Eynford Hundred: Brandeston and Guton

BRANDESTON AND GUTON.

Brandeston was a small lordship, or beruite, belonging to King Herold's great lordship of Cawston, in South Erpingham hundred, and at the conquest was possessed by King William I. We learn from the survey, that 4 freemen formerly held here (under Herold) 52 acres of land, with a carucate and a half and 8 acres of meadow, &c. and that it was valued in Causton. (fn. 1) It remained in the Crown many years; King John granted it with Causton to be held in capite of him, to Hubert Burgh Earl of Kent, and was held of him by the family of De Peccato, or Peche, and after by the family of de Gyney, as I shall show.

Guton was a considerable town and lordship, at the time of the survey, though now depopulated, and included in Brandeston, and was wrote Gutheketuna. (fn. 2) —Lestan, a freeman, was on the conquest deprived of it, and it was granted to Toheli Brito of Britagne in France, who attended the Duke of Normandy into England, and had also the manors of Calthorp, and of Boton in South Erpingham, bestowed upon him; and Osbert held this under Teheli, at the survey. In Lestan's time, 4 carucates of land belonged to it, 9 villains, &c. 17 borderers, &c. 2 servi, 2 carucates in demean, and 4 among the tenants, 30 acres of meadow, &c. a mill, 4 runci, 8 cows, 14 skeps of bees, and 18 socmen, and there were 18 socmen with 112 acres of land, and one borderer, and 4 carucates and 3 acres and an half of meadow; the King and the Earl had the soc. It was valued before the survey at 4l. and then at 6l. per ann. was one leuca long, and half a leuca broad, and paid 7d. to the King's gelt.

The family of Peche had an interest in this town, and Sir Andrew de Helion, of Bumpstead, in Essex, certified the venerable barons of the Exchequer, on the marriage of the King's sister, to the Emperour Germany, about 1234, that Symon Peche held 3 parts of a fee of him, in Gukenton, Norfolk.

William Peche, son of Simon, was living in the reign of Edward I.; his daughter and heir brought it by marriage to Roger, 2d son of William de Gyney, who in the 10th of that King, then a knight, was summoned to attend that King in his expedition into Wales. Sir Roger, and Margery his wife, claimed in an assise, the advowson of the church of Brandeston, against Robert Fitz-Roger, which Simon Peche, his wife's grandfather, was possessed of. In the 15th of the said King, he claimed a weekly mercate on Friday, a fair on the decollation of St. John Baptist, and free warren.

He was living in the 3d of Edward III. and Margery his widow in the 7th of that King, settled by fine, on Thomas their son, a mill, with rents in these towns, and 4l. 2s. rents per ann This Thomas married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Thomas Mortimer; (fn. 3) in 1378, she made her testament, which was proved October 24, 1378, and desires to be buried in the church of Sir Nicholas of Brandeston, near to her husband, and appoints her son, Sir John Gyney, executor.

In 1400, Sir Thomas Gyney gave by his will, dated September 22, (fn. 4) to Cecily his wife, all his goods and chattles, and was proved July 10, 1403; she was in the 13th of Henry IV. the wife of Sir Thomas Gerberge, and Sir Thomas Gyney her son, by his will, dated May 1, in the 5th of Henry V. and proved February 10, 1420, bequeaths his body to be buried in the Augustin friars church at Norwich, and sums of money to the churches of Brandeston, Woodnorton, Geist, Patesley, Swannington in Norfolk; Geslingham and Gestington in Suffolk; (fn. 5) he seems to have left an only daughter, Margery, who, as lady of Guton Hall, presented to this church in 1431.

After this, Sir John Fastolf was lord, and presented to the church in 1448, and so to John Paston, Esq. in the 18th of Edward IV. the jury find that it would not be to the King's prejudice if license was granted to William Waynfleet Bishop of Winchester, &c. to alien to William Tyberd, clerk president of St. Mary Magdalen's college, in Oxford, in part of satisfaction, for 500l. land, the manors of Guton in Brandeston, (and the advowson) in Titchwell, Brancaster, Thornham, and lands in Holm, Reedham Hall in Boyton, the manors of Spirling in Freston, Caldecotes in Freston, Akethorp in Leicestershire, Haverland, &c. lately belonging to Sir John Fastolf, and after to John Paston, Esq. and in the said college Guton Hall remains.

In the chamber of this hall were the arms of Bishop Waynfleet; fusily, ermin and sable, on a chief of the second, three lilties, argent, with a mitre, and the garter, as prelate of that order.

the tenths were 3l. 10s. deducted 10s.

