Clackclose Hundred and Half: South-Rungton

SOUTH-RUNGTON.

This village is sometimes called Rungton-Holme, and South-Rungton: it was given to the abbot and convent of Bury St. Edmund's, by Alfrick Bishop of Elmham, (fn. 1) in the reign of Canute King of England, and the abbot was lord in the Conqueror's time, as appears from this account in Domesday Book. In Rungton, St. Edmund held in the Confessor's time, 2 carucates of land; there were always 5 villains, 4 bordarers, and 2 servi, 12 acres of meadow, 16 of wood, one mill, one fishery, and 2 carucates in demean, then one among the tenants, now 2 oxgangs, one beast for burden, 8 cows, paunage for 30 hogs, 15 sheep; there belong to this manor, 27 freemen; the soc was in St. Edmund's; they had one carucate of land, and there were always 3 carucates, and 2 bordarers. There also belongs to the said manor half a carucate of land; there were always 4 bordarers, one servus, and one carucate in demean; also 30 acres belong to it with one villain, and 2 bordarers; it was always valued at 7l. and 4s. There belongs to this manor a beruwit called Isinghetun, which lies in another hundred. This whole manor is one leuca in length and 5 furlongs in breadth, and pays 8d. when the hundred pays 20s. to the gelt.— Under the invasions of the abbot, we find that he held 150 acres which five freemen held in the Confessor's time: there were then 2 carucates and an half, now two, and 4 bordarers, valued at 20s. and he claims it as the King's gift. In the same village one freeman had half a carucate, there were 4 bordarers, and 2 freemen who had 6 acres valued at 10s. there were also 46 acres which 3 freemen held; always one bordarer, 3 carucates, and 6 acres of meadow, valued at 10s. which the abbot had seized on.

Terr. Abb. de S'co Edmundo. In Runghetuna ten. Sc's E. T. R. E. ii. car. t're. semp. v. vill. et iiii. bor. et ii. serv. xii. ac. p'ti. xvi. ac. silve, i. mol. i. piscina, et ii. car. in dominio, tc. i. car. hom. modo ii. bov. semp. i. runc. viii. an. xxx. por. xv. ovs. huic maner' jacent xxvii. lib hoe's, i. soca remanebat S'co. Ed. h'ntes i. car. t're semp. iii. car'. ii. bor. jacent eliam huic man. dim. car. t're semp. iiii. bor. et i. ser. et i. car. in d'nio; et adhuc jacent xxx. ac. et i. vill. et ii. bor. semp. vol. vii.l. et iiii. sol. huic manerio jace' i. berewita que vocat. Isinghetuna et e. in al. hund'. hos maner. ht. i. leug'. in longo et v. quar. in lat. et reddit viii. d. qu'. totu' hund. redd. xx. sol. de gelto.

Invasion' Scj. Edm. Abbas. S'cj. Edm'. ten. in Runghetuna cl. ac. qd. tenuere' v. lib. hoe's T. R. E. tc. ii. car. et dim. mo. ii. iiii. bor. val. xx. sol. ha'c. tr'a reclam. ex dono regis, in ead. vill. ten'. i. lib. ho. dim. car. iiii. bor. ii. lib. ho'es de vi ac. val. x sol. in ead xlvi. ac. q'. ten. iii lib. ho'es. se'p. i. bor. iii. car. vi. ac. p'ti, val. x. sol.

In the 24th of Henry III. the jury find that the abbot of Bury held this manor in pure alms of the King, and that it had once been the demeans of several of the Kings of England. In the 3d of Edward I. the abbot claimed the lete, assise of bread and beer, gallows, weif of his tenants, and other privileges in his manors, here, in Holm, and Wallingham; (fn. 2) in the 30th of the said King, there was an extent made (during the vacancy of the abbey, then in the King's hands) by the free tenants and villains of this manor, who present that there was a capital messuage, curtilages, &c. with 198 acres of arable land, and 16 acres of meadow, value 16s. a messuage in Wigenhale, and a marsh called Homislode, land in Walington, called Pallingslod, a toft called Wammingslod, a windmill, 42 free tenants, several villains, with their rents and services named, a fishery valued 5s. In the 3d of Edward II. I find it wrote Suth Rungton, in a fine then levied of lands here, to distinguish it from a town in the neighbouring hundred, called North Rungton; and in the 9th of that King, the abbot had a patent to purchase a messuage, 11 acres of land, and several rents here.

It appears from ancient records, that the abbot of Bury had very large liberties and privileges, not only within the bailywick or franchise of St. Edmund, which contained 8 hundreds and an half in Suffolk, but also in their foreign or outlying manors, viz. fines, amerciaments, the year-day, waste, felons, and fugitives goods, goods of felo de se, and outlaws goods, and that King Edward III. by his charter, dated 22 July, in the 4th year of his reign, granted the abbot, &c. to have all the liberties which he and his predecessors had used by virtue of any general words in any former grants of the kings, his predecessors. The several kings whose charters are there recited, are King Canute, Edward the Confessor, Henry I. Richard I. King John, Henry III. Edward I. &c.

