North Greehow Hundred: Hindringham

HINDRINGHAM.

The capital lordship of this town belonged to the Bishop of Elmham; and Ailmer the Bishop held it with 4 carucates of land in King Edward's reign.

William Beaufoe was lord of it, and Bishop of Thetford, at the survey. In Ailmer's time 11 villain, 20 borderers, 8 servi, and 4 carucates belonged to it in demean, 5 carucates of the men, or tenants, paunage for 10 swine, a mill, 5 acres of meadow, &c. 160 sheep, 6 vessels, or skeps of bees, and 7 socmen had half a carucate of land, and they ploughed in King Edward's time 2 carucates; it was then valued at 10l. but at the survey at 15l. per ann. and was one leuca long, and one broad, and paid 2s. gelt. (fn. 1)

Bishop Beaufoe had invaded, or seized on and retained as his own right, and a lay fee, 8 freemen who held 3 carucates of land, and 14 borderers who held under the said Bishop Ailmer, who had paunage for 10 swine, 5 acres of meadow, and 5 carucates, valued at 40s. after at 50s. and William Denvers had a moiety of this land. (fn. 2)

Dean and Chapter of Norwich's Manor.

Herbert Bishop of Norwich, on his founding the priory of Norwich, gave this lordship to it, and was held by the prior and convent of Norwich.

In the time of King John, William le Ken granted to the prior of Norwich a freedom from all suits, and dues, to his hundred of North Greenhow, (as may be seen at large in the account of that hundred,) and in the 3d of Edward I. the prior was found to have the lete, assise of bread and beer, freewarren, and a pilllory.

About this time, mention is made of certain tenants belonging to them, called Lanceti, who were to have their sheep in the lord's fold, fron Martinmas to Candlemas, and then to have their ewes out of the fold, and to pay foldage, but their other sheep continued in the lord's fold the whole year. A Lancetagium seemed to contain 8 acres.

John de Rudham, by deed sans date, granted to William de Kirkely, the prior, 5s. rent per ann.

In the 15th of Henry III. William prior of Norwich, granted to Thomas de Elmham 15 acres to be held of the prior, &c. paying 4s. 4d. per ann. and in the 6th of Edward II. Thomas de Hindringham aliened to the priory a tenement and 2 acres.

The temporalities of this priory were valued in 1421, at 38l. 3s. 10d. per ann. and this lordship is now in the Dean and Chapter of Norwich: and in the 1st of Richard III. Henry Heydon, Esq. gave 55 acres of land and pasture, September 23, to the prior, &c. on a release of 32s. rent due to them per ann.

Nower's Manor.

In the reign of King John, William de Nuers, Roger de Burnham, and Julian his wife, Robert Fitz Ralph, and Alice his wife, and Robert de Utlage, held 9 parts of 2 fees here, in Beeston, &c. and in the reign of Henry III. Alan de Noers, had a quarter of a fee of Hugh Lord Bardolf, and he of the Bishop of Norwich, and at the said time William de Noers, a quarter of a fee also.

A fine was levied in the 14th of Edward I. between Robert Ruteney, querent, and Cecilia, daughter of Alan aforesaid, John Le Merchand and Oliva his wife, Peter de Sharnton and Mary his wife, Alan, son of Thomas, and Elizabeth, (sister as I take it and coheirs with Cecilia,) who conveyed messuages and lands to Robert.

William de Nowers, in the 3d of Edward III. had the fourth part of a fee, and in the 20th of that King, Rose de Nowers, and John, son of Adam de Bulwere, of this town, passed by fine to John de Randworth, the moiety of 5s. 70 acres of land, 8 of meadow, 4 of pasture, and 30s. rent here, in Binham, &c. in the 28th of that reign, which Rose, widow of William de Nowers, held for life.

