Hundred of Henstede: Shotesham

SHOTESHAM.

Scotessa, Scotessam, or Shotesham, signifies the village of Scots, or portions; and was very properly so called, for it was in above twelve parts, at the Confessor's and Conqueror's surveys; it had four capital manors, four parish churches, two hamlets, and the manors extended, into Framingham, (fn. 1) Bedingham, (fn. 2) Brook, (fn. 3) and StokeholyCross.

The Manor of Vaux's Nerford's, or Shoteshamndash;Hall,

Contained the parish of Shotesham All-Saints, commonly called High Shotesham, from the situation of the church on a great eminence, the advowson of which belonged to this manor, till it was given to Pentneye priory. Alnot held it at one carucate at the Confessor's survey, (fn. 4) and it afterwards belonged to Ralf Earl of Norfolk; and on his abjuring the realm fell to the Conqueror, and Godric his sewer took care of it; the Bp. of Baïeux had it of that King in fee, and Roger Bigod held it of him, and gave it afterwards to Aitard de Vallibus or Vaux, in whose family it continued many generations; it was first valued at 30s. per annum, and after at 3l.

Elias de Vallibus, or Vaux, one of the itinerant justices, was lord here, and obtained the lete by grant from the Crown, so that it was severed from the hundred; Oliver de Vaux was lord, and after him, John his son. In 1202, Robert de Vaux settled on Ralf Abbot of Hulme 2 carucates of land in Shotesham, which Robert his father gave to that monastery, by which he much lessened the manor, in 1248. The manor being held of the Norfolk family, Earl Roger was guardian to William de Vaux, lord here, who in 1250, added divers rents and services to it, which he purchased of William de Hemenhale and Maud his wife, and of Jeffry de Caam and Agnes his wife. In 1263, John de Vaux of Therston obtained a charter for free warren here, (fn. 5) of King Henry III.; this John was sued for appropriating the fishing to himself on each side of his mill, it being proved that all the fishery in the manor was common to the tenants except the mill pool only, and at the same time the Abbot of Holme was fined, for hindering the common fishing at Linewesse in Shotesham. In 1285, John de Vaux was allowed to have a lete, and view of frankpledge as well over all his freemen of Shotesham as other tenants there, (fn. 6) and in 1288, one moiety was assigned to Will. de Nerford, in right of Petronel his wife, eldest daughter, and coheir of John de Vaux, who held it jointly in 1291, of the Earl-Marshal at one fee, and in 1300, Maud sister of Petronel was seized of the other moiety of it: and in 1306, Will. de Ros her husband had it: after the death of William de Nerford about the year 1300, who had the whole manor allotted him, Petronel his widow, in 1303, settled it on Oliver de Redham for life, paying her 40li. per annum clear out of it; in 1337, Sir John de Nerford, Knt. and Agnes his wife, settled it with Wisete in Suffolk and the advowsons of Pentney priory in Norfolk, and Rumburgh priory in Suffolk, &c. on themselves and the heirs of John; there was an exact extent and survey of this manor made in his time and there were 1136, acres belonging to it. In 1374 Agnes, then wife of John Matravers, senior, held the manor for life; this Agnes, first married Sir John Argentine, Knt. by whom Sir John Argentine, her son and heir; and secondly, to Sir John de Nerford, Knt. who died 3d Edw. III. and left Thomas Nerford his brother and heir, who died in 1343, and Sir John Nerford, Knt. his son, was his heir, who daughter and heiress Margaret (or Margery) de Nerford died without issue; but before her death in 1390 sold it to

Sir John White, Knt. and his trustees, Sir Miles Stapleton, Knt. Oliver Groos, and others.

This family were originally of Suffolk, and in 1272, Bartholomew le Wite and Alice his wife had an estate at Stoke Neyland in that county; and soon after William, son and heir of Ralf le White of Saxlingham in Norfolk, and Ellen his wife, had lands in Shotesham; and in 1388, Ralf White had it, whose son Robert White, Esq. of Shotesham, was father to the aforesaid Sir John White, Knt. who was the raiser of this family, by his martial exploits: in 1401, he was the very first person named in the commission, by Hen. IV. to raise the aid to marry the King's eldest daughter; in 1403, he and Margaret (or Margery) his first wife lived in Tunstall in Suffolk, and owned a manor in Orford; he was a commander under the Earl of Dorset at the siege of Harfleu, and in 1317, at the siege of Roan in Normandy, he rode up to the gate of that city, and challenged the bastard Darly, a French officer, to break a lance, who accepting his challenge, at the first course ran Sir John through, who by his falling from his horse was presently dragged into the town, and in a few hours died there. By Joan or Julian, his second wife, who was daughter of Peter Hovel of Swannington, and relict of John But of Norwich; he had John White of Fretenham, lord of Maidenton or Mayton manor there, which his father gave him, who with Alice his wife, daughter and heiress of Robert Burnham of Lyn, are interred in Fretenham church, leaving Mayton to Margaret their daughter and heiress, who was buried by them in 1431, leaving issue by Giles St. Lowe, Esq. her husband; one daughter, Elizabeth, married to Henry Statham, Esq. who died in 1481, and left Joan their daughter and sole heir, married to John Sacheverell.

