Walter de Claville facts for kids
Walter I de Claville was an important Norman lord who lived around the year 1086. He was one of the 52 main landowners in Devon chosen by King William the Conqueror after he took over England. He also owned land in Dorset. His lands in Devon later became part of a larger group of estates known as the feudal barony of Gloucester.
Contents
Where Walter Came From
Walter I de Claville likely came from one of the places named Claville or Clasville in Normandy, France. These places include:
- Claville near Évreux
- Claville-Motteville near Yvetot
- Clasville near Cany Barville
His brother, Gotshelm, was also a major landowner in Devon. Their lands eventually became part of the same large estate group, the feudal barony of Gloucester.
His Family and What Happened to His Lands
We don't know if Walter I de Claville had children. However, a later Walter II de Claville, who might have been his grandson, gave many of Walter I's old estates to a priory around 1170. This priory was built on his land in Burlescombe and became known as Canonsleigh Priory.
Later, in the 1200s, some of Walter I's estates were held by a "William de Claville." This shows the family continued to own land for a while.
The Clavell family line in Devon eventually ended around the late 1300s. The lands then passed to another family, the Beares.
However, the Clavell family continued to be important in Dorset for much longer, even into the late 1600s. A historian named John Hutchins said that the Clavell family in Dorset had a very long history, "not to be equalled in this county and very rarely in any other."
Lands Walter Owned in Devon
Walter I de Claville owned many estates, or "manors," in Devon. The Domesday Book, a famous record from 1086, lists 32 different places he held. These lands were later connected to the Honour of Gloucester.
Here are some of the places he owned:
| Name of Manor | Modern Parish | Area (Hundred) |
|---|---|---|
| Bywood | Dunkeswell | Hemyock |
| Brampford Speke | Brampford Speke | Wonford |
| Withycombe Raleigh | Withycombe Raleigh | East Budleigh |
| West Raddon | Shobrooke | West Budleigh |
| Washford Pyne | Washford Pyne | Witheridge |
| Drayford | Witheridge | Witheridge |
| Sydeham | Rackenford | Witheridge |
| Craze Lowman | Tiverton | Tiverton |
| Kidwell | Uplowman | Halberton |
| Murley | Uplowman | Halberton |
| Coombe | Uplowman | Halberton |
| Boehill | Sampford Peverell | Halberton |
| Ayshford | Burlescombe | Halberton |
| Appledore | Burlescombe | Halberton |
| Canonsleigh (Leigh) | Burlescombe | Halberton |
| Leonard | Halberton | Halberton |
| Buckland-Tout-Saints | Buckland-Tout-Saints | Coleridge |
| North Pool | South Pool | Coleridge |
| Lupridge | North Huish | Stanborough |
| Leigh | Churchstow | Stanborough |
| One small piece of land in Iddesleigh | Iddesleigh | Shebbear |
| Dowland | Dowland | North Tawton |
| Loosedon | Winkleigh | North Tawton |
| One small piece of land in Dowland | North Tawton | North Tawton |
| Instow | Instow | Fremington |
| Nimet | Down St Mary | North Tawton |
| Shobrooke | Morchard Bishop | Crediton |
| Burlescombe | Burlescombe | Bampton |
| Virworthy (shared with his brother Gotshelm) | Pancrasweek | Black Torrington |
Lands Walter Owned in Dorset
In Dorset, Walter I de Claville owned five manors. One of these was East Morden, which later became known as Morden-Maltravers.
The Clavell family's lands in Dorset also became linked to the Honour of Gloucester. The family continued to be very important in Dorset for many centuries.
Sources
- Thorn, Caroline & Frank, (eds.) Domesday Book, Vol. 9, Devon, Parts 1 & 2, Phillimore Press, Chichester, 1985, part 2 (notes), chapter 24
- Cleveland, Duchess of (Catherine Powlett), The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages, 3 vols., London, 1889, Vol. III, "Clarvaile"
- Hutchins, John (d. 1773), History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset, 1774
