Tithe
No. 443
C/R 126
Passaford is first named after the Battle of
Hastings 1066 in lands granted to the Abbot of
Mont St. Michel which included the Manor of
Otterton with Yettington and the hamlets of
Pinn, Houghton, Pitson and Passaford. By the
1840’s (Census & Tithes) Passaford Hamlet
had grown to 5 farms and houses with a
population of 60 covering 350 acres mostly
arable land.
The Lay Subsidy of 1332 names Adam de Paseforde
as paying the high figure of 12d. Also in this
Subsidy John Taillour is named paying 8d. This
indicates that Passaford farm existed at that
time when Otterton was part of Otterton Priory
of Abbey of Mont St. Michel, in Normandy and the
Taylor family are farming hereabouts.
By the Subsidy of 1524 6 members of the Tayllor
family are farming in Otterton one of which was
at Passaford. Richard & Thomas were both
sheep farmers being charged £24 & £37,
loosing together 140 sheep who died “in the
moryn”. (This is a fatal cattle disease)
20 years on the Subsidy lists Richard and
William paying £8 each and 1581 Thomas is the
only Tayler paying - £20. This suggests Thomas
is holding Passaford Farm. The 1611 Malt Book
names Henry paying £2.7/-.
The next record seen lists George Taylor,
Passaford farmer in 1735 and William in 1746.
The farm is named as Taylors in 1771. By the
time of the Auction of Otterton and East
Budleigh Manors January 1779 Thomas White is
farming “Passaford, late Taylors of 60 acres at
£2 pa.” This suggests the Taylor family had been
farming Passaford probably for more than 450
years.
The White family were
living in the area in 1747 when Thomas White was a
Constable of Otterton Manor. They probably took
over Passaford in 1766 when they were worshiping
at Salem Chapel, East Budleigh and were still to
be farming Passaford in the 1960’s (200 years
later). 1780 John White was at the Court Baron and
between 1792 and 1801 he served as a Churchwarden
at Otterton Church.
Today’s Farmhouse was
probably built during the Taylor’s tenancy in late
16th. century of stone rubble, cob with thatched
roof on a 3 room through passage plan and
refurbished in late 19th. century during the
White’s tenancy, when the present farm buildings
were erected with the legend MR 1886.
To the south of Passaford Farm there were two more
farms, Crammers a small 22 acres farm and Birds of
69 acres. By 1794 they were both held by the Halse
family. ( Birds had a cider mill). Henry Halse
died in 1875 when Estate letters showed “several
buildings are in a last stage of decay and land is
foul and neglected state”. Both farms and a part
of their lands were grouped with Passaford Farm to
total 95 acres. Their buildings were left to
decay.
The 1911 Survey quotes “A brick, plaster and
thatched farmhouse, with substantial modern
homestead. All in good order” 98 acres. Rent 129
pa. Sidney J. White, farmer. He was followed by
George White who died in 1943 age 77. He had
passed the farm to his son Frederick GT White in
1940. During World War 11 two bombs fell on
Passaford farm land.The rent climbed regularly
after World War 11 from £160 to £350 pa in 1969.
Eventually Mr. White gave up his tenancy in 1974/5
and the farmhouse was leased to Edward Potts. The
farm lands of 103 acres became part of the Clinton
Devon Farms Partnership.
Gerald Millington, Estate Archivist
Sources
Clinton Devon Estates Archives:- Rental Books,
Letter Books, Surveys, Tithe Award 1843
Devon Records Office:- Land Tax, Otterton Vestry
Records, Exeter Flying Post,
Directories, Census
With Lord Clinton’s help.
© Gerald Millington
2018
