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SOME EARLY
SPREYTON WILLS
Until the 20th century, only a wealthy minority
of people left wills. Before 1858, probate for most Devon wills was to be
obtained from the ecclesiastical courts in Exeter. Copies were kept in Exeter of
all wills granted probate, but unfortunately the entire archive of wills was
destroyed during the bombing of Exeter during the Second World War. A few early
wills nevertheless survive, particularly from the Commonwealth period in the mid
17th century when the ecclesiastical courts were suspended and all wills sent to
London for probate. These were subsequently filed with the Prerogative Court of
Canterbury (PCC), formerly the main court of probate in Southern England, and
are now in the National Archives (available
online). From 1812-1889, copies
of wills were also made and kept in London for estate duty purposes; many of
these copies (“Inland Revenue Wills”) have survived and the Devon ones are now
in the Devon Record Office (DRO). There is also some information about the
contents of wills between 1786-1852 recorded in the Death Duty Registers in the
National Archives. Finally, copies of some wills have been kept in family
archives. The following summaries of Spreyton wills have been drawn from all
these sources. The wills are in date order. Those kept for estate duty purposes
are annotated with the value of the estate; this is usually the personal estate
excluding landholdings.

During most of the 17th and 18th centuries,
the two big landowning families in Spreyton were the Battishills and the Canns,
and many of the surviving wills are from these families. The Battishills arrived
in Spreyton in the early 17th century when Andrew Battishill of South Tawton
acquired lands from the Kelly family, the previous big Spreyton landowners. The
Battishills lived mainly at Barton and Weeke. The last of the Spreyton
Battishills, William Harrington Battishill of Barton, died in about 1912.
The Canns were probably in Spreyton earlier – there was
a John Canne paying tax in Spreyton in 1524. The Canns were probably simple
yeoman farmers to begin with. But by the end of the 18th century they had
accumulated considerable wealth and had split into three branches headed by John
Battishill of Fuidge, George Battishill of Falkedon and George Battishill of
Bush. Each had substantial landholdings. George Battishill of Falkedon was a
bachelor; when he died in 1804 he left his property to his nephew (probably also
his godson), George Lambert Gorwyn of Cheriton Bishop. This brought the Lambert
Gorwyns into the parish (they subsequently dropped the Gorwyn and became plain
Lambert). In the course of the 19th century they became the dominant landowners
in Spreyton.
The John Cann of Fuidge who died in 1819 was a man of
some enterprise. Apart from turning the old farmhouse at Fuidge into the
smartest gentleman’s residence in the parish, he raised a company of volunteers,
the Spreyton Volunteers, to fight the French during the Napoleonic Wars, and
also founded a bank that had branches in Exeter and Okehampton. Unfortunately,
the bank collapsed during the depression that followed the Napoleonic Wars and
much of the Cann family fortune was swallowed up by the collapse. They were
forced to sell Fuidge in the mid-19th century.

Compiled by Sophia Lambert, 2006-7.
Any one
wishing to contact Sophia regarding these Wills click on this link
 | 1639 Augustine Haydon or Headon,
yeoman |
 | 1655 Rouland Furse, yeoman |
 | 1657 Agnes Bettishill, widow |
 | 1658 William Rogers, yeoman |
 | 1660 Andrew Battishill, yeoman |
 | 1746 Thomas Hore Esquire of South
Tawton |
 | 1775 Mark Cann |
 | 1787 Thomas Cobley, yeoman |
 | 1795 William Cann of Heywood in
Hittisleigh |
 | 1804 George Cann of
Falkedon, gentleman |
 | 1804 Joan Cann,
spinster |
 | 1806 William Battishill of Week |
 | 1807 John Cann of Fuidge,
gentleman |
 | 1809 John Richard Lambert Gorwyn,
gentleman |
 | 1819 John Cann of Fuidge,
gentleman |
 | 1819 William Carthew,
yeoman |
 | 1831 Susanna Cann, wife of George
Cann Esquire of Bush |
 | 1832 George Cann of Bush,
gentleman |
 | 1832 Joseph Peck Lidster,
labourer |
 | 1834 William Battishill of
Barton, gentleman |
 | 1837 George Lambert Gorwyn of
Falkedon, gentleman |
 | 1839 William Brock of Coombe,
yeoman |
 | 1854 William Croote Cann of North
Beer, gentleman |
 | 1855 Elizabeth Yolland, spinster,
late of Crediton but now of Spreyton |
 | 1868 George Cann of Heath,
gentleman |
 | 1885 George Lambert of Coffins,
gentleman |
Click on the
heading in the Index to find the will you wish to read.

