Barons and castellans · Kingdom of England · as at first light, 1 January 1200

Barnstaple

Barnstaple, the old borough at the head of the Taw estuary, is the caput of a barony divided since the 1130s between the Tracys and the Braoses.

Oliver de Tracy holds one half from his manors in north Devon; the other half belongs to William de Braose, the Marcher lord, who is far away on the Welsh border and in the king's service. In 1213 the halves will be reunited under Henry de Tracy.

Who he is

Name
Oliver de Tracy (died 1210) and William de Braose (died 1211)
Title
Lords of the two halves of the barony of Barnstaple
Since
Oliver succeeded his father Oliver (died about 1184); William de Braose succeeded his father about 1193
Born
Not pinned
Family
The barony was Juhel of Totnes's; his son Alfred died without children before 1139 and it was split between Alfred's two sisters: one married Henry de Tracy, the other, Aenor, married Philip de Braose. William de Braose is the great Marcher lord of Brecon, Radnor and Bramber (written by the Wales researcher).
Confidence
medium

Both moieties as the feudal barony page gives them; the 1165-68 returns charge the Tracy half with 23 to 30 knights' fees (Pipe Rolls and Cartae Baronum).

Overlord

King John

What it holds

  • Barnstaple castle (motte) and the lordship of the borough
  • The Tracy half: manors in north Devon (23 1/3 fees declared in 1166)
  • The Braose half: manors in north Devon held from afar

How it was acquired

Inheritance from Juhel of Totnes through his daughters' marriages.

Allies and rivals

The two halves are held by men of very different weight; Braose is one of John's closest barons this winter.

How things stand that morning

Shared without open quarrel.

Wealth

The Taw estuary port, the north Devon wool and cattle. No figures.

Military

Barnstaple castle; the barony's knights' fees.

Threats

  • The fall of the Braose house (1208) will bring the king into the barony

Places of note

  • Barnstaple castle: Caput

Where the sources disagree

Evidence: From the feudal barony page (after Sanders) and Juhel de Totnes page.

On the map: The two halves were intermixed manors; only the caput is drawn.

Primary sources for England

Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.

  • Chronicle of Jocelin of Brakelond, Jocelin of Brakelond (about 1198 to 1203). An inside account of Bury St Edmunds under Abbot Samson, written while the events were fresh. Read online
  • Chronicle of Melrose, Anonymous (monks of Melrose abbey) (about 1173 to 1270, in many hands; the 1200 entries are near contemporary). The main Scottish annal for the year, kept at a Cistercian house on the Tweed. Read online
  • Chronicle of Roger of Howden, Roger of Howden (about 1192 to 1201). The fullest single narrative for the year. Read online
  • Chronicle of the Princes, Anonymous (Welsh translation of a lost Latin chronicle kept at Strata Florida) (Latin original to about 1282, compiled from contemporary annals; Welsh versions about 1300 and later). The native Welsh record of the year. Read online
  • Chronicle; Deeds of the Kings, Gervase of Canterbury (Chronica about 1188 to 1199; Gesta Regum about 1199 to 1210). The Chronica stops in 1199, so for 1200 the witness is the briefer Gesta Regum, which notes John's peace with Philip, the coronation of Isabella at Westminster on 8 October 1200, and matters touching Canterbury: the archbishop Hubert Walter as chancellor, the cathedral priory's quarrel with him, and the Lambeth college dispute lately settled by the pope. Read online
  • English Chronicle of Ralph of Coggeshall, Ralph of Coggeshall (about 1200 to 1224, in stages). Short but independent entries for 1200 from a Cistercian house in Essex: John's levy on the Cistercians and the carucage, the peace with Philip, the king's new marriage and the queen's coronation, and the death of Hugh of Lincoln. Read online
  • Flowers of History, Roger of Wendover (about 1220 to 1235 at St Albans). For 1200 Wendover is mostly Howden rewritten, so he is a second witness only where he adds St Albans material: a long account of Hugh of Lincoln's last months, death and funeral, and anecdotes about John's conduct toward the Cistercians and his new queen. Read online
  • Images of History, Ralph de Diceto (about 1188 to 1202). A London view of the year from the dean of St Paul's, who knew the justiciar and the bishops personally. Read online

22 more in the sources library for The British Isles.

Sources and studies

  1. Feudal barony of Barnstaple (Wikipedia)
  2. Juhel de Totnes (Wikipedia)

Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.