Hundred of South Erpingham: Erpingham

ERPINGHAM.

The church is dedicated to St. Mary, and is a rectory, valued in the King's Books at 9l. 18s. 9d. but being sworn of the clear yearly value of 45l. it is discharged of first fruits and tenths, and is capable of augmentation; the ancient valuation was 25 marks; it pays 10d. synodals, and 7s. 7d. ob. archdeacon's procurations, and 2s. 3d. visitatorial procurations. The Abbot of Bury's manor of Sexton's in Aylesham extended hither, the sacrist being taxed at 4d. for his temporals here. The prior of Walsingham had lands of the gift of Bartholomew de Calthorp, and the prior of Fakenham-Dam or Hempton, was taxed at 6s. 8d. for his lands here; and the serjeanty of Walter Tusard of Banningham paid 6d. per annum to the church.

The town is in the dutchy liberty, and gives name to the hundred, and one of the manors is called South-Erpingham, as the hundred is, and the next hundred is called North-Erpingham, because it lies North of Erpingham. It paid 4l. 10s. to each tenth, including the revenues of the religious, and is now laid at 403l. 16s. 8d. to the land-tax, and pays 7s. 6d. to a 300l. levy of the county rate.

The moiety of the advowson was given to the abbey of Holm, by Edward the Confessor, and passed with that abbey to the Bishop of Norwich, in which see it now remains; and the other moiety always attended the manor, and still belongs to it.

Rectors.

1244, Nicholas de la Turri, and this year it was settled by fine, that Robert, abbot of St Bennet, and his successours, and Robert de Erpingham, and the succeeding lords, should for ever present by turns; and as this rector was presented by both, the next vacancy should be the lord's, and the next the abbot's, and so it should pass in alternate turns for ever.

1306, John de Claxton. The Abbot.

1318, Ralf, son of John, son of Simon de Erpingham. Robert de Erpingham.

1372, John Blund. The Abbot. Buried here.

1372, Thomas Newton. John at Rees of Tunstede, Richard Hawse of Buxton, and William Winter of Barningham, Erpingham's feoffees.

1396, John Thorp. The Abbot.

1403, John Lynes. Sir Thomas de Erpingham.

1408, Robert Spencer. The Abbot. At his death in 1430, John Keche had it. Sir William Phelip, Knt. and Joan his wife.

1435, William Wicks. The Abbot. He was succeeded by Richard Bumstede. The lord of Erpingham manor. He resigned in

1448, to Jeffry At-Welle. The Abbot.

1488, Robert Damme. Simon Damone, feoffee of Beaumont, lord here.

He was buried in the chapel in this church, and was a benefactor to the gilds of our Lady and St. John, which were kept here.

1506, Henry Mundford. The Abbot.

1519, Robert Dusing, D.D. Sir Philip Calthorp, Knt.

1540, Thomas Hill. The Abbot.

1554, William Uggs, lapse.

1556, Henry Chamberlain. The Bishop, in right of his see. On his deprivation in

1559, Thomas Paul had it. Sir Edward Warner.

1563, John Watson. The Bishop. He was succeeded by

William Holland, who was presented by John Hobart of Twayt, Esq. He resigned in

1591, to Oliver Robinson. The Bishop.

1628, Thomas Case. Anne and Frances, daughters and coheirs of William Hobart of Metton. At his resignation in

1640, Richard Hobbs had it. The Bishop. After him, was

Joseph Church. Mrs. Frances Windham, widow.

A black marble by the altar is thus inscribed,

Hic situs est Josephus Church, A. M. hujus Ecclesiæ per 28 Annos Rector, obijt 26 die Decembr' Anno Ætatis 62, Domini 1724.

1724, Francis Green. The Bishop. At his death, The Rev. Mr. John Worts, the present rector, had it, of the gift of the lord here, and holds it united to Hickling.

There is a tall square tower, and four bells, on the biggest is this,
Per Thome meritis meramur Gaudia Lucis.

