Gallow and Brothercross Hundreds: Helloughton, or Helgheton

HELLOUGHTON, or HELGHETON.

Part of this town was a beruite to the King's manor of Reinham, farmed of the King, at the survey, by Godric, of which Ulviet was deprived; six socmen held half a carucate of land, and there were 2 bordarers, with 2 carucates, and 2 acres of meadow; it was 4 furlongs long, and 3 broad, paid 10d. gelt, and was valued with that of Rainham. (fn. 1)

Halgatun, as this town was wrote, is compounded of Hal, or Al, and Ga, which signifies in Saxon, a town, all by the water.

This lordship remained in the Crown, till King Stephen gave it to William de Cheyney, in exchange for that of Mileham, on condition, that if he or his son liked Mileham better, he might then renounce this, which was soon after done; being thus again in the Crown, the said King granted it to the Hauvilles. See in Rainham, Hayvile's manor.

In the 2d year of King John, William de Hauville and Ralph de Erleham, came to an agreement, William giving it to Ralph, to be held of him and his heirs, by the service of paying 40s. per ann. William proving that his father and grandfather were seized of it in fee; and in the 30th of Edward I. Thomas de Hauville was found to die seized of it, as capital lord; in the 9th of Edward II. Juliana de Erlsham, was returned as lady of this manor: in a computus of Nicholas Stokes, bailiff of this manor Ao. 21st of Edward IV. it was possessed by Roger Townsend, formerly by Sir John Snoring, Knt.; it came to the Townsends probably on the marriage of the heiress of Hauvill, with the manor also of Rainham, and Sir Roger Townsend died possessed of it in 1551; in this family it continues, the Lord Viscount Townsend being the present lord.

St. Faith's, or Horsham Priory Manor.

Peter Lord Valoine's manor of Snoring Parva extended into this, and there was one socman here, who held lands of him; (fn. 2) this came, as I take it, to Robert Lord Fitzwalter, by the marriage of Gunnora, daughter and heir of Robert de Valoines, who gave it to this priory; in the 9th of Edward II. the prior of St. Faith's was found to have a lordship here.

King Henry VIII. in his 35th year, December 3, granted it to Robert Townsend, serjeant at law, and Gyles Townsend, Esq. together with the appropriated rectory of this church, and the advowson of the vicarage; and on the 10th of that month, they conveyed it to Sir Roger Townsend, with the patronage of the vicarage, in which family it remains.

The Earl Warren had at the survey a socman here, who held 60 acres; with 8 bordarers, who held a carucate and an acre and half of meadow, the moiety of a mill, &c. valued at 5s.; this belonged to the fee of Frederic. The said Earl had also a socman, with 12 acres, and half a carucate: this is placed under Rudham, and Ralph, lord of Rudham, held this socman under the Earl.—Earl Warren had also of the fee of Frederic, a freeman here, on the same tenure as his predecessor, who could not leave his land without license, as the hundred could witness; and a certain man called Franco, belonging to Drogo de Beuraria, claimed his land as belonging to his lord Drogo's fee, delivered to him by the Conqueror; and that Heinfrid, his predecessor, held it in Frederic's time, and afterwards Drogo, as the hundred testifies; but the hundred could not judge of the right or delivery of it. (fn. 3)

A family who assumed their name from the town, was early enfeoffed of this, under the Earl Warren; Alan de Helgeton held part of a fee of the Earl, about the 18th of Henry III. and in the said reign, Walter Bernardeston had the 3d part of a fee. Henry de Helghton was returned as lord in the 3d of Edward I. and was then found to have made encroachments on the common; and Thomas de Helgeton occurs lord in the 14th of that King, and claimed view of frank-pledge, assise of bread and beer; and John de Helghton was lord in the 9th of Edward II.

Roger de Kerdeston died possessed of it, and of Sistern, in the 11th of Edward III. and Thomas de Shardelow, in the 14th of that King, held the 3d part of the fee, late Walter de Barnardeston's.

Sir William de Kerdeston died lord in the 36th of the said reign, and William was his son and heir; and Nicholas Payn, in the 50th of that King, had a lordship, and gave lands to John Chosele of Bruns thorpe, and sealed with a fess, between three birds; and in the 22d of Henry VI. John Payne of Hellughton, Esq.

William Gaskin of St. Albans, in Hertfordshire, and Margaret his wife, granted by deed to Sir William Fermour of East-Barsham, Knt. the whole manor of Staples, alias Stapleton's, in Helloughton, Norfolk, which descended to Margaret on the death of Thomas Lamb her father, late of Helloughton, by deed dated January 19, Ao. 33°, of Henry VIII.

But the principal manor, late Pain's, was in the Townsends; and in the reign of Henry VIII. Sir Roger Townsend possessed it. It came, probably, into the family by the marriage of Sir Thomas Townsend, in the reign of Henry VI. with Agnes, daughter of William Payn, and in this family it remains.

Hugh de Monteforti had also at the survey a lordship, which belonged to Bond in King Edward's time; one socman held then half a carucate of land, and 8 bordarers a carucate, and two acres of meadow: this was was valued and measured with his manor of South Rainham and was held afterwards by the families of Scales and Ingoldesthorp, as may be there seen; and came from them to the Townsends, and is united to the other fees abovementioned. (fn. 4)

The tenths of this town were 3l. 7s. 8d.—Deducted 10s.

Walsingham priory temporalities were 3s. Hempton priory 2s. 3d. in 1428.

The Church is dedicated to All-Saints, and was appropriated to the priory of St. Faith of Horsham, the rectory being valued at 18 marks; and here was a vicarage valued at 6 marks.—Peter-pence 10d. ob. the present valor of the vicarage is 6l. 13s. 4d.

Vicars.

1312, William de Caston, instituted vicar, nominated by the Bishop, presented by the prior and convent of Horsham,

1335, Thomas de London. Ditto.

1345, John Bodeney, nominated by the Bishop, presented by the King, on account of the temporalites of Horsham.

1359, Hugh Aleys, by the bishop and convent.

1361, John Barker. Ditto.

1418, John Barkere. Ditto.

1428, Thomas Gournay. Ditto.

1429, William Arneburgh. Ditto.

1440, Robert Poule. Ditto.

1481, Richard Willyn. The Bishop, by lapse.

1484, John Williams. Ditto.

1511, John Newton. Ditto.

1514, Gilbert Walker.

George Heywarden.

1544, Robert Towers, by Sir Roger Townsend.

1554, David Moresby, by Robert Bozoun, and Robert Cooke.

1556, William Luke, by Rob. Bozoun, &c.

1560 Robert Okes, by Robert Cook, Esq.

1582, John Pinkney.

1624, Tobias Legg. The Bishop, a lapse.

1640, Anthony Underwood, by Edward Symonds, Gent.

1660, Samuel Clark, by Horatio Townsend.

1662, Robert Framingham, by Horatio Lord Townsend.

1678, Thomas Nelson. Ditto.

1684, Samuel Cushing.

1740, Thomas Scot, by Lord Townsend.

1742, William Miles. Ditto.

1748, Charles Allen. Ditto.

Here was the gild of St. Thomas.