Hundred of Forehoe: Wramplingham

WRAMPLINGHAM

Was in three parts at the time of the survey, two belonged to Cossey, (as you may see at p. 407, and the third was held by Edwin in the Confessor's time, and was given by the Conqueror to Godric his Sewer, of whom Ralf held it; this contained the greatest part of the town, which was about a mile long and as much broad, and paid 9d. gelt, and the soke or paramountship belonged to Hingham, as appendant to the hundred. An account of this manor we have in Domesday at fol. 164. (fn. 1)

The manor and advowson came very early to the Helgetons, Sir Tho. de Helgheton was lord in 1233; Ascetina, mother of John de Helgeton, held a third part of it in dower; in 1235, the said John held a fee and half in Helgeton, and this town, of the fees of the Earl of Arundel, and one quarter of a fee here of Hugh le Veer, and he of Robert de Tateshale; he was lord here in 1289; in 1304, John, son of John de Helgheton and Claricia his wife, owned the manor; and in 1308, Claricia, then a widow, conveyed to Roger de Martlesham and Jemina his wife, a part of it for their lives only; and in 1315, the said Claricia and Emma de Martlesham had it; in 1323, John de Helewton, Roger de Kerdeston, and Tho. de Helweton, occur lords, about which time it was divided; John de Taverham purchased the advowson and a quarter of a fee, being about half the manor, and John de Helgeton had the other half still for life; in 1369, it was joined again, and John, son of Adam de Taverham, and Cecily his wife, conveyed it to John de Whitewell and his trustees; in 1397, Sir John White was lord, and after him Robert White, Esq. his son; in 1448, Roger Brom, Rich. Docket, and Will. Lymnor, were lords, but whether as feoffees I cannot say; in 1444, Tho. Lymnor of Shotesham granted to John Appleyerd and Tho. Shuldham, Esqrs. an annuity out of the manor, which the said Appleyerd, in 1463, assigned to Simon White, Will. Woodhouse, and Stephen Curson, Esqrs; in 1479, Will. White, Esq. had it; in 1496, Simon White, Esq.; in 1535, Thomas Duke of Norfolk had the reversion of the manor after certain years to come, during the life of one George White, a fool natural, son and heir of John White, Esq. all which right he conveyed to Edmund White of Shotesham, Esq. next heir, who presented in 1549, Margaret White, widow, who held the advowson in jointure, being then dead. In 1550, the said Edmund died seized, and Anne, his sister and heir, then married to Hen. Doyley, inherited, who, about 1558, sold it to Henry Richers, Esq. from whom it went to Will. Thornton, Gent. of whom Rob. Thornton had it, and after him, it came to John Thornton, who was lord in 1572; and in 1596, Rob. Thornton, who was also lord in 1612; I meet with nothing further in relation to it, but am informed that it belonged to John Marsham, and now to Mr. Buckle.

Hill's Manor,

Was a part of the aforesaid manor of Wramplingham, granted at first to a family of the same name with the village, from whom it came to John at the Hill, from whom it took its name; Walter de Wramplingham, William, his son, and Richard, his brother, were lords of it; in 1249, John del Hill and Basil de Todenham held it at a quarter of a fee of Joan de Tateshall, and she of the Earl of Richmond; in this year Asceline de Wramplingham sold lands here to Wil. de Tudenham and Basil his wife, and it was agreed that the said Basil, who was sister of Will. de Wramplingham, should inherit at her death; in 1287, Basil was a widow, and released all her right to Will. de Tudenham, her son; in 1289, the said William and John del Hill were lords, and each had a moiety; at this time the bailiff of Cossey prosecuted them for selling wood and timber on the waste of Wramplingham, but they proved their right, by shewing Cossey had nothing to do in Wramplingham, only in those lands that were held of it. In 1315, John del Hill and Warine de Tudenham were lords; in 1345, John, son of Richard de Melton, held Tudenham's moiety of Hetherset manor at a quarter of a fee; in 1401, Rich. de Melton had it, Will. atte Hill holding his moiety at a quarter of a fee of the honour of Richmond; in 1505, Rich. Brasyer, alderman of Norwich, gave his manor called Hilles, to Katherine his wife for life, and then to be sold; what became of it after I do not find, but it seems as if Martin Sedley, Esq. had it in 1571.

