WITHYCOMBE Raleigh, Exmouth & Littleham

Withycombe Raleigh with Littleham are both now part of part of the Exmouth conurbation

The manor of Littleham, on which Exmouth first grew up, belonged to the Rolles from the 17th century onwards    

 Otterton is  5 miles from Exmouth within a mile of the sea  

 Benjamin Donn Map of Devon circa 1785                                                               C19th map  National Library of Scotland

Bishops Transcripts were copied from the parish register and sent to Lambeth before Easter each year -

Here the neat and clearly copied BT with the error & sent before the mistake was realised

The neat version is almost always the copy for the Bishops at Lambeth

Two records of the child's baptism -
 one in Parish Register the other in Bishops Transcripts 1749

John Pomery & Mary Marwood married 6 April 1740 at Otterton 

children 

Elizabeth Bb 4th June 1741 Otterton father John mother Mary

Mary died 14 June 1741  given the time lapse of 10 days this death was probably from post partum sepsis  - 

There is a Will for Mary Marwood Pomeroy recorded in FMP as 1741

1841 Census  Ryall , Whitchurch Canonicorum  near Bridport in Dorset;
 John POMEROY; 60; Ag. Lab. wife Mary  POMEROY; 70; with  daughter Elizabeth POMEROY age  25  no occupation  living  next door with12 year old George Fowler 

There are numerous farms in Ryall  which would have had cottages for ag; labs
  The  views in the area are glorious 



 Joseph Pomeroy married  Patience Barnes of Otterton  at Woodbury in 1741  

William was son of  John - (Joseph ) & Patience Pomery Bb at Otterton  on 16 Nov 1749

Joseph  died in 1771 buried  12 Feb  1771 in Otterton  &  Patience died a pauper  in 1784  buried in woollen on 21 Jan 1784  in Otterton


In the 17th Century one of the biggest problems for the merchants of Exeter & Topsham was the predation on their ships of Corsairs, the so called Barbary or Salee pirates 

In 1636 the 'Swan' of Topsham was set upon by two Turkish men o'war near the Scillies, forcing the Swan to run ashore to save itself.

Similarly the80 ton  'Lark ' lost fifteen men and boy & the 'Patience' two days out to Newfoundland, & the barque the 'Rose Garden', were all lost to pirates.  Admiral Robert Blake was sent to drive off the pirates in 1654, with some success, but the pirates continued to harass local shipping.

In the late C15th Otterton Harbour was gradually silting up and only small fishing boats use it. However harbours lower down the Estuary were still used by trading vessels. Merchants mariners and shipowners were moving into the Lower Otter Valley building houses and farms in both East Budleigh and Otterton manors. Sheep farming became the most profitable occupation during the 15th & 16th. centuries.

 At the Reformation 1539  Richard Duke had  bought Otterton and East Budleigh as well as  Lindridge at Bishopsteignton on the Teign.

Exmouth is the oldest tourist resort in Devon but  Prior to the 1700’s Exmouth it was just a small fishing town, with  beach but not formal harbour  


Devon Freeholders Book, 

Freeholders were recorded to identify  inhabitants of the county who were eligible to serve on juries

 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 

 This part of the Pomeroy Tree appears to connect directly to Honiton where there were several generations of earlier Pomeroys -  

1751 William Pomeroy leaseholder - Colyton hundred  

1733  William Pomeroy of Gittisham  -  which is just north of Honiton

1751 Joseph Pomeroy -  Feniton Hayridge hundred

1762 John Pomeroy Junior  -  Colyton hundred Farway

1771 John Pomeroy yeoman freeholder - Farway

1771 William Pomeroy yeoman freeholder -  Axminster

1783  William Thomas Pomeroy, gentleman & John Pomeroy, yeoman - Farway 

Withecomb Rawleigh [Withycombe Raleigh] 1711-1799  -  no Pomeroy Freeholders  

https://www.eastdevonopc.co.uk/withycombe-raleigh-freeholders.html

                

https://www.eastdevonopc.co.uk/

Topsham is upriver from Woodbury & 5 miles upstream from Exmouth ; it was a busy port with ship building

The many Dutch style houses in Topsham date from the time when it was an important port  for the wool  from South-West England  & the houses were built using Dutch bricks, which were brought over as ships ballast.  More about Topsham here

 William Pomeroy of Topsham  Bb 17 Sep 1599 Twin daughters baptised  Ellinor & Agnes  -nothing more found as yet (2020)

 Having a share in a ship could lead to riches or to ruin however  local travel west of Exeter in the C18th was easier by sea , simply because the roads were atrocious It was said that there were no roads west of Exeter which could be used for wheeled traffic. 

" This infernal road was most execrably vile with ruts four feet deep"  

 Littleham church path, between Budleigh Salterton & Littleham, Devon dates from when Budleigh was a small fishing village called Salterne; without a church it was in the parish of Littleham & a regular walk to church on Sundays.

 2020 & AML  is currently  researching the DNA of William Pomeroy, Innholder,  age 36, of Withycombe Raleigh, inducted into Freemasons, ship builders chapter in Exeter, 1784 ( gives an EDB of 1749)   

1783  2 labourers broke into his cellar and stole 4 gallons of  his cider.Punishment C18th style...   So not only did they have monumental hangovers they were also fined 6d, a week in Bridewell jail and a whipping with the birch.

