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THE BROAD HISTORY
This page is devoted to a broad history of the family. Topics covered are as follows:-
The Earliest History * The French Connection
The Origins of the name 'Lerwill' * Our true roots?
The Barnstaple Charters
How did the Family leave Lerwell Farm?
The old family home (Lerwell Farm) since 1500
The Family in the last 400 years
The Earliest History
Notions of where we, the Lerwills, came from has been a subject of debate for many years, and a letter from an American Lerwill to his relative (click here) indicates that folklore was still rampant in 1947!
However, it is factually clear that the family name seems to have been first documented in about 1200 as 'de Luriewille' or 'de Loriwelle' (etc.), and is linked to a farm very near Chittlehampton, North Devon, to-day still called Lerwell (or Lerwill) Farm. Nearby Whitstone was at one time comprised as part of the Lerwill Farm holding, and appears to have been so until at least 1590.
In fact, the Whitstone property was part of Newton and Whitstone in relation to its holding by the Lerwill family, and they both go back to the Domesday Book (unlike Lerwill Farm).
Medieval landholding involved a pyramid of overlords (with the monarch at the top), above the effective owner, with various obligations and rights owed at all stages of the pyramid. The effective owner might sub-let the property to an undertenant, who might sublet in turn. This means that the 'owner' shown in documentation of any date was not necessarily the occupant of the property, and there is no guarantee that the owner's undertenant, where the name is known, was not sub-letting in turn. In 1198 Ralph de Ese apparently granted land in Neuton and Wetestan to William de Ralegh in exchange for land in Roseash, for the service of half a knight's fee (Feet of Fines I p 15, no 21). William de Ralegh then sold it to William de Briwere (ibid pp 16-17 no 23). In 1199, in the first year of his reign, King John confirmed to William de Briwere land including all that which William de Ralegh had in Neuenton and Wetteston (Rotuli Chartarum 1837 p28). In 1234 the fees of William Briwere included half a knight's fee in Neweton and Weston which Simon de Parco held (Book of Fees p401).
The Rev. Andrews (who wrote local history articles for the Chittlehampton parish magazine during the 1950s and 1960s) reported, "The smallest of the manors in the parish was Newton. At the time of Domesday Book (1086) it was held by one called Ansgar of Baldwin, the Sheriff of Devon. He held Whitstone of Baldwin also. Such manors were too small to continue on their own, with a manor house and a manor court. Newton was no more than 160 acres. Its name means 'new farm', the old farm of the settlers being Chittlehampton itself. There is no Chittlehampton Barton, as for instance there is a Warkleigh Barton, but Risdon writing in 1630 says that a barton house to the east of the church was remembered in his day. Since the Lord of the Manor was an absentee who did not need a large farm to provide his household with food, the old manorial farm, or demesne, as it was called, was divided up at a very early date. The name is preserved in the Barton Parks to the north of the church, formerly a separate holding. Court Hayes, Ash, Bratton, Longparks and what used to be called North Hudscott, would all have been taken out of it. But in 1086 the manorial farm still existed, and the new farm, Newton, had become quite independent. It had two 'villeins', that is two tenant farmers in addition to the demesne, and the demesne would have been half of the whole. It may be that North Newton, 79 acres, was the demesne, and South Newton, 76 acres, was once divided into two small 'villein' farms, but there is no trace of such a division now, and 900 years is a very long time."
The French Connection
Vincent de LURIWILLE appears to have been the first 'Lerwill'; he was first mentioned in 1206. What do we know about Vincent's arrival and early period in Devon?
The family home of 'Lerwill Farm' does not appear in the Domesday Book (1086). The family must have moved into Devon since that date.
The earliest documented reference to our family name is in 1206. However, unless one was part of the aristocracy or the clergy, there is little chance of finding any documented reference much before 1200 in any case, as it was only in the latter part of the 1100s that much importance was put on record-keeping.
It is noteworthy that many Normans, Flemings and Franks continued to arrive in Britain until the 1200s. A large number of settlements were created in Devon during 1150-1250, particularly around 1200 onwards.
The deforestation of Devon was made possible by charter acquired by the men of Devon for 5,000 marks (about £3,300) in 1204. Excepted, however, was Exmoor and (interestingly enough) a swathe of Royal Forest land which ran from a point lying approximately just north of a line between Barnstaple and Lerwill Farm, and southwards between these points to an approximate latitude with Bideford! This swathe of forest is known to have existed in about 1250, but it appears as though it was lost a hundred years later, probably because it was too remote for Royal visitation. The deforestation enabled the creation of many more settlements and the expansion of the cloth industry.
There is a strong family tradition that our family came from France, although some say that Tours is reckoned to have been the place of origin. Note that the Tours tradition is still potentially valid as the last point of departure, regardless of the musings that follow.