But this manor went to the eldest son by Sir John's first wife, viz. Robert White, Esq. who by Elizabeth his wife, daughter of William Appleyard and Margaret his wife, daughter of Robert Clere of Ormesby, Esq. left Bartholomew White, Esq. of Shotesham his eldest son and heir; this Elizabeth was buried in Shotesham St. Mary, in the chancel there, in 1442, and left Margaret Appleyard her sister, Emma Bray her sister, Mr. Appleyard her brother, and Bartholomew White her son, her executors, and gave legacies to Elizabeth her daughter, Henry White her second son, and William White, lord of Thorp Parva, her third son, for whose descendants, see vol. i. p. 139.

In 1440, Sir Simon Felbrigg, Knt. released to Bartholomew and his heirs, this manor, with the several knights fees held of it, with the advowson of Filby, all which he had settled on him in trust, jointly with William Appleyard, John Lancaster, William and Robert Clere, Bartholomew Appleyard, John Upton and John Alderford deceased. This Bartholomew, in 1486, founded the chapel on the north side of the church of Shotesham St. Mary, and placed his own effigies, and those of Joan Dalton, his first wife, by whom he had no issue, and of Alice Shuldham his second wife, (who all lie interred in it, under stones now robbed of their brass plates) and under them, placed this inscription,

Orate pro Bartholomeo White, Joanna et Alicia uxoribus ejus, qui istam Capellam fieri fecit Anno domini M. CCCC. LXXXVI°, quorum animabus propicietur Deus.

He had his own arms single on his surcoat, and each of his wives had theirs. He died in 1495, and then held this manor, of the manor of Forncet at one fee, sc. half a fee in Shoteshams, and half a fee in Crouch-Stoke, or Stoke-Holy-Cross.

Simon White, Esq. his son and heir, succeeded, and died about 1505, leaving by his wife, daughter of Holdich of Didlington, Esq.

Edward White of Filby, Esq. his son and heir, after of Shotesham, and London, councellor at law, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Tho. Foxmere of Bromesthorp; by his will, dated June 17, 1521, he bequeathed a legacy to the poor, for undeserved fees, and dying the 8th of July following, was buried in St. Mary's chancel, under a stone which hath a brass plate on it, thus inscribed,
Hic iacet Edwardus Wy\hyte Armiger, et Elizabeth Aror eius, qui hoc seculum reliquerunt viii^o die meusis Julli Anno Domini M^o Uc. xxviii. quorum Animabus propicietuc Deus.

They both died of the sweating sickness. Their effigies, were on the stone, and the following arms.

1. White; see volume i. p. 180.

2. Sab. a griffin sejeant in an orle of croslets arg. 3. Arg. a fess between six oaken leaves gul. 3. Sab. a fess between three hounds passant arg. 4. Arg. a serpent in bend between two lioncels rampant sab.

By the inquisition taken after his death it appears, that he married Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Froxmere of Bromesthorp, and died seized of the manors of Shoteshamhall, Swans, and Tofthall in Shoteshams, held of the Duke of Norfolk as of his manor of Forncet; Wramplingham manor and advowson, Mayton or Maydenton manor, held of the Lord Morley, Little Thorp, of the Bishop of Norwich, Bilockby manor of the heirs of John Berney of Redham, Esq. and the advowson of the church of All-Saints in Filby, held in gross, leaving

George White, his son and heir, 12 years old, who was an ideot, and died without issue in 1546; Thomas Duke of Norfolk was his guardian, who in 1535 settled the manors after George's death, on his heir at law,

Edmund White of Shotesham, Esq. his uncle, whose will was proved in 1538, when he was buried in Shotesham church, in the north chapel there, and Margaret, relict of William, son of Sir John Timperley, Knt. whom he had married, survived him, leaving

Edward White his son, then seven years old, who inherited the whole at George White's death; he died in 1558 single, and

Anne White, his only sister, inherited, who was then married to Henry Doyly of Pondhall in Suffolk, Esq. who became lord of all these manors in her right, except a messuage called Kitts, and 88 acres of land which were severed from the manor, and belonged to John White, alias Holls, (fn. 7) who held it at the 12th part of a fee of Shotesham manor, which paid for it to Forncet manor. This part at his death descended to Frances his daughter and heir; and at her death in 1597 it went to her sister Helen, who died single, Mary, married to John Sprat, and Martha then single, and so this ancient family of the Whites centered in females, and the whole inheritance, viz. the manors of Shotesham-hall, Toft-hall, and Swans, the advowson of the church of St. Michael at Poringland Parva, &c. came to

The Doylys, a family of great antiquity, sirnamed from the lordship of Oilleia or Oyly in Normandy, (fn. 8) which they enjoyed long before the Norman Conquest; and at that time

Robert, eldest son of the lord of Oyly, for his great services in that expedition, was amply rewarded by the Conqueror with two baronies, containing many goodly lordships, and manors in England, lying chiefly in Oxfordshire. (fn. 9) This family were great benefactors to the abbies (fn. 10) of Abington, (fn. 11), Eynesham, Godstow, Tame, and others. In 1071 they built the castle and bridge of Oxford, which was their ancient seat, and new walled that city. This Robert being the King's constable, was made Baron of Hokenorton in Oxfordshire, by the Conqueror, and married Algitha, daughter and heiress of Wigotus or Wigot, a Saxon thane or nobleman, who was lord of Walingford, by whom he had the lady

