Hundred of South Erpingham: Thweyt

THWEYT,

Commonly called Twait, was given to the abbey of St. Bennets at Holm by the founder King Canute; at the grand survey we find it valued at 40s. per annum; half a leuca in length, and the same in breadth, paid 4d. halfpenny gelt, and had a church endowed with 6 acres. (fn. 1)

The whole town continued in the abbey, till Robert Curzon obtained a grant of part of it in 1187 of Abbot Ralph, and a fine was levied showing that for 20 marks paid to the Abbot the said Robert should hold one manor (being about half of the town) to him and his heirs, paying yearly to the abbey 102 shillings, and one mark of silver for ever per annum, 10 loaves of coarse barley bread, and one mutton price 12 pence; the other manor with the advowson, being reserved to the Abbot. (fn. 2) In 1234 this part or manor was settled by fine on the Abbot for ever, by Sir Peter de Alto Bosco or Hautbois, then steward to the abbey, who released all his right therein, and it was afterwards held by the Skeyton family of the abbey, and from them it took the present name of,

Skeyton-Hall Manor,

In 1287 Maud, widow of Andrew de Brampton, who was tenant to the Abbot, assigned all her right to John, son of Robert de Skeyton, and Sarah his wife, it always enjoyed all the liberties of the abbey, and in 1428 the Abbot was taxed for his manor and demesnes at 5l. 17s. 2d. per annum, at the general Dissolution it was granted with the abbey to the see of Norwich, the Bishop of Norwich being the present lord and patron.

Somerton-Hall Manor

Was formerly divided into two parts, one was granted, as is above shown, to Robert Curzon, and the other to Robert de Tweyt, and after that to Sir Simon de Nowers, or Noiers, &c. Knt. and next to Bartholomew de Somerton, who settled here, and gave it its name. In 1259 Robert de Castre had a charter for free warren in Curzon's manor here, and in Castre by Yarmouth, allowed him in eire, in 1269 Robert de Noiers and Alice his wife enjoyed it in 1312, and the said Robert and Bartholomew de Somerton were lords in 1315. John de Noiers in 1349 settled his manor on Fulk de Munpinzun and other trustees, with Swanton Noiers, to be held by Alice his mother for life; and in 1383 John Fastolf had a confirmation of Robert de Castre's charter; after this it was held by Thomas Rycherys, on whose death in 1474, it descended to his 3 daughters; Margaret, married to Richard Burgh; Cecily to William Barker; and Katherine to John Bartilmew, who with their husbands conveyed it in the said year to Nicholas Crome and Edmund Clere of Clipsby, and others, for the use of John Bypes, clerk. In 1519 Henry Heydon, Esq. and Mary his wife conveyed it to Thomas Astley; and in 1544 Henry Cruch settled it on Miles Hobart of Plumstede Pa. Esq. second son of Sir James Hobart; and he, by will dated 1557, gave it to John Hobart his second son, by Eleanor daughter of John Bleverhasset of Frense in Norfolk, which John married Ann, daughter of Sir Philip Tilney of Shelley in Suffolk, Knt. and left it to his eldest son, Thomas Hobart of Thwait, who married Ann, daughter of William Reymes of Overstrand or Oxstrand in Norfolk, and left 3 daughters; Jane, married to John Kemp; Mary, to Dr. Colby; and Elizabeth, to — Pettus, who all released to Kemp; and Thomas Kemp, son of John and Jane aforesaid, left it to Clement Kemp his son and heir, who by — Witton of Wilby, his wife, left a daughter and heiress, who with her husband conveyed it before the year 1693 to John Horne of Wichingham, Gent. and after passing through other hands, it is now the property of the Honourable Horatio Walpole, Esq. of Wolterton.

The Church is dedicated to all the Saints, (fn. 3) and was confirmed with the town to Holm abbey by Edward the Confessor; in it was the gild of St. John Baptist held in the chapel of the Saint in this church built by John Puttock, who was buried in it in 1442; his gravestone still remains with a brass plate, thus inscribed,

Ecce Johannes (fn. 4) hoc jacet hic sub marmore Puttock, Conjux Alicia sua secum restat humata, Qui legis ista pater, Ter Ave, bone Frater, Celi solamen illis ut det Deus, Amen.

On a brass plate on another gravestone:

Orate pro animâ Ric. Brown Gentleman, et pro quibus idem Ric. orare tenetur, qui quidem Ric. obt. die dominicâ antè festum ascensionis Domini, M.V.C.VIII. Quorum animabus propitietur Deus.

In the windows were the arms of Erpingham, Ufford, Holm abbey, Puttock, sable a chevron between two greyhounds argt. Brown, argt. a chevron in a bordure sable bezanty. Heydon and Lumnour. Bavent and Antingham. And in Thwayt-hall windows, Hobert impaling Naunton, Hobart impaling Hare, quartering Bassingbourn, Hobart and Reymes, Kemp impaling Hobart, Corbet, Hobart and Tilney with his quarterings.

Rectors.

1322, Peter Trussebut, by the abbot of Holm.

1349, John de Thewyt.

1360, William Bolle.

1365, John le Smith.

1372, Roger; he was buried in the churchyard, and gave 40 pence to the prior of Breston to bury him.

1408, William Weke, shaveling.

1551, Sir John Gamon, by the Bishop of Norwich.

William Thackwery,

1605, Laurence Sergeanson.

1612, Robert Fisher.

1690, Mr. Jonathan Clapham.

1699, Theophilus Brown; he held it with Calthorp.

1700, Charles Ray held it with Calthorp, late vicar of Langley and of St. Albans, in Hertfordshire.

1739, October 8th, Daniel Fromanteel, rector (who holds it with Calthorp), presented by the Bishop.

1755, Robert Styteman. Ditto.

The rectory is valued in the King's Books at 7l. and being in yearly value but 39l. it is discharged, and capable of augmentation, the abbot of St. Bennet had 2 sheaves of the tithes of the demean lands of Robert de Thwayt in the time of Henry III. which he compounded for at a mark per annum, and also 2 of the demeans of Sir Simon de Nowers and Barthol. de Somerton, for all which he was taxed at 4 marks, in 1448, and instead of this the rector now pays a pension of 20s. to the Bishop of Norwich. Maud, daughter of Ralph de Thwayt Knt. and Peter son of Andrew de Brampton released all right in those tithes to the abbot, in the 16 of Edward I. Synodals are 12d. procurations 2s. and visitatorial procurations 21d. The town is in the liberty of the dutchy of Lancaster, and valued at 269l. per annum to land tax, and pays to a county levy 5s. 3d.