Gallow and Brothercross Hundreds: West Rudham

WEST RUDHAM.

Rudham, at the survey, included both East and West Rudham, being not at that time distinguished by the name of East and West, both which belonged to the Earl Warren, the capital lord. This part was held by Lambert, under the aforesaid Earl; a freeman was lord of it in the days of Edward the Confessor, and deprived of it at the conquest: He had one carucate, held by one villain, and 14 bordarers, 3 servi, with two carucates in demean, and one carucate, with an half acre of meadow belonging to the men, or tenants, four beasts for carriage, and a mule, &c. Also 18 socmen belonged to this manor, who had 2 carucates, valued at 20s.—at the survey at 30s. (fn. 1) —This was the account, (including what is above-mentioned in East Rudham,) of the land that the Earl had livery of, under the name of Rudham manor.

Ferrer's Manor.

This lordship was in the family of de Caineto, or Cheney, and came by the marriage of Margaret, daughter and heir of William Cheney, son of Ralph de Caineto, to Hugh de Cressi, a Norman, in the reign of Henry II. whose son, Roger de Cressi, married Isabel, daughter and coheir of of Hubert de Rie, and widow of Jeff. de Chester. This Roger being with the barons, in arms against King John, his lands were seized, and given to Robert de Ferrers; and Henry de Ferrers was found to hold the fourth part of a fee in the reign of Henry the II. Sir Guy de Ferrariis was living in the 15th of Edward I. as was Edmund de Ferrers, of West-Rudham, in the 31st of the said reign, and John de Ferrers in the reign of Edward II. and one of the same name occurs in the 20th of Edward III.

In the 14th of Edward VI. a fine was levied between William Berkham, &c. querents, John Batchelor of West Rudham, Henry Russell of the same, and Margaret his wife, deforciants, of the manor of Ferrers in West Rudham, &c. settled on John Batchelor for life, remainder to John Russell, and Margaret his wife, in tail. This Henry was son of William Russell, son of Thomas Russell of Littleport, in the isle of Ely, Esq. and married Margaret, daughter and heir of John Batchelor, of West Rudham, by Isabel his wife, daughter and heir of Thomas Ferrers, Esq. lord of this manor by whom he had Henry, his son and heir, who, by Elizabeth his wife, daughter of —Wallis, left William his son and heir. The will of the said Henry is dated, December 19, 1318, and was buried in the church of St. Peter's, of West Rudham.

William Russell, Gent. lord of this manor, married Agnes, daughter of Thomas Walpole, Gent. of Houghton, and had by her Thomas, his son and heir; and by Edith his wife, daughter and heir of Thomas Austin, of West Rudham, left Henry his son and heir, who took to wife Elizabeth, daughter of William Calybut of Coxford, Esq. and was living in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and lord.

In the 13th of King James I. Sir Robert Wynde, and Elizabeth his wife, aliened to Jane Berkeley, widow, the manor of West Rudham April 1st, and by an inquisition taken, May 6th, in the 13th of, King Charles I. Robert Daniel was found to die seized of the manors of Ferrers, and Northall, in West Rudham, on January 10th, 1636, and Robert was his son and heir, aged five years, by Anne his wife.

Castleacre-Priory Manor.

William Earl Warren, the second of that name, by his deed, sans date, confirmed, as capital lord, in the reign of King William II. the land which William, the priest of Rudham, held of Lambert de Rosei, and one knight's fee of the grant of the said Lambert, and remitted the service of the said fee; (fn. 2) this was, no doubt, the same Lambert who was lord at the survey, and had been enfeoffed of the same by the first Earl Warren. William, the third Earl Warren, gave Alwin, in Rudham, with all his substance, and Godwin, the smith, with his wife and children.

John de Querceto, or Cheyney, released the homage of Jeffery, brother of Mathew, to the prior of Coxford.

Eustace, seneschal of Acre, granted the reversion of all his lands in Rudham, after his death, on condition of being admitted a monk, if he should desire it.

William, son of Roger de Gressenhale, gave two of his men, or villains.

Geffrey, son of Ordiner, gave also lands here, and Ralph de Necton confirmed to them 42 acres in pure alms.

It was agreed by deed, sans date, that the small tithes of this lordship should belong to the priory of Castleacre, but the tithes of the corn, lamb, and wool, and cheese, should belong to Coxford priory, with the weif and stray, and the assise of bread and beer:—Witnesses Sir Hervey de Stanho, Sir Henry de Ferrariis, which shows it was in or about the end of the reign of Henry III. and for this one mark was to be paid per ann. to Castleacre priory. Robert, prior of Castleacre, remitted to William, prior of Coxford, their right in the manor of East Rudham.

In the 18th of Edward I. Ralph de Dunton gave a messuage and 47 acres of land, in West Rudham.

In the 20th of Edward III. the prior held here half a fee in pure alms, and in the 3d of Henry IV. here, and in Bagthorp, of the Earl of Arundel.

At the Dissolution, Thomas, the prior of Castleacre, conveyed it to King Henry VIII. in his 29th year; who, soon after, December 22d in the said year, conveyed it to Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk; and Phillip Earl of Arundel, in the 21st of Elizabeth, had license to alienate it to Sir Roger Townsend, whose direct heir and successour, the Right Honourable Charles Lord Viscount Townsend, was lord, and now George Lord Viscount, his son.

Northall, or St. Faith's Manor. (fn. 3)

Peter de Valoins held a manor also, of which Turgis, a freeman was deprived, who had half a carucate of land, with 3 bordarers, and one servus, and one carucate, and an acre of meadow, with four socmen, and six acres, valued at 10s.