Maud, his daughter and heir, who inheriting her ancestor's valour, valiantly defended the Empress her namesake, in her castle at Walingford; she first married Miles Crispin, and afterwards Brian FitzCount, lord of Burgavenny, but leaving no issue, was succeeded by

Nigel, or Nigellus D'Oyly, (fn. 12) her uncle, who was constable to William Rufus and Baron of Hocknorton; he married Agnes, and left two sons, Fulk, buried at Eynesham in 1126, and

Robert, the eldest son, succeeded, as Lord High Constable, and Baron of Hocknorton: he married Edith, daughter of the Lord Greystock, and built the abbey of Missenden in Buckinghamshire, and amply endowed it; and in 1129, at the earnest request of his wife, founded the famous abbey of Osney, by Oxford, and settled large revenues on it; and at his death left his honours and fortunes to his eldest son,

Lord Henry D'Oyly, Baron of Hocknorton, and the King's Constable, who married Margery, daughter of Humphry Bohun Earl of Hereford, and had five children by her, Henry, and Robert; Margery, who at last was heir to her brothers; another daughter married to Maurice de Gaunt (from whom descended the Gaunts Earls of Lincoln,) and a third daughter married to Thomas Lord Daventry. At his death his estate and honours fell to his eldest son,

Henry who had two wives, Sibil and Maud, who remarried to William de Cantalupe; he had only one daughter, Maud, who died young. He attended King Ric. I. to Jerusalem, and as he returned, died and was buried in Austria, and was succeeded by his only brother,

Robert, who was Baron of Hocknorton, and the King's Constable, but dying without issue, his eldest sister,

Margery, by the King's favour, was declared his heir; she married Henry de Newburgh, a great courtier, and Earl of Warwick, by whom she had Margaret Countess of Warwick, who married two husbands; first, John Marshal, in her right Earl of Warwick, &c. 2dly, John de Plesset, a great courtier, likewise Earl of Warwick in her right. She had issue, Tho. Earl of Warwick, who married Ela, daughter of William Longspee Earl of Sarum. But though the honours separated thus from the family, yet several manors, and a good part of the estate, descended to

Robert D'Oyly, who was the eldest son of Gilbert the younger, and only brother to the first Lord Henry;

John, son of this Robert, was the first of the family concerned in Suffolk, where he had a seat at Wrentham, and was succeeded by his son,

Roger, who had

Roger Doyly, his eldest son and heir, who inherited all the Oxfordshire estate; from whom Sir John Doyly of Chislehampton in Oxfordshire, Baronet, is descended, as may be seen in the Baronetage, vol. iv. p 500, 1, 2, 3. But

John Doyly, 2d son of Roger, and younger brother to the last mentioned Roger, had the estate in Suffolk, and married Rose, daughter and coheir of Sir William Dunston, Knt. their son,

Edward D'Oyly had issue,

Sir Edwund Doyly, Knt. who married the daughter and heir of John de Bowden of Northamptonshire, by Alice, sister to Sir John Swinford, and by her had

Thomas, father to

Edward D'Oyly, who married Anne, sister and sole heir of Tho. Legate, son of Helmin Legate of Pondhall near Hadley in Suffolk by whom he had that manor, and seat, where he fixed, and his posterity remained, till they removed hither. He died about 1447, and was buried in St. Mary Woolchurch in Lombard-street, London.

John D'Oyly, their son and heir, in 1466, had license granted him by Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury, to have a chapel for his family at Pondhall; he died in 1483, and was buried with Elizabeth his wife in St. John's chapel in Hadleigh church, to which town the family were great benefactors.

Edward Doyly, their son and heir, married Anne, daughter of Thomas Cotton of Landwade in Cambridgeshire, Esq. and died in 1534.

Henry Doyly, Esq. his son and heir, was knighted by King Henry the Eighth, at Boleyne in France; he had three wives; 1st, Joan, daughter and heir of William Stede of Mershland, by whom he had no issue; 2d, Jane, daughter and sole heir of John Elwyn of Wigenhall in Norfolk, Esq.; 3d, Margaret, natural daughter of John Duke of Norfolk, relict of Sir John Timperley of Hintlesham in Suffolk; he died in 1563, seized of Pondhall, and Topsfieldhall in Hadleigh, Cossford manor in Whatfield, and many other estates in Suffolk; leaving

Henry, his son and heir, who marrying Anne, sister and sole heir of Edmund White of Shotesham, came here and settled in the old seat of the Whites; he was knight of the shire for Bucks, in Queen Elizabeth's time, sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk in 1578, and again sheriff of Norfolk in 1590; his wife was buried in the church or St. Mary at Shotesham, Dec. 6, 1592, and he was interred by her in May 1597, dying seized of the manors of Shoteshamhall, Swans, and Tofthall, in Shoteshams, of Blackfordhall, Rokeles, and Grangeviles, in Shoteshams, Stokeholy-cross, and other adjacent towns, holding the manor of St. Benet's in Shotesham, by lease, of the manors of Mayton in Fretenham, Warham manor, which he bought of John Appleyard, Esq. Thorp Parva, and of several churches and appropriations in Norfolk, besides his ancient estate and manors in Suffolk; they left several children, of which Anne, married Thomas Townshend of Bracon-Ash, Esq. son and heir of Sir Robert Townshend, Knt. Chief Justice of Chester.