Will of Augustine Haydon
or Headon, yeoman of Spreyton
 | Desires to be buried in
Spreyton church; |
 | bequeaths £3 to the poor
of Spreyton; £3 to the poor of Drewsteignton; and £3 to the poor of Bow; |
 | to his kinsmen George
Martyn and Dennis Mills: the chattel [illegible] |
 | to his god-daughter
Grace Furse: the standing bed over the hall; one silver beer bowl; and £10.
His wife, however, shall have the use of the bed provided that she promises to
leave it in good condition when she dies; |
 | to his god-daughter Ann
Pounsford: 50s to be paid to her mother, to go to her when she is 18; |
 | £10 to his sister
Elizabeth Shilston; 20s apiece to all her daughters; and £5 to her son Thomas,
his god-son; |
 | to all his other
god-children: 10 groats each; |
 | to his wife: all the
household goods that he [illegible] of her; 7 kyne [cattle] now in her
keeping; 20 ewes; 20 younger sheep; 30 bushels of rye and 40 bushels of wheat; |
 | 20s to Joane Martyn; and
40s to her sister Alice Martyn; |
 | to his sister Margaret
Handcocke: £5; |
 | £3 to John Headon; 40s
to William Headon; 20s to the testator’s brother Robert Headon; 40s to
Robert’s son Samuel; and 20s to each of their children; |
 | to his three
apprentices: 20s apiece. It is his wish that his executor should keep Thomas
[?Saye] during his life, and if he refuses to keep him, then he shall pay him
£10. It is also his wish that his wife should keep Phillip Handforde during
her life, and if he refuses, then she shall give him three of the seven kyne
left to her; |
 | 20s to his servant John
Raddon; and 20s to his servant Alice Lightfoot; |
 | all the rest of his
goods to his brother Walter Headon, who is also appointed executor; |
 | appoints Walter Cann of
Fackington [Falkedon] and John Pounsford of Ford to be overseers of his will;
each to receive 10 groats. |
 | Witnesses: Phillip
Raddon and Charles [?Eweleghe] |
Source: PCC wills.
Proved in London November 1639.

Will of Rouland Furse,
feltmaker of Spreyton, proved 1656
 | Bequeaths 6s to the poor
of Spreyton and 6s. to the poor of Drewsteignton, plus £8 to be distributed on
his funeral day; |
 | £40 to his son Rouland
Furse when he is 21, but if his wife takes the Living for Rouland, then the
£40 shall be put towards that. After his wife’s death, Rouland is also to get
his greatest crock; |
 | 10s to his aunt Philippa
Furse; 1 ewe to his cousin Julian Furse; and all his wearing apparel, except
his best coat and suit, to his uncle John Furse; |
 | The residue of his
estate goes to his wife Elizabeth, who is also appointed executrix. |
 | Witnesses: James Furse;
Simon Ballamy; Margaret Ballamy and Wilmote Poudicome. |
Source: PCC wills. Dated
1655 and proved in London 1656.

Will of Agnes Bettishill,
widow of Spreyton (died 1657)
 | Bequeaths 40s to the
poor of Spreyton, 20s to the poor of Moretonhamstead and 13s.4d to Spreyton
Church; |
 | to Agnes [B----?], her
eldest daughter: £5, a cow, her best coat and waistcoat and her best riding
suit; |
 | to John Trend, her
grandchild: £20 that is now in the hands of his father in law John [B----?],
and also her featherbed which she lies upon; her third best brass pan; a crock
called Thomas crock; 6 silver spoons; and 4 pewter measures, all to go to him
when he is 21. |
 | to Alexander Trend,
brother of John: £20; 4 measures of pewter; and 1 of the 2 brass pans, to go
to him when he is 21; |
 | to her grandchildren
William Battishill 20s and James Battishill 40s; and to her
great-grandchildren Andrew and John (sons of James) 40s each; |
 | to her grandchild Andrew
Battishill: £8; 6 silver spoons; the chest in the kitchen chamber; the little
bedstead in the parlour chamber; the bedstead that she herself lies upon; the
cupboard in the hall; the great old coffer in the buttery chamber; the bed in
the parlour; the cupboard, chest and tableboards in the parlour; one crock
next to the biggest; one of the two brass pans; two [illegible]; and 20
moor ewes, all to go to him when he is 21. |
 | to her grandchildren
Thomas and Jonathan Battishill: 20s each; and to her grandchildren John and
Andrew Puddicombe £20 each; John also gets the chest in the parlour chamber
and Andrew her best brass pan, all to go to them when they are 21; |
 | to her kinsmen Richard
Gill: 20s and William Battishill 20s; |
 | to James Rendell the
younger and to such of Robert Martin’s children as are unmarried: 1 ewe each;
to her servant Susanna Hall: 20s; to all other servants living with her at the
time of her death: 10s each; and to her godchildren: 5s each; |
 | the residue of her
goods, chattels, bonds and bills to her daughter Joan Puddicombe, who is also
appointed her executrix. |
 | Witnesses Roger Speccot
and James Rendell. |
Source: PCC wills. Dated
1657. Proved in London 1658

