Land Purchased by the HARRIS family at AVETON GIFFORD

It would appear that the Lyvigers , like many of the other tenents of Buckfast on the Heathfield Manor estates (Heathfield farm also still exists) bought their farms when the monastery was dissolved. Lyvigers Town has now become Lixton. Other tenents of Heathfield were the Pepperell or Pydehele family who had land at Lixton and Stokenbigge (Modbury ). (Stephens sister Joan married a Pepperell ). A member of this family William Pepperell of Pynsford, granted to John Lugers his mersuages and lands calles Lixton within Heathfield Manor in the parish of Aveton Gifford in 1507.

Stadbury Doomsday survey 1068 " Juhel has a manor called Stotheria " Sir John Chichester inherited half Stadbury from Dame Alice Damarle in 1428 and the Cichesters held it until about 1563. Sir John Chichester of Ralegh (1521-69 ) became member of Parliament for Devon in 1547 , 1554 and 1563 and it was in this latter year that he sold half Stadbury to Hugh Harris of Aveton Gifford( Hugh already owned the other Half ). A deed found in 1926 in the Castle at Exeter records the sale:

2^nd july 5 Eliz 1563

Aveton Gifford . Bargain and sale of Sir John Chichester of Ralegh Kt. To Hugh Harris of Aveton alias Awton Gyfforde. Yeoman, of his moiety and halfendeale of the capytall mersuage ,barton and farm of Stodbury and a parcel of ground called Stodburywood with all mesuages , land,etc thereto belonging in Aveton Gyfforde in tenure of Hugh for life; and also his moiety of the fisshings and hawkying and drawing of fisshe and picking of stakes for fisshe in and upon the freshe and salt water and upon the soyle where the same doth ebbe ,flete and flow between Aveton bridge and Stodcombe Ose inn the south part of the said barton, belonging to Sir John as one of the Lords of the Manor; and also his part and purparty of the soyle and grounds lying without the clyffe, where the salte water douth ebbe and flow as farre as Stodebury grouds douth extend from Stodcombe unto the lands of Oliver Hill esq. saving to Sir John the advowson of the Church of Aveton Gyffrode and the letters and vewes of fraunckflege, goods and catalley of felons and fygetyvas, weave and strayers and wrakers of the sea and fletesssss. (cal. Of Devon Deeds. J.C.Tingey. Exeter Castle )

The Harris family then held Stadbury for longer than any other owners.

(Source of information - History of the Parish of Aveton Gifford, collated by the Rev CC Shaw)