TitleOttery Saint Mary, Devon.
Date1549-1883
Extent256 items
AdminBiogHistoryParish of Ottery St Mary, Devon, in the diocese of Exeter.

At the time of the Conquest, there was a church at Ottery, which, together with the manor, belonged to the chapter of St Mary's Church at Rouen in Normandy. Both church and manor had been granted to St Mary's by Edward the Confessor in 1061.

The present collegiate church of Ottery St Mary dates from the late 13th century, but was radically reconstructed from 1338 by John de Grandisson, bishop of Exeter. Bishop Grandisson arranged the purchase of both manor and church from St Mary's, Rouen in 1334-5 and a royal licence for the college was granted in December 1337. The college had a warden and eight canons who held prebends. The total strength of the college was forty, including at least eight vicars, ten clerks and eight boy choristers. In the 16th century, the college had an annual value of £303. It was surrendered to the Crown in 1545. Four governors were appointed in the same year to be responsible for maintaining the church and their number was increased to twelve in 1552.

In 1547, tithes of sheaves (great tithes) in Ottery St Mary were granted to the Dean and Canons of Windsor by the Crown as part of the New Dotation. The tithes were known by various names, comprising Alphington Mow, Fluxton Mow, Gosford Mow, Rill or Rull Mow, Thorne Mow, Town Mow, Tipton Mow and Wigginton Mow. They related to garb, corn, grain and hay.

P Jeffery, The Collegiate Churches of England and Wales, 2004, p. 146
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