North Erpingham Hundred: Berningham Winter, or Ton Berningham

BERNINGHAM WINTER, OR TON BERNINGHAM.

It has been already observed, that this town, with that of Berningham Northwood, made up, and consisted of only one township, called Berningham, at the survey; and it was a considerable time after, before it was divided, that these distinct names were assumed; and as those tenures before mentioned, which were granted on the conquest to Roger Bigot, made up the manor of Norwood Berningham, so they did likewise the greatest part, if not the whole, of BerninghamWinter.

The family of Curzun was, soon after the conquest, enfeoft of this lordship; William de Curzun was living in the reign of Henry I. Ralph Curzun in that of Henry II. Sir Robert Curzun in 1239; (fn. 1) in the said year, Roger Curzi was found to hold 3 parts of a fee of Richard de la Rokele, and he of the Earl of Norfolk, in Tone Berningham: this is the first time that I find it thus called, and sometimes I find it wrote Town; but Toni or Ton is undoubtedly the most proper and right name. Thus we meet with Tunbridge, Tunford, in Kent; Tunwell, Tunford, in Hertfordshire; and the river Tone or Tune, in Somersetshire.

John and Thomas de Curzun had an interest herein in the 3d of Edward I. Roger le Curzun was lord in the 9th of Edward II. and in the 12th of that King had a grant of a fair and weekly mercate, and free warren here. In the 11th of Edward III. Robert de Burneby, parson of Ton Berningham, as a trustee, settled on Sir John de Curzoun, and Elizabeth his wife, this lordship, with a messuage, 56 acres of land 3 of meadow, 8 of pasture, 16 of heath, 2 of alder, and 13s. rent in this town, and Roger, in tail; and in the 33d of the said King, John de Reppes, junior, held it in right of his wife, —, late wife of —de Curzoun.

After this it came to the Winters. William Winter and Maud his wife held this lordship of Cursons, in the 49th of Edward III. as appears from a fine; this William purchased of John Leche the manors of Eggemere and Wighton, and had free warren in this town, confirmed to him in the 17th of Richard II. by his will, dated on Wednesday after the feast of the conception of the Blessed Virgin, in the 21st of that King, he requires to be buried in the chancel of this church; Elizabeth was then his wife; proved February 6, 1398; (fn. 2) he was descended from Adam Winter of Heckingham in Norfolk, who married Joan, daughter and coheir of August. Waxtoneshham, and Sarah de Heckingham, his wife; (fn. 3) and William Winter was sheriff of Norfolk in the time of Richard II.

John Winter, Esq. son and heir of William, (as I take it,) was representative for the county of Norfolk in 1409; presented to this church in 1412, and held this manor by three parts of a fee of the Earl of Norfolk; he married, first, —, daughter of — Braylesford of Braylesford in Derbyshire; and secondly Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of William de Hetherset, and Eva his wife, by whom he had a daughter, Elizabeth, who in the 12th of Henry IV. released to Simon de Felbrigg, all her right in the manor of Chebenhale, and lands in Fressingfield in Suffolk, formerly Sir Walkeline de Herteshale's.

Edmund Winter, Esq. succeeded John, (his son by his first wife:) he married Oliva, daughter and coheir of Sir William Hampton. In the 13th of Henry IV. John Aberhale conveyed by fine to him and his wife, and to Robert Scot, and Joan his wife, the manors of Hampton, and Mappenors, and lands in Batton and Hampton-Richard's in Herefordshire: his second wife was Alice, relict of John Wodehouse, Esq. (famous for his gallantry at the battle of Agincourt, in France,) his will is dated February 20, 1447, and proved March 2, following; (fn. 4) whereby he gives to Alice his wife, this manor for life: remainder to John his son, and was buried in this church, before the high altar: appoints John his son, and Margaret his daughter, and her husband, and Ralph Lampet, Esq. (fn. 5) executors; gives to Alice, his wife, several gold utensils. Alice, his widow, according to her will, dated March 15, in the said year, 1447, and proved April 5 following, was buried in the charnel-house of the cathedral church of Norwich, by her first husband, Woodhouse.

About this time, Sir Richard Winter was living, who married Jane, daughter of John Berney, Esq. of — and Catherine, his wife.

John Winter, Esq. son and heir of Edmund, by Oliva his first wife, was lord, and presented to the church in 1457, 1459, &c. This John is said to have married Margaret, daughter of Sir Thomas Echingham of Echingham in Sussex, by whom he had John, his son and heir, Walter and Richard.

