Historical Notes relating to Bideford's East-the-Water Shore Volume 1 (Prehistory to 18th C.) R. I. Kirby Last updated 27 Apr 2021 (DRAFT) Page 1 of 95 © R I Kirby Historical Notes relating to Bideford's East-the-Water Shore (Volume 1) Contents of Volume 1 (Prehistory to 18th C.) General Introduction.............................................................................................................................8 Nature of this document...................................................................................................................8 Development of this document........................................................................................................8 Contents of the volumes..................................................................................................................8 Prior to written records.........................................................................................................................9 Prehistory.........................................................................................................................................9 Stone Age, flint tools.......................................................................................................................9 Bronze and Iron Age......................................................................................................................10 Roman period, tin roads, transit camps, and the ford....................................................................11 An ancient tin route?.................................................................................................................11 The old ford...............................................................................................................................12 A Roman transit camp on the hills............................................................................................12 Saxon period, fisheries (monks and forts?)...................................................................................13 Administration..........................................................................................................................13 Viking incursions?.....................................................................................................................13 Saxons names in the landscape.................................................................................................13 Saxon fisheries..........................................................................................................................13 Nuttaberry, a place with Saxon roots?.......................................................................................14 The origin of the name Bideford...............................................................................................15 Saxon monastic influence (possible rather than proven)..........................................................15 The Saxon church and the position of the crossing...................................................................16 Æthelstan’s reforms...................................................................................................................17 The great sea-flood of 1014......................................................................................................17 Norman Conquest and its aftermath...................................................................................................17 1066/7, Bideford becomes an ancient demesne.............................................................................17 1069, Defeat of Godwine and Edmund at Northam......................................................................18 1083, Death of Matilda..................................................................................................................18 1086, Domesday............................................................................................................................18 The Domesday entry.................................................................................................................18 Bediforda and its environment..................................................................................................19 Bideford's fishery......................................................................................................................19 Salt production (and Saltren).........................................................................................................20 About 1089, Sir Richard de Greenvill gains Neath.......................................................................20 c. 1100, Henry I, origin of the Mayor of Shamwickshire?............................................................21 1102, the church acts against English slavery...............................................................................21 c1127, Sir Richard de Granville founds Neath Abbey...................................................................22 c1127, Sir Richard Grenville re-builds St Mary's?........................................................................22 1160, the manor of Bideford, inheritance of the Grenvilles..........................................................22 13th Century........................................................................................................................................23 1217, rights for Bideford...............................................................................................................23 c. 1272, first royal town charter.....................................................................................................23 c. 1272-1327 Bideford’s elective franchise...................................................................................24 Late 13th C, the Gurnays and the rolling boulder...........................................................................24 Last updated 27 Apr 2021 Page 2 of 95 © R I Kirby Historical Notes relating to Bideford's East-the-Water Shore (Volume 1) Late 13th C, the first Long Bridge..................................................................................................25 14th Century........................................................................................................................................25 Late 14th C, Bishop of Exeter ensures the bridge gets built...........................................................25 c. 1325, Bartholomew Grenville, of Bideford...............................................................................26 1342, Chapel mentioned at east end of the Long Bridge...............................................................26 1348-9, the Black Death sweeps through England........................................................................26 1349, the Ordinance of Labourers is passed..................................................................................27 c. 1376, Theobald Grenvill, of Bideford........................................................................................27 1396, Bishop Stafford supports the Long Bridge..........................................................................27 15th Century........................................................................................................................................27 c. 1405, John Grenvile, of Bideford, knight..................................................................................27 1425, a licence granted for St. Anne’s chapel................................................................................28 1437, an indulgence hints at a new bridge.....................................................................................28 1446, a new chapel at the eastern end of the bridge......................................................................28 1459, a third wooden bridge..........................................................................................................28 c. 1483/4, Thomas Grenville I, of Bideford, knight.......................................................................29 c. 1485/6, Thomas Grenville II, of Bideford appointed Esquire...................................................29 c. 1489, Thomas Grenville’s house and quay in East-the-Water...................................................30 1494, Thomas Grenville.................................................................................................................30 1497, John Cabot claims Newfoundland.......................................................................................30 16th Century........................................................................................................................................31 c. 1502, Thomas Grenville II, of Bideford, knight........................................................................31 1505, Bishop Arundell grants an indulgence for bridge repair......................................................31 1513, death of sir Thomas Grenville II..........................................................................................31 1523, disputed alms at the St Anne’s (eastern) bridge chapel.......................................................31 1525, Viscount Lisle appointed Vice-Admiral of England............................................................31 c. 1533, Richard Grenville, of Bideford, knight, sherif.................................................................31 1541, Buckland Abbey granted to Sir Richard