Origins
The first known member of this family was Thomas Mortimer, born c.1466, who probably lived in Tedburn St Mary. The parish adjoins Crediton, and Thomas was presumably connected to the Mortimers of Sandford.
Thomas Mortimer of Tedburn St Mary (c.1466-c. 1512)
In 1500/1501, John Byrgyn, John Moxhay the elder, and Stephen Flode, brought suit against in Chancery against Thomas Mortimer for detaining deeds relating to land in Uppecote, Tettebourne (Tedburn St Mary). Thomas died before the 1524 lay subsidy, when his widow Margaret, lived in Tedburn St Mary. Her income was assessed on goods worth £2, and she presumably inhabited a dower house.
Thomas married Margaret, (c.1470-c.1533) and had sons:
1. Richard Mortimer
2. John Mortimer (c.1497-c. 1555) who lived in Tedburn St Mary in 1524 and was taxed on wages worth £1 in the lay subsidy of that year. He was still living there twenty years later when he was assessed at the same income in the 1543 subsidy. His income assessment suggests he was a servant or worker.
Richard Mortimer of Tedburn St Mary (c.1493-1559)
In the 1524 lay subsidy Richard was assessed on goods worth £10.
In 1538 he leased the capital messuage of Hakeworthy (Great Hackworthy) from John Ackland, with entail to wife Joan and son Thomas. By 1543, Richard had inherited his mother’s dower property, which saw his income increase to £12. Richard Mortimer was bur. 26 Dec 1559. His will was proved in 1559/60. His wife was Joan (c.1505-bef.1574) who died in either 1565 or 1574, Tedburn St Mary. Richard and Joan Mortimer had the following children.
1. Thomas Mortimer
2. (Robert) Mortimer c.1533-1561, of Tedburn St Mary, who might otherwise have been a son of John Mortimer fl.1524. He had sons John b.1559, and 1560/1, although no further record of his son is found in the parish. This John may have lived in Exeter; see Misc: Mortimers of Exeter. Robert may have had an older son, Thomas Mortimer of Tedburn b. c.1555 who in the 1581 subsidy had an income of £3. It’s possible Robert died soon after his son was born, and his widow Joan remaried to Richard Perlyn in 1564, Tedburn St Mary
3. John Mortimer of Hennock (c.1535-1587), perhaps fits into the family here. Hennock is a nearby parish to Tedburn St Mary. John Mortimer had sons Richard, John and William Mortimer, though Richard was the eldest.
• Margery Mortimer (c.1540-1593), who was perhaps named after Margaret wife of Thomas. She married Thomas Strange (c.1540-1565), 15 Oct 1564 Tedburn St Mary.
• Thomasin Mortimer c.1544, who m. 8 Nov 1572 Tedburn St Mary to Robert Strange
Thomas Mortimer of Tedburn St Mary (c.1530-1599)
As the eldest son of Richard Mortimer, Thomas inherited property in Tedburn St Mary from his father in 1559. He was first mentioned in the 1538 deed between John Ackland and Richard Mortimer, concerning the leasehold estate of Hackworthy, Tedburn. Thomas Mortimer featured in the 1569 Muster Roll, with income of £7 in goods. 12 years later in the 1581 Lay subsidy, Thomas’ income was assessed at £5 in goods. He was buried the 5 Dec 1599, Tedburn St Mary. Thomas married Elizabeth, c.1535-1606, and they had the following children:
1. Joan b. 8 May 1559 Tedburn St Mary. Though her parentage was not stated in the baptism record, she was presumably a daughter of Thomas, and was born slightly earlier in the year than John son of Robert (see above)
2. William Mortimer (1561-aft.1606), b. 3 Aug 1561, was mentioned in the will of his mother Elizabeth in 1606, at which time he had a wife Margery and children living. Though he was just old enough to have adult children if he had married in his 20s, his children mentioned in 1606 were evidently underage. He presumably lived in Cheriton Bishop and had sons Thomas and John, and was still living at the time of the 1642 Protestation Oath, which he signed as William Mortimer the elder. Other Mortimers living in Cheriton Bishop at the time were Thomas, John and William Mortimer. Following such an interpretation, his sons were:
i. Thomas Mortimer of Cheriton Bishop (c.1603-1654), the eldest son, presumably named after his grandfather. He was perhaps one of the children of William Mortimer mentioned in the will of Elizabeth Mortimer of Tedburn, widow, in 1606. He married Frances Bremelcomb of Cadleigh (c.1603-c.1650) by licence dated 2 Aug 1630 at Exeter, at which time he was living in Drewsteignton. In 1642 he appeared in the Protestation return taken at Cheriton Bishop, alongside his presumed John Mortimer, and William Mortimer the elder and younger. His father William Mortimer was presumably still living, he was born 1561 so would have been aged over 80 at the time, a grand old age but not an impossible achievement. His will was dated 1654, Cheriton Bishop, by which time his wife had obviously died, as he left his property to his sons. Their children were:
1. William Mortimer of Bridford 1631-pos. 1695? Bovey Tracey, yeoman. William was the eldest son and named after his grandfather William Mortimer of Cheriton Bishop. He was bap. 23 Oct 1631, and m. Joan Dreamed 25 Oct 1653, Cheriton Bishop. They had two children, William b. 7 Nov 1654, Bridford and Frances (named after her grandmother Frances Bremelcomb), b. 27 Dec 1657, Bridford. No further information about them or their children is known. He possibly died in 1695, Bovey Tracey, when the estate of William Mortimer was administered, though equally this may instead have been his son of the same name. William should not be confused with the William Mortimer of Tiverton c.1631-1681, whose wife was also called Joan but whose first child was born before 1654.
