Hundred of South Erpingham: Banningham

BANNINGHAM.

The greater part by much of this town was called Cracheford or Crakeford, (fn. 1) and Banincham (fn. 2) was only a hamlet to Crachefort; at the Conquest the town was four furlongs and an half long, and four furlongs broad, and paid 4d. to the geld, and was all included and valued with the King's manor of Aylesham, as at p. 268.

Guert the Dane was lord here in Edward the Confessor's time, and the Conqueror gave it to William de Warren, all but that part, which belonged to Cawston, and that Rainald Fitz-Ivo had, and it afterwards came to the Crown, and one half of it was given by

King Richard I. to John Corn De Beauf, or Cordebof of Benningham, (fn. 3) who held it by sergeanty, to find one soldier with a lance for the King's service, and his son Hubert had it of the gift of Henry I. when it was a member of Causton; he was to find one Archer on horseback for the King's service, also a crossbow for him to shoot with, and to maintain him 40 days in the King's army at his own cost, whenever the King went into Wales. In 1249 John Cordeboef held it, and in 1253 Galiena, widow of John Cordeboef of Mendlesham in Suffolk, sued Tho. Cordeboef for her dower, and Katerin Esturmin; and pleaded, that Sir John Cordeboef, Knt. married her, endowed her, and lived with her, but afterwards obtained a divorce from the Bishop of Norwich, by reason of consanguinity, upon which she appealed to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who reversed the Bishop of Norwich's sentence, and then Sir John appealed to the Pope, and during that suit, espoused the said Katherine, and endowed her at the church door, of these lands, and she lived with him till his death; but the Pope confirmed the Archbishop's proceedings, it being proved that Katherine, before her marriage, knew that Sir John had married Galiena, and so Galiena recovered her dower; Nicholas Cordeboef died seized, and about 1285 Thomas his son and heir died also, and the King granted his heirs in ward, to Roger de Winchester; the serjeanty now is said to be in Banningham, Repham, Mendlesham, &c. Roger conveyed his wardship to John de Melles and Margery his wife, late widow of Thomas de Cordeboef, and Joan, Basil, Roisia, Maud, and Alice, were their daughters and heiresses. (fn. 4)

This came from the Cordeboefs to the Bigots, who had the other part also from the Tusards, for Roger Bigot Earl of Norfolk had the serjeanty late Hurert Cordeboef's, and that, late Walter Tusards, and joined them to his manor and advowson of Banningham, of which he was now sole lord and patron.

Of Tusard's serjeanty, I find, that King Henry I. gave it to Gerard Tusard, (fn. 5) after whom, Walter Tusard had it, and held his serjeanty here and in Erpingham, by finding an archer on horseback with a crossbow to attend the King, whenever he made an expedition against the Welsh; and he was to keep the archer and his horse in the King's army 40 days at his own cost; Emma and Avice were Walter's daughters and coheiresses. In 1189 Emma had possession of her father's inheritance, and Avice her mother was guardian of her sister Avice, who after married to Jeffry de Castleacre, (fn. 6) and left Isabell their daughter and heiress.

The Manor of Banningham, alias Crakeford's,

Went from the Earl Warren to the Bygods, and in 1299 Simon Bygod of Felbrigge was lord here, but not patron, for in 1316 Alice de Hanonia Countess of Norfolk had the patronage, and it continues in the Norfolk family with Forncet (to which I refer you) to this time

The manor being in that branch of the Bygods which settled at Felbrigge, it descended to the Felbrigges, and in 1336 Sir Roger Felbrigge, Knt. had it, and in 1397 Sir Simon Felbrigge, who died seized in 1442, and it was settled on John Windham, senior, who purchased a considerable estate here, of John de Banningham and Joan his wife, a family sirnamed of the town, and had continued in it, ever since Richard the First's time, when John son of John de Banningham lived here; and in 1281 John de Banningham, senior, and junior, are mentioned as owners.

In 1466, John Windham the father settled it on John his son, and Margaret daughter of Sir John Howard, Knt. (fn. 7) whom he married, (as at p. 247,) and their issue, from which time it hath passed with Felbrigge, and now belongs to William Windham of Felbrigge, Esq.

This town is in the dutchy of Lancaster, and paid 3l. clear to every tenth, besides 10s. paid by the religious, viz. the Abbot of St. Bennet, whose temporals here were valued at 28s. 2d. and the sacrist's of St. Edmund's, at 33s. 9d. ob. it is valued at 292l. to the land-tax, and pays 7s. to every 300l. levy of the county rate.

