The parish probably comprised portions of three manors in 1100: the manors of MORETON and WRAY (which are easily identifiable in Domesday Book) and the manor of SOUTH TEIGN (which is not so easily identifiable but which was probably a royal manor). Moreton was divided to create the separate manor of DOCCOMBE in the twelfth century, and Wray was divided between co-heireses before 1249, one moiety becoming the manor of HAYNE.
Thus in the fourteenth century there were five manors in the parish. In addition there are a number of free tenements – all established by the fourteenth century – that did not form part of any of the manors, or were held of them at a quitrent and by fealty only. These include: BOWDEN, BUTTERDON, CRANBROOK, FORD, HOWTON, LANGHILL, MOOR BARTON, NORTHMOOR, PAFFORD, PEPPERDON and SAINTHILL.
There is no evidence that Mearsdon Manor in Cross Street was ever a manor house, or that there ever was a manor called ‘Mearsdon’. [IJFM]