My name is Clare Evans. I am descended from the Spiller family in Yarcombe and more recently in Taunton.   My mother’s name was Heather Jean Spiller.   I have started researching the Spiller family history and have got as far back as Robert Spiller, 1579-1617 of Yarcombe.   His wife was Margere Colliar, 1583-1614.   If you have any more information on this family, I would be very grateful to receive it.   There is a family story that indicates that the Spillers may have come from the Low Countries as Huguenots, for religious reasons. 

Clare Evans

Steve Horner writes:   The Spiller family are one of the prominent names in the history of our Parish and there are still members of the family living hereabouts.

I had a quick look in the book From Monks to the Millennium for early references to your family and right is a scan for your information which shows Zachary Spiller  who left his properties of North Waterhayne and Crimshayes to his wife Alice.

This suggest to me that the author of the book Ruth Everitt must have found a copy of his will in the Devon County Records office or in the National Archives in Kew, I am not certain if there is a connection to your branch of the family.

I also looked on Ancestry.com - of which I am a member - and noted that your family tree is there on open access.   The father of your Robert Spiller (1579-1617) was  John Spiller born Yarcombe 1528. married in 1578 and died in Yarcombe 1582.

Clare Evans replies: Thank you so much for your very informative e-mail. This has been of great interest to me and my family.   I will try to pursue this further and intend to contact the Huguenot Society in order to try to establish whether the family came from the Low Countries originally.   If I find out anything further, I will let you know.   I would also like to visit Yarcombe and to see the house that Zachary Spiller left to his wife Alice.

Steve Horner responds:   Delighted that we are able to help you.   I have just looked up the derivation of the name Spiller:

English: occupational name for a tumbler or jester, from an agent derivative of Middle English spill(en) ‘to play, jest, or sport’ (Old English spilian). English: nickname for a destructive or wasteful person, from an agent derivative of the homonymous Middle English spill(en) ‘to spoil, waste, or squander’ (Old English spillan). German and Dutch: occupational name for a spindle maker, a variant of Spille with the addition of the agent suffix -er. In some cases a variant of German Spieler.

North Waterhayne farm, which Zachary Spiller left to his wife Alice, now belongs to the Sheafhayne Estate and the tenancy is due to change at the end of March which may give you an opportunity to look over the house at that time - if I can help please let me know.   I also strongly recommend that you obtain a copy of the Will of Zachary Spiller from the Devon County records office.   I set out below a copy of the Index of Wills held in Exeter - if you do obtain a copy I would be most interested to make a copy for my own records.

Key: 

Type of Document: 'W' - Will, 'A' - Administration, 'I' - Inventory, 'O' - Other

Form of Document: 'or' - Original, 'co' - Copy, 'ab' - Abstract or Extract, 'tr' - Transcript, 'le' - List Entry 

Please let me know if I can help further.

I stumbled upon your excellent site whilst researching the Mullett family tree.   They were resident at Whitehorns and Beacon farms.   I see there was a Mullett mentioned in the memorial to those who lost their lives in WW1 in the Baptist church on the site.   My father is registered as being born 3rd June 1919 at Beacon farm Yarcombe.   My grandfather William Mullett (married to Grace Wakley) is registered as resident Beacon farm in 1911 census.   The 1891 & 1901 census shows the Mullett family as registered at Pithayne Cottage.   The 1861 shows my great grandfather Charles Mullett (married to Sarah Miller) registered at the Mill in Yarcombe.   Evidently the Mulletts were long term residents of Yarcombe but I cannot figure out the relationship between the people and all these different residences.   I have tried to track down a copy of the book, "From Monks to the Millenium" but it is out of print.   I hope you can help. 

Kind regards,

Chris Mullett

Steve Horner writes:   Here is a map (click to enlarge) of our Parish identifying the various house/cottages where your family lived in Yarcombe.   Yes you are correct, there is a W Mullett mentioned on the Baptist Chapel memorial, however this is an indication he served King and Country, he is not recorded as “Our Brave Dead”.   This may be your Grandfather William Mullett ????   Can you check the spelling of Grace Wakley please, it is confusing there are two  families with different spellings Wakley and Wakely in our records.   Just out of interest do you know when your family left the village ? Steve Horner adds:   Let me start with some historical background for you; a large part of Yarcombe parish was and still is  held by one family, which started when Queen Elizabeth 1 presented to Sir Francis Drake a part of the Manor.   The estate grew under careful management by Sir Frances` indirect  descendants – Sir Frances did not have children.   Whitehorns was part of the estate until it was sold with other properties in 1931 when the sitting tenant Mr F Mullett purchased the property.   Up until about 1880 Whitehorns was an outlying part of the adjoining Parish of Membury which does cause confusion!   In more recent times the Yarcombe Estate repurchased Whitehorns which is a beautiful thatched house nestling in a quiet valley.   Please see the map (right) which indicates the properties where your relatives lived.   I do hope we shall have more details about your family to post into our web site. Joan Berry writes:   I think that  Thomas Wakely may have been a relative of my Godfather (George Wakely, who was a Thatcher)  but unfortunately I know nothing of his family apart from the fact that they were connected to the Mullet family of Whitehorns Farm.