The cloth industry became very important for Devon from about 1200 (and more so from around 1350), and the towns of Barnstaple and South Molton (spanning each side of Lerwill Farm, near Chittlehampton) were, respectively, the principle cloth-making town and wool-market town, of North Devon.
Flanders and parts of what we would now recognise as N.E. France were major centres of the cloth industry at that time. It is known also that woad, from Picardy, was imported for use in the English textile industry during the 1190s.
Much wool was exported to the Flemings to make into cloth, but a cloth industry had become well established in several parts of England by the 1170s, and the success of the industry was undoubtedly a reason for its establishment in Devon.
There was a considerable alien influence in trade and commerce - weavers and fullers groups originating from 'the Continent' were evident at Winchester as early as 1131, and if Vincent arrived in England at Southampton (or, even, London) he would have found familiar company. Vincent's settlement near Barnstaple, and the growth in the cloth industry development in that area from ca. 1200, seem to be connected. That Flemings were in Devon at that time is indicated by Vincent's involvement in a property litigation of 1228, with one 'Archenbald Flemeng'
The frequency of Vincent's appearance in medieval documents (though not as a titled person), his obviously frequent journeys to Exeter and to other parts of the county (including a holding near Ilfracombe), the creation of a family coat of arms without apparent Heraldic acceptance, and the nature of the recorded references of William, his mid-14th c. successor, confirms the family's standing as minor lords, but with the hint of a merchant/entrepreneurial status. Some family connection with a John Boye of Halburton seems again to point to the cloth industry, as that place is situated in the east Devon area of the industry.
All these circumstances point to Vincent's connection with the cloth industry, but since he had the use of a substantial amount of land, it is likely that he was a supplier of wool to the markets of Barnstaple and South Molton.
The Origins of the name 'Lerwill'
Surnames did not start to become common in England until the 12th and 13th centuries, and they were generally related to a place (or property) or form of occupation (e.g. baker). Our family name is clearly related to a property (i.e. Luriwille or Luriewille, as it was originally).
One Barbara Steel deposited at the Society of Genealogists (London) in 1972 her findings from some research she had done into our family name on behalf of some members of the LERWILL family. Her basic findings also form part of our subsequent determinations, but she did add the idea that the family name may be derived from the place LEROUVILLE, which lies between Paris and Nancy, France. This idea must not be dismissed willy-nilly, and acceptance of her idea would gain currency if it were to be found that our family name came with the originator and did not derive from the property name in Devon that we now know as Lerwell Farm; i.e. that the property gained its name from the occupier at some later date. This is certainly a possibility, for it is not until around the year 1300 that we first find a record of a property of the name 'Luriwille' (or similar) being held by the family. It is possible that the family first occupied Whitstone and Newton and then later constructed a homestead that became 'Luriwille'. I have my doubts, however, and perhaps the following explanations may seem more plausible.
I formed the notion, from studying the early spellings of our family name (Luriwille or Luriewille), that there seemed to be a conjunction of words that the clerks of the time had found difficulty in spelling. The structure that I deduced was something like LE - ROYE - WILL (lit. "the Roye's abode', from the Teutonic weiler - also the Norman ville. I believe that ROYE would have been pronounced as in the 'roy' of the French 'royaume', and if one attempts to express the sound of the three syllables as one word, I suggest that it will become something like LURIWILLE to the ears of the scribe; more or less the spelling as actually found. The gradual change to 'Lerwill' over the centuries (not recorded as such until the 1500s, and then not standard until the 1800s - the name would often be spelt as Lerrawill or suchlike in the 17th and 18th centuries) probably became due to the dropping of French as the formal language (in the late 14th c.), and the affect of the Devonshire accent.
Six months after constructing the idea narrated above, I was amazed to discover, through "surfing the Internet" and discovering someone else's family history, that the family name LERRAWAY (or Larraway) is virtually certain to have been derived from LeRoye.
Interestingly, I happened in my research also to come across a 14th c. reference to a William Lerwynch of Lorewynch (note that even in the same passage the two names, though essentially one, are spelt differently), located in Gloucestershire, and the thought arises that the abvious similarity in the first part of the name might indicate a common root. As it happened, the Earl of Gloucester also held lands in Devon that included Chittlehampton, passed to him by Robert Fitzhamon (who also gave Chittlehampton Church to Tewkesbury Abbey in the time of Henry I). "Just a coincidence?", I wonder. Note that the then Earl of Gloucester joined in a conspiracy against King John in 1215.
The Black Death arrived in England in 1348, and (although much of North Devon seems unaffected by the disease) the population was so decimated (by as much as 30% in places) there was a resulting affect on the economy and social behaviour in the country. French had been the courtly language and landholders' surnames invariably held the prefix 'de'. This was now to change as English gradually became the national language (apart from use of Latin in religion and science), aided later in the 14th c. by Geoffrey Chaucer and his Pilgrim's Tales, later even further popularised by the printing press of William Caxton.
