Richard Duke was a grandson of William Duke, a prominent Exeter citizen, who was twice Mayor of Exeter in the mid 15th Century.  Around 1440, whilst Bailiff of Exeter, William married Cecilia of Poerhayes and inherited this small Manor in the East Budleigh Parish.  Richard (and his brother John) was born at Pinne (later Pinn) Barton [midway between Otterton and Sidmouth] and he entered into a professional career in Exeter, probably due to his grandfather's links with the city.  He became a Regional Clerk in Exeter for Henry VIII's Court of Augmentation that had been set-up to sell off the vast monastic estates dissolved by the King.  He was obviously in the right place at the right time for in February 1540 Richard, his wife Elizabeth and brother John purchased the Manors of Otterton and Budleigh (late of Polslo Priory).  Within this purchase were 40 houses, 100 cottages, 3 water mills, 2 fulling mills and 6 barns. The Manorial Lands included 5000 acres of cultivated arable land; 2400 acres of meadow and pasture; 10 acres of woodland; 100 acres of estuary marshland; and 5000 acres of furze and heathland. The 1540 Letters Patent indicate that the sum of £1712.14s.2d was paid to the Treasurer of the Augmentations.  Later in 1540 Richard purchased Poerhayes Manor from his uncle. Richard had married Elizabeth, daughter of John Frank of Yorkshire, and the one known issue was a daughter Christiana.  After Elizabeth's death he married Jane Holby of London and their only son, Richard, died an infant.

In July 1543 Richard and John purchased the 'Manor and Rectory of the Chapel of St.Mary, Dotton, and the watermill and other property in the Parish of Colaton Raleigh,  late of Dunkeswell Abbey’. The purchase price was £405.0s.54 for this 214-acre estate. Richard died intestate in September 1572 and administration was granted to Jane his widow and Christiana his daughter. An Inquisition Post Mortem taken at Budleigh in December 1572 cited a post-nuptial marriage settlement whereby Richard “entailed Otterton and Poerhayes on his own sons, whom failing, on his nephew Richard Duke and his heirs male, whom failing, on the remaining sons of his brother John, whom failing, on Thomas Duke of Camberwell”.  He had previously settled Dotton Manor, and some lesser estates, on his only daughter Christiana.

The Otterton and Poerhayes estates remained in the hands of the Duke family until 1778 when the family line of male heirs came to an end. During this time the eldest sons were primarily named Richard, but some Roberts do occur, and so there can be much confusion in following the relevant family lines. The estates were sold to the Rolle family in 1785.

This is the first in a series of articles on the Duke family, click here to jump to the second.

Compiled and researched © Harry Lane, 2008

Reference Documents.

1. Miscellanea Genealogica et Heraldica. Pedigree of the Devonshire Branch of the Family of Duke to illustrate the Descent of Poerhayes and Otterton Estate.

2. Monastic Lands, Colander of Particulars for Grants 1536-1558. by Joyce Youings. 1955

3. Patent Rolls. 31 Henry VIII, part 4.

4. Numerous references to the Duke family in 'Transactions of the Devonshire Association' and 'Devon and Cornwall Record Society' publications.

OT-B-00001 biography any