Edmund Doyly of Shotesham and Pondhall, Esq. their son and heir, was high sheriff of Norfolk in 1604; he first married Anne, daughter of Sir John Goodwin of Winchindon in Bucks, by whom he had Henry, who died young, and Elizabeth, married to Charles Vesey of Hintlesham in Suffolk, Esq.; his second wife was Catherine, daughter of Sir Henry Nevil of Billinghere in Berkshire, Knt. (by Elizabeth his wife, sole daughter and heir of Sir John Gresham of London, Knt. by Frances his wife, daughter and sole heir of Sir Henry Thwaites of Lound, on the Woldes in Yorkshire, Knt.) This Sir Henry Nevil was one of the privy council to Henry VIII. and Edward VI. brother to Edward Lord Abergavenny, and father to Sir Henry Nevil, ambassadour in France from Queen Elizabeth to King Henry IV.; on his marriage he settled the manors of Pondhall, Topsfieldhall and Cosfordhall in jointure, and an annuity of two hundred marks a year out of his manors of Thorp Parva, Shoteshamhall, Swans, Tofthall, and Warham, the whole jointure being estimated at one thousand marks a year; he was buried in Shotesham St. Mary, October, 12, 1612, and had issue, 1, Sir Henry; 2, William; 3, John; 4, Charles; 5, Robert; 6, Edmund; but the four last of them died without issue, and two daughters, Elizabeth married to Mr. Buxton of Tibenham, and after to William Perte of Mounteneys Inge in Essex, and Alice to Wil. Clopton of Casteleyns and of Grey's Inn, London.

Sir Henry Doyly, Knt. eldest son and heir, married Susan daughter (fn. 13) of Lionel Talmach of Helmingham in Suffolk, Esq. and sister to Sir Lionel Talmach of the same place, the first baronet of that family, he was buried in St. Mary's chancel March 6, 1616, and had issue, Anne and Susan, who died young, and one only son and heir, Edmund; he died seized of the several manors aforementioned;

Edmund Doyly, Esq. married Bridget, eldest daughter of John Coke, Esq. fourth son to Sir Edward Coke, Knt. Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench, by whom he had Susan, who died young; (fn. 14) she remarried to Sir Isaac Astley of Melton Constable in Norfolk, Bart.; he was buried in St. Mary's chancel with this,

Here lieth buried the Body of Edmund Doyly Esq. Son and Heir of Sir Henry Doyly, Knt who was married unto Bridget Daughter of John Coke of Holkham in the County of Norfolk Esq. he departed this life in September 1638.

William Doyly, Esq. brother to Sir Henry, and uncle to Edmund, married Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Stokes, Archdeacon of Norfolk, and by her had two daughters, Catherine and Margaret, and one son,

Sir William Doyly, the elder, who inherited the manors of Shoteshams, Gostelyn's, three manors in Warham, (fn. 15) &c. (fn. 16) in Norfolk, Pondhall, Cosford, and Topsfieldhall in Suffolk, at Edmund's death; in 1642, he was knighted by King Charles I. for his gallant behaviour abroad, in the service of the great Gustavus Adolphus, at whose death he remained in foreign parts sometime; he was a very accomplished person, and much valued in his country, being one of the gentlemen returned for members for Yarmouth, at the Restoration, for which he was very zealous; (fn. 17) he was one of the commissioners appointed by the House of Commons, out of their own members, to see the army disbanded in 1661, and was one of those chosen by the city of Norwich, to wait on the King with the resignation of their charter, soon after his return; (fn. 18) in 1663, July 29, he was created a Baronet, and dying in 1677, left issue by Margaret Randall of Pulham, his wife, six daughters, and three sons:

1. Catherine, who married Edward Stafford of Marlwood near Thornbury in Gloucestershire, Esq the lineal descendant of Sir Edward Stafford, ambassadour from Queen Elizabeth to the French King; of the family of the Staffords Dukes of Buckingham.

2. Margaret, married to Colonel Robert Suckling of Wotton in Norfolk.

3. Mary, to Mr. Lane of Watlington in Northamptonshire.

4. Elizabeth, to Adam Banks, citizen and woollen-draper of London.

5. Anne died single in Ireland.

6. Philippa, a very accomplished lady, married to Dr. Edward Whetenhall Bishop of Cork, and Ross, in Ireland, translated afterwards to the united sees of Kilmore and Ardagh.

His sons were: Charles, the youngest, Edmund the second, for whom there is this inscription on a black marble in the abbey chuch at Bath,

Here lieth the Body of Capt. Edmund D'Oyly, Grandson of Sir William D'Oyly the elder, of Shotesham, in the County of Norfolk Bart. Page of Honour to his Royal Highness, Prince George of Denmark, and Capt. of a Man of War; who in Her Majesty's Service in the West Indies got the Distemper of the Country, of which he died here, in the 29th Year of his Age, and 10th of May, A. D. 1703.