Our true roots?
The following relates to the pursuance of the hypothesis concerning the influence of 'ROYE' in our name.
The book, France In The Middle Ages 987-1460, by Georges Duby (1987, Eng. version 1991), shows quite clearly that there was much unrest in Northern "France" in those days, aggravated by the claims of the Norman and Angevin camps. Richard I had been considerably angered by his brother John's and Philip's (King Philip II of the Franks, " Philip Augustus") planning against him, and had gone into battle against Philip. Even after Richard's death (1199) and John's inheritence of the English throne, there was little accord between John and Philip, and Philip proceeded to take northern territories in France, including Vermandois (in Picardy) in 1186 and the County of Tours in 1204.
I considered that after Vincent, Bartholomew was clearly a popular Christian name in the family, and I would think that Vincent chose this for his son as it was a name very prominent in his family - perhaps his father's name. Remarkably, we find that a leading knight in the 1190-1200 period was Bartholomew of Roye, (Fr. Barthelemy de Roye) a Vermandois knight (i.e. from near Flanders and Amiens; i.e. Picardy, relating to the connection with cloth production). The time is right, and the area is approximately right
To add even more spice, it appears that Philip Augustus created a bishopric for Bartholomew's nephew at the recently acquired Evreux. This was in 1201 and the nephew's name was, apparently, Robert de Roye.
Having taken great interest in this person, I consulted the highly-informative book, The Government of Philip Augustus (Baldwin; University of California, 1986), in which Bartholomew is referred to many times.
Part of a chapter is dedicated to Bartholomew, and it soon became clear that Bartholomew was not Vincent's father, as (i) he is only recorded as having daughters, and (ii) Bartholomew was probably not quite old enough. However, even though he was not the father, there is still enough of interest and relevant issues that cause me to relate Bartholomew to our family. Some facts about Bartholomew:
he came from the Roye family, who were minor lords;
he was the youngest son;
his wife was Perronelle de Montfort, countess of Leicester (daughter of the Norman Count of Evreux);
his three daughters married well - the second of which married in 1214. He is also described as being "venerable" in 1214 - did he marry late?;
he died in 1237;
he attended the Crusade (of the 1180/90s) as a knight with Thibaut, Count of Blois; This Count was killed at Acre, according to the book King John, as were "... barons and bishops by the dozen...", and the garrison there also suffered starvation and disease.
he made his way up through the Royal ranks from being of the King's household, and "none of the King's new men (of ca. 1190) appeared on the scene so early, was more constant in attendance, or lasted longer than he";
in a treaty between King Philip and Prince John (later King of England) in 1194, Bartholomew is mentioned as "his knight" and would swear on oath to guarantee the agreement (i.e. B. would act as Philip's guarantor);
Bartholomew would act for the King on many important occasions, and was appointed Grand Chamberlain in 1208 - an appointment that was honorific but added to Bartholomew's dignity in the Court;
that despite his devotion and importance to Philip Augustus, he was, at some point, in the pay also of King John!
From the information we have, therefore, it is clear that the Roye family were well-connected with English, as well as French, society, and relates well to how Vincent may have come to England (ca. 1200 - before the big trouble between John and Philip). William de Vernon (a Norman) appears to have been Earl of Devon around the year 1200, and Bartholomew may well have had connection with him, both through his station and because he was married into the Evreux family. However, what is also interesting is that Devon was one of seven counties over which Prince John had almost exclusive control between 1189 and 1193.
The question is still not answered, however, "how were Bartholomew and Vincent related - if at all?". There is no concrete proof, as yet, as to their blood relationship, but from the information available, I would put Bartholomew's birth at about the year 1155-60 and Vincent's at about 1175-1180. From this, and that we know Bartholomew was the youngest son, it is conceivable that he was Vincent's uncle - and that Vincent may well have been Robert de Roye's brother, or cousin at least. Note also that the standing of the Roye family in general would appear to have been about the same as Vincent's in England - another marker of interest.
NOTE - since I wrote the above in 1996, further research into the ROYE family of that time seems to indicate that there was no Vincent born of Bartholomew's brothers. However, I am still inclined to believe in my basic hypothesis concerning the origin of our family name, and I am now wondering whether Vincent was an ex-squire of Bartholomew's, or someone of other close connection and eager to reflect the ROYE name. This will, of course, be harder to prove. (JL, July, 2002).
The Barnstaple Charters
A subject for considerable argument is that concerning the 'Charters of Barnstaple'. A tradition is that King Athelstan gave the town its first charter in about 930 AD, but this document is not truly recorded. However, since the town did have burh-witan status, the conclusion is that a charter must have existed. The people of Barnstaple have always made sure of playing on this tradition, and in 1344 an inquisition was held at Barnstaple (an earlier one was held at South Molton) before Hamon de Dereworthy and John de Baumfield (Justices of the King), and in the presence of the Sheriff, Walter de Horton. A traditional 'body of 12' stated on oath that "the Borough of Barnstaple now is, and always was, time out of mind, a free Borough.......", and that the town had other specific liberties (that were listed). One of "the 12" was William de Loriawell..