The abbot and his tenants had a discharge from contributing to the repairs of the gutters, banks, &c. between Gering's dam and Fleming's hithe in Watlington, as he and his tenants of Rungton had no lands, tenements, or commonage in Watlington; dated December 10, anno 24 Edward III.

This manor in a lease (dated 1st of August, in the 8th of Henry VI.) of William Curteys, then abbot, to Peter Sewale, is called Rungton Roper; the rent was 27l. 13s. 6d. per ann. all knights fees, the advowson of the church, reliefs, escheats, wayfs, estrays, lete, profit of the church, &c. were excepted, and reserved to the abbot, &c.

After the dissolution of the abbey of Bury, it remained in the Crown, till King Philip and Queen Mary, in the 4th and 5th of their reign, on the 12th of February, granted it to John Cajus, doctor of physic, and it was given by him to Cajus college, in Cambridge, in which house it still continues; Cajus was master of the college, and physician to Queen Mary.

The tenths of this town were 7l. 4s.—Deducted 1l. 10s.—Remain 5l. 14s.

The temporalities of the abbot of Bury, were taxed here, in 1428, at 24l. 6s. 10d.

The temporalities of the abbot of Ramsey at 16d.

The temporalities of the prior of Wirmegaye, here, or at North Rungton, at 1l. 5s. 11d.

The lete of this town, Holm, Thorpland, and Wallington, was in Sir George Hare: lete fee together is 4s. The prior of Bromhill had lands or a little lordship here, and in Holme, given them by William, son of John of Rungton-Holme, of which see in Weting. In 1428 their temporalities here, were valued at 15s. This is now in Christ's college, Cambridge, and held by Sir William Brown, M. D.

The Church of Rungton is dedicated to St. Andrew, and was a rectory in the patronage of the abbot of Bury, given to that abbey with the manor, by Alfrick Bishop of Elmham; to this village there belongs the hamlet of Holm with its chapel, and into this the rectors of Rungton are instituted with the said rectory.—The church appears to be a very antique pile, built of rag-stone, &c. dug in the neighbourhood, and lately repaired with brick in many places: it consists of a nave and a chancel covered with reed; the nave is in length about 47 feet, and in breadth about 21; at the west end near a window of the gable (here being no tower) hangs a small bell. At the east end of this nave, on the pavement, lies a marble with a brass plate:

Here under lyeth buried the body of Amye Neve, wife of Thomas Neve, gentilman, who departed this life, the twentie third day of March, An. Dom. m.dc.xxxvii.

Near to this lies another marble stone.

Here lyeth interred the body of Stephen Edgar, gent. who departed this life the eight and twentie day of June, in the three and fourtie year of his age, and in the year of our Lord 1653.

On a third,

Here under lyeth buried the body of Ann, the wife of Stephen Edgar, who departed this life the eighteenth day of June, An. Dom. 1636.

Between this nave and the chancel is a Gothick arch of great antiquity, the chancel is antique and forms a semicircle, built of stone, but repaired with brick, it is in length about 24 feet, and in breadth about 17. On the pavement here, lies a marble stone thus inscribed,

Here under lieth interred the body of Ester Edgar, the second wife of Stephen Edgar, gent. and daughter of Robert Carter of Norwich, merchant, who departed this life the 11th day of September. An. salutis 1639, Annoq; Ætatis suæ 20. Here also lyeth buried the two daughters, Susan and Mary, who expiered their lives the 28 of August, 1639, being the 5 day of their age.

On another,

Here under lyeth interred the body of Thomas Neve, gent. who departed this life the 18 day of July, An. Salutis 1639, Annoq; Ætatis suæ 65.

Rectors.

1301, Robert de Ereswell, presented by the abbot and convent of Bury: license granted to this rector to serve one Sunday at Rungton, the next at Walyngton chapel, and the 3d Sunday at Holm chapel. (fn. 3)

1304, William de Swanton presented by the abbot, &c. This church at this time was valued at 26 marks, and the portion of St. Saviour (a religious house or hospital near the North Gate of Bury (fn. 4) ) at half a mark.

1323, Edward de Stowe, by Richard, abbot, &c.

1349, Geffrey de Hunden, Rongeton cum Cappellis, by, &c.

1358, Thomas Atte Lathe, (he was rector of Stokesby and exchanged with Hunden,) presented by the abbot, &c.

1361, William Fabel, presented by the King, on the vacancy of the abbacy of Bury; he was rector of Horrington in the diocese of Bath and Wells, and exchanged with Atte Lathe.

