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The first mention of shipwrights in the Otter Estuary is in 1513. To quote from the “Book of Budleigh Salterton”(Richard D. Cann) ... 

“In 1513 Henry VIII used skilled shipwrights and caulkers from different parts of Devon to construct his ship Harry Grace a Dieu and 3 galleys at Woolwich. Amongst were 5 impressed men from Otterton”.  

This suggests that boat-building had been going on for very many years in and around the Estuary, for such skilled artisans to be taken from South Devon to London for this prestigious task.   

In 1560 a Court Case in Chancery was held between Lewis Bagbear, gent. v Robert Austyn, Ship Carpenter, both of Otterton.  (Robert Awstyn is listed in the 1569 Muster Roll for Otterton as a pikeman and in 1581 paying his Subsidy on £3 goods). 

King Henry’s “Great Harry” as she became known, was the largest and most advanced warship of her time - of over 1000 tons and 150 cannon. Perhaps the men did not return to Devon as this was a time of an escalation in ship-building in England.  Their names are not known.  

Where would the boat-building yard have been at this time and what type of craft were under construction?  The impressed men were from Otterton.  By the 1600’s a yard is known to be on lands in Otterton Parish.  A Church Terrier of 1602 while describing the Glebelands, names:  

“2 closes called Thorneyates .......one directly opposite against the other & the way that leadeth to Otterton Haven, lyeth between them both of 6 acres”  

The 1844 Tithe Map lists these as Nos 1414 & 1415 “Glebe Fields”.  A track runs from Otterton Village through these fields to the inlet below present day South Farm.  Today a large reedbed marks the inlet with the stream entering it from South Farm.  This must be the site of the boatyard.  (South Farm was not founded until 1808 and the ruins of a limekiln, marked on Green’s map of 1808, stands on the north side above the site).  

Who were the shipwrights working here?  “Early Stuart Mariners and Shipping- 1619/1635” lists twenty-one shipwrights and sixteen sailors under Otterton.  There are no fishermen named!  A further five shipwrights and five sailors are named for Colaton Raleigh, which suggests a further slipway must have existed higher up the Otter.  At Woodbury there were seven shipwrights who were probably working at a small boatyard at Exton or Ebford in the Exe Estuary. This may have been the origins of the famous Topsham yards built later up stream.  

Otterton Haven appears to have been the major boat- building yard along the coast from the Exe to the Axe.  At this time Sidmouth was the principal port with fourteen Masters & Mariners, sixteen sailors and seventy-three fishermen, but no shipwrights.  Topsham had an extensive trading fleet of ships and must have had ship repair facilities, but no shipwrights are mentioned here either. 

Members of seventeen Otterton families are named as shipwrights :-Barnes, Bayly(5), Bugenn (Burgin?), Clarke, Dollen(Dolling), Gibb, Grindle, Hussy, Kenwood, Lugg, Macye, Moore, Pyne, Reely, Rugg, Tricker, Williams.  It is possible that the families lived in dwellings at the yard.  A field near the Glebe Fields mentioned is named Ruggs and Baileys, being held by these families, both of whom lived in Otterton Parish for the following 200 years.  The Ruggs were blacksmiths in the village.  Dollings still live locally, as do the Pynes and Williams.  

By the 1650’s boat building had declined in the Otter Estuary, by which time many of the shipwrights and artisans in the trade had diversified, many to become farmers. 

The Baileys of Otterton and East Budleigh. 

The outstanding name in the list of shipwrights for Otterton is Bayly or Bayleigh.  The first specific record of the family is in the 1524 Subsidy Roll for Otterton, where William Bayleigh was assessed for tax purposes for goods £16.04.00, a substantial amount which suggests the family had been in Otterton for many years.  John Bayleigh had married Joan Monne in the same year and Agnes Monne, her mother, who had lost her husband, was assessed at £22, also of a wealthy family.  It is possible that members of the Bayly family were already shipwrights in the locality building ships/boats in the estuary before the shingle/sand bar had developed at the river mouth.  Perhaps some members were impressed to build the ships in Woolwich in 1513.  Others like William had taken to sheep farming which they continued long after boat building declined in the area. 

William Smyth alias Bayley, shipwright, was living in Kersbrook.  He is listed in the East Budleigh Malt Book for 1613 and died in 1621 leaving a small holding and an estate worth £22.  He was probably related to the Otterton family.  Other members of his family appear in the East Budleigh registers 1615-1620.  Perhaps there was a boat-builders yard at Kersbrook Haven or did he travel to work in the Otterton yard?  He may have been a blacksmith and used the name Bayley to enhance his status in the community.  

In 1616 a Captain Baily accompanied Sir Walter Ralegh’s fleet to South America as captain of the “Husband” alias “Southampton” of 80 tons.  He and his ship deserted the fleet at Lanzarote, Canary Islands and sailed back to the Isle of Wight probably because of shortage of victuals. Ralegh’s ill-fated voyage culminated in his execution in 1618.  In view of the Bayleys connection with East Budleigh, Captain Baily may have been a member of their family. 

The five Bayly’s listed in the Maritime Survey are John aged 34, John 55, Robert age 29, William 30 and Simon 40.  Trinity House certificates issued for new ships built between 1625 and 1638 and sent to London to be armed, include three Darmouth vessels (two of 250 tons each); two of Exeter (one of 200 tons); one of Plymouth (130 tons) and John Bayley of Otterton built five of these vessels.  He may have been the younger of the two Johns named in the list. 

Bailey’s farmhouse still stands at Pitson and is now known as Ash Tree Farmhouse and is of 16th century origin, probably built by William Bayly. It was refurbished in 1685, hence the date plaque.  The family appear to have left the area by the 1780’s, having served the communities as Churchwardens and leading farmers for 250 years. 

Compiled and researched © Gerald Millington, 2010 

Sources   

Clinton Devon Estate Archives

Devon Records Office 96/M etc.

“Early Stuart Mariners and Shipping – Survey of Devon & Cornwall 1619/35. 

Edited by Todd Gray Devon & Cornwall Record Soc. Vol.33 (1990)

“Ralegh’s Last Journey” by Paul Hyland  HarperCollins 2003 

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