Hundred of Henstede: Bramerton

BRAMERTON.

The name of this village is said to signify [Brad-mer-tun] or Broadmere-town; (fn. 1) to which Broad-mere belongs a swan-murk to this day. It was in the hands of Roger Bigot at the Conquest, (fn. 2) and is now in the liberty of the Duke of Norfolk, as a member of his manor of Framlingham, which extends hither; and indeed, this town is very particular for not having a manor belonging to it; the principal part and advowson belonging to Surlingham manor; (fn. 3) the next considerable part to Framlingham; another to Bixley, (fn. 4) another part to Trowse Rokeles, another to Kirby-bedon, another to Cringleford, (fn. 5) another to Framlingham-Picot; (fn. 6) besides others that extended hither: the whole at the Conquest was four furlongs long, and two and an half broad, paid 10d. ob. geld, and had a church and 24 acres of glebe, worth 2s. per annum.

The church of St. Peter is a rectory capable of augmentation, for it stands thus in the King's Books:

6l. Bramerton rectoria. 48l. clear yearly value.

To this rectory belongs a parsonage-house, and convenient outhouses, joining to the south side of the churchyard, and about 22. acres of glebe; when Norwich Domesday was made, Lady Maud de Multon, (fn. 7) in right of Surlingham manor, to which this advowson and above half the town belonged, was patroness: it was first valued at eight, then at ten marks, and paid as it doth now, 6s. 8d. procurations, and 2s. synodals and then also 12d. Peter-pence, and 6d. carvage. The town paid 3l. 8s. to each tenth. The temporals of Langley abbey were valued at 29s. and those of Carrow at 6s. 10d.

Rectors.

Ric de Overton, resigned in

1305, to Will, de Averinges. The King, as guardian to the heir of Hubert de Multon, lord of Surlingham.

1349, Adam de Knetsford. Sir Will. de Legh, lord of Suringham.

1350, Rob. de Condreye. Ditto.

1355, Andrew le Smith. Margaret, relict of Sir Will. Leye, or Legh, Knt.

1397, Will. Lousewater, ob. Clement de Skelton, Knt.

1428, Edm. Legh, Sir Will. Legh, Knt.

1432, Rob. Spencer. Ditto.

1458, John Shave, res. Lady Isabel Legh of Carlisle diocese.

1459, Rob. Hammond. Ditto.

1494, John Candeler, ob. Lapse.

1503, Ric. Atkinson, ob. Rob. Lock, Esq.

1518, Rob. Chaumber, abbot of Holmecultrum. John Legh, Esq. He resigned in

1521, to Tho. Railion. Ditto. At his death in 1558, John Legh, Esq. gave it to

Ric. Pullyn; and about 1571, sold the advowson with Surlingham manor, to Sir Tho. Gawdy, Knt. of Claxton, who in 1583, presented

Hugh Robinson, A. B. who held it united to Rockland, and returned 61 communicants here. In

1629, Sam. Bootie, S. T. B. had it of the gift of Sir Robert, Gawdie, Knt. and in 1639, George Gawdie of Stepney, Esq. gave it to

Richard Webster, at whose death in 1683, it was given to William Brooke, who held it by union with Kirby.

The Rev. Samuel Salter, D D. Archdeacon of Norfolk, (fn. 8) is the present rector; and John Houghton of Bramerton-Hall, Esq. is the present patron.

The church and steeple were totally rebuilt in 1462. (fn. 9) It is 31 feet long, and 18 broad; the chancel is 26 feet long and 15 broad; it hath no isles; the square tower joining to the west end, is 45 feet high; and contains three bells; the whole, with the south porch, being well covered with lead. In the chancel,

Here lieth Thomas Corie, Esq. the only son of Francis Corie, Esq; by Anne the daughter of Sir John Corbet of Sprowston, Bart. who died Feb, 5, 1682, aged 27 years. And also Eliz. his only sister, who died at the age of five years.

Corie's arms and crest, a demi-griffin or, issuant from a ducal coronet proper, quartering Corbet.

Arms of Corie and Corbet impaled.

In Memorie of Francis Corie, Esq. Recorder of Norwich, and Anne his Wife, Daughter of Sir John Corbet, he died in the year 1678, aged 82.

