Hundred of Forehoe: Crownthorp

CROWNTHORP.

Crungethorp, or Crownthorp church is dedicated to St. James, and had a gild to his honour in it; it was valued at six marks and an half; the rector had a house and 18 acres of land, and paid 6s. 8d. procurations, ls. synodals, 6d. Peter-pence, and 3d. ob. carvage, and William de Crungethorp was patron.

There is now a house and 21 acres 1 rood of glebe, as the terrier says, and there was a constant light in the church before St. Mary's image.

Rectors.

1321, John North. Sir Will. de Crungethorp.

William, son of Aleyn of Uggeshall. Will. de Hokham. Change with Reydon and Southwold chap.

1355, John Aylmer.

1366, John Grey of Denton, on Aylmer's resignation.

1375, Will. de Stonhall, son of John de Stalham. Change with North-Barsham.

1382, Rich. at Stone or Stonhall. Sibil atte Hawe. Change with North-Barsham.

1383, Thomas Hannock. Change with Burnham St. Albert. Sibil de Wicklewood, or Atte Haw de Wiclewood.

1395, Henry Brampton. Change with Stradsete. Tho. Halys of Crungethorp.

1399, John Irnyng. Change with Yoxford. Tho. Halys, Esq.

1404, Thomas at Cross of Wikelwood. James of Wiclewood, and William of Carleton-Fourhoe.

1432, William Balle. Feoffees of Alexander Mason, in right of his manor of Crungethorp.

1459, Thomas Enoks. John Windham, Esq.

1462, Brother Richard Hilberworth. O. Ditto.

1477, Robert Neker, died 1504.

1518, Edmund Reginold. Lapse.

John Pownfret. O.

1548, John Hobard. Edmund Wyndham, Knt.

1560, Thomas Ebbes. Ditto.

1577, Matthew Robertson. Roger Windham, Esq. O.

1584, Walter Bullock. Lapse.

1585, Rob. Dickenson. Lapse.

1590, Christopher Lawcock. Roger Windham, Esq.

1604, Simon Wells. Jane Coningsby, widow.

1605, Christ. Lawcock; he returned 36 communicants. Ditto.

1631, Joseph Meen. Sir John Windham, Knt.

1657, Elisha Ket. John Windham, Esq.

1688, Will. Martinant. Will. Windham, Esq.

1689, Stephen Poole; he died 23d Nov. 1703. Catherine Windham, widow.

1704, Thomas Jephson. Ash Windham, Esq. patron.

1714, Isaac Sayer, A. M. Ditto.

Edward Chamberlain. R. Ditto.

1730, 9 Oct. the Rev. Mr. Samuel Clarke, A. M. is the present [1739] rector, and holds it united to Keteringham. Ditto.

The rectory is valued in the King's Books at 4l. 12s. 6d. and being sworn of the clear yearly value of 30l. 3s. 4d. it is discharged of first fruits and tenths, the temporals of the Prior of Norwich were taxed at 13d. those of the Prior of Wimondham, at 11d. ob. and the parish raised 1l. 4s. 4d. to every tenth.

The Church and chancel are of an equal height, and are thatched; there are no isles, the tower is square, and hath only one bell: the south chapel is in ruins, the south porch is thatched. I found nothing in this church, (save some old stones without inscriptions,) but

A black marble for Will. son of Will. and Margaret Engledow, who died 29 March, 1734, aged 18 Years.

The ancient seat of the Windhams was in this town, but I saw no remains of it.

The whole town, except 20 acres which belonged to the manor of Bowthorp, and another parcel which belonged to the manor of Cossey, was the estate of Stigand, of whom Colman held it at the Confessor's survey; at the Conquest it came to Ralf Beaufo, of whom, Richard (whose posterity assumed the name of Crongethorp) held it; it was then worth 30s. and was three furlongs long, and two broad, and paid 7d. q. gelt. (fn. 1)

It continued in the Crownthorp family many ages; in 1218, Adam, son of Richard de Crungethorp, settled it on Alan de Crungethorp; in 1272, John de Cringlethorp or Crownthorp held it at half a fee, of the heirs of Giles de Wachesham, who held it of the manor of Hockering; in 1283, Sir William de Crungethorp was lord, and had weyf allowed him; in 1291, he brought an action against Sir Nicholas de Stuteville, lord of Kimberley, for right of commonage in Kimburley, for his tenements in Crungethorp, upon which Stuteville answered, that there could be no right of intercommonage, the two towns belonging to different baronies, Kimburle being held of the barony of Gurnay, and Crownthorp of the barony of Wormegey; but the issue of it I do not find.

In 1321, Sir William de Crungethorp was lord and patron, and continued so some time; in 1346, William de Crungethorp and Katherine his wife conveyed this advowson and an acre of land to Robert atte Hawe of Wicklewood, and Sibill his wife, and their heirs; in 1396, Thomas de Crungethorp was lord, and in 1401, Thomas de Halys or Hales held the manor and advowson, of the Lady Felbrigge, late wife of George Felbrigge, at two quarters of a fee, as of the manors of Hockering, which manor Thomas Lord Morley holds of the King, as parcel of the barony of Rhye. He left William Halys of Welles his son and heir, who purchased the advowson, the manor of Curson's, and the manor of Gelham's in this town, and having united them, in 1436, sold them, with the consent of Margaret his wife, to

John Windham of Crownthorp, Esq. and his heirs, and levied a fine accordingly; and soon after, William Rookwood and Elizabeth his wife released all their right in one of the manors, to the said John; and in 1475, by his will, he gave the whole to

John Windham, junior, his son, constituting Sir John Wingfield, Knt. and others, his trustees; and in 1466, upon John Windham's marriage with Margaret, daughter of Sir John Howard, afterwards Duke of Norfolk, it was settled on them and their issue, in which it hath ever since continued, it having passed along with the chief scat of the Windhams at Felbrigge, (under which place I shall treat of the family,) and at present remains with it,

Ash Windham of Felbrigge, Esq. being now [1739] lord.

Gelham's Manor

Was held at the eighth part of a fee, (being a small manor,) of the Crungethorps, who held it of Hockering, and was a part of the manor of Crownthorp, granted by the Crungethorps in Henry the Third's time, to John de Gelham. In 1345, Christian, widow of John, then married to Stephen Tostes, had it; in 1356, William de Newton, and Elizabeth his wife, one of the six daughters and coheirs of Thomas de Gelham of Dersingham, had a sixth part conveyed to them by William Fyn of Aylesham, and Margaret his wife, sister of Elizabeth; and Philip de Carleton, and his wife, conveyed their sixth part to the said William; and Katherine widow of Thomas de Gelham, released her sixth part, &c.

In 1404, James (atte Haghe) of Wiclewood, and William of Carleton Forehoe, were lords and patrons; and in 1432, Alexander Mason, who, with his feoffees, sold the advowson, Gelham-Hall manor, and Curson's manor, to John Windham, Esq. who united them to Crownthorp manor, from which they had been at first severed.

I find no record or evidences of Curson's manor, it being an exceeding small one; no doubt but it received its name from its owners, but how or when it fell into Gelham's I cannot say.