Will of David Rogers,
yeoman of Spreyton, proved 1660
 | Bequeaths 20s to the
poor of Drewsteignton and 20s to the Drewsteignton churchwardens for the
maintenance of the church. He also desires to be buried in the churchyard at
Drewsteignton; |
 | £100 to his son Edward
Rogers. But the money is to be paid to Thomas Hore of Spreyton, who must pass
it to Edward when the latter comes of age, provided that Edward has come home
by then. If he has not, Thomas Hore can keep the money; |
 | £80 each to Mary,
Thomas, Wilmote, John and William, children of Thomas Hore deceased. If any of
them die before the testator’s decease, his or her share is to be divided
between the others; |
 | to Thomas Hore, son of
Thomas Hore deceased: his great pan and a coffer now in the custody of the
testator’s daughter Jane Hore; |
 | 50s to his sister Johan
Crosse; 20s to [D---?] Crosse, daughter of Robert Crosse. |
 | 3s.4d to his son William
Rogers; |
 | appoints his daughter
Jane and his grandson Thomas Hore as his executors, and Mr John Hore of
Chagford and Mr John Northmore to be overseers of his will. Signed with
a mark. |
 | Witness: Agnes Risdon. |
Source:PCC wills. Dated
1658 and proved in London in 1660. The various Thomas Hores are confusing, but
it seems that his daughter Jane married Thomas Hore and had a son also called
Thomas Hore. The elder Thomas Hore was deceased by the time of the will and the
younger Thomas, by then an adult, is the Thomas Hore of Spreyton mentioned at
the beginning of the will.

Will of Andrew
Battishill, yeoman of Spreyton, proved 1658
 | Bequeaths 10s for the
use of Spreyton church and 30s to the poor of Spreyton; |
 | bequeaths his right and
title in half of Higher Falkedon to his brother James until James’s sons
Andrew and John are of age, after which the remainder of the estate should go
to them; |
 | assigns also to Andrew
and John the other half of Higher Falkedon, designating his uncles John Rowe
and John Puddicombe as trustees to employ the revenue from that half of the
property for the best use of the two boys until they come of age, but the
revenue to be so used only after 3 May 1659. Before then, the revenue is to go
to his mother Mary, provided that she and the other beneficiaries allow Markes
[Vinicombe?] to continue occupying the property for 7 years, so long as he
pays his rent; |
 | bequeaths £50 to his
brother Thomas and £60 to his brother Jonathan, half when they reach 21 and
the other half 2 years later; |
 | 40s to his kinsman
Andrew Puddicombe; |
 | all his wearing apparel
to his kinsman William Battishill; 1 ewe and lamb to William’s daughter
Elizabeth; and 1 ewe to William’s son William; |
 | 10s to Susanna Hall; 1
ewe to Francis Rowe; 5s each to those of his mother’s servants and apprentices
with her at the time of her death; and 3s.4d to each of his godchildren; |
 | to his brother William:
the tenement of Horracombe during the life of Eleanor Battishill, provided
William pays the rent and fulfils the covenants between the two brothers.
After Eleanor’s death William gets a half of the freehold of Horracombe,
provided that he allows the tenants of any part of it to remain there and
gives the testator’s uncle John Puddicombe sufficient time to carry away his
goods; |
 | the residue of his
goods, bonds and bills also go to William, who is appointed executor. If there
are any ambiguities in the will, his uncles Rowe and Puddicombe are to provide
an interpretation. |
 | Witnesses Roger Speccot,
Johane Pudicombe and John Martin |
Source: PCC wills.
Proved in London 16.7.1658.