Bridget Wife of Francis Corie, Esq. ob. 10 Mar. 1652.

John Houghton died 28 Sept. 1723, aged 75.

Mary the loving Wife of John Houghton Esq; ob. 30 Aug. 1727, aged 68.

Corbet Houghton, Sept. 12, 1710, aged 28.

In the nave,

John Goodwin Apr. 9, 1701, 65.

In the chancel window,

Arg. a cross sab. which I take to have been Bois's arms, only the ermine is worn out; but as it appears now, it is Norwich deanery arms.

At the east end of the churchyard, on altar tombs,

John Daudy Nov. 5, 1700, 47. Rob. Daudy 26 Nov. 1700, 50.

There was a brass by the altar rails with this,

Here lyeth interred the Body of Robert Cory, who after long and tedious sickness of above 4 years continuance, which he endured with Patience, died the 17 of August A. D. 1629, and in the 56th Year of his Age, leaving behind him a second Wife, and 6 sons and two daughters, which he had by his first Wife.

Bramerton Hall is a good house, situated pleasantly enough, against the east side of Bramerton heath; it was built by the Cories, which have been owners of estates here, ever since 1403, when Robert Corie first settled here, having purchased an estate of William Langton of Bramerton, and Maud his wife: the next I meet with was William, whose second son Francis Corie of Bramerton, married Grace, daughter of Mr. Broune of Tacolneston, and had Thomas Corie of Bramerton, who by Barbara, daughter of Ric. Ferrers of Norwich, had five sons and one daughter; (fn. 10) of which, William Corie of Norwich, the 5th son, married Joan, daughter of Christopher Soame of Norwich, Esq. and had Thomas Corie of Norwich, and two daughters; Mary, married to Fyrmyne Le Neve of Ringland in Norfolk, grandfather to Peter le Neve, Norroy; and Anne, the other daughter, married to George Grundie, goldsmith, of Norwich, and had issue: their brother Thomas aforesaid, married Rose, daughter of William Tudenham, of Hale in Norfolk, and had Thomas Corie of Norwich, Gent. who married Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of Christopher Layer of Norwich, Esq. (see vol. iv. p. 231,) and Anne and Rose, who both died unmarried; they had two sons and one daughter, of which Francis and Bridget died single, and William, their eldest son, a barrister at law, married Judith, daughter of William Coppin, of Wotton in Norfolk, who remarried to Theophilus Williams, rector of East-Herling, but having no issue, this branch of the Cories extinguished.

Robert Corie of Bramerton, second son of Thomas Corie and Barbara Ferrers, was buried here in 1629, and by his first wife, left Francis Corie, recorder of Norwich, (fn. 11) who was buried here in 1678; his eldest son and heir married Anne daughter of Sir John, and sister and coheir of Sir Thomas Corbet of Sprowston, Bart. by whom he had a son Thomas, who died single in 1682, and was buried here, and Eliz. his sister by him, so that for want of heirs, he gave his Bramerton house and estate, to John Houghton of Randworth, his wife's sister's son.

The family of the Hauteyns, Haughtons, or Houghtons (for I find the name often spelt these three ways) is of very old standing in this county, their ancient capital seat for many ages, being at Oxnead, under which place I intend to treat of them at large; so that I shall go no farther back now, than to

Sir Robert Houghton, Knt. serjeant at law, and one of the readers at Lincoln's-Inn, whose son, John Houghton of Randworth, had by Mrs. Doughty, Robert his son and heir, who married Elizabeth, sister to Anne Corbet aforesaid, by whom he had four sons and three daughters, Eliz. married to Sir Nevile Catlyne, Knt. of Kirby Caam in Norfolk, died without issue; Lydia to John Jay of Holveston. Gent. son of Suckling Jay; and Mary died unmarried. Richard, Charles, and Thomas, the three younger sons, died single, and John Houghton of Randworth, Esq, the eldest son, to whom the estate was given, came and settled here; he was major of a company of foot belonging to the militia, and clerk of the peace, died in 1723, and is buried here, as was Mary his wife in 1727, who was daughter of Richard Chamberlaine of Astley-Castle in Warwickshire; their eldest son,

John Houghton, Esq. one of the justices of peace for the county, now dwells here, and by his deceased wife, who was one of the daughters and coheiresses of the late dean baron, hath issue.