It is a reasonable conjecture that officials, and even the 'jury', were richly entertained and given suitable gifts. However, those up in London were not to be outsmarted and Edward noted that the men of Barnstaple had been "artfully and craftily busying themselves about those things which by the inquisition before named was found to be our damage and prejudice"! A third enquiry was held at Torrington, and there it was found that the King (and others!) would lose out by confirming the status! This, however, does not appear to have made one iota of difference to our men of Barnstaple, and the message seems to have gone out that "business is as usual" - self-appointment of mayors included! A snook was cocked!
REFERENCE:
Barnstaple - Town on the Taw, Lois Lamplugh, Phillimore, 1983.
Barnstaple Records, Chanter & Wainwright, 1899.
How did the Family leave Lerwell Farm?
A Combe Martin family tradition is that two (Lerwill) brothers arrived in Combe Martin (presumably from Chittlehampton) at a date unknown, but appears to have been in the later half of the 15th c. One of these is supposed to have died fairly soon after, as a result of a serious illness (perhaps smallpox or yellow fever). However, another Lerwill branch is known to have existed at Tawstock (near Chittlehapton) in the early part of the 16th c., indicating that perhaps the family split up on the earlier transfer (or loss) of their properties at Lerwill and Whitstone.
There has also been more than a hint that the Lerwills were caught up in The Wars of the Roses (were they at the Battle of Tewkesbury,1471? - (this battle very much involved Devon troops), but proof remains elusive at this time. There is a further family tradition that states that the family were awarded property as a result of their help to one of the causes (thought to be the House of Tudor, who were, of course, the winners - in 1485 - as a result of the 'Roses' struggle), but proof of this is also elusive. However, the fact that the family should suddenly turn up in Combe Martin around this time does indicate that there must have been a special reason for doing so.
I regard the time of 1470/90 as being the time when the Lerwills "moved house", and that time is remarkably consistent with the war-like events taking place at that time. However, having emphasised the Wars of the Roses as being a clue to the Lerwills' move, I should record that after 1430, Devon experienced phenomenal exports of broad cloths compared with former years. Indicative of this is the considerable amount of church and bridge building that took place during the latter part of the 15th century, including the expansion of Chitlehampton Church. Could it be, therefore, that the family made substantial amounts from the sale of wool and it is something to do with that that caused their move? I am, personally, not very convinced by this argument. After all, if exports were going well, why leave?
The main line of the Lerwills became centred on Combe Martin without any doubt. There are deeds relating a John Lerwill to a property in Combe Martin (kept at the Devon County Records Office) that cover a period from about 1480 up until the mid 1500s, and a John Lerwill is known to have been a deputy reeve at Combe Martin in 1507, and again a John Lerwill is involved in an inquisition into rights of public access in 1531, when aged 83. The recording of the age in the last entry seems to indicate that all the John Lerwill references are to one and the same person. No other Combe Martin Lerwill references seem to exist before 1524.
An 83-year old in 1531 would therefore have been born ca. 1448 and I must assume that he was the one that survived the migration from Chittlehampton. When he made the journey is hard to say, but the above records seem to infer that he was in Combe Martin by about the year 1475, and this year would be about right from my estimate of when the property at Chittlehampton was given up.. By the manner of his inclusion in the records quoted above, there is no doubt that John Lerwill must have been a man of reasonable substance, and probably a yeoman (considered by some to have been the backbone of England). Certainly, some of his successors were reported as 'yeoman', so there is no reason to doubt that he was not also. An old English proverb was "it is better to be the head of the yeomanry than the tail of the gentry", and I suspect that our Lerwill ancestors learnt the wisdom of that statement. Apart from the possibility of lands being lost because of the family's property-related connection with the Courtenays, why did the Lerwills move specifically to Combe Martin? There is no answer at this point in time.
However, John Lerwill undoubtedly had at least two sons, and the family therefore continued to multiply until, by the middle of the 1500s, Lerwills could be found at nearby Kentisbury, and Ilfracombe, in addition to Combe Martin, as solid yeomen, and also at Arlington. In 1569, a Muster Roll for Devon includes two Lerwills who were required to turn out as archers should the need arise. In the 17th c., the family fanned out even further. It is noteworthy, however, that those members of the family that moved further afield also seem, in the main, to have become poorer.
The old family home (Lerwell Farm) since 1500
THE parish church of Chittlehampton (in which parish Lerwell Farm is located) was vastly re-built in the later part of the 15th c., just at the time that our family evidently left their property, and so if there was any evidence of Lerwills showing on the church walls, it has long gone.