10l. 15s. 10d. Banningham rectory 1l. 1s. 7d. yearly tenths.
So that it is also chargeable with first fruits, and incapable of augmentation. The old valuation was 17 marks: it pays 7d. synodals, (fn. 8) 2s. 8d. qr. visitatorial procurations, and 7s. 7d. ob. archidiaconal procurations. In 1317 Edward II. licensed the rector to purchase two houses and land to enlarge the site of the rectory.

Rectors.

1316, Sir Hugh de Bolle. Alice de Hannonia Countess of Norfolk.

Roger de Fornsete. Mary Countess of Norfolk. In

1367, Thomas de Foxton was presented by Sir Walter de Manny, Knt. In

1412, Sir Thomas Kensale was rector, and resigned in

1428, to Richard Goneld, who was presented by John Duke of Norfolk. In

1445, died William Rykkys, rector, and John Duke of Norfolk gave it to

William Camond.

1489, Henry Lesingham was rector; in

1630, John Rechford, rector.

The present rector is the Rev. Mr. Benjamin Paul, who holds it united to Horseford vicarage; he succeeded

Mr. Robert Cremer, now vicar of Windham; and Mr. Cremer succeeded

Mr. Wanley, who is buried in the chancel.

Here lieth the Body of Mary, the Wife of Samuel Wanley, who died Nov. 16, 1709. Aged 60 Years

Beneath this Marble Stone interr'd doth lie, One of a Known diffusive Charity, Shee unto all was Generous and Free, But to those that were Poor, especially, None at the Door, would she let craving stay, Or ever go without an Alms away, Nor did she only Good in publick View, But frequently (unaskt) in private too: What her Right Hand did freely thus bestow, So secret was, her Left Hand did not know; She liberal was according to her Store, And oft Times griev'd, because she gave no more; In this alone, Reader, I wish that you, Not only Praise, but imitate her too.

Samuel Wanley, By th' Inscription on the Wall, To Church and Poor, was Liberall.

Samuel Wanley, Rector of Banningham tyed his Lands called Ellis's for Five Pounds, he bequeathed to ten por Widows, at every Feast of St. Thomas, for ever; and charged his Trustees, to make his Commodious and plesant Dwelling with its Appurtenances, the Parsonage-House; he died July 31, in the Year of God 1722. Of his Age 66. Of his Ministry here, 38.

On a stone at the altar,

Reliquiæ (deamatæ Conjugis) Henriettæ-Mariæ Cremer, Sinceræ, Honestæ, Benignæ, Placidæ, nec Superbiâ nec Malevolentiâ vel minimum imbutæ, hìnc Fælix ipsa, maritum felicissimum reddidit, Peperit unicam Filiam, Catherinam nomine, sub eodem Marmore positam, deinde Partû ac Febre penitus exhausta, placidâ Morte quievit, 8° Die Julij A. D. 1729 Æt. 24. Quum vix undecim Menses à Nuptijs compleverat, Prudens, Placens, et amans Uxor.

In the church, on brasses,

Orate pro anima Ricacbi Turner, cuius anime propicietur Deus Amen.

Orate pro anima Johannis Do/we, Capellani cuius, etc.

There are stones for the Eldens, in the north isle:

William, Son of William Elden and Alice his Wife 1708. 18.

Under this Stone a Virgin lye, Which was endued with Modesty.

Her name was Anne, the daughter of William Elden and Alice his wife, 1720. 20.

Mary, Wife of Robert Elden and William their Son, she died 1723. 30. and left another Son William living. Elizabeth Wife of Samuel Elden, 1732. 38. Willaughry Wife of Francis Bullen, Daughter of William and Alice Elden, 1730. 21. Francis their Son 1730, and also Francis Bullen.

Elizabeth, eldest Daughter of Thomas Crome, and Wife of Robert Smith, 1660.

At the altar. Humphry Carter, Attorney in his Majesty's Court of Common Pleas, 1673.

The tower is square, and hath three bells, on one of which,

Per me Fideles inbocantur ad preccs.

The south porch, nave, and two isles are leaded, and the chancel is thatched. In 1507 Edward Burrowe gave an acre and more of land, lying on the west side of the Oak, to find a light in the chapel of our Lady in this church, which is dedicated to St. Botholph, who had a gild held here, and there was another gild in honour of all the Saints.