Hundred of Forehoe: Bernham-Broom

BERNHAM-BROOM.

Its two churches are consolidated, and the church of Bickerston, or Bixton, which was dedicated to St. Andrew, was consolidated to them A^o. 1680.

The Church of St. Peter and Paul belonged to Will de Mortimer; the rector had a house and 30 acres of land; both the churches together were taxed at 20 marks, paid synodals and procurations 13d. Peter-pence 13d. the carvage, with the chapel of Ryskes, 4d. ob.

The Church of St. Michael stood in the same yard; its foundation may be seen on the north side of the present church; at Domesday making, it was in William de Mortimer's patronage; the rector had a house and 30 acres of ground, paid 3s. procurations 2s. synodals, and carvage with Bernham St. Peter as above, so that I am apt to think that this was Rysk's parochial chapel, and being in one patron, was now consolidated, and became a chapel only to St. Peter; it paid 13d. Peter-pence.

There were the gilds of our Lady and St. Peter here; and in 1440, a new bell was added.

Rectors.

1329, 23 May, Ralf Bacon; change with Thurston. Sir Constantine Mortimer.

1333, 10 kal. Nov. William de Wyclewood to Bernham with Ryske's chapel. Ditto.

1347, 30 April, George Bacoun. Ditto.

1349, 16 Aug. Tho. Strange. Ditto.

1352, 11 Nov. Walter de Baketon; change with Bunwell. Ditto.

1355, 26 Nov. Hugh Bandon. 1376, buried in St. Mary's chapel Ditto.

1376, 15 Feb. Stephen Gilbert of Holt. Sir Rob. de Mortimer, Knt.

1386, 27 March, Tho. Selde. Ditto.

1393, 30 Jan. John Warbold. Margery, relict of Sir Rob. de Mortimer.

1429, 14 Oct. John Hecham. Rob. Mortimer, Esq. and Sibill his wife. (Episcopus Gradensis.)

1441, 14 Oct. Mr. Rob. Popy, in Dec. Bac. He was buried in the quire of the friars minors at Norwich, in 1453. He changed this for Belagh. Ditto.

1449, 6 May, Rob. Ryngman; resigned Belagh. Ditto.

1453, 2 April, Nicholas Medewe. Ditto.

1467, 12 Aug Rich. Toke. Sir Rob. Wingfield, Knt. in right of Anne Mortimer, his wife. O.

1493, 9 May, John Hamelyn. John Lord Scroop, and Anne Wingfield, alias Mortimer, his wife. He was buried in the chancel in 1516, and gave 40 marks to lead it.

1516, 12 July, Rob. Hubbard. Edward Chamberlain, Esq. O.

1560, 17 Aug. Rich. Chamberlain. George Chamberlain, Gent. O.

1567, 5 Oct. Edw. Pagrave. Edward Chamberlain, Gent. 143 communicants here.

1623, 13 Jan. John Legat. Henry Lambe, Esq.

Nicholas Ganning. O.

1647, John Carter.

1680, 11 Feb. Samuel Ganning, to Bernham-Broom and Bixton annexed. Thomas Lord Crew. O.

1708, 22 July, Herbert Davies. Arthur Earl of Torrington.

1729, 31 March, James Champion, A. M. on Davies's death. Sir John Woodhouse, Bart. instituted to Bixton the same time, and held them by union. O.

1730, the Rev. Mr. Will. Gordon, clerk, the present [1739] rector. Sir John Woodhouse, Bart, the present patron.

This rectory stands thus in the King's Books.

12l. 8s. 1d. ob. Bernham-Broom rectory cum. 2l. 6s. 8d. Bixton R. ll. 4s. 9d. ob. q. tenths. 0l. 4s. 8d. tenths.

It pays 3s. synodals, the temporals of the Prior of Wymondham were taxed at 3s. and those of the Prior of St. Faith's at 12d. and it paid 2l. to the tenths.

In 1467, Edm. Brightyeve (or Britiff) of Bernham-Broom was buried in St. Peter's there, in the chancel. John was his son and heir.

Orate pro Anima Edmundi Bryghteve Generosi qui obiit riv^o die Januarii Mcccclrvii, cuius anime propicietur Deus.

Orate pro Anima Margarete Bryghtyebe, que obiit iii ^o Maii A^o m^o ccc^oirrriii^o

It is now lost.

In 1497, John Brightyeve, his son, was buried in this church, Elizabeth his wife, Robert his son; Agnes and Alice, his daughters, survived him; he gave Hawteynes manor here to his wife, and Sotherton manor in Suffolk to his daughter Agnes, and Sir Henry Heydon was his supervisor.

In 1503, John Dorant of Bernham-Broom, Gent. whose wife Elyn survived him, was buried in the church. Elyn Dorant, widow, was buried by her husband in 1514, and settled all her lands and tenements in Barnham-Broom, and Bixton, on the gilds of our Lady and St. Peter in Barnham-Broom, on condition the brothers and sisters keep a solemn dirige and mass of requiem every Lady day in Barnham church, for her and her husband's souls, and lay a grave-stone of 26s. 8d. with an image and her arms thereon.

On a brass,

Orate pro Anima Johis Durant et Alicie Ucois sue que qui Oem Alicia obiit ii^dooie Mensis Decembris Anno Orri: Mccccccib cuius anime propicietur Deus

the arms are imperfect.