Steve Horner adds:   Below is a scan of the 1901 census covering Whitehorns which shows the Yarcombe Wakelys in residence.   Up until about 1880 Whitehorns was an outlying area of Membury Parish.   The Walter Wakely I am researching came into Yarcombe from Otterford and thus I suspect not connected to your family –all very confusing but very interesting none the less.

1901 Census

Miranda Gudenian writes:   Chris Mullett may be interested to know that one of his family, Bill Mullett, owned the house I now live in, The Beacon (as it became known in the 1970s).  I would have to check our deeds but I think the house was sold after Mr Mullett's death in the early or mid-1950s.

Miranda Gudenian adds:   If my memory serves me correctly Bill Mullett lived in one half of the house - which was turned into two cottages when the Estate bought the place in the late 19th century - and he let the other half.   Again if my memory is correct Bill Mullett purchased the house in 1931 in the Estate sale of properties.   Both Bill (Boy) Doble and Frank Wale remembered Bill Mullett.

Kirth Gensen writes:   I've been going through several boxes of stuff I’ve inherited from my eldest brother and found this pamphlet and press cuttings about Yarcombe:

 

	The Yarcombe Story	Cutting 1	Cutting 2	Cutting 3	Cutting 4

 

Steve Horner replies:   Thanks a million for all this information about our Parish.   There is a lady in the village called Barbara Salter who remembers Mr Mullett from Whitehorns, and the processional cross for which he donated the wood is still in use in the church.   The booklet is also most interesting.   Barbara tells me that the author was Freddie Orchard who was the organist in the church in about 1969/70 and that Bishop John Armstrong, who had  hand in the research for the booklet, was Vicar of Yarcombe at that time and was previously Bishop of Bermuda.   This enabled me to trace Freddie Orchard through a genealogy web site, and I came up with the following information:

 

Frederick Theodore A Orchard was a school master who was born on the 1st January 1904 and died in Honiton in the second quarter of 1982.   His wife Gwendoline Mary Orchard was born on 9th December 1903 and is buried in the Yarcombe churchyard.   Bishop John Armstrong was obviously quite a character.   He was a chaplain in the Royal  Navy for 28 years and rose to be Chaplain of the Fleet and served in this position from 1960-1963.   Immediately upon his retirement from the Royal Navy he was consecrated Bishop of Bermuda in 1963 where he served until 1970.   It can be assumed he then retired to Yarcombe where he was the Parish Priest for some years.   He died in 1992.   Barbara told me he was very high church but “we soon put him right about those practices !“

 

I also attach (right, click to enlarge) a photo of your family gravestone in Yarcombe churchyard which you may find interesting.

Please keep in contact and if you require any further information I shall be pleased to help.
 

What a find – the records of Yarcombe.   I have traced the ancestors of the Trenchards from Sampford Moor in Somerset (my great grandparents) back to one John Trenchard in Yarcombe.   I have approx dates of his birth, namely 1700, and death approx 1788, with records of his marriage to Mary Satterley m 14/2/1737, marriage to Sarah Spiller, m 30/10/1753, and finally, possibly, Elizabeth Board, m 5 Feb 1788.   Although I have some dates of birth and death for these ladies, I would appreciate it please if you could provide these accordingly.   Also their parentage. 

I am researching my husband’s family and have just found the Yarcombe web page with all the interesting information it contains.  I was particularly interested in the Ancestral Searches page and the reply comments by Steve Horner to Lefayre Palmer’s enquiries regarding the Spiller family ( Ancestral Search 6 ).

My husband is Lyndon Spiller and below I give details of his family tree as far as we have been able to ascertain.    

I note that Timon and Abraham Spiller are listed in the Index to From Monks to The Millennium and wonder if it is possible to gain any further information about any of our  family members. 

Julie Spiller

Steve Horner writes:   Once again I am delighted to be able to try to help you.   There are still a good number of Spillers living hereabouts, however I strongly suspect their knowledge of the ancestors does not go back more than one or two generations!   It would certainly be a coup if we could find a Yarconian (or is it a Yarcombite?) who is related to one of the Pilgrim Fathers.   Do you have a copy of ”From Monks to the Millennium”?   If you do not please look at the index to any particular Spiller and I will scan the entry for you.

Steve Horner replies:   See Documents 1 to 4, below.   One reason that we know so much about our local history is that most of the land in the Parish belongs to one family, who are descended from Sir Francis Drake of Armada fame, and this family or perhaps their lawyers presented all the estate records to the Devon County Record Office.   From a quick glance your family appear to have Baptist connections.   The Baptist Chapel is still a thriving congregation.   If I can help further please let me know.

