Historic estates in Swimbridge parish

Arms of Nott: Gules, on a bend engrailed or between four leopard's faces two and two argent an estoile of eight points between two martlets of the first[28]

The Nott family was previously resident at Torrdown within the parish, as mentioned in an announcement in Trewman's Exeter Flying Post 19 October 1809:[29] "To be Let for the Term of 14 years, from Lady-day next, a Dwelling-House, with suitable outhouses, and about 140 acres of exceeding good arable meadow, pasture, and orchard land, parts and parcels of all those messuages and tenements, called Torrdown, situate and lying in the parish of Swimbridge, in the county of Devon, lately occupied by James Nott, Esq. deceased. These premises have been for a long period in the possession of the proprietors." In 1902 the owner of Tordown was Frederick Richard Harding-Nott, Esq.[21] The Notts also owned West Cobbaton, in Swimbridge, formerly owned by the Bury family, and from the 16th century were substantial yeomen in the parish.[21] in 1523 a certain John Nott was a party to a conveyance of land within the parish of Swimbridge. Cobbaton passed on the marriage Mary Nott to her husband William Thorne, and her Thorne descendants held it until after 1902.[21] After the building of Bydown House Trewman's dated 27 November 1834 announced the death of "Mr John Nott at Denniton in the parish of Swimbridge, aged 69".[29]

1798[30] datestone, wall of inner hall of Bydown House, showing arms of Nott in centre, with (clockwise from left): Berry, Bellew, Harvey, Wyatt and Mules.[31] Latin inscription below: J.N. AEDIFICAVIT 1798 ("John Nott built (it) (in) 1798")

John Nott (1769–1808) (son of James Nott (1726–1790)[32] by his wife Emma Mules, a daughter of John Mules (a distant descendant of Baron Moels of North Cadbury, Somerset) of Ernesborough, Swimbridge) "of Bydown",[33] married Susannah Norris, daughter and sole heiress of Richard Norris of South Molton.[34] From his wife he inherited properties in Witheridge, Thelbridge, South Molton and Brendon.[33] His elder brother, who died unmarried, was James Nott (d.1809) of Tordown, a Captain in the North Devon Yeomanry and lay rector of Swimbridge.[33] His son and heir was John Nott (1805–1856), of Bydown, who died childless.

John Nott (1805–1856), of Bydown, son, was a magistrate for Devonshire and senior Captain[28] in the Royal North Devon Yeomanry. He built Bydown House, probably between 1820 and 1830.[35] His monument survives in Swimbridge Church in the form of an inscribed open book sculpted in marble, including the words: "A humble minded Christian and the friend of his poorer brethren". However, as the lessee of the great tithes of Swimbridge,[21] in 1830 he refused to lower his tithe assessments during the Agrarian Riots caused by a poor harvest which had caused the price of bread to increase to levels unaffordable by many agricultural labourers. A mob marched against him to Bydown House "in order to seek relief and give John Nott a bloody shirt". In 1841 he was found guilty of non-payment of the poor rates and the Overseer of the Poor obtained a distress warrant for £24-6s–8d against his property. He developed a bad relationship with Rev. Jack Russell, the famous fox-hunting vicar of Swimbridge, who deemed him "a little less than generous to the poor" and in turn Nott criticised him for bad conduct in his ministry, and made a formal complaint to the Bishop of Exeter. In 1840, as part of his case, Nott obtained sworn evidence from a certain "J.H." (John Huxtable[36]) in Swimbridge, which was contrary to his role as a magistrate. Nott "had, of his own motion, administered oaths to John Huxtable and two other persons, touching the truth of certain statements affecting the character of Mr. Russell as a clergyman, which he had then transmitted to the Bishop of Exeter; at the same time urging the bishop to make inquiries into the conduct of Mr. Russell. The statements of the two other individual went to impute neglect of duty (neglecting to pray with a sick parishioner on a certain occasion, and to bury a child when called on); that of Huxtable merely indecorous language and demeanour".[37] In 1842 he was prosecuted by the public prosecutor on 12 counts and was found guilty by a jury of the misdemeanour of unlawfully administering oaths.[38] Russell sued Nott for libel, and won damages in a case which was sensational. However Russell was magnanimous and refused to allow the church bells to be rung for his victory lest "any demonstration...might offend the feelings of the defeated". A mystery survives today as to the reason for the partial erasing of wording on Nott's monument in the church: "May our name as his, be written in the Book of Life", where the words "as his" have been partially erased.[39]

Nott certainly attempted to make amends for his past unpopular behaviour. In 1854 "John Nott, Esq., of Swimbridge, has most kindly given to all the poor in receipt of parochial relief a week's pay in addition to the sum which they are receiving".[40] He died at Bydown on 11 March 1856.[41] On 16 April 1856 his executors sold the livestock of his estate at Rowley in the Parish of Paracombe, transported to Bydown for better market access, including: "Pure North Devon Stock, Agricultural Implements, Dairy Utensils &c., &c., 77 Bullocks and Yearlings, 315 Couple of Ewes and Lambs, 123 Ewe and Wether Hoggerals and Rams, 21 Horses and Ponies, 12 Pigs".[42] John Nott died childless, when his sisters Elizabeth and Marianne became his co-heirs. In 1838 Elizabeth Nott had married Rev. John Pyke,[34] and her son John Nott Pyke, became the heir to Bydown.[43] His other heir to part of his property (under an entail created by the will of his grandfather James Nott (d.1790)) was Rev. R. Harding, grandson of R. Harding and his wife Agnes Nott.[28] In 1902 the owner of Tordown was Frederick Richard Harding-Nott, Esq.[21]

John Nott Pyke (1841–1920) (son of the Rev. John Pyke of Parracombe, Rector of Parracombe, patron of the living, and lord of the manor of Parracombe) was the nephew and heir of John Nott of Bydown. He was educated at Eton College and Exeter College, Oxford[28] and was an amateur playwright.[45] In 1862 the tenant of Bydown House was J. G. Maxwell, Esq.[46] In 1863 John Nott Pyke received royal licence to assume the additional surname of Nott, in compliance with the will of his uncle.[43] He thus became "John Nott Pyke-Nott". In 1867 he married Caroline Isabella Ward, a writer[45] and a daughter of Frederick Ward.[28] His children included his heir John Moels Pyke-Nott (born 1868) and a daughter Isabel Codrington Pyke-Nott (1874–1943) a painter known as "Isabel Codrington".

In 1869 he was described as "a large landowner in North Devon".[47] In August 1869 his 24 year old younger brother James Nott Pyke, of Parracombe, then an undergraduate at Exeter College, Oxford, was killed by a friend in a rabbit shooting accident near Bydown.[29] In 1883 the family moved to London.[45] In 1902 the tenant of Bydown House was Thomas Frederick Parkinson, Esq.[21]

John Moels Pyke-Nott (born 1868), son, of Bydown House, who succeeded his father in 1920. In 1894 he married Dora Florence Geraldine Langton, 3rd daughter of Bennet Langton of Langton Hall in Lincolnshire.[28] John Pyke-Nott sold Bydown at some time before 1937, when his residence was Mill House, Dumbleton, Evesham, Worcestershire.[33] During WW II (1939–45) Bydown House was used as a refugee hostel for Jewish children.[48]