The Church of Brandeston is a rectory; the old valor was 18 marks, paid Peter-pence, 8d. the present valor is 7l. 12s. 6d. ob. it is dedicated to St. Nicholas, consisting of a nave or body, and a chapel. and a round tower at the north-west end of the nave. In a window of the chancel, gules, an escotheon, and orle of martlets, argent, Filby; three reed sheafs, or, Reedham; paly of six or, and gules, and a chief, ermine Gynney. In a window of the church, the figure of St. Nicholas under it a woman kneeling, in a scarlet gown, and a girdle of gold, and this lable:

Serve Dei Nicholae, mei Christo memor esto.

In another window the history of the Good Samaritan.

Rectors.

In 1338, Thomas Andrew, instituted rector, presented by Thomas, son of Sir Roger Gyney, deceased.

1349, John de Massingham, by Sir Thomas Genye.

1357, Roger de Felthorp. Ditto.

1402, Elyas Heyward, by William Brown, clerk.

1431, Henry Helwys, by Margery Gyney, in right of the manor of Guton, in Brandeston.

1431, John Folsham. Ditto.

1448, Thomas Hoop, by Sir John Fastolf.

1475, Adam Middlegate, by William Bishop of Winchester.

1506, Bartholomew Jolly, by the Bishop of Norwich, a lapse.

1531, Mr. John Brisset, by Magdalen college, Oxford.

1551, Richard Hay. Ditto.

1556, Richard Blanch, A. M. Ditto.

1559, John Brown. Ditto.

1560, Henry Kirke. Ditto.

1561, John Mapes. Ditto.

1571, Christopher Sankey. Ditto. Thomas Potman, rector, compounded in 1636.

1733, George Burton on the death of Joseph Furze.

1742, William Howard.

1744, John Audley, D. D. by Magdalen college.

Margery de Boton, was an anchoress here, in the church, as I take it. The temporalitities of St. Faith's 12s. 8d. Of Longevile priory 12d.

Byntre-Hastings Manor.

On the deprivation of Edric, a Saxon freeman, this lordship was granted to Walter Giffard: it consisted of a carucate of land, 3 villains, and 9 borderers, &c. 2 carucates in demean, and 2 among the tenants, 8 acres of meadow, &c. 60 sheep, valued at 20s. but at the survey at 55s. and 4 freemen had a carucate of land, and 2 carucates and 3 acres of meadow, and one borderer valued at 20s. at the survey at 12s. the soc of this in King Edward's reign, belonged to Folsham, the King's manor, but at the survey Giffard had it. It is 5 furlongs long, 3 broad, and pays 12d. ob. gelt to the King. (fn. 6)

Walter was a great favourite of William Duke of Normandy, and created by him Earl of Buckingham, which his son Walter enjoyed, who died without issue male, and came on the marriage of his daughter—, to the Earls of Clare.

This lordship was held by the Marshals Earls of Pembroke, of the honour of Clare, and of the Marshals, by a family who took their name from this town; all Giffard's manors came to the Earls of Clare, who were the capital lords.

Eborard de Bintre, in the 2d of King John, complained that he had been impleaded by Herebert his brother, in a court christian, on account of a lay fee; and Bartholomew de Bintre held here, and in Geystweyt, half a fee of the Earl of Gloucester, in King Henry the Third's reign, and Edward I.

In the 11th of Edward I. John le Marescall held of the Earl of Gloucester, the advowson of this church, 2 water-mills, &c. as appears by the escheat rolls; Roger de Bintre was in the 8th of Edward II. found to hold one fee here, &c. in the 10th of that King, lands were settled by fine, on Richard de Byntre, and Rose his wife; and in the 19th, Robert de Bintre, chaplain, conveyed to William, son of John de Byntre, lands, messuages, &c.

Thomas de Byntre was living in the 18th of Edward III. and sealed with—, on a bend, cottised,—three cross crosslets, with Margaret his wife, held a lordship here, with one in Irmingland, in Norfolk, both which after came to William Hastings, of Aylsham, and Sir John de Bintre, son of Ralph, had an interest here in 33d of Edward III.

Sir John Curson of Beck hall and Below, was lord of Hastings in the 4th of Edward IV. and died seized of it in the 11th of that King. John Curson of Belaugh, died possessed of it in the first of Edward VI. and William, his son and heir, inherited it; Thomas, son of William Curson, had livery of it in the 20th of Eizabeth. These all held of the Marshals, the Morleys, who had the patronage, and the Parkers, and was sold by them.

After this, it was conveyed to Sir Thomas Hunt, Knt. soap-boiler of London; William Hunt his son, and Thomas his grandson, inherited it, and from this family it came to Sir Jacob Astley, Bart. whose grandson, Sir Jacob, died lord, and his son, Sir Edward, is the present lord.

Langetot Manor.