In a Visitation (of Heralds), 1531, the pedigree of Bellew includes "William Colbrooke of Lorywill", whose daughter married Henry Bellew of Alverscott. The Colbrooke family evidently acquired 'Lorywill' (or Lerwill) some years earlier. In 1590, the following sale notice appeared:
Chittlehampton - Bargain and sale by Hugh Pollarde of Kynges-Nympton esq to Leonarde Yeo of Northpetherwyn, gentleman, of the capitall mansion house barton and demesnes of Lyrewell in Chittlehampton. The manor of Whetstone there with the members...................at the price of £4.
NOTE: Chittlehampton itself was at one time granted to Sir George Carew, of Mohun’s Ottery, whose brother in 1553 sold it to Sir Hugh Pollard, of Kingsnympton (perhaps the father of the above).
Records of events at Lerwill (farm) since 1590 are rare and do not involve our family anyway. However, the following may be of interest:
In 1700, Dorothy Lovering, in consideration of an intended marriage between her and Samuel Rolle, vested Lerwell (and other lands) in trust for the children of the marriage.
In the 1841 Tithe Assessment, Lerwell (82 acres) and Lerwell Moors (69 acres) are entered as the property of Lord Rolle's trustees.
In 1954, Lerwell was the property of Lord Clinton as inheritor of the Rolle estate (the Rolles were property magnates in Devon, and their name is found everwhere, including the 'Rolle Quay' at Barnstaple, and they also held the Manor of Gorges at Braunton at the time of the last court leet in 1888).
To-day's main building at Lerwell (which I have seen) looks to have been built in the 19th c. but part of the older farmhouse lies behind it and that evidently still has a 15th c. doorway (from an article in the Parish Magazine, 1960, written by the Rev. Andrews, who was very much a local historian). Another snippet from the magazine states that the church was furnished in 1872 by a very handsome Utrecht alter cloth, donated by Miss H. Morris of Lerwill. The Morris family were apparently very substantial yeomen, and other members of that family 'of Lerwill' are recorded within and without the church.
The Family in the last 400 years
The main modern variants of our name have become established as LERWILL, LERWELL, LARWILL and LARWELL. Other similar-sounding surnames (such as LOVELL or LOWELL) are highly unlikely to be related. In Indiana (U.S.A.) there is a place called LARWILL, and a LARWILL PARK is in Canada.
There is evidence that a Lerwill family was present in London (Stepney and Holborn) by about the year 1600, and one of that family appears to have been in Cambridgeshire for a short while. I would think it likely that they got to London as a result of trade between North Devon and London.
Bartholomew L. at Arlington in the early 1600s was described as a 'husbandman', although there was not a lot of difference (in substance) between that status and that of a yeoman. Later, however, we find that one of Bartholomew's grand-son's became 'a chandler', indicating, perhaps, that there was not a lot going for small landholders in Arlington and that he may have been forced to going into a trade. Going on from this, the apparent connection of the Arlington branch to the Marwood family shows perhaps a further diminution, when we find members of the family earning a living as a 'blacksmith' and as a 'mariner'. This family suffered further economic reverses before some recovery took place, but it does not appear that any Lerwills of the main lines had to seek the help of the Poor Law.
The Arlington period (from the mid-1500s) is of particular interest to me, as I feel that my line is connected with this branch of the family, and that it is from this branch that the Marwood-Braunton line seems to emanate, and from which the Birmingham Lerwills emerged. Although there is a strong likelihood of my deductions being correct in this regard, no concrete proof is likely to emerge as there is a great lack of documentation from this place during the period in question.
I believe there is a possible link of the Arlington Lerwills to the Kentisbury family. As the Lerwill family got larger, it is quite conceivable that the family spread out. The Chichesters had been very substantial landholders in North Devon since the mid-1300s, particularly around Arlington, Sherwell and Marwood, and for the Lerwills to be in Arlington was clearly no accident. As will be seen, an apparent Arlington family offshoot moved on to Marwood, thus indicating the family's link (in employment terms) with the Chichester holdings.