From the family of Valoines it came to the Lord Robert FitzWalter, (by the marriage of Gunnora, daughter and heir of the Lord Robert de Valoines, who was lord of it in the reign of King John,) and he granted it to the priory of St. Faiths, of Horsham; and in the 3d of Edward I. the prior of St. Faith's had a lete. The prior, in the 20th of Edward III. held half a fee of the prior of Coxford; and their temporalities, in 1428, were valued at 9l. 18s. 10d.

King Henry VIII. on February 16, in his 35th year, granted it to his beloved councellor, Sir Richard Southwell, and Edward Elrington, Esq together with the site of the priory of St. Faith's, in consideration of the nunnery of Denney, and the manor of Waterbeach, in Cambridgeshire, the manor of Wood-Norton, in Norfolk, &c. before granted to the said Edward, and which he had surrendered to the King, on March 16th, in the said year; and for 646l. 18s. paid to the treasurer of the augmentations, to be held by the 30th part of a fee, and paying for this manor, 1l. 10s. per ann.

Richard Southwell, Esq. was lord in the 8th of Elizabeth, and in the 15th of Elizabeth had a præcipe to render to Sir Thomas Cornwallis his manor of Northal, in West-Rudham.

It was afterwards united to the manor of Ferrers, and was possessed by Sir Roger Townsend in 1588, in which family it remains.

Sir Philip Calthorp, by his will, dated March 27th, 1532, and proved April 7th, 1535, appears to be possessed of a lordship in the towns of East and West Rudham, which was formerly held by Sir Edmund de St. Omer, whose daughter nnd heir, Sybilla, brought it by marriage to Sir John Wythe, and his daughter and heir to Sir John Calthorp, of Calthorp. From the Calthorps it came to the Parkers, and Sir Philip Parker had livery of it about the 20th of Elizabeth,

Alan Earl of Richmond had also a lordship here in the Rudhams, which was a beruite to his manor of Sedesterne, containing two half carucates of land, valued in Sedestern. (fn. 4)

Robert Fitz-Roger held here, in Linge and Mileham, a fee and an half, of the honour of Richmond, and paid castle-guard there 25s. per ann.

The temporalities of Coxford priory here, valued at 32s. 4d. per ann. in 1428. These where granted to the Duke of Norfolk, with the impropriated rectory, the patronage of the vicarage, and after came to the Townsends, as above.

The tenths of West Rudham were 7l. 13s. 4d.—Deducted 1l. 13s. 4d.—Lete fee to the lord of the hundred, 3s. 6d.

The Church of West Rudham is dedicated to St. Peter, and was given by Hervey Belet to the priory of Coxford, and appropriated thereto, who had a manse, with a carucate of land.

The rectory was valued at 26 marks; the prior of Castleacre had a portion in it, valued at one mark, and the prior of Binham, a portion valued at 2s. per ann. given by Roger de Valoins; and the vicarage at 5 marks.—Peter-pence, 12d.

The vicarage is now valued at 7l. 6s. 8d.

The chapel of All-Saints, in the churchyard of St. Peter of WestRudham, is mentioned in 1493.

Thomas Austen, of West Rudham, by his will in 1557, was buried in the church. A gravestone, with a brass:

In memory of Henry Russell, of West Rudham, Esq; who died, September 3, 1606,
And in the chancel, a gravestone, for

Elizabeth Daniel, wife of Robert Daniel, of London, merchant, who died 1626.

Vicars.

Mr. Godfrey, vicar of West Rudham, and Richard his son, were found to have been killed, in the iter of the King's judges, Ao. 14th Edward I.

1305, William de Rademelde, vicar, presented by the prior and convent of Cokesford.

1312, Robart Chattocks. Ditto.

1348, Robert Weynold. Ditto.

1349, Thomas James. Ditto.

1391, John Smyth. Ditto.

1395, Barth. Benet. Dito.

1401, Steph. Honyter. Ditto.

1404, Nich. Chandeler. Ditto.

1410, N. Chandeler, the Bishop, by lapse.

1414, William Brown, by the prior, &c.

1429, Robert Insum, the Bishop by lapse.

1431, William Thurton, by the prior, &c.

1448, Dion. Iggys, the Bishop, a lapse,
Thomas Spark.

1480, Thomas Hempton, by the prior, &c.
Thomas Spendeler.

1492, Robert Robinson. Ditto.

1498, And. Waryn. Ditto.

1504, Thomas Sylesden.

1506, Robert Lawe. Ditto.

1535, Peter Stancliff. Ditto.

1554, William Blakey, the Bishop, a lapse.

1555, John Baymunt. Ditto.

1560, John Head, by Thomas Duke of Norfolk.

1566, John Muriel. Ditto.
Richard Brazell.

1572, Marm. Cholmeley, by John Blenerhasset, &c.

1583, Andrew Pilkington, by Roger Townsend, Esq.

1616, Richard Kettlewell, by Jane Lady Berkley.

1625, John Robotham, by Sir Roger Townsend, Bart.

1639, Michael Mylls, the King, in the minority of Roger Townsend, Bart.

1659, Henry Atkyns, by Hor. Townsend, Bart.

1669, Thomas Gibson. Ditto.

1693, Ant. Austen, by Charles Lord Townsend.

1697, William Marshall, the Bishop, a lapse.

1704, Robert Baldwin, by Charles Lord Townsend.

1707, Peter Guthry, by ditto.

1720, John Athil, by Lord Townsend.

1721, Robert Spencer. Ditto.

1762, Mr. Thomas Burslem.

Here were the gilds of St. Peter and St. John.