1368, Henry de Sonnyngwell, presented by John, abbot, &c. he was rector of Coryngham in the diocese of London, and exchanged with Fabel.

1371, Edward de Doryngton, by John, abbot, &c.; he was rector of Fobbyng in the diocese of London, and exchanged with Sonnyngwell. This Edward was appointed guardian of the estate of Humphry de Bohun, late Earl of Hereford; Pat. 35 Edward III. p. 3.

1401, Edward Stechesworth, by the abbot, &c.; he was rector of Chelsworth, and exchanged with Doryngton.

Edmund Habirgent, rector of Rungton, by his will, dated on Monday after the Epiphany, 1416, and proved 14 February, in the said year, desires to be buried in the church here, before the high altar; bequeaths to the church of Rungton-Holme 20s. to the chapel of Holme 20s. to the chapel of Wallington 20s. and gives a purple cloth for a covering of the sepulchre of our Lord. (fn. 5)

1416, John Bache, (primam habens tonsuram clericalem,) by the abbot, &c.

1417, Ralph Harlyng, on the resignation of Bache, by the abbot, &c.; he was rector of West-Stow, and exchanged with Bache.

Ralph Harlyng, bachelor of degrees, rector of Rungeton with its chapels annexed, being very sickly, and aged, and also blind, resigned to us; and we present John Seman of Stradeshull. (fn. 6)

1419, John Seman, by the abbot, &c.; he was obliged to pay Haryng a pension of seven marks per ann. during his life.

1422, William Dey, on the resignation of Seman, by the abbot, &c.; he was rector of Paul's Crey, in Kent, in the diocese of Rochester, and exchanged with Seman.

Ralph Kemp, rector of Rungeton, exchanged 14 February, 1429, with Thomas Buck, rector of Hadesco, Norfolk. (fn. 7)

1429, Thomas Bucke, on the resignation of Kemp, by William, abbot, &c.

1431, Edmund Blake to Rungeton-Holme, with the chapels of Walyngton and Holme, by the abbot, &c. on the resignation of Bucke.

1454, Robert Faux, on the resignation of Blake, by the abbot, &c.; he was rector of Holme St. Andrew, and exchanged with Blake.

1462, Roger Lane, on the death of Faux, by the abbot, &c.; he wills in 1488, to be buried in the church of St. James of Holme, before the image of St. Mary, gives to its repair 6s. and 8d. and the same sum to the repair of St. Andrew of Rungton, and St. Margaret of Wallington. (fn. 8)

1489, John Stonham, on the death of the last rector, by Thomas, abbot, &c.

1493, Edmund Rowray, vel Rory, on the resignation of Stonham, by Thomas, abbot, &c.

1504, Richard Wodehill, on the death of Rory, by the abbot, &c.

1511, William Lakenham, A. M.

1520, Nicholas Norton, on the resignation of Lakenham, collated by the Bishop of Norwich by lapse.

1529, Matthew Rabon, on the death of Norton, by the abbot, &c: In the 6th year of Edward VI. on the 18 December, that King gave the advowson of this church, and the chapels belonging, to Edward Lord Clinton, and Henry Herdson of London, afterwards it came to Judge Gawdy, &c.

Robert Morley occurs rector about the year 1560. Dns. Rob. Morley, presbiter non conjugatus, satis doctus, residet, hospitalis, Ibidem, non prædicat nec licentiatus, nullum aliud. (fn. 9)

1579, Humphrey Melton, on the death of the last rector, presented by Francis Gawdy, serjeant at law: in his answer to King James's queries, he says there were 102 communicants here in 1603.

William Clapham.

1603, William Fleming, on the death of Clapham, by John Conynsby, Esq.

1614, Joseph Allison, A. M. on the death of the last rector, by Sir Robert Rich, Knt.

1631, Thomas Eales, A. M. on Allison's death, by Robert Earl of Warwick.

1661, Henry Drury, A. M. by the Bishop of Norwich, by lapse.

1672, William Peter, A. M. on Drury's death by Doctor Brady.

1672, Henry Lewes, A. M. by Sir Thomas Barrington and the Lady Anne his wife, the Lady Mary, and the Lady Essex Rich, by the King's mandate, by which William Peter was ejected.

1690, Richard Miller, A. M. on the death of Lewes, by Thomas Blofield.

1702, Henry Jenkin, A. M. on Miller's death, by Robert Jenkin, clerk.

1732, Thomas Jenkin, A. M. by William Jenkin Gent.

1756, Charles Davy, rector, on Jenkin's death, by Charles Davy, Gent.

1764, John White, rector.

This rectory is now valued in the King's Books at 12l. and pays first-fruits, &c.

The old valor, with the chapel of Holme, was 26 marks; Peterpence, 18d.—The hospital of our Saviour at Bury had a portion of tithe, valued at 6s. 8d. per annum, and the rector had 60 acres of glebe land.