Bainard's Free Tenement

Was taken out of the manor of Wramplingham, Great-Melton, Barford, Windham, and Kimberley; it contained a capital messuage, in which the Bainards dwelt, 200 acres of land, and 20s. rent, and was held of Hetherset manor by knight's service. In 1294, Roger, son of Jeffry Bainard, and Mariana his wife, was lord of this and Easthall in Gasthorp, as you may see at p. 252, vol. i.; in 1315, Rich. Bainard had it; in 1340, Edw. Downes, Gent. died, leaving Francis, his son and heir; in 1592, Edw. Downes had it; but of the owners since that time I find nothing mentioned in the records.

The Prior of Windham's manor extended hither, and he had free warren allowed him in all his lands here, which were taxed at 28s. 3q.

The Church is dedicated to St. Peter and Paul, and is a rectory valued at 5l. 4s. 9d. ob. but being sworn of the clear yearly value of 45l. 2d. it is discharged of first fruits and tenths, and is capable of augmentation; when Norwich Domesday was wrote, the rector had a house and 12 acres of land, the living was valued then at 12 marks, and paid 2s. 8d. synodals, 6s. 8d. procurations, 12d. Peter-pence, and 8d. ob. carvage; the town paid 2l. 3s. 8d. to each tenth; the temporals of the Prior of Norwich, were taxed at 2s. In 1540, Edward Downes, Gent. was buried in the church; and in 1470, Avice Stone, widow, gave legacies to the new roofing of the church, to make a new window on the south side of the rood-loft, to find a light before the image of St. Erasmus, and to the gild of St. Peter held in the church.

The chancel is a fine building, erected, as I am apt to think, by Sir John Canel, rector, who was buried in it in 1448, under a stone now robbed of its brasses, but has the impression of a cup and wafer still on it; there are six regular windows on each side, and in each of them was one of the twelve Apostles; there are no memorials of any kind, either in church, chancel, or churchyard; the shield of vert nine escalops arg. 3, 3, 2, 1, being now gone. The nave is leaded, and is 46 feet long, and 17 broad; the chancel is thatched, and is 32 feet long, and 16 broad; the south porch is tiled, the tower is round at bottom and sexangular at top, and hath three bells, on one of which is this,

Ave. [M]aria. [G]ra[t]ia, Plena, Dominus. [t]ecum.

Rectors.

1278, John the chaplain. Will. de Whitewell, this turn.

1304, John, son of John de Helgheton. John de Helgheton, his father, and Claricia his wife.

1338, Master Will. de Eston. John de Taverham.

1341, Jeffery de Corpesty. John de Corpesty, this turn.

1361, Hen. de Old-Bek of Wichingham. John de Taverham.

1397, John Jeneson of Smaleburgh. Sir John White, Knt.

1417, Sir Tho. Bose. Rob. White, Esq.

Tho. Ermelyn or Grimelyn, died rector of Weting St. Mary Ditto.

1418, Sir John Canel. Ditto.

1448, Sir Will. Robyns. Rob. Brom, Esq. Rich. Docket and Will. Lymnor, Gent. He died rector.

1479, Sir Abel Bramfield. O. Will. White, Esq.

1496, Sir Stephen Chamberlain. O. Simon White, Esq.

1538, Sir John Baxter. O. Margaret White, widow.

1549, Sir Tho. Gayton, chaplain. O. Edmund White, Gent.

1556, Roger Sedal. O. Henry Doylie, Esq.

1559, Lancelot Robinson, priest, resigned. Hen. Richers, Esq.

1559, Sir Simon Jelle. O. Ditto.

1568, Sir Edw. Beales; he returned 72 communicants in 1603. Will. Thornton, Gent.

1612, John Benton, A. M. John Thornton, Gent. assignee of Rob. Thornton.

1638, Nathaniel Joceline, A. M. Richard Johnson, clerk, and Thomas Mansfield, for this turn. R.

1660, Jonathan Clapham. O. The King, by lapse.

1661, 22 Feb. The Rev. Mr. John Brandon, the present [1739] rector. Mary Marsham, widow, guardian of John and Anne Marsham. He holds it united to Melton-Parva.