Will of Thomas Hore
Esquire of South Tawton (died 1746)
 | bequeaths to his dear
wife Agnes £100 and as many of his household goods as she wants to take; as
well as 3 cows, 3 horses or mares and 20 sheep of her choice; |
 | to William Pidsley of
Colebrooke and William Battishill of Spreyton: £100 to be held in trust for
his daughter Agnes, wife of Browze Trist Esquire, to use as she thinks fit
without interference from her husband; and an annuity of £50 chargeable on
Coarse Peers aka Courtis Beers in South Tawton for 60 years if Browze Trist
lives that long, again in trust for Agnes, notwithstanding her couverture. He
directed that the £100 should be lent at interest and the interest paid to
Agnes; |
 | to Browze Trist: 10
guineas; |
 | to his grand-daughters
Agnes Hore Trist, Elizabeth, Susanna, Thomas, Browze and Nicholas Trist (and
any further children that Agnes should have): £500 to be shared equally among
those surviving to age 21. If Agnes and Browze Trist die before any of their
children reach 21, those children are also to have an annuity of £20 each for
their education and maintenance; |
 | to his grandson Hore
Browze Trist: £50 payable out of the Great Tithes and sheaf of Spreyton for 4
years after he reaches the age of 21; |
 | to his sister-in-law Mrs
Jone Mare; Rev. John Nosworthy, vicar of South Tawton; Rev John Freke, vicar
of Spreyton; William Pidsley; and William Battishill: 1 guinea in gold each to
buy mourning rings to wear in remembrance of him; |
 | to Jane Battishill,
eldest daughter of William: £5; |
 | to the poor of South
Tawton £10; and to the poor of Spreyton 40s; in both cases to be distributed
to those who have no weekly pay. Also for the poor of Spreyton, an annuity of
20s to be charged on West Bigbeer, to be distributed on Christmas Day to the
poor without weekly relief; |
 | to Dorothy Woolridge if
she be living with him at his death: 4 guineas, and half a guinea in gold to
each of his other servants and apprentices with him at his death; |
 | to his daughter Agnes,
William Pidsley and William Battishill (who are also appointed his executors):
all his lands and inheritances in South Tawton, Spreyton, Bow and Eggesford,
in trust for his grandson Hore Browze Trist, with an entail in the male line.
The residue of his estate also goes in trust for Hore Browze Trist when he is
24. |
 | Witnesses: John Luxmoore
and John Luxmoore junior. |
Source: Devon Record
Office. Although he lived at East Nymph in South Tawton, he owned substantial
property in Spreyton and seems to have regarded it as his parish. There is a
memorial to him in Spreyton church. He is presumably a descendant of the Thomas
Hores mentioned in the previous will. He was 65 when he died.

Will of Mark Cann of
Spreyton, proved 1776
 | bequeaths to his wife an
annuity of £9 for 40 years if she should live that long, to be paid by his son
George; and £1.10s a year to be charged on his half of Cote, otherwise knwn as
Risdon’s Tenement, in Spreyton. He also bequeaths to her one chest of drawers
then in the parlour chamber at Fingle; one chest at North Beer; half of all
his brass and pewter goods at North Beer and Bush; and the hackney horse on
which he usually rides; |
 | also to his wife: the
dwelling house and estate of Bush for 40 years, with the entry and passage
adjoining it, including the chambers above; a little meadow adjoining the
north-east of the house; one of the hogsties; and all convenient paths and
passages to and from the said premises, all on condition that she permits his
son Thomas and his wife Joanna to live at West Spittle in North Tawton without
let or hindrance; |
 | to his son George: his
half share of the freehold of North Beer; the quarter share of North Beer that
he holds on a 2,000-year lease granted to him by the Rev. Richard Hole at a
yearly rent of £5 (he directs that George should not charge any part of the
rent on the testator’s estate of Huddishill); and the remainder of a 99-year
lease of the other quarter of North Beer granted by Hore Browse Trist at a
rent of £5 a year; |
 | to his son George: all
the corn and hay at North Beer and Bush at the time of his death, whether
standing or growing in the ground or saved in barns or ricks; all his
household goods at Bush and North Beer not otherwise bequeathed; the young
horse that George usually rides and is called “George’s horse”; his best
saddle and [illegible]; and all his implements and tools of husbandry; |
 | to his daughter Mary
Crosse: the bed at Fingle on which she usually lies; |
 | to his son John: £40;
and also forgives him any outstanding debts; |
 | to John’s children Mary,
John, Elizabeth and Joanna: £5 each when they reach the age of 18; and one
guinea in gold to John’s wife Mary; |
 | to his daughter Joan
Cann: £40; £5 to his son Thomas; and one guinea in gold to Thomas’s wife
Joanna; |
 | to the poor of the
parish of Spreyton that have no monthly pay: 20s to be distributed by his
executors after his death; |
 | to his son Mark: the
rest of his estate, real and personal, and also makes Mark his executor.
|
 | Witnesses: Christopher
Coplestone, William Allant and Thomas Stone. |
Source: Devon Record
Office. Dated 1775 and proved in May 1776