Sir William D'Oyly, eldest son and heir, was knighted in 1664, in the lifetime of his father; and in 1666, was admitted to the office of one of the four tellers in the Exchequer in the room of William Pynkeney; he was commonly called Sir William the younger, and at his father's death succeeded to the honour and estate, which he very much imparied, by disposing of the manors of Shoteshamhall, Swans, Tofthall, with the lease of St. Benet's manor in Shotesham's, Blackfordhall, alias Stoke Holy Cross manor, with Rosceline's and Gostelyns, in Poringland-Magna and Parva, and Stoke; to Samuel Verdon, sometime undersheriff of Norfolk. He married Mary, daughter of Mr. Hadley, a grocer of London, sister to the first lady of Arthur Earl of Torrington, by whom he had five sons, Edmund, Henry, Hadley, Robert, and Philip, besides daughters.

Sir Edmund D'Oyly, Bart. eldest son and successour to his father, married Dorothy, daughter of Philip Bedingfield, Esq. of Ditchingham in Norfolk, and by her had two sons and one daughter.

Sir Edmund D'Oyly, the eldest, is the present Baronet, being the 730th in order of creation; he is unmarried and dwells at Cossey in Norfolk.

The arms of this family are,

Gul. three buck's heads caboshed arg. attired or.

Though some of them have sometimes borne the arms of the Oxfordshire family, or, two bendlets Az.

Crest, out of a crown proper two eagles wings endorsed perpendicularly sab. besanté.

Motto, Do no yll, quoth D'Oyle.

The achievement usually born, hath, 1. Doyle, 2. Legat, arg. a saltier ingrailed az. 3. Moswell arg. a chevron az. between three boars heads cooped sab. muzzled or. 4. Ar. a lion rampant az. armed gul. 5. White 6. Quarterly arg. and sab. on a bend gul. three mullets.

In 1689, the widow of Mr. Verdon had these manors in mortgage, and soon after Mr. Scrimshire and Mr. Hadley; and in 1699, Robert Davy, Esq. trustee to Sir Edmund Doyly, sold the manors (fn. 19) of Shotesham-Hall, Tofthall, and Swans in Shoteshams, Blackworth-Hall, otherwise Blackford-Hall, alias Stoke Holy Cross manor, with the manors of Rostlings and Gostlings, in Porlands and Stoke, to Christopher Gibbs of Norwich, worsted weaver, and his heirs; but the lands and estate continued in Sir Edmund. In 1739 Christopher Barnard of Yarmouth was lord, and his widow now holds it for life, and at her decease it goes to her husband's two sisters, who are both married.

The fines of Shoteshamhall, &c. are at the lord's will; there are bond days in harvest, (fn. 20) and plough beves in wheat and barley seal, (fn. 21) and the tenants pay cocks, hens, and eggs for their commonages.

Tofthall Manor,

Belonged to Bishop Stigand, and at the Conquest to Roger Bigot, and Ralf Fitz Walter held it of him, as a manor containing 2 carucates of land, worth at the first survey 40s. and at the second 4l. per annum. Upper Shotesham was then a mile and half long, and half a mile broad, and paid 16d. to the geld; there was the moiety of a mill, and the advowson of a church belonging then to the manor, and the moiety of the advowson had 15 acres of glebe, then valued at one penny an acre per annum. (fn. 22)

It came early from the Fitz Walters to the Langetots or Langtofts, from whom it took its name; and in 1235 Nicholas de Langtoft held it at half a fee of the Earl of Clare and Gloucester, and it was now joined with the manor of Ickburgh, and passed with it in this family, as at vol. ii. p. 234, and it came afterwards to the Yelvertons; and in 1401, John Yelverton and his trustees conveyed it to Thomas Legate and Margaret his wife, and it continued in the Legates till it was joined to Shotesham-Hall manor by Edward Doyly, who married Anne, sister and sole heir of Thomas Legate. It was then held of the manor of Shotesham-Hall.

Swan's Manor

Was owned by Ulketel the Dane, who held it of Edric, whose possessions the Conqueror assigned to Robert Malet, lord of the honour of Eye, who had it at the last survey; (fn. 23) from which time it passed as the manor of Little Thorp, as at p. 138, vol. i. and John Swan, from whom it took its present name, was lord in 1401, and held it at a 5th part of a fee of Shotesham-Hall; he was alive in 1420, and then he presented to Little Thorp: Robert Swan, his son and heir, succeeded him, who sold it to the Whites, who joined it to Shotesham-Hall, with which it now remains.

The Manor Of Shotesham St. Benet's

Was very extensive at first, for it contained the greatest part of Little or Low Shoetsham, the large hamlet of Grenesvill, (which is now included in Shotesham and Stoke,) and that part which belonged to the Bishop of Baieux, (fn. 24) and was held by Alured, in the Confessor's time.