None of the Inns William was keeper of exist anymore . The alterations made in  Exmouth by the Rolle family  demolished both of them 

June 2020 update

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' By the 18th. & early 19th. centuries Otterton had become the principal "town" in the Lower Otter Valley.'

Joseph Pomeroy & Patience Barnes of Otterton married at Woodbury in 1741  Woodbury is on the Exe estuary south of Topsham .


Joseph  died in 1771 buried  12 Feb  1771 in Otterton  

Patience died a pauper  in 1784  buried in woollen on 21 Jan 1784  in Otterton

 

Otterton is 4 miles from Liitleham, a 2 hour walk, less on horseback        

Joseph Pomeroy of Woodbury Common married by banns on 9 June 1803 to Anne Davey of Brampford Speke which is 2 miles N. of Exeter. - 

Talaton  6 miles to the west of Honiton  12 miles from Littleham & 9 miles from Woodbury & Feniton

where there is record of a Joseph Pomeroy Yeoman in 1751 is 3 miles from Talaton  

Joshua son of Joseph & Hannah  bb7 Sept 1720 at Whimple   

Joshua Pomroy married 12 April 1744 to Rebecca Trump in Talaton

Joseph Pomeroy married Thomasine Morgan 20 April 1761 at Talaton

Joseph son Joshua Bb 28 May 1776 Talaton

William Bb 6 Jan 1780 son of Joshua in Talaton

Thomasine died 1765  Joseph died Talaton 1772 

William Pomeroy possibly born Otterton 1749

married  Ann Hayman on 12 Jan 1774 at Littleham 7 years later  she seems to have died -

            Mary Ann B b:23/10/1774 Bath, Somerset presumed to have died young, found in IGI by John Pomeroy who is searching one of the families in the area 

          Elizabeth dau of William & Ann Baptised 24 Sept 1776  - married Robert Barrett ,a basket maker, in 1812

Ann Pomeroy  burial at Littleham  17 July 1781 (presumed an adult death since entry is not qualified by ' daughter of ')   

William Pomeroy & Susannah Mare  married  at Withycombe Raleigh 29 Nov 1781 - 

Children

Susanna Bb 22 Oct 1782 at Littleham   father William Mother Susanna

William Bb 22 Aug 1784 at Littleham    father William Mother Susanna

John Bb 17 June 1786 at Littleham       father William Mother Susanna

Robert Bb 23 Jan 1789 at Littleham      father William Mother Susanna

Harriett Bb 11 June1790 at Littleham   father William mother Susanna

Thomas Bb15 Jube 1792 at Littleham   father William Mother Susanna

Maria Bb 23 July 1794 at Littleham       father William Mother Susanna

Maria resident of Exmouth buried 16 Feb 1826 Littleham   

 Elizabeth Pomeroy,  dau of William & Ann Baptised 24 Sept 1776  married 2 March 1812

  at Littleham to Robert Barrett a basket maker of Whimple near Exeter .She died in Exmouth in 1856 age 80.

the marriage was witnessed by her stepmother Susannah Pomeroy & and her brother Richard Mare, 

 Susanna Mare married William Pomeroy at Withycombe Raleigh 1781

 Richard Mare seems to have been her sibling  -The Mare family being freeholders in the Crediton area

    Susanna Mare Bb 20 Oct 1754 father John Mare & his wife Elizabeth Dyer married 1754 at Thorverton- 7 miles from Credito

    Richard Mare Bb 17 July 1763 son of John  & Elizabeth  Mare- Richard Mare born 1764 of Exmouth died  age 66 1830 buried at Littleham & Exmouth

 

Joshua Pomroy married 12 April 1744 to Rebecca Trump in Talaton  which is 6 miles to the west of Honiton

  3½ miles N.W. of Ottery St. Mary, and 11 miles N.E. of Exeter, 9 miles from Woodbury

Elizabeth 9 Jan 1745 at Talaton married 18 April 1763 to Samuel Johnslin

Rebekah  2 Aug 1747 at Talaton

Mary 11 Feb 1754 at Talaton

Joshua 9 Jan 1750 at Talaton

 Joseph Pomeroy married Thomasine Morgan 20 April 1761 at Talaton

 Thomasine died 1765  Joseph died Talaton 177

 Joseph son Joshua Bb 28 May 1776 Talaton

 William Bb 6 Jan 1780 son of Joshua in Talaton

 Joshua died 2 Sept 1762 at Talaton (adult)

Deaths

Maria Pomeroy resident of of Exmouth born 1796 died age 30 buried 16 Feb 1826 Littleham   

William Pomeroy buried in Farway Dec  1754 adult

William Pomeroy buried in Farway  May 1776 adult

William Pomeroy buried in Farway July 1804 adult if born 1748 age 56

William Pomeroy buried in Axminster 1838 adult 

Joseph Pomeroy of Woodbury Commons & Ann Davey of Brampford Speak married by banns 9th June 1803 at Woodbury

Elizabeth Pomeroy Bb12 Jan 1807 daughter of Joseph & Ann Pomeroy of Woodbury

IGI William Pomeroy B 1794  father William & Mary his wife  There is a tree - resident 1851 in Stockland