There are many examples of very active communications and relationships taking place between small communities over a distance of around ten square miles. One of the earliest of these examples concerns a Richard L. of Arlington, who married at Goodleigh in 1570. Goodleigh is some six or seven miles south of Arlington, and about three east of Barnstaple. It is this event, and that Richard's father was 'John', plus that another John L. of Marwood married at Sherwell (between Arlington and Goodleigh) in 1573, and that they were of similar age, that caused me to draw the conclusion (in the absence of parish registers of that period at Arlington to prove their birth, and that John senior's will of 1581 has not survived) that Richard and John jnr. were, in fact, brothers. Perhaps John jnr. had to leave Arlington because of economic constraints in that locality; that there was not enough opportunity at Arlington for the brother. Also is the fact that though Arlington eventually became the main seat of the Chichester gentry in North Devon, that they had other property at Marwood and Sherwell, and it would seem that there was a 'tie' between the Chichester and Lerwill families, even if it was as some form of watered-down feudal relationship. Also, of course, there is a certain topographical logic to the movement of the family to Marwood via Combe Martin or Kentisbury then Arlington, in their search for a livelihood. During all these movements of the family further afield, the 'home base' of the family (in terms of the materially successful side of the family) continued to be a farming (and mining?) fraternity at Combe Martin and then (also) at Kentisbury and East Down. The East Down family (at Maddocks Down farm) seem to have been rewarded in 1661 (immediately after the restoration of the Crown) with their property, probably as a result of being good supporters of the Crown (not that they got it free of charge, however). The family have been at this farm ever since.
In 1648, a certain Nicholas Leerewell of Trentishoe (east of Combe Martin) was declared as "delinquent and notorious" by the Roundheads. For him, this undoubtedly meant that his estate was sequestrated, but it is possible that he compounded with a local committee and escaped with a fine amounting to two years' value of his estate - perhaps as much as £1,500. It so happens that a Nicholas L. turned up in Pilton (nr. Barnstaple) in 1649, where he was married.
The Combe Martin family also continued to have flirtations with neighbouring Ilfracombe and Berry Narbour. It is said that one Combe Martin member went as far afield as Fowey to elope with his bride.
However, there were some earlier small migrations, including those into Somerset and London. One Lerwill to relocate overseas (forcibly, from what has been gleaned) was a Robert Larwill at Winkleigh, who, unfortunately, was shipped in chains for eight years hard labour in America. That was in 1726 when aged about 22. However, the first to migrate overseas may well have been a John Laurwell, who is noted as being in Virginia as an immigrant in 1637, just 17 years after the Pilgrim Fathers had made their historic voyage (Greer, Virginia Immigrants, 1623-1666). Unfortunately, I subsequently found out (through Cavaliers and Pioneers (Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants, 1623-1666), by Nugent) that the same John L. was to be "transported" with seven others to work on the property of Mr. Percival Campion. Although it does not specifically say so, it sounds as though he was sent out there because of some felony. However, there does seem to have been a strong Devon/Virginia link, as a mid-17th century Treasurer of Virginia is buried at Chittlehampton.
Until the 1800s, little changed in terms of where the Lerwills lived and their livelihoods, although a few Lerwills had (during the 18th c.) moved into Bristol and even Sussex (Lewes). The branches at Bristol and Lewes appear to have been Baptists, and the origin of these (as tradition has it) may well be to do with a stalwart (possibly John, shown as a Church Warden in 1749) who one day requested the Combe Martin vicar to "tone down his sermons", which were probably all fire and brimstone. This the vicar apparently failed to do, and this persuaded our Lerwill stalwart into leading his family into the Baptist church!
By the end of the 18th c., with enclosures, the rise of the Industrial Revolution, decline in farming after the Napoleonic Wars, rapidly increasing population and "America", a lot of movement began - not only in respect of Lerwills, of course, but for people all over Devon and the whole country. By the middle 1800s, Lerwills are then found in fields as far apart as Wales, Birmingham (England!) and the U.S.A. By the end of the 1800s, Portsmouth (from Birmingham), Sussex (another migration, from Devon), Canada (from Stafford) and Australia and New Zealand (from Birmingham) are added to the process of diaspora, and, in later years, a number of Lerwills from different branches went to find their fortune in South Africa.
Recently, there were still Lerwill farmers in North Devon, the main farming families being at Verwill (east of Combe Martin), Waytown (Kentisbury), Maddocks Down (East Down) and North Molton. However, Verwill has since passed out of Lerwill ownership. Even Ken Lerwill at Birmingham owned a dairy farm near South Molton for some years, quite close to Lerwill Farm! Ken left the day-to-day management of the farm, however, to another person, and in fact was unconscious of the existence of Lerwill Farm.
Now, Lerwills have spread all over England (mainly the broad Midlands and the South and South East) and Wales, but they are still comparatively small in number, the number of families possibly not exceeding 200 in the U.K.
The 1842 tithe map reveals the layout of the farm buildings at Lerwell Farm as being quite different from later years. 1870 was the time of the building of the present farmhouse, and later maps show a great difference in layout.
The possibility exists that the layout of 1842 may have had some relationship with the original property.
The rightmost lane on the map leads to Chittlehampton, which is less than a mile away.
In the 1890 map (below), "Lerwell Beechtree" seems to have been formerly known as "Lerwell Cross".
- [S36] Web Site.
THE LERWILL TIME-LINE
Events in the Medieval Period - to ca. 1485
This is a table of events as taken from various records at Public Records Offices, and which indicate a general history without holding too many details about the actual genealogy.