King Canute, when he founded the abbey of St. Bennet at Holm, gave one part to find the monks with provisions; (fn. 25) this was St. Butolph's church and parish, for the church and parish of St. Martin was given by one Brictrict a Saxon (fn. 26) with Grenesvill hamlet; (fn. 27) which at that time, was a mile long and half a mile broad, and paid 2s. to the geld; Little Shotesham, viz. St. Martin and St. Buttolph's parishes, being a mile and half long, paid to the geld 16d.; another part which was the abbot's, was granted by the convent to Walter Giffard, who gave it to Odine to be held of him, and at the Conquest, Walter, the successour of Odine, had it; (fn. 28) but this part was soon joined by the Vauxes to Shotesham-Hall manor, with the Convent's approbation. In Henry the Second's time this manor was allowed to enjoy all the liberties granted to the monastery of Holm by the several Kings of the realm, and consequently had all royalties in itself, as liberty of free-warren, view of frankpledge, freedom from all tolls by land and by water, in cities, burghs, counties, markets, and fairs, with soc and sac, infangenthef, grithbrich, wardpeni, &c. it being held in capite as parcel of the Abbot's barony. In Henry the Third's time, the Abbot had 220 acres of arable land in demean, valued then at fourpence halfpenny an acre per annum, five acres of meadow valued at 8d. an acre, and he was afterwards in 1428 taxed for all his temporals here, at 14 li. 15s. 6d. It continued in the monastery till the exchange, and then came to the see, (as at vol. iv. p. 540,) and now belongs to the bishoprick of Norwich, of which it hath been held by lease ever since; the several lords of Shotesham manors having been lessees. Part of Grenesvile's manor is in Stoke.

The fine of St. Benet's manor is 4s. an acre certain.

The abbot of langley's manor here,

was held of the manor of Forncet, and was formerly part of the manor of Hoe, or Howe, as it is now called, that extended hither, and was given to that house by Richard de Hoe, of which it was after held by Sir Richard de Boyland. It was after held of the abbey by divers families, as by William Gavel in 1401, and after by the Gawsells, &c. The Abbot of Langleye had this and other temporals here, for which he was taxed at 38s. 4d.

Of the four parishes in this village I shall begin with

The church of All-Saints, called high or Great Shotesham church, which was given by Sir Robert de Vaux, founder of Pentney priory in Norfolk, (fn. 29) to that house when he founded it, and so it became separated from Shotesham-Hall manor, which it constantly had attended to that time; and Ralph de Hoe released all his right in it; the same founder also gave to that house, a mill at Shotesham and 15 acres of land late belonging to the church; and the advowson of St. Botolph's church here, and the prior got the church of All-Saints appropriated to his house, and was taxed for its spirituals appropriated, at 12 marks, and always presented to the endowed vicarage, till the Dissolution, when the whole vested in the Crown, and continued there till 1552, and then Edward VI. granted the impropriate rectory and the advowson of the vicarage, and the advowson of the churches of St. Mary and St. Botolph, to William Necton, and William Mingay and his heirs; and it hath continued in the Mingays, for in 1715, William Mingay, Gent. was impropriator and patron.

It stands thus in the King's Books,

6li. 13s. 4d. Shotesham All-Saints vicarage; clear yearly value 25li.

So that it pays no first-fruits nor tenths, and is capable of augmentation, but is charged with 2s. synodals, and 7s. 6d. ob. archdeacon's procurations. At Norwich Domesday's making, the Prior of Pentney had the rectory-house and a carucate of land belonging to it, and there is now a vicarage-house and glebe.

In 1329, the Prior presented Robert Prat to the vicarage, and in 1349, John Malet; in 1379, Harvey de Bestorp was vicar. In 1603, Mr. Christopher Greenwood, vicar, returned answer, that there were 100 communicants in this parish, that he was master of arts, that he held it personally united to St. Mary and St. Botolph's vicarages, which were long since perpetually annexed; and that there was a parsonage impropriate, and all the vicarages were endowed, Sir Henry Gawdy, Knt. being patron. 1621, Mr. Hancock was vicar. 1630, John Bolt, A. M. vicar, held the consolidated vicarages of St. Mary and St. Botolph by personal union.

On the south side of the altar is a mural monument, thus inscribed,

Ricardus Neech A. M. hujus et Inferioris ecclesiæ vicarius, sub hoc

Pariete depositus, lætam in Christo Resurrectionem expectat.

In cujus Memoriam Antonius, (fn. 30) Filius é multis unicus relictus,

Gratitudinis et Officij ergo Monumentum hoc erexit; obijt Sexto die Martij A^o Salutis 1676. Ætatis Suæ 64°.

The steeple is square, and 60 feet in height, and hath a ring of five tuneable bells; the church is 56 feet long and 18 feet and a half broad, and the chancel is 26 feet long and 15 broad; in it is a stone, with the arms of

Bransby, arg. on a bend cotized sab. between two fleurs de-lis gul. a lion passant or, impaling Bransby. Crest, a lion's head erased or.

Here lieth Elizabeth the Wife of Thomas Bransby of Harleston in the County of Norfolk Esq; and Daughter of Robert Bransby of this parish Gent. she died Aug. 10, 1718, in the 33d Year of her Age; she had, and left by the said Thomas, 4 Sons, Thomas, William, James, and George, and 4 Daughters, viz. Elizabeth, Margaretta-Maria, Bransby, and Phillippa, She was a dutifull Daughter, a good Wife, a prudent Mother, and a friendly Neighbour, and in all respects a great Example of Piety and Vertue. By her Spouse a Distich.

Quæ Pia, quæ Prudens, quæ Provida, pulchra fuisti Uxor, in Æternum, chara, beata; Vale.

