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The Clinton Devon Estates owes its name to the present Baron Clinton’s family. They can trace their title back to 1299 and it is the second oldest Barony in Britain. (The oldest is Baron De Ros created in 1264).  The most famous of early Clintons was the 9th. Baron, Edward, who was Lord High Admiral of England in 1550 and again from 1558 until his death in 1585 - three years before the Armada, having built up the fleet in readiness. 

The Baron Clintons started acquiring lands in Devon in the 17th. century. The Clinton male line died out in the late 1600's and the Barony came into the Trefusis family. 

However the majority of the lands making up the present Estate originated in the reign of Henry VIII, when a London Merchant named George Rolle started to buy up lands in North Devon in 1519.  Through purchases and astute marriages the Rolles built up their North Devon estates, moving into South East Devon in the early 17th. century by acquiring Bicton and Beer.  This was followed by Littleham Manor (ie Exmouth) in 18th. century and in 1785, East Budleigh, Otterton, Colaton Raleigh, Harpford, Aylesbeare, Newton Poppleford and elsewhere. 

The 19th. century saw the consolidation of a huge widely scattered estate, with lands and properties in Barnstaple, Bideford, Great Torrington in the north, Exmouth, Budleigh Salterton in the south east, together with over 60 villages and parishes in Devon.  By 1883 the Rolle Estates covered 55,592 acres, the largest land holding in Devon.  The Estate passed to John, Lord Rolle, in 1797 and he and his agent worked hard to create an economically viable estate out of many scattered holdings.  This policy continued through the 19th. century under the Rolle Estate Trustees after Lord Rolle's death.  Many odd blocks of land in remote parishes were sold and other lands purchased adjacent to existing Estate lands to create a more manageable and profitable estate. 

In 1822 Lord Rolle married Lady Louisa Trefusis, daughter of the 17th. Baron Clinton and on his death in 1842 Lord Rolle left the Rolle Estates in Trust for the benefit of his widow and her nephew Hon. Mark Trefusis who, in compliance with his Lordship's Will, changed his name to Rolle. On Mark’s death in 1907 the whole Estate passed to the Trefusis family in the person of the 21st. Baron Clinton.  His own Estates consisted of about 10 villages and parishes in North Devon and these were amalgamated with the Rolle Estates in 1907. 

During the late 19th. and early 20th. centuries a great deal of housing development took place on the Estate lands in the towns - Exmouth, Budleigh Salterton, Great Torrington etc. creating a huge portfolio of leases.  Most of these leases were sold off in the 1920's and 30's.  Clinton Devon Estates Ltd. was set up to take over the Estate in 1925 and by 1933 still held 34,000 acres in North and South East Devon. 

Between 1870 and the beginning of World War II there were three agricultural depressions, especially that of the 1930s, all of which affected the management and profitability of the Estate.  The Agricultural War Effort held off any breaking up of the holdings but by 1958 a large part of the North Devon Estate was auctioned off.

The second half of the 20th century has seen consolidation once again and successful growth in all the Estates activities. Today the Estate covers approximately 24,000 acres in Devon. 

The present Lord Clinton, 22nd Baron and his family are still actively involved in day to day running of the Estate.

Researched and written by © Gerald Millington 2006 

References 

Archive material – Clinton Devon Estate

60 OT-B-00013  Biography, Agriculture any