The manor of Tallaton belonged to the Peverells of Sandford, by whose co-heiresses it appears to have been alienated. In the reign of Edward III, it was in moieties between Denband and Brigham; in the succeeding reign between Sir Henry Percehay and Sir John Hill. The whole became the property of Francis of Combe Flory, partly by descent from Percehay and partly by purchase from Hill. Before this union, the moieties were called Tallaton Hill and Tallaton Percehay. These passed again into separate hands, and one of them became the property of the Chichesters, from whom it passed by marriage to Harwood. They were a second time united in the family of Yonge. Sir William Yonge having purchased one of the moieties of Blanche Harris in 1750 and the other in 1770 of John Harwood Esq. of Hayne. They are now, by purchase from the late Sir George Yonge, the property of Sir John Kennaway Bart.

Escot, the seat of Sir John Kennaway, Bart., gave name to a family who possessed it in the thirteenth century. It belonged afterwards to the Beauchamps of Ryme, and was purchased of the co-heiresses of that family by Richard Channon Esq. The heiress of Channon joined with her husband in the sale of this estate to Sir Walter Yonge, KB and Bart., (sometime Secretary of War and Governor of the Cape of Good Hope) to Sir John Kennaway, Bart. Escot House, the seat of Sir John Kennaway Bart., in which Sir George Yonge had the honour of entertaining their late Majesties and three of the princesses, at dinner, on the 14th of August 1789, was burnt to the ground on the 28th December 1808. The fire broke out while the family was at dinner, and the house, with all the furniture and most of the valuables was consumed before eleven at night. Sir John Kennaway has ever since resided at  cottage at Fairmile, not far from the site of Escot House.

Escot House in 1804

Courtesy of Devon County Council

The manor of Larkbeare, partly in the parish of Whimple, and partly in this parish, was probably the Lavrochebere which was held at the time of the Domesday Survey by Alured Brito: in the reign of King John, Larkbeare belonged to the Pipards, whose heiress brought it to Lisle. It was afterwards in the Courtenay family. In Sir William Pole's time, it had been for some descents in the family of Haydon, who purchase it after the attainder of the Marquis of Exeter. This manor is now the property of the Rev. Thomas Clack, whose wife's father, Richard Stone, Esq, bought it of the Haydons.

The Barton of Southcote, otherwise English Hayes, was for many descents in the family of English, from whom it passed by successive female heirs to Credy, Brimmer and Michel. It was purchased of the latter by Sir William Pole, whose descendent, Sir J. W. de la Pole, conveyed it in exchange to the late Sir George Yonge, Bart. It is now the property of Sir John Kennaway, Bart. It appears from a passage in Westcote, that Southcote was an occasional residence of Sir, William Pole, the antiquary.

In the parish church is a rich screen and some memorials to the family of Eveleigh who for several descents resided at Tallaton. The Rev. Robert Palk Welland is patron and incumbent of the rectory. Elizabeth Prideaux, in 1710, gave the interest of £33 for instructing poor children. Tallaton is said to have been the birth place of Thomas Spratt, the Bishop of Rochester, the poet, but his epitaph at Beminster speaks of him as a native of Dorset."