Pre-Norman Conquest Hroces Ford (Ruxford) is recorded in the Anglo Saxon Charters.
Courtenay The
inquisition post mortem dated 8 June 1404 of Thomasia de Raleigh, heiress of
Raleigh, Pilton in North Devon and of many other estates, and wife of John Chichester of Donwer, records that "the aforesaid Manor of Rokesford (Ruxford) is held of Philip Courtenay as of his manor of Bradninch by
knight-service". This was Philip Courtenay (c.1342-1406) (5th son of
Hugh Courtenay, 2nd Earl of Devon and his wife Margaret Bohun) who had been Steward of the Duchy of Cornwall in Cornwall 1388-1391. The
feudal barony of Bradninch, with its member manors including Ruxford, was held before and after Courtenay's brief tenure by the
Duchy of Cornwall.
De Raleigh & Chichester The estate of Ruxford was held for several generations by the de Raleigh family from the Courtenay family. The eventual heir of de Raleigh was the Chichester family. The de Raleigh family
subinfeudated Ruxford to de Sully. The inquisition post mortem of Sir
John Chichester (died 1569) of Raleigh dated 2 January 1569 lists Ruxford as held by him from Queen Elizabeth "as of her Manor of Bradninch", which is the last surviving record of its dependency from the
feudal barony of Bradninch.
Sully Effigies of Sir
John de Sully (1282–1388) and his wife Isobel exist in
Crediton Parish Church. Sully was
lord of the manor of
Iddesleigh, but was said by
Westcote (d. circa 1637) to have had his seat at "Rookesford, lately the land of Chichester and alienated to Davye", i.e. Ruxford, in the parish of Sandford about 1/2 mile north-west of Crediton. He held
Rokysforde from the
overlord John de Raleigh of
Raleigh in the parish of
Pilton, as is evidenced in the latter's deed of 1362 now held in the North Devon Record Office. The heir of John de Raleigh by marriage to his daughter Thomasine was the
Chichester family of Raleigh. According to
Hoskins the estate of Ruxford is recorded in a charter dated 930 in which a large estate was granted to the canons of Crediton Church. The existing farmhouse known as Ruxford Barton was rebuilt in 1608 by the Chichester family, as is evidenced by a
strapwork cartouche in plaster-work displaying the arms of that family with initials and date 1608, in the principal bedroom on the first floor of the parlour wing.
Davie In 1618 Ruxford Barton was purchased from Sir Robert Chichester, Bart, KB, by Emmanuel Davie, a "clothier of Crediton", a cousin of the Davie family of
Creedy, Sandford. The deed of conveyance is summarised as follows: :The Right Worshipful Sir Robert Chichester of the noble Order of the Bath, Bart, to Emmanuel Davie of Sandford in Crediton, gentleman, whereas ... the Barton Farm, messuage etc called Rokisfoorde or Ruxford, a close of land called Mylum and a parcel of lande a meadow called Nether Apple Meadow in Crediton ... a meadow called Heddge Mead... now sells the premises with all the messuages, buildings, goods, lands etc, etc, to Emmanuel...". In about 1620 a plaster escutcheon was affixed inside the house showing the
de Via arms of the Davie family impaled with the arms of Northcote, the arms of the family of his first wife Katherine Northcote (d.1620). ==Sources==