2. Mary c.1633
3. John Mortimer of Torbryan 1635-1685, ancestor of related Mortimer families in Ilsington and Ashburton. His son was possibly John Mortimer of Exeter St Edmund
4. Mark Mortimer of Mamhead 1638-1680, ancestor of the Mortimers of Powderham.
ii. John Mortimer of Cheriton Bishop c.1606-1664, who was presumably the younger brother of the above Thomas Mortimer. He m. Christian Pollard, 22 Jun 1636, Cheriton Bishop. They had no issue. In 1642 he appeared in the Protestation Oath taken at Cheriton Bishop, as stated above. John Mortimer and Christian his wife featured in the poll tax of 1660 in Cheriton Bishop. He died in 1664, Cheriton Bishop when his will was proved by his wife, Christian. She died in 1666 and was laid to rest beside her late husband.
3. Thomas Mortimer II, of whom next.
4. Wilmot 1566-1572, who died in childhood; bap. 21 Jan 1565/6, bur. 7 Mar 1571/2.
5. John Mortimer (1569-1641), ancestor of the Mortimers of North Bovey, Drewsteignton and Christow. He was bap. 20 Oct 1569. He married Thomasin c.1595, and they had the following children. John was bur. 11 May 1641 Tedburn St Mary. Thomasin his wife was bur. Christmas Day 1635, though her first name is obscured by a register defect.
i. Maud 1597, bap. 18 Oct 1597 Tedburn St Mary, m. Richard Vinderhay 29 Nov 1621 Bovey Tracey.
ii. John 1600-1600, died in infancy; bap. 3 Feb, bur. 6 Feb 1599/1600.
iii. Walter Mortimer of North Bovey (1601-1672), mentioned as a “cousin” in the will of his grandmother Elizabeth Mortimer, 1606.
iv. Nicholas Mortimer of Drewsteignton (1604-1663)
v. Matthew Mortimer of Christow (1607-1679)
(vi). Martha? 1609 Hennock
(vii). John? Mortimer II 1612 Hennock
vi. Joan 1616, bap. 5 Apr 1616
vii. Ursula 1619-1619, who died in infancy; bap. 17 Jan, bur. 9 Feb 1618/19
6. Thomasin c.1571-, who married John French 4 May 1594, Tedburn St Mary. Thomas was presumably born around 1570, perhaps too late to be the daughter of Robert. She was mentioned as a daughter in the will of Elizabeth Mortimer, 1606. John and Thomasin had two children, who were mentioned in the will of their grandmother:
i. Joan French b. 1594
ii. Thomas French b. 1596
Thomas Mortimer II of Tedburn St Mary (1564-1619)
Thomas was b. 28 Sep 1564, the second son of Thomas and Elizabeth. Thomas perhaps appeared in the 1581 lay subsidy with income of £3, despite being in his minority. Together the income of the two Thomas Mortimers in this subsidy adds up to the income of Richard Mortimer in 1543, suggesting they were his heirs. Thomas Mortimer left a will dated 26 May 1619 in Tedburn St Mary, which was proved on 17 Dec 1619. He married Wilmot (c.1565- ), and had the following children:
1. Elizabeth b.1598, bap. 17 Nov 1598, Tedburn St Mary, mentioned as a cousin in the will of her grandmother Elizabeth d.1606, also mentioned in her fathers will, 1619,perhaps m. Mark Perriman, in 1635 Ashcombe.
2. Thomas Mortimer III (c.1600- ), the last of the family in Tedburn St Mary. He may have been either the eldest or second son. He was presumably named after Thomas Mortimer (c.1530-99).
He married firstly Elizabeth Strong (d. 1637) 22 Apr 1634 Tedburn St Mary, with whom he had a daughter, Margaret (1636-7) who died in infancy.
He married secondly Elizabeth Moore (d. 1669), 29 Apr 1637, and they had a son Thomas Mortimer III (b. 1637). It’s unknown how long Thomas lived, but there are no further references to the family in the parish after the civil war.
3. John Mortimer of Tedburn (1604-1652), bap. 22 Jul 1604, m. Mary Hooper, 12 Jun 1627, Crediton. John Mortimer bur. 1652, Crediton, which burial record stated he lived in Tedburn, and mentioned his wife Mar_. They had a daughter Catherine b.1627.
4. Nathaniel Mortimer, ancestor of the Mortimer family of millers in Dunsford and later Powderham.
Further Reading
Read about related Mortimer families in Devon:
- The Mortimers of Devon – The Early Generations
- The Mortimers of Kingsteignton
- The Mortimers of Dunsford
