Since the construction of the nearby A361 North Devon Link Road direct access has been cut off from Bremridge to Filleigh and South Molton.[1] Bremridge Wood is the site of an Iron Age enclosure or hill fort, the earthwork of which is situated on a hillside forming a promontory above the River Bray.In Bremridge Wood survives a disused tunnel of the former Great Western Railway line between South Molton and Barnstaple, much of the course of which has been used for the A361.Concerning the etymology of Bremridge, Risdon (d.1640) (who called it Bromridge) stated: "lands subject to brambles and briers so the name importeth".[6] In the Domesday Book of 1086 BREMERIGE is listed as the 56th of the 99 Devonshire landholdings of Geoffrey de Montbray (d.1093), Bishop of Coutances, and was one of the 73 holdings he sub-infeudated to Drogo son of Mauger, his chief sub-tenant in Devon.mansionem que uocatur Bremerige quam tenuit Edmerus ea die qua rex Eduuardus fuit uiuus et mortuus et reddidit gildum pro dimidia hida.translated as: The bishop of Coutances has 1 estate which is called Bremeridge, which Eadmær held on the day that King Eadweard was alive and dead, and it paid geld for half a hide.Bremridge was a constituent manor of the large feudal barony of Barnstaple, whose first Norman lord was Geoffrey de Montbray (d.1093), Bishop of Coutances.The Totnes sister of unknown name married Henry de Tracy (died pre-1165), to whom approximately half of the constituent manors of the barony, including Bremridge, were allocated as his wife's inheritance.Henry left a son and heir Oliver I de Tracy (died c. 1184), who in 1165 was charged scutage on 25 knight's fees for his moiety.[14] The Book of Fees (compiled circa 1198-1292) lists Bremelrig and Sudaure (Bremridge and South Aller) as held by "Oliver de Tracy".The 1326 Inquisition post mortem of William II FitzMartin (died 1326) lists his fees pertaining to the Barony of Barnstaple, comprising 88 estates, including Bremelrugg and South Alre (Bremridge & South Aller), forming one knight's fee and tenanted by John Tracy.[23] Margaret was the only child and sole heiress of John Coblegh (d.1542) of Brightley by his wife Joan Fortescue, whose small monumental brasses survives in Chittlehampton Church.Sidney E. Dodderidge (1882), the family took its name from the estate of Dotheridge (anciently Dudderidge) in the parish of Alwington in North Devon.[28] Other sources, most notably John Prince (d.1723)[29] supposed the family to have originated at the manor of Dodderidge in the parish of Sandford, near Crediton, in Mid-Devon.Richard entered the shipping business and owned a 100-ton prize-ship named Prudence, a privateer effectively engaged in licensed piracy.[34] Richard received at some time letters patent as one of six west country merchants licensed to trade with "the River of Senegal and Gambia in Guinea".[35] Richard presented to the Corporation of Barnstaple "a great boale with its covering, wrought in silver and a silver-gilt table lamp".19, 80).It would thus appear that the surviving house at Bremridge, apparently originally part of a larger structure,[47] was built by John Dodderidge (1610-1659) as the date "1654"[48] is sculpted on the labels of the Tudor arched front entrance.High above the front door inset into the wall is a stone heraldic displaying the arms of Dodderidge (Argent, two pales wavy azure between nine cross croslets gules[49]) impaling (A chevron sable between three escallops).[58] The collection, known as the Dodderidgian Library (Latin: Bibliotheca Doddridgiana) was housed in a purpose-made building erected at the north-east corner of St Peter's Church, Barnstaple, which survives.
Bremridge, entrance front
The farm at Bremridge seen from beside the lane from Hatherleigh, and across the field shown in
576675
.
Domesday Book entry for
BREMERIGE
Arms of Dodderidge:
Argent, two pales wavy azure between nine
cross croslets
gules
. These arms are visible on the monument to Sir John Dodderidge (1555-1628) in the
Lady Chapel
of
Exeter Cathedral
, also high above the entrance door of Bremridge, sculpted in stone impaling Pollard
Sculpted stone heraldic escutcheon high above entrance door at Bremridge, displaying arms of Dodderidge (
Argent, two pales wavy azure between nine crosses croslet gules
)
impaling
A chevron between three escallops
(possibly Gay, Pollard or Wescombe/Westcott, see below)