Hundred of Diss: Thorp-Parva, or Little Thorp

THORP-PARVA, or LITTLE THORP,

Is a small village on the east part of Scole, having only four houses in it; the name of Dorp in Saxon signifies a manor-house, and this is called in ancient evidences, Thorp Mannewen, probably from Ralph de Manerijs, (or Manors,) lord thereof, and Little Thorp, or Parva Thorp, to distinguish it from Thorp-Abbots, which lies near it. It paid to the tenths 1l. 4s. out of which 4s. was deducted; the parliament valuation was 148l. and the present valuation is 120l.

It is a rectory, but a sinecure; the church, which is dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin, being quite demolished, the ruins of the steeple, which was round, appear in this manner:

A is the west part. B the south.

In 1683, in the manuscript called, the Answers of the Parsons, it is thus entered, "Robert Dale, farmor of this benefice saith, that there are about five communicants, that it is a rectory presentative, valued in the King's Books at 4l. that Edward Doyly, Esq. is patron of it, (as it is said,) who receiveth the tithes, and so hath done of a long time, that the parishioners hear divine service at Billingford." It is in Redenhall deanery, and Norfolk archdeaconry, and being sworn not to exceed the clear yearly value of 30l. per annum, is capable of augmentation, and neither pays first fruits nor tenths; the advowson now is, and always was, appendant to the manor.

In 1469, William White, Esq. of this parsh, who was lord and patron, ordered his body to be buried in the chancel of the church of the Blessed Virgin, at Thorp-Parva, so that the church was in use at that time, and I believe, long since. (fn. 1)

Rectors.

1300, id. April, Robert de Beccles, chaplain. Daniel de Beccles. (fn. 2)

1310, 15 cal. Oct. Simon de Ruburgh, priest to the church of Thorp-Parva Mannewen. Lucy, late wife of Daniel de Beccles.

1326, id. Aug. Thomas de Shotisham, accolite. John de Neketon.

1335, 3 id. Aug. Thomas de Shotisham, priest. Katerine, widow of the said John.

1338, 10 April, William de Tounberningham, accolite; on Shotesham's resignation. Ditto.

1339, 13 Oct. Rad. de Neketon, accolite. Ditto.

1340, 18 Jan. Robert de Caldewell, priest; on Neketon's resignation. Ditto.

1344, 27 March, Thomas Forrester, priest; on Caldewell's resignation. Caterine de Neketon.

1349, 25 July, Conrandus de Metleye, priest. Edmund de Neketon.

1352, 6 Aug. Thomas Hannock, priest; on Metleye's death. Ditto.

1355, 11 Dec. Benedict Brennewater, priest; on Hannock's resignation. Ditto.

1371, 15 Jan. Thomas Palmer, priest; at the resignation of John Freshwater, whose institution occurs not. Ditto.

1380, 17 April, John Norman, priest. Roger de Wulferton, Thomas rector of Titeshale, and Richard Dautrys.

1390, 8 March, John Benselyn of Hapton, priest. (fn. 3) William Braytoft of Thorp-Parva, and Isabel his wife.

1420, 22 Nov. Robert Cordebeef, priest. (fn. 4) John Swan, Esq. for this turn.

1459, 31 May, William Sad. The Bishop, by lapse.

1478, 5 Aug. Andrew Awbyn. Lapse.

1482, 22 Febr. Henry Russell held it united to Scole. Richard White, Gent.

1492, 17 March, John West, at the death of Nicholas Cane. Henry Wyott, Esq.

1506, 7 May, Sir Henry Penning, who had his first fruits remitted by the Bishop, out of respect and love to Henry Wyott, his patron.

1510, 28 Jan. Robert Bachinden a monk; on Penning's death. Henry Wiatt, Knt.

1516, - - - - - -

1540, 1 May, Nicholas Temperley, scholar. Margaret White, widow.

1602, 2 Nov. John Bond, A.B. King James, by lapse.

1605, 9 Nov. John Bound (or Bond) aforesaid resigned; but he recalled it and was reinstated.

1627, Mr. John Burges, rector.

1632, Hugh Hatton. (fn. 5) Edward Doyly, Esq.