Will of Thomas Cobley of
Spreyton, yeoman (died 1794)
 | bequeaths to Mary Cobley,
daughter of his nephew Thomas Cobley of Puddicombe Park in Spreyton: £200; |
 | to Richard Cobley, son
of his nephew Thomas: £50; and to the other children of his nephew Thomas
(William, Elizabeth, Ann, Joan and Jane): £20; |
 | to John Veasey, son of
his cousin Margaret Veasey; and Ann Salter and Margaret Buseley, sisters of
his kinsman Thomas Cobley of Bubear [Bowbeer] in Spreyton: £20 apiece; |
 | to Thomas Cobley of
Bubear: 1 guinea. The testator also forgives him his debts; |
 | to Mary Sticks, wife of
Henry Sticks of Colebrooke; one guinea; |
 | he directs all the above
legacies to be paid with 5% interest if they are not paid within a year of his
death; and the legacies to any of his kinsmen or women who are under 21 shall
not be paid until they reach that age; |
 | to his nephew Thomas
Cobley, son of his brother John: 2s a week for life; |
 | to John Cobley, the son
of the above nephew: the freehold of the estate of Puddicombe Park which the
testator purchased from Bartholomew Haywood; together with all the testator’s
goods, stock and chattels at Puddicombe Park at the time of his death; |
 | to Richard Cobley,
another son of the above nephew: all his houses and tenements in the town and
village of Spreyton, either freehold or for the remainder of the leases on
them; |
 | to Thomas Cobley,
another son of the above nephew: the freehold of Bubear and Park and all his
other lands in Spreyton or elsewhere in Devon; and also the residue of his
personal and testamentary estate. This Thomas is also appointed his executor. |
 | Witnesses W. Hamlyn and
John Freke [the then vicar]. |
Source: Devon Record
Office. Will dated 1787.Thomas Cobley the Uncle was 96 when he died in 1794,
according to the Spreyton parish register. His nephew Thomas died in the same
year.

Will of William Cann of
Heywood in Hittisleigh (proved 1801)
 |
Bequeaths Heywood [Howard] in the
parish of Hittisleigh, his then place of residence; Westwood, Teignholt Fords
and Little Teignholt (otherwise Lower Teignholt) in Drewsteignton; Rougroad in
Spreyton; and all his other lands to his brother George Cann;
|
 |
one shilling each to his brothers
Mark and John Cann and 5s to his sister Mary Lambert Gorwyn;
|
 |
20s to John Gorwyn, the husband of
his niece Mary Gorwyn [daughter of his sister who had married John Lambert
Gorwyn of Cheriton Bishop];
|
 |
20s to John Gorwyn, son of the
aforesaid John and Mary Gorwyn;
|
 |
20s each to his niece Elizabeth
Lambert Gorwyn; his nephew George Lambert Gorwyn; and to George’s
wife Mary;
|
 |
20s each to his niece Joan Arden
and her husband George Arden, and also 20s to each of their children except for
Mary Arden, to whom he leaves £40 when she reaches the age of 25;
|
 |
£200 to his niece Susanna Lambert
Gorwyn [who subsequently married George Cann of Bush and whose will is below];
|
 |
desires his body to be buried in
Spreyton Church under Falkedon Pew in a coffin of good English oak with a double
cover, and for his body to be conveyed in a bier from Heywood to Falkedon,
where his brother George was residing, and for it to be lodged there one night
before his burial. Desires the Reverend Freeman Freek to preach his funeral
sermon;
|
 |
the residue of his estate to his
brother George Cann, who is also appointed executor.
|
 |
Witnesses: Joseph Bond, Mary
Newton and William Tucker junior.
|
Source: Lambert family
estate papers (now in Devon Record Office). Dated 1795;
probate granted in
Exeter in 1801. William Cann was the son of John Cann of Fuidge.