On its top were four Confessors in their habits, carved in freestone three now remain, but the 4th, which stood at the south-west corner, about 80 years since, was struck down in a violent tempest, which happened during divine service; it surprised the congregation, killed one, and stupified two others, though they recovered afterwards; the violence of it went out at the chancel door. It is adorned with many shields carved in stone, on one, is a flower-pot with lilies, the emblem of the Virgin, to whom the fabrick is dedicated; the arms of Holm abbey, as patron of one turn, St. George, and Erpingham's arms as patron of the other turn. The emblem of the Trinity, a cross florè, a wreath or chaplet, Boleyn quartered with Ormond, in a bordure gobonne on an inescutheon a frettee, divers initial letters, for the names of Saints, M, for Maria, D. C., &c. and the several letters of

The church and tower, were begun in Sir Thomas Erpingham's time, and was roofed by Sir William Phelip, Lord Bardolph, and his Lady, as their arms on the roof testify; we find several benefactors arms also, as Jermy, Damme, Beaumont, Jermy, and Mounteney, &c. The nave, south isle, chancel, and south porch are leaded, and in the first of tnese is a stone for Benjamin Woolsey, Nov. 22, 1729. 59, and another in the chancel, for Grace, wife of Thomas Howse, daughter of Robert Saye, 1657. On a north window, quarterly semi de-lises or, a frettee az. and on the screens are 12 images painted, the last on the south side hath a child over it, to which it is praying in these words,
Sancte Roberte Succurre mihi Pie.

Orate pro anima Johannis Greneway, de Wykemer, cuius anime propicietur Deus

Edward the Confessor confirmed to the abbey of St. Bennet at Holm, the churches of Erpingham and Antingham, with the manor and land of Edric Sciresman in those villages, (fn. 1) and this was the manor of Erpingham, which at the Conqueror's survey belonged to that abbey, and was appropriated to the maintenance of the monks there, and the church had then 6 acres glebe. (fn. 2)

The other manor here was called South Erpingham or Gerberge's manor, and was in various hands at the Conquest; that part formerly Earl Harold's, was then owned by Roger Bigot; (fn. 3) Drue de Beuraria had another part, and Humfrid or Humfrey held two other parts, of Ralf brother of Ilger, of which one part was formerly Bundo's, a freeman of Herold's, and ancestor to the Mawtby family; the King and the Earl had the soc or sole jurisdiction over the whole, except the abbot's manor, and there appears no mensuration nor gelt in Domsday.

Erpingham Manor

Passed from the time of the Conquest as the manor of Hautbois-Magna, as you may see at p. 300, 1, till 1200, and then Robert son of Peter de Erpingham had it, and in 1207, Peter de alto Bosco, or Hautbois, released it to him, as did Sir Peter his son in 1234, and the Calthorps also; and so it came to

The family of the Erpinghams, who assumed their sirname from this village, their ancestors having been here long before they fixed this name; for it is plain that John son of Robert, the ancestor of the family, had lands here granted him by William son of Rosceline, and Leticia his wife.

As the family was very numerous, it will be quite foreign to my purpose to trace any of the branches, besides that principal one, which by purchasing in Gerberge's manor became lords of the whole town, and patron of a mediety of the church.

Robert, son of Peter de Erpingham, was the first of the family that was lord here, in 1244, and was succeeded by his son, John; for

In 1277, John de Erpingham (fn. 4) and Beatrix his wife settled 19 messuages and great parcels of lands here, on Thomas son of John de Antingham, their trustee; it appears by this conveyance, that they had a large estate in Wykmere, Calthorp, Iteringham, Aldburgh, Beckham, Baconesthorp, and Berningham, of which last manor,

Robert de Erpingham, son of John, (fn. 5) held a quarter of a fee here of Walter de Berningham, and he held it of the Earl-Marshal; and in 1315 the said Robert, being then a knight, (fn. 6) was lord; and John was his son and heir. In 1345 Sir Robert paid aid towards making the king's eldest son a knight, for this manor; (fn. 7) he had two wives, Agnes and Beatrix, the first of which lies buried by him, at the south door, with this,
Orate pro animabus Roberti Erpingham Militis, et Agnetis Uroris sue quorum animabus propicietur Deus Amen.

Sir John de Erpingham, Knt. his son, (fn. 8) succeeded, but survived him not long; he lies under a large stone at the east end of the south isle; the arms are lost but his effigies remains in armour, standing on a lion; the circumscription is part loose in the chest, and part on the stone; at each corner is an emblem of an Evangelist.