Julie Spiller replies:   Thanks for the help on the Spiller family.  It has been most useful.  The information on Brimbley, Broadly and Livenhayes was most interesting.   I am now following down the families of the wives of the Spillers.   Abraham Spiller married Elizabeth Clarke – daughter of Naboth Clarke.  I am wondering if your helpful book – or any other source - has information on Naboth Clarke or any other members of that family.   Naboth Clarke and Elizabeth Stickland married in April 1770 at Yarcombe.  I believe that Naboth and Elizabeth had at least seven children - Elizabeth, James, Richard, Mary, Grace, James and Sarah between 1772 and 1781.   I believe that Naboth died around 1784.   Elizabeth Stickland’s parents were John Stickland and Mary (?Dean).   Abraham’s son Naboth Spiller married Elizabeth or Eliza Knight daughter of James and Elizabeth Knight.  I note that on page 50 there is reference to James Knight being one of those who were trustees of the Yarcombe Baptist Church in 1854.   Any further information you may have on any of these will be really appreciated.

Steve Horner replies:   I am delighted to be able to help you.   Herewith information on Naboth Clarke, Document 5, below.   The author of the book, Ruth Everitt spent time in the Devon Records Office so the letter which provided her with this information must be on file.   Also information on John Stickland of Moorpit farm, Document 6, who is almost certainly one of your forebears.   Document 7 is another Stickland but dated 1832.   Your reference on page 50 is to James Knight  Marsh Chapel - Marsh being a hamlet in Yarcombe Parish - this chapel was closed in the 1970s.   I am not certain where the original Charter  can be found, perhaps in the records of Yarcombe Baptist church.   If you can provide me with further details of Naboth Spiller marriage to Eliza Knight I will further research this line for you.   The name Spiller is very common in these parts.   I look forward to hearing from you again.

I am researching my maternal family side of the family tree.   My grandmother Harriet Carter, according to census records was born in Yarcombe in 1905.   Her father was called Jabez Carter, her mother was Bessie, and she had two sisters Eva Dorothy and May and one brother Frederick George who are also recorded as having being born in Yarcombe.

Peter Tarrant writes:   Dick and Dorothy Carter passed away some time ago but lived in a small cottage called Cornhill, on a road to the south off the A30.   If this turns out to be relevant I can point out some photos of the building on the Photographs pages.   The new owner has made (and is still making) extensive changes since, though.   I have alerted our local expert Steve Horner, so you may hear from him soon.

Hi, my name is Jennie.   I have been doing research into my family tree and am looking for any help that anyone may be able to give me.   I am currently trying to find any information on the Lenthal family of Yarcombe in Devon.   I know that Ann Lenthal was  born in 1734 and my 6 times Great Grandmother.   She died in 1829 in Yarcombe.   I know that she married John Loosemore of the same parish born 1730.   I am looking for information on her parents.   I believe that her mother's name may have been Jane.   I have a rare genetic variant called G-Norfolk and am trying to trace my ancestry as it means that I am of Mediterranean and African origin.   I am wondering if the Lenthal family may be the key to solving the mystery.

There is one other clue with which I may be able to assist.   In 1580 the Zane family lived in the house I now own and it is believed this family originated in Venice.   Perhaps this may be where your genetic G-Norfolk gene came from?   Who knows – it’s a long shot.

I have just come across this site and wonder if you can help me find out who my Great Great Grandmother's parents were.   Her name was Sarah Vincent from Yarcombe - she married William Hodges on 21/2/1821 at Ruishton.   I found the Marriage Certificate but there were only two names as witnesses - Abraham Grabham and Harriet Hobby, so a bit of a dead end.   These names are not in  the Hodges family as far as I know.   My maiden name was Hodges.

I am researching my Spiller family of Yarcombe Devon and have just come across the wonderful publication of Yarcombe Voices.  It is wonderful to learn of people who endeavour to keep alive the history of their community.

Outline Descendant Report for William Spiller:

Steve Horner writes:   I have just read your note posted on our website and in this message I will try and give you some initial information about Yarcombe which has a rich and interesting history.   There are indeed members of the Spiller family still living in our Parish and the Parish records are littered with reference to them, but as far as I am aware not one mention of the Warren family.   There is a very good book that records the history of Yarcombe, "From Monks to The Millennium" written by Ruth Everitt which I helped her compile and from which the document (right) is scanned.   The scan of the index demonstrates the multitude of references in the book to the Spiller family and if you spot a particular name of interest I would be pleased to send you more information.  Basically our community is a rural parish in East Devon comprising about 500 persons in widely scattered farms.   The ownership of much of the Parish goes back to the time of Sir Francis Drake whom as a reward for helping Queen Elizabeth 1 was given tracts of land hereabouts and the ownership has remained in the same family, but not direct descendants, ever since.   I have also spotted the name Newberry which family also owned land in the south of the parish in the 17th century.  You have hit upon a rich vein of history and if I can I will assist you further.   I would appreciate some more background of your own family and of course the important connection to The Mayflower Pilgrims.