07
Sep
2023

Norden Manorial Survey

A joint DHS/DRA/FODA event

The Norden Survey: Life in Devon in the time of King James I
An illustrated talk by Dr. Des Atkinson in The Devon Rural Archive.

John Norden’s survey from the early seventeenth century contains rich and detailed information for the seven Devon manors in the possession of the Duchy of Cornwall. The entire survey can be viewed online courtesy of the London Metropolitan Archives. However, much of the text is in Latin, and the writing can be difficult for the lay reader to decipher. A major project by the Friends of Devon Archives, funded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund and staffed by local volunteers, has produced a full translation and transcription of the survey. This talk will discuss the project and will describe the wealth of information that the new translation makes available to the public. The Duchy manors encompass significant settlements such as Ashburton, as well as the deeply rural pockets of Dunkeswell and Heathfield. Each entry contains fascinating detail on the residents, their holdings and their locality, as well as some quite pointed comments by John Norden himself.

Dr. Des Atkinson is an Exeter-based historian with interests in the late medieval and early modern period. He has been working for the last two years as the supervisor for the Norden Survey project. His next project (for the Devon & Cornwall Record Society) will be the publication of the manorial extents of Canonsleigh Abbey in Devon (dating from 1323).

Tickets are £7.00 each, and must be purchased in advance.  To purchase a ticket please visit:

https://devonruralarchive.com/devon-in-the-time-of-king-james-i-07-09-2023/