Hic jacet Dominus Johannes de Erpingham Miles, quondom Dominus istius Uille, qui obiit prima die Mensis Augusti,Anna Dni, Mccclcc^o.ruius anime propicietur Deus Amen.

Sir Thomas Erpingham, knight banneret, his son and heir, became one of the most famous warriours of that age; in 1385 he had the King's protection, upon his accompanying John Duke of Lancaster into Spain; in 1399 he was chamberlain of the household, one of the barons of the Cinqueports, warden of Dover castle, and one of those lords of parliament that voted Richard II. should be put into safe custody, being one of the principals that promoted Henry IV. to the crown, who continually trusted him in his principal affairs. (See vol. iii. p. 118.) He was a great favourer of the Lollards, and as such hated by Bishop Spencer, to whom he was afterwards reconciled by the King's mediation, as in vol. iii. p. 524. He was a great friend to the city of Norwich, (see vol. iv. p. 39,) and resided much in his city-house in St. Martin's at the Palace, (see vol. iv. p. 102.) He made the fine window in the Austin-friars church, as in vol. iv. p. 86, 7, and was a benefactor to the cathedral, as in vol. iv. p. 39. His only son (as is said) Sir Robert was a friar in the house of Friars-preachers at Norwich, rector of Brakene, and official to the archdeacon of Norwich; though I rather think this was his brother. His arms are in vol. i. p. 356, and blazoned in verse in vol. ii. p. 543; an account of him and his two wives you may see in vol. i. p. 81, and in vol. iv. p. 39. He was constantly in all the wars in Henry the Fourth's and Henry the Fifth's time, and particularly at Agincourt, (fn. 9) where he was acquainted with John Wodehouse, Esq. the great warriour, whose grandmother was an Erpingham, daughter and coheiress, as I take it, of Sir Thomas Erpingham and his wife Bavent, who are buried at Henstede, whose arms are quartered by Wodehouse. He and his two wives lie buried in Norwich cathedral, as in vol. iv. p. 39.

In the year 1400, King Henry IV. in recompense for his services, gave him a messuage called the New-Inn in St. Benedict's Paul'sWharf, London, for his city-house, which was lately Sir John Beauchamp's, Knt. and before that John de Montague's late Earl of Sarum, by whose forfeiture it came to the King, and also 100 marks out of Saham manor in Cambridgeshire: 24l. out of the profits of the county of Norfolk, 24l. of the fee-farm of Norwich city, the office of conestable of Dover castle, and Framlingham castle in Suffolk, (fn. 10) and 40 marks out of the manor of Gimmingham; and the year following he confirmed them all, and added 50 marks out of the farm of the manor of Newenton Longeville by the hands of Sir Ralf Rochford, Knt. and John Glaston, chaplain, farmers thereof, and if Sir Ralf dies, during Sir Thomas's life, then he to have that manor, and 100l. per annum out of the fee-farm of Cambridge, by the hands of the bayliffs; and in the 4th year of his reign, he granted him the priory of Toftes in Norfolk, Wormington in Worcestershire, Spetburgh in Darsetshire, and Aston in Berkshire, for life, with all the tithes, in as ample manner as Sir Lewes de Clifford, Knt. deceased, held them for life, of the grant of Richard II. of the gift of the abbot and convent of Pree in Normandy. In 1404 he had letters patents to perform all things belonging to the office of Marshal of England; in 1406 he was pledge for Sir Edward Hastings of Elsing, Knt. appearance in the court of chivalry, in the great cause between Reginald Grey, plantiff, and him, about the arms and title of Hastyngs, in which he swore that he was 50 years old and above in 1407, and that he knew the grandfather of the defendant, and that his father bare the arms of Hastings with a label of three points arg. in King Richard the second's voyage into Scotland, being then present there, and at the relief of Brest, where, and in the Spanish voyage, he bare the same arms without the label, which is the common opinion of ancient and valiant persons using arms that the heir of a Lord, in the life of his father, should bear his arms with a label of three points; and that he had seen the arms of Hastings, with the label painted, (fn. 11) in Prussia, at a place called the House of our Lady. (fn. 12) In 1414, he was with Henry V. at the siege of Harfleur; in 1415, being then steward of the king's household, he was sent with John Wakering Bishop of Norwich an ambassador into France, to treat of a peace, but without effect; he had the honour to be elected knight of the most noble Order of the Garter, and was present with the Duke of Bedford, and Humfrey Duke of Gloucester, lieutenants to Henry V. at Windsor, at St. George's feast; in 1419, he was one of those who were sent to by the King to require the gentlemen of the county to come to his assistance with arms and equipage agreeable to their quality, encouraging them with the assurance, that his particular favour should reward their services, and ordering that the names of those who were willing, and of those who refused, should be returned him, upon which he, the Bishop of Norwich, and John Wodehouse, his fellow commissioners, made their return to the Bishop of Durham, then chancellor, dated from Norwich, as in vol. ii. p. 547; he died seized of the advowson of the priory of Tofts, the manor of Horsted for life, &c. leaving

