Hundred of Wayland: Little Carbrook

LITTLE CARBROOK.

Carbrook-Parva was an exempt belonging to the Commandry of St. John at Great Carbrook, to which house it was appropriated, along with Carbrook-Magna, and the church was valued with it, but the vicarage was always separate, and valued at six marks, but not taxed; it paid neither synodals nor procurations, neither was it visited by the Archdeacon, though he had the same jurisdiction over the parishioners, and power of indiction, as in Great Carbrook.

The temporals of the Prior of Shouldham were taxed at 16s. 8d.

Vicars.

1302, 14 kal. Aug. Geffery de Aldeby. The Prior St. John's of Jerusalem, at Great Carbrook.

1333, 13 kal. Jan. Hugh Herbert, resigned.

1351, 12 Oct. John Ode.

1354, 30 May, Thomas Beneyt of Shefford.

1361, 16 Nov. Symon Nyd, resigned.

1372, 5 Febr. Richard Drury.

1388, 8 Oct. Will. Roucock.

1390, 22 Nov. Ric. Mason; change for Narford.

1394, 22 March, Tho. Eye of Saham Tony.

1401, 27 Dec. Ric. Harry, change for Brendlegate in St. David's diocese.

1402, 7 May, Will. Harry.

1403, 7 May, John Trymnell, change with Joddcton, Hereford diocese.

1412, 3 Febr. John North.

1414, 14 Dec. Tho. Peyntour.

1421, 1 Aug. Tho. Smyth, resigned; and in

1424, 2 Dec. John Bishop of Norwich consolidated the vicarages of Kerbrook-Magna and Parva. And the church of KarbrookParva was then pulled down and levelled; William Hulles Prior of the hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, was patron of both, and the Commandry was to receive an annual pension of 13s. 4d. for ever, from the vicar of Great Carbrook, for this consolidation.

In 1737, in digging in the churchyard, which hath been long desecrated, there was found a cross of this form laid over the coffin of some religious person buried here, most likely one of the Knights; there were two chains, on which hung two jewels, that on the one side being lost; it is supposed by the make of the brass bosses on the cross, that there were formerly relicks under them, and that it was buried with him on that account, and possibly might be fetched by the Knight himself, or whoever he was, from the Holy Sepulchre. The stem of it is of oaken wood:

The Manor of Little Carbrook, or Westhall.

When the Confessor took his survey, this belonged to one Alfere, a freeman, and was called West Carbrook; and after the Conquest, John, nephew of Waleram, who had Great Carbrook, had this also; it was then of 10s. per annum value; it had a church with 20 acres of glebe, worth 12d. a year, and paid gelt, and was included in the mensuration of Great Carbrook, to which it was always joined. (fn. 1)

Part of this town belonged to the honour of Clare, namely half a fee, which was held by the Muntchensies, Veres, and Valences, in the same manner as Winfarthing, (fn. 2) but another part, which laid here and in Great Carbrook, was held of the Bigots and their successours, for in 1235, Will. de Muntchensy held it at one fee of the Earl Marshal; and in 1252, Warine de Muntchensy had free-warren here and in Holkham; and in 1274, the Earl of Gloucester warranted the assize of bread and beer.

In 1285, the village was presented for not coming twice a year to the sheriff's turn, to the King's damage of 2s. a year, but upon the death of Aymer de Valence in 1323, without issue male, this manor was assigned to

Mary, daughter to Guy de Chastilian Earl of St. Paul, his widow, in dower, who founded Denny abbey, the reversion after her death to go to

David de Strabolgy Earl of Athol, it being allotted to him among the manors assigned to Joan his wife, one of the heirs of Aymer de Valence Earl of Pembrook.

David de Strabolgi, his son and heir, succeeded, who left it to David, his son and heir, who died 10th Oct. 49th Edward III. leaving issue, two daughters minors, Elizabeth and Phillipa, who were committed to the wardship of Henry Lord Percy.

Elizabeth first married Sir Thomas Percy, Knt. a younger son of the said Lord, and

Phillipa married Sir Ralf Percy, Knt. his brother,

And afterwards remarried to Sir John Halsham of Kent, Knt. as her sister did to Sir John Scroop, Knt. and they and their husbands held this manor jointly.

In 1414, John Halsham, Esq. had it; in 1434, Sir Hugh Halsham, Knt. his son, had it, with the manors of Filby, Possewyck, Stukey, and West-Beckham, which had passed with it a great while; he died in 1441, and left them to

Joan, wife of John Lewknore of Goring in Essex, daughter of his brother, Richard Halsham, who sold it afterwards to

Jeffery Bulleyn of London, Knt. who was lord in 1460, and died in 1462, leaving them to Thomas, his son and heir, then 18 years old; and in King Henry the Eighth's time Sir James Bulleyn sold it to

Alleyn Peirce, and others, who sold it to

Tho. Scot, and John Gadron, and they to

William Brown, Robt. Downing of Scoulton,----Palmer, Will. Tyndall, Tho. Thycket,---- Turner, and others, and so it became divided into many parts; Downing had the biggest part, Dey of Scoulton another part, and there were many other subdivisions, which reduced it to almost nothing; the biggest part was purchased by the Southwells, and joined to the other manor.

The manor of Scoulton Burdeloss, or Oldlands, extends hither, and so largely formerly, that in 1315, Jeffery de Burdeloss was returned as one of the lords here.

Another part of this town was held by the Carbrook family, who would have had it esteemed a free tenement or manor; but when Sir Richard, son of Sir Richard de Kerbrook, had it, it was seized by Sir Hugh de Vere, who was then lord, and he was forced to acknowledge it held of him by villeinage.

By a deed without date, John, son and heir of Roger, who was son of Henry of Little Carbrook, granted to Richard, son of Sir Richard de Kerbroc, his kinsman, a messuage, lands, tenements, woods, customary and freerents, foldcourse, &c. which he had of the gift of his father Roger, in Little and Great Kerbroc. Sir Robert de Bosco of Saham, John de Saham, Hubert de Bosco, and others, being witnesses.

In 1239, John de Kerbroc and Alice his wife had a messuage and carucate of land here, and in Watton, Ovington, Griston, Letton, Cranworth and Shipdam, which belonged to Roger son of Henry de Kerbrook in 1249, and was then called Kerbrook's tenement, and sometimes Kerbroc's manor. Walter de Kerebroc the Preacher, and Emma his wife, are as old as any of this family that I meet with.