Origins
The Mortimers of Newton St Cyres were presumably closely related to the Mortimers of Stockleigh and Sandford. The first known ancestor of the family was John Mortimer.
John Mortimer of Newton St Cyres (c.1500-c.1550)
John was born before 1503, but is difficult to distinguish from his contemporaries of the same name. In the first half of the sixteenth century alone, there were John Mortimers in Woolfardisworthy (Emlett), Sandford, Tedburn St Mary, Cheriton Bishop, Rewe, Bradninch and Upton Pyne. It is possible that some of these John Mortimers owned land in more than one parish, meaning they would have appeared multiple times in the lay subsidies for the same year. John Mortimer was presumably born near Newton St Cyres, then moved there upon reaching his majority.
John Mortimer lived in Newton St Cyres in 1524 when his income was assessed at £3 in the lay subsidy. However, by the time of the 1543 subsidy his income had increased to £7. The reason for this increase is unknown. The two entries presumably relate to the same person, as no other Mortimer was assessed in Newton St Cyres in either subsidy. However, there were at least three Mortimers of the following generation resident in the parish by the 1560s, who were presumably all children of the above John. Either John II or Robert were the eldest, which fits with the family of Stockleigh who also favoured the names John and Robert.
John Mortimer II (c.1528-1596)
John was the namesake and probable son of the first John Mortimer of Newton St Cyres. He was probably born soon after 1524, by which point the first John had settled in the parish.
