Per Ronny Bodine's 1999 research summary at this archive: Now a dead link that needs replaced.
Unlike the Modbury and Ilfracombe branches of the family, the Champernouns of North Tawton are a bit more difficult to place. Vivian (p. 160) calls Oliver the son of John Champernoun and grandson of Sir William Champernoun, of Ilfracombe, who died in 1305 and appears as No. 3 under Champernoun of Ilfracombe. However, insofar as Sir William's son John was a cleric whose church career covered the period from 1309 until his death in 1335, it does not seem likely that he was Oliver's father.
The 1422/3 IPM of Oliver's grandson, Otho Champernoun, is quite extensive, and being childless, and an only child himself, names a number of relatives as his heirs. Included among several aunts he names a cousin, Alexander son of Richard Champernoun. It should be remembered that by this time the Champernouns of Ilfracombe had died out long before in their male issue and only the Modbury family was still flourishing.
But where could Oliver fit that would make some sense? It is my belief he was a younger brother of Sir Richard Champernoun, of Modbury. Consider that Oliver was already an adult by 1332 and he was married to Egelina de Valletort, a daughter and co-heiress of Hugh de Valletort of North Tawton. Her sister, Elizabeth, was the wife of Sir Richard Champernoun of Modbury. Whereas Richard was not a name that appeared in the Ilfracombe family, it certainly does so in each generation of the Modbury line. As the brother and brother-in-law of a Richard Champernoun, uncle and great-uncle of other Richard Champernouns, Oliver also named one of his sons Richard. The 1332 Devonshire Lay Subsidy assigns only property in North Tawton to Oliver Champernoun and this came to him through his marriage, thus there appears to be no way to connect him to property he may have received from his father. The rationale, though logical, is admittedly weak and any other alternatives are welcome.
Sources are noted throughout. For more complete citations please refer to Champernoun of Modbury, Part 2 of 2.
GENERATION 1
1. OLIVER CHAMPERNOUN. Appears at North Tawton on the 1332 Devonshire Lay Subsidy (DCRS, n.s., vol. 14 [1969], p. 77). He was married to Egelina de Valletort (DCNQ, 20: 294). She survived her husband, as Sir Richard Stapleton held the advowson of the church of North Tawton of Egelina Champernon in Edw. III's time (Pole's Devon: 427). She was still living in 1346 (Feudal Aids, 1, p. 422).
Children:
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