1206 Vincent de LURIWILLE a witness in a case involving also Alicia de Staunton. (Morris Index, Exeter, and others - no full reference yet found. Note, however, that the 'Staunton' referred to is probably that in Gloucestershire. "Lerwill Farm" existed at this point?)
1218 A case of 'novel diseisin' (a writ relating to a claim of recent dispossession. This action could be taken by a freeman), where Vincent Luriwill disseised Nicholas de Fileslee of his free tenement in Fileslee (probably the place now called Filleigh near Lerwill and South Molton) before the last return of King John from Ireland (probably in 1216, shortly before his death). Damages 4s. Sureties Michael de Vigni and Jordan de Wanford. (Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries 20/339).
1219 Vincent de Luriewell occurs in Devon Assize Roll (according to Rev. Andrews).
1228
(30th June) At Exeter, on the morrow of St. Peter the Apostle, in the twelfth year of King Henry. BEFORE Thos. de Muleton, Robert de Lexinton, Ralph Musard and Jordan Oliver, justices itinerant, and other liegemen of our lord the King, then there present. BETWEEN Vincent de Lurwell and Agnes his wife, Godfrey Bernehus and Muriel his wife, plaintiffs, by the said Vincent and Godfrey in the places of Agnes and Muriel, and Archenbald Flemeng tenant, as to two virgates of land at Worcumbe (Warcombe nr. Ilfracombe) and in Ford (Ford nr. Ilfracombe). Vincent and Agnes and Godfrey and Muriel acknowledged the whole of the said land to be the right of Archenbald. To have and to hold to Archenbald and his heirs of Vincent and Agnes and Godfrey and Muriel and the heirs of Agnes and Muriel for ever (this piece is indicative that Agnes and Muriel were co-heiresses and, therefore, sisters). Rendering therefore yearly 20s. at the two terms of St. Michael and Easter equally for all service. For this Archenbald gave to Vincent and Agnes, Godfrey and Muriel 4 marks of silver. (Devon Feet of Fines)
1241 Vincent de Loliwell (sic) was tenant of Newton and Weston, which was held for half fee of the Honour of Okehampton (held by Sir Robert de Courtenay). (Devonshire Association Transactions).
1242/3 Vincent de Loliwell (sic) was tenant of Newton and Weston, which was held for half fee of the Honour of Okehampton (held by John de Courtenay). (Book of Fees).
1249
(6th June) At Exeter, in the Octave of Holy Trinity, in the thirty-third year of King Henry. BEFORE (justices listed). BETWEEN Vincent de Loriewell, plaintiff, and Peter son of Matthew, tenant, as to 31 acres of land in Whetteston (Whitstone nr. Chittlehampton). Vincent acknowledged the land to be the right of Peter. For this, Peter, at the petition of Vincent, gave and granted to Walter Clerefuntayne all the said land to have and to hold to Walter and his heirs of Peter and his heirs for ever. Rendering, therefore, yearly 3s. sterling at two terms, to wit one moiety at the feast of St. Michael and the other moiety at Easter. And rendering therefore suit himself or by his attorney at the Court of Peter and his heirs at Chidelhamptun twice a year, to wit, one suit at the next Court after the feast of St. Michael and one suit at the next Court after Easter, and also upon stress of Court in place of all service and exaction. And Peter and his heirs shall warrant to Walter and his heirs the said land by the said service against all men for ever. Moreover, Walter gave to Peter two marks of silver. (Devon Feet of Fines, Vol 1).
1250 Vincent de Luriwell, witness in litigation case at Exeter. (Exeter Records Office. I have seen the original (brief) case record, which requires translation).
1251 Vincent de Luriwell witness to an agreement concerning land at Accot, Swimbridge (between Lerwill Farm and Barnstaple), relating to a 1238 litigation concerning land-holding rights between William de Rifton (plaintiff) and Richard de Cumbe (tenant) (as detailed in the Devon Feet of Fines, Vol. 1).
1275 Bartholomew de Loriwell tenant in the Hundred of South Molton (Hundred Rolls).
1279 Bartholomew de Lorywell held half knight's fee in Nyweton and Weston. (Feudal Aids).
1285 Bartholomew de Loriewill held Wetteston (Whitstone) for half fee of John de Mohun, who had succeeded to the interest (Devonshire Association Transactions).
1303 John de Mohun was in possession of Newton and Weston, presumably as guardian of an under age Loriewill, and then Baldwin de Lorrewille was the holder (Devonshire Association Transactions).
NOTE: This was the period of Edward I ('Hammer of the Scots'). One wonders whether the 'under age' Loriewill lost his father in the Scottish Wars.
1330 to 1332 Bartholomew de Loryewell/Lirewell/Loriawill held Lurewyll Manor (in 1331 of John de Mohun; in 1332 of Sybil de Mohun, widow - Lay Subsidy Rolls, etc.).
