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The Duke family, who purchased East Budleigh Manor in 1540, were in the habit of granting very long leases with an annual rent charge, presumably to cut down on the amount of administration required to run a large Manor.  Many of these leases date from the 1600's and were of a 1000 or 3000 year term. They were in effect Freeholds and were later known as Chief Rent Freeholds.  

The Duke and later Rolle Estates had no control over their management or in conveyancing, only collecting the annual rent.  As a result many were bought and sold creating mini freehold estates or Sub Manors within East Budleigh Manor.  Tidwell was an example of this and there were still over thirty of them existing in 1842.  The Rolle Estates (now Clinton Devon Estates) spent much time and money buying back many of them in the 19th. century. 

Written and researched by Gerald Millington, Archivist Clinton Devon Estate, © 2011

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