In the first year of King John, Gilbert de Langetot bought of William de Bellomont of Saxlingham, 2 knights fees, and a part of one in Bintre. Alexander de Norfolk gives by deed, sans date, with the assent of his Lady Emma de Langetot, and the Lady Muriel her daughter and heirs, to God and the canons of Missenden, in Bucks, all his land in the village of Binetre, in Norfolk, which Jeffrey, son of William, and the said Emma his wife, gave to him, for his services, paying 12d. per ann. Emma de Langetot, with the consent of Muriel her daughter, confirmed the same, and gave 12d. of the tithe of Alan de Burfeld of Bintre, to the said convent. (fn. 7)

In the 11th of King John, Muriel de Langetot conveyed by fine, one carucate of land, to Alan de Singlefeld, and the abbot and canons of Missenden grant to William de Englefeld, and his heirs, all the land in Binitre, which Alan de Norfolk gave them, on his paying 7s. per ann. to them; and in the 24th of Henry III. Godfrey de Langetot held of William de Englefeld, 2 knights fees and an half in this town, Wichingham and Saxlingham, &c. and acknowledge by fine to do service to him.

Robert Langetoft was lord in the 22d of Richard II. and held it of the Earl of March; it was in the same family in the 38th of Henry VI. after this, it came to the Cursons, and united to Hastings manor.

The prior of Walsingham had lands here Adelicia, widow of Jeffrey Baynard, of Bynetre, gave rents, as did Albinus de Standford, and William Smyth, John, son of Warine de Lettey, Robert de Gloze, and William, son of Richard de Thurston, gave lands. Sir William, son of Sir Robert de Morley, confirmed all the lands in Folsham, Byntre, Geyst, &c. of the gift of Sir John Mareschall, senior, and Oliva his wife, and to have court as they used to have, in the 26th of Edward III. in 1428, their temporalities were valued at 12s. 8d. q.

On April 11th, in the 4th of Edward VI. this was granted to Thomas Bishop of Norwich, and his successours.

The tenths were 7l. 14s. 8d. deducted 3l.

In the parlour window of Bintre Curson's manor, are the arms of Howard Duke of Norfolk; the quarterings broke.

Felton, and Curson, quarterly, impaling Drury. Felton, quartering, in the second and 3d quarter, Curson, in the 4th, an harpy or sphinx, displayed, or.

The Church is a rectory dedicated to St. Swithin, has 2 isles, with a chapel on the south side, also a chancel, and square tower, with four bells.

In the chancel a stone,

In memory of Thomas Hunt, rector, about 1510, and For Ralph Outlaw, who died rector 1688, aged 68.

In a window the arms of Morley. Edward Style of Bintre, buried in the church, 1465, and gave land to the covering of it.

Rectors.

Richard de Langbrigg was rector in the 3d of Henry III. and the church was then in the patronage of the King, and valued at 30 marks, afterwards at 20 marks, and paid Peter-pence, 10d. ob. the present valor is 10l.

1270, William de Wintershull instituted rector, presented by the King, on account of the lands of William le Marshall.

1299, Robert de Brampton, by Lady Hawys le Marshall.

1303, John de Burgh. Ditto. John de Colton, rector.

1316, John Bacoun. Ditto.

1318, John de Halys. Ditto.

1349, Thomas Alot, by Sir Robert de Morle.

1361, William Chattocke, by Sir William Morle, lord marshal of Ireland.

1367, William de Berton. Ditto.

1388, Robert Ward, by Thomas Lord Morley.

1396, Thomas Dale. Ditto.

1405, William Essex. Ditto.

1409, John Romley. Ditto.

1413, William Rumley. Ditto.

1426, John Brewster, by Ann Lady Morley.

1445, Andrew Deen, by Lady Isabella Morley.

1480, Andrew Holley, by John Duke of Norfolk, on the minority of Henry Lovell Lord Morley.

Thomas Hunt, occurs rector 1510.

1611, Edward Rix, rector, compounded in April. Henry Barton, rector, compounded April 7, 1636. Robert Hewet, rector, compounded January, 1642.

1688, George Featherstone.

1721, John Hardy, by Sir J. Astley.

Ralph Outlaw, died rector.

1724, Thomas Astley. Ditto.

1743, T. Horsely. Ditto.

1754, Richard Drake, by Edward Astley, Esq.

1759, John Astley, by Sir J. Astley, Bart.

Besides the lordship of Walter Giffard, abovementioned, Godric, the King's bailiff, or steward, had 20 acres of land, 2 acres of meadow, and a carucate which 2 freemen possessed, in King Edward's time, valued at 3s. (fn. 8) This came to the Giffards some time after, and was united to their manor.

Hagon or Hacon, prepositus Regis, the King's reeve or bailiff, had, at the survey, an hundred acres of land, 10 socmen, and 4 carucates were among the tenants, with 7 acres of meadow, valued at 20s. (fn. 9)

Hacon had also small lordships in Geyst, Geystweyt, Norton, Weston, Sparham, Tytheby, Thirning in Eynford hundred, and in Sall.

This lordship was also united to Giffard's capital manor soon after the survey.