Clackclose Hundred and Half: Thorpland

THORPLAND,

A small hamlet now belonging to Rungton aforesaid, but formerly a village, or township by itself; in Domesday Book, called Torplanda, and Torp: the greatest part of it was in the hands of Hermerus de Ferrariis, lord of Wirmegay, at the survey, and held before by Turchetel. Bordinus held under Hermerus, one carucate of land, 5 villains, 2 borderers, 20 acres of meadow, always one carucate in domain, and formerly one amongst the tenants; at the survey, 2 oxgangs, &c. 80 sheep, paunage for 10 hogs, a church endowed with 6 acres, valued before the survey, in all, at 30s. but now at 20s.; it was one leuca long, and 4 furlongs broad, and paid 8d. to the gelt, when the hundred was assessed at 20s.—Hermerus had also seized on 8 freemen who held 20 acres, and 2 acres of meadow, valued at 12d.—In the same, were 8 customary tenants belonging to the lords fold, valued at 10s.—Also 28 acres valued at 2s. 8d. besides 30 acres which Godwin, a freeman, held, who afterwards became an outlaw. Hermerus had with this 3 acres of meadow, one carucate of land, 2 beasts for burden, 6 hogs, 40 sheep, 4 carucates of corn, &c. and has given surety for these and other effects. (fn. 1)

Sybeton-Hall.

The possessions of Hermerus abovementioned descended to the Lords Bardolfs, and became part of the honour of Wirmegey. In the reign of Henry III. when an aid was granted him on the marriage of his sister to the Emperor, Nicholas de Sybeton held the 9th part of a fee here, of the aforesaid honour, and Hamon de Sybeton granted by fine in the 44th of the said King, his manor here, and that of Wallington, with lands in Stow, &c. to Mr. William de Clare and his heirs, to be held of Hamon and his heirs. (fn. 2) In the 3d of Edward I. Geffrey de Thorpland held it, and claimed the lete, assize of bread and beer, gallows, all forfeitures, &c. but in the 9th of Edward III. Adam, son of John of Watlington, held a messuage and 40 acres of land here of John de Thorpland, by the service of 2s. per ann. In the 5th of Henry VI. Sir John Colvil was lord, and in the 17th of the said King, he settled this manor on a chantry which he founded in the church of Newton in Cambridgeshire. (fn. 3) At the Dissolution it was granted to Thomas Mildmay, and in the 30th of Elizabeth, Sir Thomas Mildmay conveyed it to Francis Gawdy, Esq. and so it came into the Warwick family, (as may be seen in Wallington,) and by the marriage of Essex, one of the daughters and coheirs of Robert Earl of Warwick, to Daniel Finch Earl of Nottingham, who sold it to Philip Bell, Esq. who gave it to his nephew, Philip Bell, Esq. (younger brother to Beaupré Bell, Esq. of Outwell,) whose son died lord, and left a son and heir, now a minor.

Eston-Hall.

In the reign of Henry III. Sarah de Eston was found to hold lands here of the honour of Wirmegey, by the fourth part of a fee. (fn. 4) Jeffrey de Eston held it in the 20th of Edward III. and by a roll of the honour of Wirmegey, made in the said reign, it appears that he had liberty of a fold, a windmill, and a right of driving beasts into the fen, performing homage, and fealty, suit of court, castle-guard, and wayt fee, 12d. at St. Michael and Easter, to the said honour. Nicholas Beaupré, in the 11th of Richard II. aliened to the nunnery of Crabhous, a mes suage and 33 acres of land here, and in Wygenhale and Tilney.— (Esch. 11. Richard II. N. 108.)—In the 3d of Henry IV. William Hunt was lord; after this it came to the Gawsels, and Thomas Gawsell of Wallington, Esq. died lord in 1500: from the Gawsells it was conveyed to the Coningsbys, Gawdys, &c. to the Earl of Nottingham, and Bell, as will be shown in Wallington.

Besides these two lordships, in the 3d of Edward I. the prior of Westacre, and the prioress of Crabhouse, were found to hold the 3d part of a fee, of the gift of Alexander, son of Reginald de Thorpland, of the honour of Wirmegey: on the Dissolution, this was granted to Mildmay, who conveyed it to Gawdy, and so was united with the aforesaid lordships. The temporalities of the prior of Westacre here and in Wallington, in 1428, were valued at 22s. 4d. per ann. and their spiritualities here, at 20s.

Abbot of Bury's Manor.

The abbot of St. Edmund's Bury, at the survey, had a freeman who held 4 acres, of whom he had the protection only. St. Bennet, (that is, Ramsey abbey,) had the soc, it was valued at 8d. (fn. 5) This was part of the abbot's manor of Rungton abovementioned.

The temporalities of the prior of Shouldham, here and in Wallington, in 1428, were valued at 14s. 3d. The tenths of this village and Wallington, were 1l. 18s. Deduct 6s. 8d. Remain 1l. 6s. 4d.

The church or chapel which was here has been in ruins two, or near three centuries; that there was one at the conquest and endowed, I have already observed; and that it was standing in 1434 appears from the will of Thomas Foston of Carboisthorp, who gives to the church of Thorpland 3s 4d.; and in 1488, Roger Lane, rector of Rungton, bequeaths to the church of St. Thomas of Thorpland, the same sum; the chapel or church of Wallington, after this, served both places, for their publick worship, till about 140 years past. After that fell, the church of Rungton, and since the fall of that, these hamlets are obliged to go to the church of Holme. On the death of Sir Francis Gawdy it was found that he died seized of the rectory of of Thorpland. It is said to be appropriated anciently to the priory of Westacre, and the prior had a manse with 12 acres: it was valued at 20s.; Peter-pence 9d.