John Winter, Esq. son of John, married Alice, daughter of — Turtevile, lord of Turtevile's manor, in Stivekey, Norfolk; and presented to that church in 1491, and to this church in 1490, &c. by whom he had Henry, his son and heir; his 2d wife was —, daughter of Brampton of Brampton, in Norfolk, and his 3d wife was —, daughter of — de Huntingfeld; he died in 1494; and Henry was found then to be his son and heir; Sir Henry Heydon, as guardian to him, presented to Stivekey in 1497. In 1527, Henry Winter presented to this church, and in 1540; by Dorothy his wife, daughter of Clement Herward of Alburgh, Esq. he had John, his son and heir, who occurs lord in 1541; and is said to have left, by Catherine, his wife, daughter of Philip Bedingfeld of Ditchingham in Norfolk, Esq. Philip, his son and heir; the will of John is dated September 28, 1558, and he was buried in this church; it was proved March 1, following; by an inquisition he was found to die seized of this manor and advowson, by the 3d part of a fee; (fn. 6) 3 messuages, 142 acres in this town, and Northwood Berningham; and Philip his son and heir, by Mary his wife, daughter of Ralph Symonds, Esq. of Cley, was aged 26; his death was on November 22, in the first of Elizabeth.

This Philip presented to this church in 1561, and 1572; William, his son, married Francis, daughter of William Rokewood, Esq. of Weston; on this marriage, Philip settled, in the 19th of Elizabeth, on the said Francis, 30l. per ann. out of this manor. Soon after this, the lordship was in the Pastons, and possessed by Sir Edward Paston, son and heir of Sir Thomas Paston, by Agnes, daughter and heir of Sir John Leigh of Addington in Surry; Sir Thomas being the 5th son of Sir William Paston, of Paston in Norfolk, by Bridget, daughter of St. Henry Heydon. This Edward married first, Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Lambart, Esq. sheriff of London, who dying sans issue, he married Margaret, daughter of Henry Berney, Esq. of Reedham, by whom he had Thomas Paston, Esq. his eldest son, who died before his father, Sir Edward, who lived to the age of 80 years, and died in 1630. This Thomas married Mary, daughter of Sir George Brown, of Bepton in Sussex; who was afterwards the wife of Sir Henry Compton, Knt. of the Bath, of Brambleby-house in Sussex, and was his widow in 1624, holding then in jointure, the manor of Berney in Norfolk; and by this Mary, Thomas had a son and heir, Clement Paston, Esq. lord of this town; Binham, Berney, and Thorp by Norwich; by his first wife, Anne, daughter of Sir Henry Compton aforesaid, he had 3 daughters and coheirs; and by his 2d wife, Dorothy, daughter of John Plumton of Plumpton in Yorkshire, Esq. he had his son, Edward Paston, Esq. lord of this town, aged 14, in 1674, who died in October, 1713, and was buried in the church of Blofield, in Norfolk; by his first wife, Mary, daughter of—Eyre, Esq. of Bury's hall, in Hale, he had one daughter, Mary, married to John Southcote, Esq. son and heir of Sir Edward Southcote, of Witham, in Essex; and by Jane, his 2d wife, daughter of Richard Frampton, Esq. of Morton in Dorsetshire, was father of Edward Paston, Esq. who married Mary, daughter and coheir of John Clerk, of Bale in Norfolk, Gent. by Lucy, his wife, sister of Christopher Bedingfield, Esq. of Wighton in Norfolk, by whom he had—Paston, Esq. who sold this lordship and that of Binham, about the year 1756, to William Russell, a whalebone merchant of King-street in London,

In the hall of the manor-house were the arms of Winter; checque, or, and sable, a fess, argent; and of Erpingham, Repps, and argent, a maunch, gules, Tony; gules, a maunch, or, Delamare. In the parlour, Winter, impaling gules, a maunch, ermin, Berningham, (as I take it,) the same coat being quartered by Winter. Winter, impaling Hampton, gules, a fess, argent, and a file of five, azure, gules, three lucies, hauriant, argent, Lucy. Winter, impaling Hetherset, azure, a leopard, saliant, or, Winter and Berningham, quarterly, impaling Hetherset. Ermingham, argent, a saltire, sable, and over all on a bar, gules, three plates. Gules, a fess, between six billets, or. Winter and Hampton, quarterly, impailing Herward, of Alburgh. Winter and Woodhouse, of Kimberley. Winter, and Bedingfield. Winter and Hemenhall. Winter and Reymes of Oxstrand. Winter, and argent, fretty, sable, a canton, gules. Winter and Brampton, of Brampton. Winter and Hoyden. Mauteby and Winter. Winter and Rookwood. Berney. Lucy, gules, three lucies, and crusily of cross crosslets, argent. Winter and Symonds, azure, three trefoils, slipped, or, azure, a fess dauncy, between six escallops, argent, D'Engaine.

