Holt hundred: Letheringset

LETHERINGSET,

Called in Domesday Book Leringaseta, as seated in some meadow lands, on a river probably called the Ler, was the lordship of Walter Giffard Earl of Bucks, granted to him by the Conqueror, on the ejection of Oslac, a freeman, lord of it in King Edward's time, who had one carucate of land, 7 borderers, one carucate and an half in demean, with a carucate and 2 acres of meadow among his tenants, or men, a mill, &c. 80 sheep, 2 skeps of bees, and a socman with one acre valued then at 20s. and 25s. at the survey, was 8 furlongs long, and 5 broad, and paid 12d. whoever held it. (fn. 1)

Under the Earl it was held about the time of the survey by Grimbald, who built a church here, and gave it to his third son, Edmund. This lord was founder of the family of De Leringset, alias De Bacon. Ranulph was his eldest son, who, as the register of Binham priory sets forth, was dangerously wounded at the fairs in this town, and gave to Ralph his brother a moiety of his inheritance. Gilbert de Laringseta was son of Ranulph, and had Jordan de Laringseta, who married Isabel, by whom he had Adam, wrote sometimes Adam Fitz-Jordan, and father of Peter, who granted to the priory of Binham lands abutting on those of Roger le Veyle with a moiety of the advowson of the church, about the 20th of Henry III. and by another deed, the other moiety.

In an action brought by the prior against Hugoline, widow of Peter, she released her right therein. In a writ of enquiry to the Bishop of Norwich, to put the prior in possession of the moiety which he had recovered, dated 1274, the jury say that the prior had had a right.

This Peter, styled de Letheringset, held the eighth part of a fee in the 52d of Henry III. of the Earl of Clare, into which family Earl Giffard's estate came by marriage, and was found to have no right of receiving knighthood, having only 100s. rent per ann. To this Peter and Agnes his wife, Thomas de Ormesby, parson of Stodey, conveyed lands here, in Holt, Sharnton, &c.

Soon after this Peter seems to die s. p. and the elder branch of that family being extinct, it is proper to observe that Ralph, second son of Grimbald, who had also an interest here, had a son, Roger, father of Robert, who assumed the name of Bacon, and is sometimes called Robert Fitz Roger, a person of great power, and cousin of Jeff. Ridel Bishop of Ely; he was father of Reginald Bacon, who confirmed to Simon Fitz Simon the homage of Richard. At church, the of Laringsete, his sons and heirs, 12 acres of land and 3s. rent, in the 27th of Henry III. and held the eighth part of a fee of the Earl of Clare, and presented to a moiety of this church. The pedigree of the Bacons says he was father of Richard Bacon, who by Alice, daughter of Conan, son of Elias de Moulton had 5 sons; 1st Sir Robert Bacon, 2d Roger, called Doctor Mirabilis, 3d Sir Stephen, 4th Bartholomew, a justice in Eyre, and the 5th Sir Henry Bacon of Letheringset, justice itinerant; to some of their descedants, Peter de Letheringsete's part, most likely came. In the 21st of Edward I. John de Cave recovered a mediety against Henry Bacon, and the 8th of Enward II. the heirs of Thomas Bacon were found to hold this lordship.

In the 22d of Richard II. Thomas Jordan possessed it, and in the 3d of Henry VI. Thomas Jordan was found to die seized of it; one of the same name was lord in the 38th of that King.

In 1458, John Heydon, Gent. was lord, and presented to both the moieties: from the Heydons it came to Sir Henry Sidney, and after to John Jermy, Esq. who presented in 1626, and Robert Jermy, Esq. in 1674.

Hammond Ward, Gent. lord, conveyed it to Thomas Girdlestone.

The King's manor of Holt extended here. King John, in his second year, confirmed to Roger le Veile of Fishley, lands here to be held by the service of keeping the King's hawks; and Roger, son of Roger le Veyle grants to John his son, lands in this town, and West Bastwick, in the 4th of Edward I. Roger de Perers, had lands about that time of the Vaux, and Robert le Pever of Stodey had confirmation of a charter for free warren. In the reign of Richard II. William Woodrofe died seized of a manor called Harde-Greys, alias La Veyles, held in capile by knight's service, and Thomasine, Oliva, and Elizabeth were his daughters and heirs.

Le Vile's interest came to Philip Curson of Letheringset, (son of Walter) alderman of London, by Agnes his second wife, daughter and heir of John le Veile: this Philip, by testament dated the 24th of June, 1502, bequeaths his body to be buried in this church: his son John left by Frances his wife, daughter of John Wingfeld of Dunham Magna, Norfolk, a son John, who married Dorothy, daughter of Henry Walpote, Esq. of Harpley, and died in 1558.

Thomas Fairfax had a prœcipe to render to Thomas Cloudesley, Gent. and John Fairfax, the manor of La Veyles, in the 12th of James I. See in Wood Bastwick, in South Walsham hundred.

The Bishop of Norwich's lordship of Saxlingham also extended here. Thomas de Saxlingham had a messuage, 3 acres of land, 5 of meadow, 3 and an half of pasture, with a water-mill and the rent of 5s. in the 13th of Richard II. and Margaret, daughter of his brother Henry, and wife of Thomas Plumbey, was then found to be his heir. See in Saxlingham.

Sir Henry Sidney afterwards held it, and conveyed it to John Jermy Esq. and in 1715, Nathiel Burrel was lord and patron, as was John Burrell in 1759.

The Church is a rectory dedicated to St. Andrew, and consists, of a nave and 2 isles, a round tower, or steeple, with 3 bells.

The present valor is 12l.