In the 3d of Henry IV. Thomas de Estle, or Astley, held a quarter of a fee of the Lord Bardolf, and he of the Bishop, late Nowers; and John Kirkman, and his parceners, William Ingram, Thomas Wake, and John Gloos, held a quarter of a fee of the said Thomas, which Alan Noers late held; and Thomas Astley, Esq. son and heir, settled this manor in the 7th of Henry VII. as a jointure on Elizabeth, daughter of William Clipsby, of Oby; in the 30th of Henry VIII. Thomas Astley, and John, his son and heir, sold it to Sir Roger Townsend of Rainham; and George Townsend, Esq. with Alice his wife, passed it in Queen Mary's reign, to Thomas Townsend, Esq. from the Townsends it was conveyed about 1570, to Martin Hastings, who sold it to Giles Mabbs, or Nabbs, Gent. he left two daughters and coheirs; Mary, married to Riches Brown, Esq. of Fulmodeston, and — married to James Ward, Gent. of Hindringham.

Wilby's Manor.

Another part of this great episcopal lordship was in the hands of the ancient family of De Burgolion; and Ralph, son of John de Rudham, held half a fee, of Robert Burgolion, in the time of King Henry III. and he of the Bishop; and in the 3d of Edward I. William le Burguillon, of Snaring, was found to hold the same, and to have enfeoffed John de Rudham, of the same, in his life time, for which reason the jury was in doubt whether Walter, his heir, should be in ward to William Lord Bardolf, who held it of the Bishop, or no, this being a greater enfeoffment than Kerdeston manor, from William de Say. Eschaet.

In the 13th of Edward II. Ralph de Rudham, by deed dated, confirmed to Roger Hervi, of this town, certain herbage lands, and John Agar, Joan Hervey, &c. held a quarter of a fee, in the 20th of that King, of Hugh de Burgelyon, and at the said time, John de Wilby, and Joan Hervey held half a fee of Ralph de Astley, and he of the Bishop, which Ralph, son of John de Rudham, formerly had; it appears that Hervey's part was 5 messuages, 84 acres of land, 16 of meadow here, and in Thursford.

In the 5th of Henry VI. Thomas Beaufort Duke of Exeter, died seized (as lord of Wrongey, the Bardolf's estate) of three quarters of a fee here, &c. held by William Shelton, and the fourth part of one held by John Wilby, and in the 22d of Henry VIII. this lordship of Wilby was possessed by John Hall of Halsted, in Lincolnshire.

Pernow Hall.

This was also a lordship belonging to the Bishop's fee, and in the reign of Edward III. was possessed by John de Egmere, and is said to be held of the manor of Nowers, in this town.

In the 13th of Henry VI. Richard Chappe grants to Henry Beaufort, Cardinal and Bishop of Winchester, William de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk, Sir Thomas Kerdeston, Sir Thomas Todenham, William Billingford, Esq. &c. his manor of Parnow-hall, in Hindringham, to them and their heirs for ever, dated at this town on Saturday next before the feast of St. Philip and St. James: his seal is about the bigness of a crown piece, and is,—gules, a fess wavy, between six billets, argent.

After this it came to the Welbys, who held it of the Astleys, lords of the manor of Nowers. Richard Wilby and Dorothy his wife, passed it in the 32d of Henry VIII. to Edmund Framingham.

George Davy, of Gunthorp, son of Thomas Davy, was found to die seized of it, September 4, in the last year of Philip and Mary, and Richard Davy, was found his son and heir aged 30, and was purchased of Christopher Davy, by Richard Godfrey, Esq. about the 20th of Elizabeth, who sealed with - - - - - - -, three bulls heads caboshed.

Coldham-Hall.

William Baynard had this hall conveyed to him, in the 16th of Edward IV. by Thomas Gloys and Margaret his wife, with 124 acres of land, and a foldcourse, in this town, Bathele, &c.

In the 27th of Henry VIII. John Wotton, and William Fermer, Esq. held a fee of the Bishop, and paid 3s. 6d. every 30 weeks, to Norwich castle guard; and in the following year, the said John surrendered his right herein, with the liberty of a foldage, to Miles Groos; and in the 31st of the said King, William Farmer conveyed his to Margaret Stamford.