William de Beaufoe Bishop of Thetford, held at the survey, as a lay fee, by the gift of the Conqueror, 15 acres of land which a freeman held under Wiulf, in King Edward's reign; and William de Noiers, held it under the Bishop, with half a carucate belonging to it, valued at 16d. per ann. (fn. 7) this seems to be granted afterwards by that Bishop to the see

In the 3d of Henry IV. the prior of Waborne, and the heirs of William Winter, held the 8th part of a fee of the Bishop of Norwich, and the Bishop of the King.

In the 27th of Henry VIII. Henry Winter, Esq. &c. held it of the Bishop, as of his manor of Gaywood, and paying to the ward of Norwich castle, 3s. 6d. every 30 weeks, (as appears by the Pipe Rolls of that year,) by the fourth part of a fee.

Drogo de Beuraria had also a lordship, of which Alwin, a freeman, was deprived, who held it in the reign of the Confessor, containing a carucate of land with 5 borderers, paunage for 100 swine, one acre of meadow, and 4 sheep; valued then at 20s. and so at the survey. (fn. 8)

This was granted by King Henry I. to Walter Tusard, who held lands in Berningham, &c. by grand serjeanty, by the service of finding certain cross-bowmen; and Amicia Tusard sold it to Roger le Bigot Earl of Norfolk, (fn. 9) who lived in the reign of Henry II. and so was united to his lordship in this town.

The tenths were 2l. 14s. deducted 13s. 4d.

The Church is dedicated to St. Mary, and is a rectory, valued in King Edward the First's reign at 10 marks; paid Peter-pence, 4d. Ralph Curson was then patron. The rector had a manse, with 30 acres; and the abbey of St. Bennet at Holm had a portion of tithe valued at 2 marks; the present valor is 6l. 13s. 4d.

Rectors.

In 1311, Simon de Beckham, instituted, presented by Roger le Curzon, of Tun-Berningham.

1324, Roger de Gunton. Ditto.

1329, Robert de Burneby, by Sir John Curzoun.

1347, Bartholomew Franks. Ditto.

1370, Roger Stephens, by William Wynter.

1407, Robert Winter, by Sir Thomas Erpingham, Sir Ralph Shelton, and Sir Robert Berney.

1412, Thomas Perer, by John Wynter.

1457, William Reed, by John Wynter, Esq.

1459, John Barley. Ditto.

1466, Robert Wale, by John Wynter, Esq.

1478, John Clement, by John Wynter, Esq.

1478, John Bekon. Ditto,

1485, Robert Sudcock. Ditto.

1490, Henry Ganton. Ditto.

1527, Thomas Tooke, by Henry Wynter, Gent.

1540, Robert Pyctow. Ditto.

1544, John Smith.

1552, John Philipson, by John Wynter.

1555, Jeffrey Turner, by the Bishop, a lapse.

1561, William Dawson, by Philip Wynter, Esq.

1570, Martin Bullock. Ditto.

1572, John Browe. Ditto.

1596, Thomas Settle, the Queen, by lapse.

1614, Samuel Thornton, A. M. by Thomas Settle.

1663, Richard Cleburn, A. M. by Henry Bedingfield, Esq. and Sir Henry Bedingfield, Knt.

1680, James Clough, by Sir Henry Bedingfield, Knt.

1714, Thomas Plumsted, by Gresham Page, Esq.

1749, John Girdleston, by John Goodman, Gent.

1750, Matthew Lane, by Jos. Lane.

The church is dilapidated, and nothing of it remains but the chancel; and in the east window are the arms of Repps, and of Erpingham; and in a south window,—argent, a fess ermine, cottised, sable, impaling or, a cinquefoil, sable.

On a gravestone in the chancel,

Sepultus in gratiá et misericordiâ Dei Johes, Wynter D'n's Berningham, qui obijt ultimo die Decemb Ao. D'ni. m.—, and his portraiture in armour, and Winter impaling Berningham.

On another.

Orate p.a'i'b; Joh. Winter et Alicie, uxor. sue qui quid. Joh. obt. A^o. regni Regis Henrici septimi—with the arms of Winter, impaling Brampton,—and Winter impaling, fess between 6 billets.

A gravestone,

In memory of George Burton, who died April 10, 1694, Ætat. 33.

Thomas Winter of this town, buried here in 1450.

The temporalities of Castleacre priory were 7s.—of Ely priory 4s.— of Lewes 16d.