At the east window of the chancel is a mural monument with this epitaph,

In this chancel resteth the body of Hammond Ward, of Letheringset, Esq; who married Mary, daughter of Sir James Calthorpe, of Cockthorpe, Kt. and by her had issue twelve sons and four daughters, he departed this life the 20th of March, 1650; with the arms of Ward, azure, in a double tressure, flory, or, a buck trippant of the 2d, impaling Calthorpe.

Another mural monument thus inscribed,

M. S. of Charles Worsley, late rector of Salthouse, descended from an antient family of the Worsleys of Plat in Lancashire, and son of Edw. late rector of this church, and Mary Playford of North Repps, his mother, which said Charles, with Beatrice Claxton of Booton, his wife, lye interred under these marbles, in hopes of a blessed resurrection, obt. 24, Dec. 1682, A^o. œt. 29: and these arms, gules, on a chief, argent, a mural crown, or — Worsley — impaling, gules, on a fess between three hedgehogs, argent, an escocheon, barry of ten, of the 2d, and azure, a canton ermin—Claxton.

On a grave-stone,

Hic jacet corpus Ric. Fytz, Generosi, nuper unius cursitorum summœ curiœ cancellariœ Dni Jacob; nuper regis Angliœ qui duxit in uxorem Barbaram Kempe, filiam Francisci Kempe, armigeri, fratris Thomœ Kempe, militis, et filij Will. Kempe, militis, qui quidem Ric. ob. 28, Jan. A^o. 1630, œtat, suœ 74.—Orate p. a'ia, Philippi Curson, Gent.

In the church on a stone,

Memoriœ Gulielmi Donne, Gen. qui defunctus vitœ viii^o die mensis Novem. A^o. 1684, œt. suœ 39, (exuvijs hic positis) beatam in Christo resurrectionem prœstolatur; and these arms, azure, a wolf salient argent, impaling - - - - - on a chevron ingrailed, two lioncels rampant, between as many crescents.

In this church were two medieties, each valued at 15 marks: one was called Adam's mediety, the other Thomas de Chyvaler's; Peterpence 11d. and Fakenham dam priory had a portion of tithe valued at 2s.

Grimbald (as I have observed) was founder of the church, and presented his third son, Edmund, to it, who was instituted rector. (fn. 2)

On his death, Hamon, younger son of Gilbert, was admitted, presented by Jordan his brother: Hamon is also said to be rector of the whole church, and to have ceded in his old age a moiety of it to Jeffrey Ridel, archdeacon of Ely

I cannot find this Jeffrey was archdeacon of Ely, but of Canterbury; and after Bishop of Ely, in 1174.

On Hamond's death, Adam Fitz Jordan presented Thomas his brother to a moiety. On the death of Thomas, Robert de Beverley was presented to a moiety by the prior of Binham.

Rectors.

Jeff. Ridel, rector of a moiety.

Thomas Bacon was presented to a mediety by Reginald Bacon about the 27th of Henry III.

In the 9th of Edward I. a fine was levied between Hugh de Cave and William, son of John de Rewe of Beverley, who conveyed to Hugh a moiety of the advowson, and a moiety of an acre of land, and in the 27th of that King, on an action between Henry Bacon of Laringset, and John de Cave, it appeared that Robert de Beverley was seized of the moiety of an acre of land, to which the advowson belonged in King Henry the Third's reign, who dying sans issue, William was his cousin and heir.

1308, Robert de Thursford, to a mediety by the prior of Binham.

1318, Robert de Cave, to a mediety, by John Cave of Northburgh.

1330, John de South-Creyk, to a mediety, by prior, &c.

Thomas de Cockley-Cley, rector of a mediety.

1343, Dennis de Eggefeld, by the prior.

1349, Robert de Kilverston. Ditto.

1349, Thomas Fyn, by Thomas son of Richard Noel of Brunham.

1354, John Trendal, by the prior.

1355, Silv. Atte Yates. Ditto.

1365, William Kyrkeman. Ditto.

1383, Nicholas de Markeshale, by John de Quarles, and Thomas Lyng.

1386, Thomas Aleyn. Ditto.

1387, Roger Cobbe, by the prior.

1387, John Roche, by Edward Lucas, and John Quarles.

1396, Jeff. Chauntrell, by the prior.

1400, John Estker, by Ed. Lucas, and John Quarles.

1412, William Monaud, by the prior.

1412, George Palmer. Ditto.

1422, Thomas Crumme. Ditto.

1430, John Caproun, by Edmund Lucas and Mary his wife, and Margaret. daughter of Gilbert Neal.

1457, John Tollyn, by Thomas Payn, Esq. and Etheldreda his wife.

1458, Henry Rands, to both medieties, now united, presented by John Heydon, Gent patron of both.

1465, Nicholas Benet. Ditto.

1488, John Bagley, by Sir Henry Heydon.

1504, Thomas Curson, by John Heydon, Esq.

1515, John Bokenham, by Sir John Heydon.

1553, John Elverich, Sir Christopher Heydon.

1559, Robert Pierson. Ditto.

1576, Richard Lawson. Ditto.

1626, Thomas King, by John Jermy, Esq.

1629, Thomas Lougher. Ditto.

1645, Rowland Thampson, by Fran. Jermy, Esq.

John Cotlove, rector

1661, John Bond, by Robert Jermy, Esq.

1662, Edward Worsley. Ditto.

1674, Nathaniel Palgrave. Ditto.

1705, Nathaniel Burrell, by Mary Cocksedge, widow, and he occurs rector and patron in 1715.

1741, Henry Briggs, S. T. P. by Sarah Burrell.

1747, Robert Leek, by John Burrell.

1759, John Burrell, by John Burrell.

In this church were the gilds of St. Andrew, and St John Baptist.

The temporalities of Binham priory were 2s. 3d.;—of Walsingham 8d.;—of Waborne 6s. 1d.

The tenths 3l. 12s.—Deducted 12s.