Hundred of South Erpingham: Little-Hautbois

LITTLE-HAUTBOIS,

Or Hobbies Parva, is in the liberty of the dutchy of Lancaster; it is called Haut Bois, in French, The High Wood, and the ancient family which took their name from hence, is sirnamed in Latin records, de alto Bosco, and indeed it should seem to be denominated from the high woods by the water, which answers the situation and name. (fn. 1)

The manors of Buxton, Lammas, and Scothowe extended hither, to which last, the manor of Holm abbey in this town was joined by the abbot. (fn. 2) In Henry the Third's time, Peter son of Sir Peter de Alto Bosco, or Hautbois, lord of Hautbois-Parva, gave to Robert, abbot of St. Bennet, all his fishery in the town of Little Hautbois, from the house of Henry Bell to Little Hautbois mill, and the common fishery thence to Buxton bounds; (fn. 3) this manor continued joined to the Abbot of Holm's manor of Scotow; in 1401 that abbot was found to hold his manor here, as parcel of his barony, and it had been in that monastery ever since the Confessor's time, and so went with it to the see of Norwich, and is now leased by the Bishop with Scothow.

There was another manor here in the family of Hautbois, to which the advowson belonged, which in 1315 belonged to Ralf de Colney, and Lawrence de Reppes, (fn. 4) afterwards John de Wilby had it, and then Richard de Reppes. In 1368, John Armory, and in 1380, John de Bures, and now the advowson went in moieties, in Bures and Truyt, and in 1402, John son and heir of John de Bures, and Alice his wife, releaesd all right to John Rookwood and others, and he and Walter Truyt sold the advowson, and after that it became consolidated to Lammas, this manor, by divers alienations, became very small, and at last was joined to Great-Hautbois, with which it now remains.

The Church was dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin, and there was a gild of St. Katherine kept in it; the church was in use in 1531, but is now totally dilapidated; (fn. 5) it stood by the road side, about a fur long on the left hand, after you have passed Mayton bridge from Fretenham; it was not very small, the ruins are covered with earth, but are very easy to be traced; (fn. 6) it was valued at 4 marks, paid 2s. procurations to the archdeacon, 4d. synodals to the Bishop, and 3d. Peter-pence; it had 2 acres of glebe in Fretenham, and 7 acres and 20 perches in Little-Hobbies, belonged to it. In 1428, the Abbot of Holm's manor and demeans were valued at 8l. 15s. 11d. qr. a year, and the village paid 1l. clear to every tenth; it is valued to the land tax and county rate with Lammas.

For Hautbois-Parva Hall, see in Lammas.

For two donations settled from lands here, see vol. iii. p. 410, vol. iv. p. 359.

Rectors of Hautbois-Parva.

1349, Gyles Jerge of Hardingham. John de Wilby.

1350, Simon de Shotesham. Richard de Reppes.

1368, Robert de Toftrys. John Armory. He changed it this year for Thorp Market, with

John Baldwin, who in 1380 changed it for St. Mathew in Ipswich, with

Hugh de Contasthorp, who was presented by John de Bures, as was

Peter Wadgate in 1384, who was buried in the chancel in 1392, and was succeeded by

William Hegelegh, (Ditto,) who changed in 1393 for Watton vicarage with

William Cranebere.

1394, John Lote. Walter Trwyte, and Catherine his wife.

1400, Thomas de Foxton, ob. Ditto. The six following rectors were presented by William Trwyte:

1405, John Drake.

1407, Thomas Sandall.

1413, Thomas Trwyte or Truyte.

1420, Richard Tammys.

1423, John Wright.

1424, Edmund Money.

1428, William Paston, by lapse.

1432, Thomas Smith, by lapse.

1435, Thomas Grey, by lapse. He was the last rector, for when he voided it, it was consolidated to Lammas, and so remains, Sir Richard Harcourt, Knt. then patron, consenting to it.