Hic iacet dominus Johannes Mamelyne Rector dum virit istius Ecclesie, qui obiit die Maii Anno Dni: Mcccccrvi.

On the north side of the chancel, under the wall, is a very large marble, but no inscription.

In the chancel,

Elizabeth late Wife of Nicholas Carr, of St. Gregory's Parish in Norwich Esq; buried 31 Oct: 1666.

Nicholas Carr Esq; buried 12 April 1675, A^o Ætatis 81.

Carr, arg. on a chevron sab. three estoils gul. between three griffins heads erased or.

The church stands on a hill; it hath only one isle and chancel, both which are leaded, and there are five bells.

When the Conqueror first gave this town to the Earl Warren, there were two carucates of land held by 47 freemen, and it was worth 5l. per annum, but at the survey, they were increased to 57 men, and their rents and services to nine pounds.

The soke belonged to the King's manor of Wymondham, and the town was three quarters of a mile long, and half a mile broad, and paid 8s. 5d. to the King's tax. (fn. 1)

The manor was held of Castle-Acre castle, and came to the Mortimers, and passed with their manor of Atleburgh, as you may see in vol. i. p. 506, till Sir Rob. Mortimer of Atleburgh gave it to his second son, Const. Mortimer, as you may see in vol. i. p. 509, and it came after to Margery, daughter and coheir of Sir Tho. Mortimer, eldest brother to Constantine, who carried it to Sir John Fitz-Ralf, her husband, after the death of Anne, daughter and heiress of Sir Robert Herling, who had her life in it, and her husbands were lords in her right, and so it parted from Atleburgh, and passed in the Fitz-Ralfs with Little-Elingham, as you may see at p. 288, till Elizabeth, one of the coheirs of that family, married to Sir Rob. Chamberlain of Gedding in Suffolk, and then it went in that family with Elingham aforesaid till that went to Sir Edward Chamberlain's third son, Leonard, and this to his second son, George Chamberlain of Bernham-Broom, who was lord in 1560; Edward, his son, in 1567, and Edward, his grandson, in 1612, who married Anne, daughter of Henry Lamb of Tostock in Suffolk, who left it to his son Edward, first married to Mary, daughter of Tho. Weld of Wimondham, and after to Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Clifton of Toftres, who was succeeded by Edward Chamberlain, his son, of Lincoln's-Inn, who married a Sidley, and was 22 years old in 1651. He left Edward Chamberlain of Yarmouth, who had a place in the custom-house there, but was never lord here, the estate being sold by his father to Sir Tho. Woodhouse of Kimberley, and Sir John Woodhouse, Bart. is now lord and patron.

Hauteyn's, now called Hawkins's Manor.

This manor was in two parts, Godwin Halden had one, which was worth 20s. and Starcolf another, worth 10s.; they were soon joined, and came to the family sirnamed De Bernham, and was always held of the Earl of Gloucester and Hereford. (fn. 2)

Will. de Bernham had it about Richard the First's time, and after him Walter de Bernham, who held the same two fees of the honour of Gloucester, in Oxnedes, Heylesden, Bernham, Skeyton, and Sunderland in Haringby, that William his predecessor formerly held, they being then valued at 10l. per annum. In 1250, Emma, wife of David de-Bernham, had lands here, and in 1264, Will. de Bernham had a charter for free-warren here, and in Skeyton and Anttingham, and the latter end of Henry the Third's reign, Margaret Hauteyn held part of it for life, of Walter de Bernham, who was lord in 1316; and in 1345, Hamon de Mikelefeld and his partners held that part which Margaret Hauteyn formerly had.

In 1372, Alex. Straunge of Bernham Ryskes granted to Mr. Will. de Blithe Archdeacon of Norfolk, Thomas parson of Hardyngham, Hugh parson of Bernham with Riskys, Mr. Will. de Swynflet Archdeacon of Norwich, his manor called Hauteyn's Hall in Bernham and Rysks; Sir Rob. Mortimer, Sir Roger de Wylasham, Knights, and others, being witnesses; the original remains among the evidences of the city of Norwich, and hath a seal appendant thereto, which is a shield parted per pale indented, on the dexter side three martlets and this circumscription, . They seem to be trustees to Will. Hauteyn, for this year it is said the manor was in two parts, and was lately held of Humphry de Bohun Earl of Hereford and Essex, by Walter de Bernham and Will. Hauteyn.

In 1394, Will. Gambon and Cecily his wife held 40 acres of land and 30s. rent in Bernham, Brandon, and Runhale, and Richard was their son and heir.

In 1401, John Walkeden and his tenants held it of the Countess of Herford, and not long after it belonged to the

Bryghtyeves or Britiffs, an ancient family in this town; in 1467, Edm. Bryghteve was lord, and was buried here, as was John his son in 1497, who left the manor to Elizabeth his wife, after the decease of Agnes Bryghteve, his mother, and after his wife's death, to Robert, his son and heir, and it was found that this John Britiffe held it of the dutchy of Lancaster, as of the honour of Herford, by knight's service; how long it continued in this family I do not find, but in 1597

The whole site of the manor of Hawkins alias Britives in BarnhamBroome, was leased to Edw. Pye by the Corporation of the city of Norwich, who are the present [1739] lords.

This town is distinguished from Bernham in Suffolk, &c. in all old evidences, by the name of Bernham Ryskys, that hamlet and church thereto belonging being united to it; it hath lately been always called Barnham-Broom, but on what account I know not, for I do not find any of the family of that name ever concerned here.