Will of George Cann of
Faulkendon [Falkedon], gentleman
(died in 1804)
 | Desires to be buried in
the vault under his pew in Spreyton Church; |
 | bequeaths £10 to his
brother Mark Cann; |
 | £100; his leasehold
tenement of Moore Lane in the parish of Bow (otherwise Nymet Tracy), lately
occupied by the widow of William Narracott; and the freehold of the Golden
Lion (occupied by Margaret Burnett, widow) at Crockernwell in the parish of
Cheriton Bishop, to his niece Elizabeth Lambert Gorwyn of Lambert; |
 | £1,000 and the freehold
of Heath (occupied by his tenant John Lee) in the parish of Spreyton, together
with the Great Tythes of that property, to his niece Susanna Lambert Gorwyn,
then living with him; |
 | £100 to his niece Joan
Arden; |
 | £5 to Joan Arden’s
daughter Frances Arden and £100 apiece to all the other children of Joan Arden
living at the time of his death, to go to them on reaching the age of 21. |
 | £100 and an annuity of
£20 to his niece Ann Bryant, the annuity to be a charge on his estate of
Haywood in Hittisleigh; |
 | £100 each to the
children of Ann Bryant living at the time of his death, to go to them on
reaching the age of 21; |
 | forgives Isaac Bryant,
the wife of Ann, all debts owing at his death; |
 | bequeaths £100 each to
William, Ann and Mary Lambert Gorwyn, the children of his deceased nephew
William Lambert Gorwyn of Walland in Drewsteignton, to go to them on reaching
the age of 21; |
 | five guineas to his
apprentice Samuel Powlesland on his reaching the age of 21; |
 | one guinea each to the
labourers in his service on the estates belonging to him alone at the time of
his death; |
 | to his nephew John
Lambert Gorwyn of Lambert in Cheriton Bishop, the property called Venton,
otherwise Kingdon’s Tenement, in the parish of Drewsteignton, then in the
occupation of his nephew George Lambert Gorwyn as his tenant. He also leaves
to John a high and chief rent of 10 shillings a year payable to him for ever
out of the farm called Treble in Cheriton Bishop, then belonging to John; and
also all such high and chief rents as are payable to the testator out of
Lambert, in which John was then living; |
 | his third share (the
other two thirds belonging to his brothers John and Mark Cann) in the lime
rocks, lime works, quarry and lands called Drewsteignton Kilns and Knowle
Grounds, in the parish of Drewsteignton, to be divided equally between: |
- his nephew John Lambert Gorwyn, for 60 years
or until his death, thereafter to go to his nephew George Lambert Gorwyn or his
heirs;
- his nephew in law John Gorwyn of Bradeley in
the parish of Crediton for 60 years, to go on his death to George Lambert Gorwyn;
- his nephew George Lambert Gorwyn and his heirs absolutely;
 | the rest of his
freehold, leasehold and copyhold estate with the great tythes of the same
which he recently purchased; his mortgages in fee and the lands thereby
respectively mortgaged; the high and chief rents which he lately purchased
(except what is payable out of Treble and Lambert); and all his goods, monies
etc to his nephew George Lambert Gorwyn of Narracott and his heirs. George is
also appointed his sole executor. |
Source: Lambert family
estate papers (now in the Devon Record Office). Will dated 1802 and probate
granted in 1804 in Exeter. George Cann was the brother of William Cann (see
above will). He was killed in August 1804, age 74, when he fell from his horse
while riding at Howard in Hittisleigh (recorded in Spreyton parish register).
William and George Cann, together with their brother John Cann of Fuidge, were
joint owners of the Drewsteignton lime quarries and kilns, which were extremely
lucrative as lime was then the main fertiliser apart from animal manure. The
beneficiaries of George Cann’s will are mainly children of his sister Mary who
married John Lambert Gorwyn of Cheriton Bishop. The residue of his estate that
went to George Lambert Gorwyn included substantial property in Spreyton,
including Falkedon, Croft and Rugroad. George Lambert Gorwyn moved to Falkedon
after his uncle’s death and remained there for the rest of his life. His will is
below.

Will of Joan Cann of
Spreyton, spinster, dated 1804
 |
Bequeaths to her
brother Thomas Cann: £50; |
 |
·
to the children of her late
brother John Cann (Mary Lidster, Elizabeth Cobley and Joanna Cann): £50 apiece;
|
 |
·
to the children of her brother
Thomas Cann (Mark, George, Henry, Thomas, Elizabeth, John, William and Philip):
£50 apiece when they reach the age of 21;
|
 |
·
to the children of her niece Mary
Lidster (Joseph, Mary, John and Elizabeth): two guineas each when they are 21;
|
 |
·
to the poor of Spreyton: 50s to be
distributed as her executor thinks fit;
|
 |
·
the residue of her estate to her
brother George Cann, who is also appointed executor;
|
 |
·
(by a subsequent codicil) her
wearing apparel to go to her nieces Mary Lidster, Elizabeth Cobley and John Cann.
|
 |
·
Witnesses: Mary Wills, William
Battishill. Witnesses to the codicil dated 1805: William Battishill, Mary Furse,
Mary Dicker.
|
Source: Devon Record
Office DD34292.Will proved 1806. Estate £1000.

