1683 Devon Marriages Brixham, St Mary, Devon,

Pomeroy Paul 1705 England Marriages 1538-1973 Brixham, Devon, England

Pomerey Richard Jan 1645 Marriage Brixham, Devon, England to Elizabeth Skrevene


BURIALS in Brixham

Artur POMERYe Arter 1612 Devon Burials Brixham, St Mary, Devon, England

THOMAS POMEROY. ESQ  3/8/1615 wife Honor Rolle

POMEROY William 21 Sep 1615 Burial Brixham, St Mary, Devon, England

Judith POMEROY 17 May 1633 Burial Brixham, St Mary, Devon, wife of Mr William Pomeroy

Vallentyne POMERY 13 Jul 1634 Burial Brixham, St Mary, Devon, England

POMERY Susan 8 Sep 1643 Burial Brixham, St Mary, Devon, England

POMERY Susan 24 Aug 1644 Burial Brixham, St Mary, Devon, England

Edward POMERY esq. 26 Jan 1656 Burial Brixham, St Mary, Devon, England

Welmot POMEROY 22 Jan 1660 Burial Brixham, St Mary nee Peryam wife of Edward Esq

JANE POMEROY Widow of Mr Wm GENT     20/11/1660 nee Jane Wolfe

Mr ARTHUR POMEROY Gent 14/ 3/1663 Brixham

MARGERY POMEROY Dau of ELIZABETH, widow     25/ 10/ 1669 widow of William

John POMEROY 26 Feb 1678 Burial Brixham, St Mary, Devon, England - buried in wool

William POMEROY gent. 22/10/1683 Devon Burials Brixham, St Mary, Devon,

Peter POMEROY 23 Jan 1688 Burial Brixham, St Mary, Devon, England buried in wool

GEORGE POMEROY 23/5//1688 Brixham

Paul POMEROY 14th March 1688 Burial Brixham, St Mary, buried in wool Son of PAUL

JOHN POMEROY 29/6/  1690 Brixham J Son of PAUL

Elizabeth POMEROY buried 10 Aug 1690 Brixham,Dau of Paul & Anne Pomeroy

George POMEROY March 1700 son of Paul & Anne March 1700

ANN POMEROY  14/3/1703  buried in wool  wife of Paul

Mary POMEROY 28 Oct 1717 widow Burial Brixham, St Mary, Devon buried in wool

Marina POMEROY Marine 4 Dec 1722 Burial Brixham, St Mary, Devon, wife of Paul

PAUL POMEROY 14/1/ 1733/4