In the windows of this church, (fn. 31) were the arms of Jernegan impaling Appleyard; Mowbray and Appleyard, which yet remain in a south and in a north window; Clere and Appleyard, with the crest of an owl out of an ivy bush arg. membered or. Le Gros and White; Appleyard and White; Clipesby and White, with the crest of a boar's head arg. out of a hawthorn bush proper, set on a plume of feathers arg. and az. Inglosse and Wichingham, Berney and Wichingham, Clere, and Wichingham, with his crest of a greyhound current erm. collared or; but most of them are now gone.

Thomas Stinnet (fn. 32) my dear and only Son, as sweet a Child as ever was, died, 1620, and is buried right against the pulpit in Shotesham All-Saints.

O Lord! Let me meet my Childe in Glorie. Amen. Amen.

On a handsome altar tomb in the churchyard,

Holmes, of Lancashire, barry of twelve or and az. on a canton gul. a chaplet arg. impaling, on a chevron er. three crescents.

James Holmes late of Ashby in Norfolk Gent. Dec. 14, 1713, 41.

On another altar tomb,

John Utting May 2, 1688, 43, and 4 Sons and 1 daughter.

Alice his Wife 17 June 1692, 46.

The church of St. Mary in Little or Low Shotesham, belonged formerly in an alternate presentation, to the manors of Shotesham-Hall, and St. Benet's; and in 1187 there was a great contest about it, before the Bishop of Norwich and Ralph Glanvile, justices itinerants, between Ralf Abbot of Holm, who claimed it as a chapel belonging to his church of St. Martin, and Robert de Vaux released all right in St. Martin's to the Abbot, and he, all his right in St. Mary's to Robert, and all the lands in both parishes were to be parted equally, and a moiety settled on each church, and the lands of Vaux's fee to belong all to St. Mary and those of the Abbot's fee to St. Martin; each was to be a mother-church; and for this agreement Robert gave the Abbot as much land in Shotesham as was worth 2s. a year in rent. In 1287 this advowson on the partition of the estate of John de Vaux was assigned to the part of Maud de Roos, second daughter and coheir of the said John; and in 1311, William de Roos of Hamlake, and Maud his wife, settled this advowson and a carucate of land here, on Richard Prior of St. Mary Magdalen of Pentney and his successours for ever; it appears, that the land belonged to the church, for that house was taxed at 3d. only for their temporals, and at 10 marks (fn. 33) for their spirituals, being the appropriation of this rectory, and at 8 marks for their appropriation of the church of St. Butolph, the vicarage of which was consolidated to this. In 1305, Alan de Quitebuck was instituted to the rectory of St. Mary and died in 1310, and Bishop John Salmon appropriated it to the priory of Pentney, reserving power to him and his successours, to endow a vicarage and collate the vicars to it for ever.

And the year following, the same Prior, on pretence of the smallness of the revenues of St. Butolph's parish, got that also appropriated, and agreed that the Bishop should endow and collate to the vicarage, and both vicarages being perpetually annexed, in 1311, the Bishop endowed them, and appointed one vicar for both the parishes; (fn. 34) the Prior was to have all the great tithes, and part of the glebe, on condition he repaired the chancels; the vicar was to have a house and land, and a house over against St. Butolph's church, and was to pay all the synodals and procurations; and in

1311, 3d July, Thomas de Cleydone, priest, was instituted to the vicarage of the churches of St. Mary and St. Butolph, at the Bishop of Norwich's collation, and in Nov. following, Wil. de Chevele, priest. In 1327 Richard de Hakeford, priest, changed this vicarage for Catton, with Robert de Langele, who resigned it. 1352, Sir William Valentine of Borewell, priest. In 1381, John Forster of Whiston, &c. and so the advowson continued in the bishoprick, till the exchange in Henry the Eighth's time, and then fell to the Crown, as did the impropriation at the dissolution of Pentney priory; and both continued there, till 1552, and then King Edward VI. granted the impropriations, and the advowsons of the vicarages, to William Necton, and William Mingay, Gent. in whose family it continued till

1731, when William Mingay, Gent, presented the Rev. Mr. John Manister, the present vicar, to the consolidated vicarage of St. Mary and St. Butolph, and to the vicarage of All-Saints, which last he holds by a personal union with the former; but the impropriations and advowsons are since sold to William Fellows of Shotesham, Esq. who now owns them.

The church of St. Mary is 40 feet long, and 19 broad, and the church is 20 feet long; it hath a square tower 60 feet high, and but one bell.

In the east window of the chancel are the effigies in the glass, of John Prisot, chief justice of the Common Pleas, (fn. 35) and of Bartholomew White (fn. 36) and his wives, who built the chancel, and put up that window in 1486, for under them is this inscription,

Orate pro amimabus Johannis Prisot, Capitalis Justiciarii Domini Regis Henrici Serti, Bartholomei Whyte, Johanne et Alicie, Urorum eius, qui istam Cancellam fieri fecerunt, A^o Dni. 1486.

There are the arms of White and Schuldam; White and Dalton, and

Prisot, gul. on a chief arg. three croslets patee of the field, sometimes three crosses tau.

In the north chapel, under a raised tomb, lies buried Simon White, Esq. who died about 1505.

The windows were formerly very richly adorned with arms, most of which are now lost; but from Mr. Anstis's MS. (fn. 37) marked L. 26. fo. 3, we have the following account of them:

White, Prisot, (fn. 38) White and Clipesby, Appleyard, Thorle, vert, seven escalops arg. &c.