1637, Edward Hudson, A.M. The King by Lapse.

1665, 30 Nov. Robert Bland, A.M. The King by lapse.

1700, 26 Febr. John Fielder, A.B. Thomas Robinson, Gent.

He was succeeded by John Burgate, after whose death,

1724, 18 Jan. The Rev. Mr. Thomas Buxton, A. M. was instituted, who held it united to Shimpling. John Holt, Esq.

1738, 13 Nov. Samuel Birch, A. B. instituted on Buxton's death. Rowland Holt, Esq. united to Billingford.

1739, 23 May, died Samuel Birch, rector, and this rectory was consolidated to Billingford.

This town belonged to Edric, (fn. 6) who held it of Edric, the ancestor of Robert Malet, lord of the honour of Eye, of whom it was held by Hubert in the Conqueror's time, when the manor extended (as it now [1736] does) into Thelton; the whole being valued at x. s. in the Confessor's, and 20s. per annum in the Conqueror's time; the soke belonged then to the King, to whom it paid 3d. Geld, being a mile long, and three quarters of a mile broad.

It afterwards came to the Muntchensies, who held it of the honour of Eye, which was held of the King in capite. In 1206,

William de Weston was owner of it, and this year released it to

Alan Pictaviensis; (afterwards called Alan de Goldyngham;) and in 1256,

Daniel de Beccles (fn. 7) held it of the said Alan, by the service of one knight's fee; he of William de Montecaniso, (or Montchensy,) he of the Earl of Cornwall, as of Eye honour, and he of the King. This Daniel left it to

Lucy, his wife, daughter of Ralph de Manerijs, (or Manors,) who was lord here in trust, during his life; and then Lucy aforesaid kept the courts in her own name. In 1299, (fn. 8) she had the leet, and assize of bread and beer. In 1308, she settled it by fine on herself for life, and after on

John de Neketon, who owned it in 1315, and, in 1324, (fn. 9) settled it on himself and

Katherine, his wife, in tail, who was lady in 1345, (fn. 10) and paid 40s. for her relief; at her death it went to

Edmund de Neketon, who, in 1377, settled it, with the advowson, by fine, on Roger Wolferston, Thomas rector of Titshall, and Richard Dautrys, in trust; he was succeeded by

Isabell, late wife of John de Necton, son of the said Edmund, about 1401; she afterwards married William Braytoft of ThorpParva, after whose decease it came to the Whites; for in 1469,

William White of Thorp-Parva, Esq. (fn. 11) by will dated March 30, gave the manor and advowson to Mary his wife, to maintain his children, till Richard, his third son, should be 22 years old, and then he was to have it in tail, remainder to Robert, his second son, then to John his fourth son, and then to Bartholomew, his eldest son, remainder to his daughters equally;

According to which, Richard, the third son, succeeded, and held it till 1492, 8th Henry VII.; but being then attainted of high treason, his estates were seized by the King, who granted them to Henry Wiot, and his heirs male; but the attainder being taken off, it reverted to the family; for John, the fourth son, who was doctor of divinity, instituted to Filby rectory in 1505, which he resigned in 1512, inherited on the entail, and in 1515 settled the whole on Henry Wyatt, John Cutte, Richard Chamely, Knts. Richard and John Wiat, clerks, William Sparke, and William Damport, and their heirs, in trust, but to what uses does not appear. However, notwithstanding this, he is found to have died seized, leaving

Edmund, his son, (as I suppose,) his heir, who died in 1551, and left

Anne, (fn. 12) his sister, his heir, who was then the wife of Henry Doyly of Shottesham, who held it of the King as of his honour of Eye. In 1572, this

Henry was lord, who in 1584 levied a fine of it to Thomas Townsend, Esq. and others, in trust. In 1596, it was held by Doylie, and and in 1632,

Henry Doyly was lord and patron. In 1715,

Thomas Robinson, Gent. was lord and patron, and sometime after, it was purchased by John Sayer of Eye, Esq. who sold it to

John Holt, Esq. at whose death it descended to

Rowland Holt of Redgrave, Esq. who is now [1736] lord and patron.

The leet belongs to the manor, so that the lord of the hundred hath no jurisdiction in this town.