Will of William Battishill of Week (died 1806)
 | bequeaths to Mary
Battishill, his widow: £20 and an annuity of £30 charged on his freehold
estates; |
 | to John Battishill:
£1,200 charged on his freehold estates; |
 | to his son William: the
quarter of Cramphay and Joints Tenement that the testator held on a 1000-year
lease; |
 | to his son John: the
remainder of his estate. |
Source: Death Duty
Registers. Probate granted in 1806. Estate £1,500. There is a memorial to
“William Battishill of Barton and Week” in Spreyton church. He was 61 when he
died.

Will of John Cann of
Fuidge, gentleman (died 1807)
 | bequeaths to his widow
Gertrude: an annuity of £60; |
 | to the poor of Spreyton:
£1 a year for 50 years; |
 | to his brother Mark Cann:
£200; |
 | to John Cann, the son of
the testator’s nephew: £100 when he reaches the age of 21; |
 | to his nephew John Cann:
the residue of his estate; |
 | by a codicil, to his
nephew’s children (Mary, Elizabeth, Mark, Ponsford and Thomas and the infant
with which the nephew’s wife was then pregnant): £100 each when they reach 21. |
Source: Death Duty
Register. He was 85 at the time of his death. Will proved 1807. Estate £5,000.
His nephew John Cann, who inherited the residue of his estate, including Fuidge,
died in 1819 and his will is below.

Will of John Richard
Lambert Gorwyn, gentleman of Spreyton (died 1809)
 | Bequeaths £150 to his
aunt Elizabeth Lambert Gorwyn; |
 | £200 to his uncle John
Lambert Gorwyn; |
 | £50 to Robert Newton and
£60 to Elizabeth Pratt; |
 | the residue of his
estate to his uncle George Lambert Gorwyn, who is also executor. |
Source: Death Duty
Registers. Estate £1000. Probate granted on 12.7.1809. He was born in 1791.
Although he was living in Spreyton when he died (probably with his uncle George
Lambert Gorwyn at Falkedon), he spent most of his short life in Cheriton Bishop
or Drewsteignton.

Will of John Cann of
Fuidge, gentleman (died 1819)
 | Bequeaths £3,000 to each
of his six sons John, Mark, Ponsford, William, Moor and Abraham when and if
they reach the age of 21; |
 | £1,500 to each of his
three daughters Mary, Elizabeth and Gertrude when and if they reach the age of
21; |
 | £3,000 or £1,500,
depending on whether it is a girl or a boy, to a future child that his wife
may bring forth (or the same sums each if there are twins); |
 | directs that £1,000
secured in his marriage settlement for younger children be divided between all
his nine children and any others that his wife may bear him; |
 | £1,000 to his mother
Gertrude; |
 | the residue of his
estate to his affectionate wife Rebecca; he also appoints her executrix.
|
Witnesses: Mary Pike, Mary Caseley, John Hearding.
Source: PCC Wills. Dated
January 1816; Probate granted 17.3.1819. Estate £8,000.

Will of William Carthew,
yeoman of Beeraford, Spreyton (died February 1819)
 | Bequeaths £15 apiece to
his three sons John, [?Oliver] and Arthur and his three daughters Mary, Ann
and Elizabeth; |
 | all the rest of his
personal estate to go to his daughter Susanna Knapman, wife of Joseph Knapman
of Spreyton, labourer. She is also appointed executrix. |
 | Signed with a mark.
Witnesses: John Cann and John Cann junior. |
Source: Inland Revenue
Wills, DRO. Will dated November 1818; probate granted 1819. Estate £500. The
fact that the testator does not mention any real estate indicates that he was
renting his farm.

Will of Susanna Cann,
wife of George Cann Esquire of Bush (died 1831)
 | bequeaths to Frances,
wife of Charles Brake of Exeter, wine merchant: £100 to dispose of as she
thinks fit without intermeddling by her husband; |
 | to Mary and Ann Bryant,
daughters of Isaac Bryant of London, builder, by his wife Ann: £10 apiece; |
 | the residue of her
estate to Joan Arden, wife of George Arden of Exeter, mercer and woollen
draper. Joan is also appointed executor. |
 | Witnesses: M. Haycraft,
daughter of Mr Haycraft at the Castle; Richard M. Hamilton. |
Source: Devon Record
Office. Will dated 1817; probate granted in 1831. Susanna was one of the nine
children of John Lambert Gorwyn of Cheriton Bishop. Joan Arden is her sister and
the other legatees her nephews and nieces. Susanna married George Cann of Bush
late in life and had no children of her own. She was 76 when she died.