1332 William Loriawill (mentioned in Lay Subsidy Roll, 1332).
1344 William de Loriawell one of twelve oath-takers at a Royal inquisition into Barnstaple's assertion that it was a borough (Barnstaple Records; See above account).
1353
(20th May) In order to hasten the matter (of tax collection) Peter de Tronbrugge, Wm. atte Treawen, Wm. de Servyngton, Wm. Lorywill and Richard Burnel of Coketrewe are associated in the Commission in the County of Devon (Calendar of Fine Rolls, Vol. VI).
1358, 1359 Sheriff ordered to arrest (inter alia - a long list!), William de Lorawyll (Devon Gaol Roll).
1359
(4th March) Fines imposed at Exeter before William of Shareshull (etc), justices of the King, (on): (including) William Lorywille. John Lorywille and John Boye of Halburton pledged £2 (as sureties) (Devon Assize Roll).
NOTE: 'William of Shareshull' was not any itinerant judge - he was, in fact, head of The King's Bench Division from 1350-61. He was, notably, involved in new legislation of the early 1350s concerning commercial matters, including greater control over the export of wool (prices overseas were, in the 1330s, twice what could be fetched in England). I suspect that the matter involving our William may have been connected with this specific legislation, where William may have flouted the law.
1423 Baldwin de Lorewille held land at Newton and Weston belonging to Anne Courtenay. (Source? Perhaps the year is wrongly recorded and should, be 1323 - see 1303 reference). The Courtenays were very much the main ruling family of Devon at that time.
1428 John Lorywyll a freeholder in Chittlehampton (Feudal Aids).
14?? Writing in ca. 1630 in his Survey of Devon (listing some 341 gentry), Tristram Risdon said that "the tything of Whitston was sometime in the hands of William Lerywel, then Bellew, by an heir of Colbroke" (i.e. since 1428, a William L. seems to have been in possession, and then it passed out of the family hands. A Visitation of Heralds in 1531 notes the Colbroke/Bellew and Lerwill Farm connection).
Click here to see an attempt at an early family "tree" based on the above medieval events.
The Period ca. 1485-1600
1507 John Lerwill was Deputy Reeve at Combe Martin.
1524 John Lerwill at Combe Martin,
Thomas Lerwill at Combe Martin,
Richard Lerwill at Kentisbury,
Robert Lerwill at Tawstock. Lay Subsidy Rolls
1531 John Lerwill (aged 83) gave witness in land access rights tribunal hearing at Combe Martin.
1544 John Lerwill at Combe Martin,
Richard Lerwill at Kentisbury,
John Lerwill at Kentisbury,
John Lerwill at Arlington,
Joan Lerwill (widow) at Tawstock. Lay Subsidy Rolls
1569 Richard Lerwill (archer) at Combe Martin,
John Lerwill (archer) at Kentisbury. Devon Muster Rolls
1581 Richard Lerwill at Combe Martin,
John Lerwill at Kentisbury. Lay Subsidy Rolls
The Period 1600-1900
Lerwills holding official appointments in Devon, 1600-1800:
Church Wardens
Constables
Significant Devon Property Records (1600-1800):
At Arlington (Chichester papers)
At Combe Martin and Kentisbury
1641 Nicholas Lerwill at Bishops Tawton,
Humphrey Lerwill at Combe Martin,
Thomas Lerwill at Ilfracombe,
John Lerwill at Kentisbury,
John Lerwill at Kentisbury,
Richard Lerwill at Kentisbury,
John Lerwill at Tawstock. Protestation Returns (oath of loyalty to the Crown)
1664 Richard Lerwill (snr) at Combe Martin,
Richard Lerwill (jnr) at Combe Martin,
Humphrey Lerwill at Kentisbury. Hearth Tax Returns
1808 Three Larwill brothers (prob. from the Bristol line) are known to have been in the United States by this time.
1831 A William Lerwill "from Barnstaple" arrives in the Unites States, and eventually settles in Oregon.
1851 William Lerwill of Maddox Down is found to be head of the local Mormon church in the only religious census ever to be conducted in England and Wales.
1854 or 1855 George Lerwill and family migrate from Braunton to Birmingham.
1860s? A number of Maddox Down Farm family members migrate to the U.S. (and settle in Utah).
1870s John and George jnr. of the Birmingham family migrate to Australia, creating lines in Australia and New Zealand.
1881 William Lerwill (of the Birmingham family) is reported as having re-visited Braunton to help in a project to install a clock in the village square.
1889 The ending of the manorial system found a John Lerwill as the last crier of the Manor of Gorges at Braunton.
1896 William Lerwill (Maddox Down line) and large family migrate from Braunton (at Braunton since 1887) to Sussex.
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Abt 1587 - Yes, date unknown