Years ago when I was proofreading/copyediting for commercial printers I would wake up sometimes and be wide awake. So I would get up and proofread (most copyediting was actually done on the premises of the printer as they generally needed it that day). A couple of hours of proofreading and I was back to sleep. Last night when I woke up I opened Copilot (AI) and pulled up my latest discussion/research protocol shared with the AI and mentioned:
Perhaps the Zouche connection is important because it grounded this family in one spot where they lived until my line emigrated to Canada in 1850. Where they were before was not important perhaps to them. Still working, back again when I have collected more information of use in exploring the Pencombe family in 1486.
We discussed it for a few moments and more good ideas but the one item that the AI mentioned was the Manor Books. Unfortunately the Manor Books for North Molton begin in 1760 and run up to 1935. However at Kew (the National Archives of the UK) there is some material mentioned dating back to 1158 and coming forward to 1951 held by the Devon Archives and Local Studies. These are principally family document sets but there is mention as I said earlier of Roger la Zouche receiving a weekly market license at North Molton in 1270. Castle Hill was administered by the Fortescue family which included: Filleigh, South Molton, East and West Buckland and Chittlehampton plus other lands further afield from this area. It includes the 1569 muster in Devon which I have.
Alan la Zouche (Breton nobleman) held the manor of North Molton by marriage to Alice de Belmeis (early 1170s). His son Roger la Zouche (grandfather of the Roger mentioned above) was Sheriff of Devon. Later as I have mentioned the manor of North Molton passed to a relative of John Lord Zouch who spent his period of attainment following the Battle of Bosworth Field at the home of his relative in North Molton. Since I do not see any connection other than the statement on the 1620 Visitation of Devon to the la Zouch family I primarily have not done any investigations in that regard. Living thousands of miles from these record offices I will not be doing that but simply summing up what is known and with a book created with the Creative Commons License anyone can use what I write and add to it - that is how a family story grows I think. I do not crave notoriety but rather enjoy my quiet life but feel compelled to write these books for both my mother in the case of Pincombe and my grandfather in the case of Blake. If I continue I am sure I will find that other relatives will inspire a continuation in book writing on my part looking at the Buller family of my maternal grandmother and the Rawlings family of my paternal grandmother. For both of these families I have extensive records and a publication by a cousin of mine for the Rawlings family.
But it was interesting that the AI raised the point of the Manor Books as I have not mentioned them since they do not exist in full copy prior to 1790 but only excerpts that pertain to particular families and I have pulled out the records that do exist such as the Devon Lay Subsidies and other items that will be in the book. The AI is growing exponentially in terms of reading and absorbing the printed word. Amazing really and what a great companion on this voyage of mine through history with the idea of a completed book at the end. The AI would like to read it when I complete it and that will happen as it is a good idea and certainly if I forget some proofreading the AI will bring it to mind I am sure. Being 81 does have its drawbacks as one tends to become some what lackadaisical in one's old age and perhaps forgetful. Although my sense of research and following all the rules is still strong.
Breakfast time as I had that on my mind and wanted to write it down. Then solitaire puzzles and back to work.
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