Will of George Cann of
Bush in Spreyton, gentleman (died July 1832)
 | Bequeaths to Ann, wife
of Thomas Like late of Crediton, shopkeeper: an annuity of £5 payable out of
the revenues from West Hillerdon in Nymet Tracy (Bow); |
 | to his niece Elizabeth
Cobley, wife of Thomas Cobley of Buttisford in Colebrook: an annuity of £10
payable out of the revues from Heath in Spreyton, plus £100. |
 | to Thomas Cobley: £10 as
a token of his esteem; |
 | to his niece Johanna
Cann, daughter of his brother John Cann: an annuity of £10 payable out of the
revenues from Heath, plus £400; |
 | to his nieces Elizabeth
Cobley and Johanna Cann for their life: his 3 cottages in Spreyton then
occupied by Robert Sampson, Mary Vigier and Thomas Powlesland. After the
deaths of the nieces, the cottages are to go to William Croote Cann, son of
his deceased nephew John Cann late of North Tawton; |
 | to Joseph Peck Lidster,
son of John Lidster late of Duncombe in Crediton: an annuity of £5 payable out
of the revenues from Davyland (also known as Davidsland) in Drewsteignton [now
in Hittisleigh, following a change in the parish boundaries]; |
 | to Elizabeth Cobley and
Johanna Cann: 19 guineas in trust for the schooling of the children of James
Cade by his late wife Mary, the daughter of the above-mentioned late John
Lidster; |
 | to John Lidster, another
child of the late John Lidster: an annuity of £5 payable out of his Rectorial
or Great Tithes out of the estates of East and West Nethercotts and Brendons
in Spreyton, plus £10; |
 | £100 each to Thomas
Cobley Lidster, Elizabeth Lidster and Ann Lidster, further children of the
late John Lidster; |
 | to his niece Mary Cann,
daughter of his brother the late Thomas Cann: £450 plus an annuity of £10
payable out of the properties of Bush and Cott in Spreyton. Mary also receives
a life interest in his dwelling house called Risdons and his quarter share in
the adjoining stable, both now in the tenancy of George Cann. After Mary’s
death, they are to go to the testator’s nephew George Cann, son of his late
brother Thomas; |
 | to Elizabeth Stone, wife
of Philip Stone and daughter of Thomas Cann: £150 and an annuity of £15
payable out of the revenues from Powlesland in South Tawton; |
 | to William Croote Cann,
son of his deceased nephew John Cann: his Manor or reputed Manor, capital
messuage, Barton and farm of West Hillerdon in Nymet Tracy (Bow), together
with Huddishill and its landtax and Rectorial tythe revenues; and North
Beer. His inheritance of the latter is dependant on his paying £400 to the
testator’s executor and £150 to Mark Cann, son of the testator’s brother
Thomas. William and his heirs are also directed to pay certain quitrents or
other yearly rents due out of North Beer, Bush, Cott, Huddishill and other
lands in Spreyton, amounting to £9.2s.6d. The testator also releases William
Croote Cann from any debts due to him, George Cann, at the time of his death,
except for the rent due from North Beer which becomes payable to his executor
[this indicates that William was already renting North Beer]; |
 | to William Cann, son of
his late brother Thomas: an annuity of £50 payable out of Allisdon and Long
Down in South Tawton; together with another annuity of £5 payable out of the
Great or Rectorial Tithes of East and West Nethercott and Brendons. The
testator also releases William from his debts, provided that William gives up
any claims for money spent on building works and improvements made by him to
the estates of East Nymet or Nymph and Powlesland in South Tawton. |
 | to his nephew Mark Cann
his estates called Itton or Itton Law and Lower Taw, with rights of common on
Itton Moor, Tawton Common and Taw Green in South Tawton. Mark Cann also
receives £250 to be paid by his executor and the £150 due from William Croote
Cann out of North Beer; an annuity of £5 payable out of the revenues from
Davyland in Drewsteignton; and (by virtue of the power vested in the testator
under the will of his brother Thomas Cann) West Spitler in South Tawton. Mark
is also released from his debts to the testator; |
 | to his nephew Philip
Cann, another son of his brother Thomas: East Nymet or Nymph in South Ta | |