Budshead

Budshead acquired its name from the Breton Saint Budoc, who is said to have come here in AD480 to establish one of his many small religious communities. The French pronunciation of Saint Budoc has of course given us St. Budeaux, but Budshead itself was a corruption of Budoc's hide - that is land beloning to Budoc.

In 1241 we find ownership of this land ascribed to Alan de Buddekshid - Alan of Budshead. Surnames were not common at this time, but it appears that Alan's family adopted the name and it survived through a great many variations as it was passed down over the next three or four centuries via '14 descendants'.

Thus in 1285 we find reference to William de Bodeshid and in 1346 Thomas de Bodekishide. Twelve years earlier, on 3rd March 1334, we find an eraly record of the private chapel in Budshead Mansion, as the Bishop of exeter granted the priors of Plympton authority over the 'Capella de Buttockiside'!

EH 9 October 1993