Norwich Domesday tells us, that St. Mary, when a rectory, had a house and 20 acres of glebe, and paid 6d. synodals, and 6s. 8d. procurations, and when it became a vicarage it was valued with that of St. Botolph, at 6li. and so it stands now in the King's Books, and being sworn now of the clear yearly value of 25li. it is discharged of first fruits and tenths, and is capable of augmentation. In 1603 Christopher Greenwood was vicar of all the vicarages, and returned 70 communicants in St. Mary and Butolph's parish, and that Sir Henry Gawdy, Knt. was patron. In 1630, John Bolt, vicar, paid 6d. synodals and 6s. 8d. archdeacon's procurations, and 2s. synodals for St. Butolph's, and 6s. 8d. archdeacon's procurations, and Henry Mingay, Gent. was then patron. There was anciently a gild of St. Mary, in this church.

Thomas de Blumvyle Bishop of Norwich confirmed the charter of John de Grey, Bishop there, of a portion of the tithes of this parish, to the monks of Norwich cathedral, who were taxed at 30s. for them; the celerer had a portion of 3s. 4d. out of it; and their temporals here were taxed at 3s. 4d.

Mr. Woolmer was sometime vicar, as was Mr. Pitcairne.

Berengarius, who held Topcroft and Howe of the Abbot of Bury, had 20 acres and three bordars, belonging to his manor of Howe, in all which he was infeoffed by Abbot Baldwin, in King William the Conqueror's time, for which temporals the chamberer of Bury was taxed at 76s.

There is a very agreeable cold-bath in the parish of St. Mary, fitted up for publick benefit, at the expense of Will. Fellows, Esq. of Shotesham.

I saw a stone much defaced, that was formerly taken out of this bath, on it was, barry of eight, a canton ermine, and this, much defaced:

HIC GR------ FRUGI LYÆO SALUTEM M---- AT POTIORI PINAR-- LICET-- LATICE PAUPERIBUS ET VALETUDI-NARIIS---- REDIVIVVS.

ANNO Do.' 1652.

There were many arms in the windows of Shotesham-hall, which stands near St. Mary's church, and was the seat of the Doylies; as, White (fn. 39) impaled with Tindal, Crofts, Appleyard, Schuldham, Holditch, Yelverton, Froxmere, Cocket, Prisot, and Lane, Woodhouse and White, Clopton, Froxmere and Cornwallis, Clere and White, &c.

Thomas Lawrence of St. Alban's Hall in Oxford, A. M. (fn. 40) an apothecary's son in London, afterwards of Merton College; after he had taken his degree, studied physick, and practised that faculty in Norfolk, and was of some eminence there, especially upon his writing and publishing,

Mercurius Centralis, or a Discourse of Subterraneal Cokle, Muscle, and Oyster Shells, found in the Digging of a Well, at Sir William Doylies in Norfolk, many feet under ground, and at a considerable distance from the sea. Sent in a letter to Tho Browne, M. D. Printed at London 1664 in 5 sheets in octavo. He died in Norfolk some years after.

The church of St. Butolph is now totally demolished, being pulled down at the Reformation; the ruins of the steeple show that it was square, the churchyard was ploughed up when I saw it; it abuts southward to a hollow way leading eastward over the river to High Shotesham church, being the very corner piece at the turn of that way.

It was appropriated with St. Mary's to the priory of Pentney, and both became one vicarage, as is before observed, the whole glebe and house belonging to this church, (fn. 41) except Fisher's Croft, was reserved to the vicar. Norwich Domesday tells us, that there was a house and 30 acres of land.

The church of St. Martin belonged to the Abbot of St. Bennet at Holm, (fn. 42) and at the exchange of the revenues of that abbey, came to the see of Norwich, and the Bishop of that see is now patron. It is a rectory, valued at 4li. in the King's Books, the true real value being 18li. per annum only; it is capable of augmentation, and is discharged of first fruits and tenths, and pays 2s. synodals and 3s. 4d. procurations.

Master Richard de Boyland was rector here in Edward the First's time; in 1308 Clement de Westleton, subdeacon; in 1334, William de Honing, clerk; in 1349, Adam de Westwyck, priest; in 1408, Sir William Crane, priest, &c.; in 1422, Thomas at Water, rector, was buried in the church; in 1603, Robert Grey answered that there were 40 communicants in the parish, and that Edmund Doyly, Esq. was patron, by lease from the Bishop of Norwich. 1630, Oliver Harrison held it by union with Stoke vicarage; in 1693 it was held with Holesley in Suffolk by union; in 1706, Richard Laughton, clerk, had it, and now the Rev. Mr. Francis Mossoon is rector. The ruins of the church may be seen not far distant from St. Mary's.

The Prioress of Carrow was taxed for temporals at 6s. The Prior of Mendham for spirituals at 7s. 6d. and 6s. 8d. a year was paid to the Prioress of Bungey out of a tenement called Shreves.

There is piece of land called chapel-yard, late parcel of the possessions of the priory of Hickling, where a freechapel stood formerly, of which I have no further account in any evidences that I have seen.

All the parishes were valued together to the tenths, as one town and paid 9li. 6s. 8d. clear.

The ancient family of the Mingays hath been here for a long time, as also that of the Bransbys which anciently came from the neighbouring village of Poringland-Magna.