After this it was possessed by Francis Beding feld, who sold it in the 34th of Elizabeth to Richard Godfrey, Esq. abovementioned, and - - - - Godfrey, Esq. a master in chancery, sold it to Isaac le Heup, Esq.

Besides the abovementioned lordships, the King had a small fee at the survey, in this town, his great manor of Wighton extending here; viz. half a carucate, (fn. 3) but it might be made up one whole carucate.

In the reign of Henry III. Thomas, son of Gilbert, the merchant, Adam Fitz Robert, &c. held 17 acres, which Jeffrey Story sold to them of the free manor belonging to Wighton, 20 years (as it is said) before the reign of King Henry.

After this Gregory de Holkham held the 40th part of a fee here, of the manor of Wyston, then in the hands of the Earl Warren, who held in capite.

Osbern, bishop of Exeter, (as I take it,) had also an interest here, 32 acres of land, and a carucate which 3 freemen held before the Conquest, valued at 10s. the King and the Earl had always the sac; and these three men, which Berard holds of the Bishop, Drogo de Beuraria's men or tenants laid claim to, as belonging to their lord Drogo's fee. (fn. 4)

Osbern had also the manor of Banham, and Wica, in Gilcross hundred;—of Tasburgh, and Fornsett, in Depewade hundred, given him by the Conqueror.

This tenure (as I conceive) was held soon after by some of the Bishop of Norwich's men, and united, soon after this, to some of the manors abovementioned.

Drogo de Beuraria, or Drew de Beveres, was a noble Fleming, who attended the Conqueror on the invasion, and made by him Lord of Holderness, in Yorkshire, with a grant of these manors in Norfolk; Basingham, and Berningham, in North Erpingham hundred;—Saxlingham, in Heinsted hundred;—Burgh, and Erpingham, in South Erpingham hundred; with this of Hindringham, which Ulf, and Osward held for a manor, with 2 carucates of land in King Edward's time, when there were 8 villains, and 8 borderers, 2 carucates in demean, with 3 acres of meadow, valued then at 4l. at the survey at 30s. per ann. (fn. 5)

Of this I meet with no particulars further, so that it seems soon after united to the other manors.

The church was anciently a rectory, dedicated to St. Martin, and valued at 35 marks, and was appropriated to the office of the cellarer, in the priory of Norwich, by John de Grey Bishop, and a vicarage established, now valued at 9l. and paid formerly Peter-pence 2s. (fn. 6)

Vicars.

In 1301, John de Dudlynton, presented vicar, by the prior and convent of Norwich.

Jeffrey de Plumstede, died vicar in 1349, and was succeeded by Richard de Semere; and in the said year William Gornerd was presented.

1354, Adam Wortes.

1361, Henry Overmere.

1368, John Gardiner.

1401, John Jollyf.

Adam at Ker was vicar in 1445.

William Weston about 1600.

The patronage is vested in the dean and chapter of Norwich, as impropriators, but leased out to their tenants, who hold the rectory and tithes of them.

In 1722, on the death of Joshua Thompson,

Benjamin Lane was presented by John Brown, Gent.

1745, James Goodall, by the dean, &c. of Norwich.

The guilds of our Lady, the Trinity, St. John, and St. Martin were here.

In the chancel window an orate for Sir Robert Walkfare, Knt. with his arms, and one for Thomas Swellington, with his arms, argent, a chevron, sable, and a file of five points, gules; argent, an orle of martlets, azure.

In the chancel windows also, were the arms of the Lords Bardolf, and Morley, Norwich priory, sable, a fess dauncy between five escallops, argent, Wilby, and sable, a chevron ingrailed, ermin, between three annulets, argent, Davy, impaling azure, a bend argent.—Davy impaling gules, three round buckles, argent, between three cross crosslets, fitcheè, sable, and Monpinson, gules on a fess argent three towers sable between as many seamows or.