Sir William Phelip, Knt. son of Sir John Phelip, Knt. of Dennington in Suffolk, by Julian his daughter, by his second wife Joan, the beautiful daughter of Sir William Clopton of Clopton in Suffolk, in whose right Clopton manor descended also to him; and on April 22, 1428, Sir John Ratcliff was chosen Knt. of the Garter in his stead.

And now having gone through the chief passages of his life, I cannot yet omit the following story, which I shall relate word for word, as I find it in Thomas Heywood's [GYNAIKEION], or nine Books of various History's of Women, inscribed by the name of the Nine Muses, printed in 1624, beginning in page 253:

Sir Thomas Erpingham, Lord Warden of the Cinque-ports, a knight both of fame and memorie, and whose name is still upon record, being eminent and of note with Henry the Vth, as personally with him in all the wars of France; after the King had both conquered and quieted the land, this noble Englishman retired himself into his country. He had a lady that was of such beauty, that she attracted the eyes of all beholders, with no common admiration; in brief, I cannot speak of her feature sufficiently, as being far beyond the compass of my pen, and therefore I put her into the number of my Fair Ones. This lady, with her husband, residing in the cittie of Norwich, he, after so many troubles and torments, purposed a more sequestered life, and (next to the solace he had in the beautie and vertues of his wife) to take a course merely contemplative, and thought out of the abundance of his wealth, to do some pious deeds for the good of his soul; he therefore erected in the city, and near to the place where his house stood, a goodly church, (fn. 13) at his own charge, and betwixt them a religious house that entertained 12 friars and an abbot, allowing them demeans competent for so small a brotherhood: In this convent there were two, Frier John and Frier Richard, these were still at continuall enmity, and especiall notice taken of it amongst the rest, which by no mediation could be truly reconciled; but omitting that it was the custom of the Knight and his Lady, daily to rise to morning mattings, and she being affable and courteous to all, it bred a strange uncivil boldness in Frier John, for she never came through the cloister but he was still with duckes and cringes attending her, which she (suspecting nothing) simply with modest smiles, returned thanks to him again, which grew so palpable in the Frier, that, as far as they durst, it was whispered in the convent. Briefly, after these incouragements (as he construed them) it bred in him that impudencie that he presumed to write a letter to her, in which he laid open a great deal of more than necessary love; this letter with great difficulty came to her hand, at which the lady astonished, as not dreaming that such lewdness should come from one that professed chastitie, and not knowing whether it might be a trick, complotted by her husband to make trial of her chastitie; howsoever, lest her honour should be any way called in question, she thought it her best and safest course to show the letter to her husband, of which he had no sooner took a view, but he began to repent him of his former charitie in regard of their so great ingratitude; but there yet wants revenge for so great a wrong, the Knight concealing his rage, causes an answer of this letter to be drawn, to which he commanded her to sett her hand, the contents to this effect, That she was greatly compassionate of his love, and that such a night, her husband being to ride towards London, he should be admitted, lodged, and entertained according to his own desires; this letter was sealed, closely sent, received by the Frier with joy unspeakable; against the night he provides himself clean linnen, a perfumed night-cap, and other necessaries, he keepes his time, observes the place, is closely admitted, and by herself without witness, and so conveighed into a close chamber, which he was no sooner entred, but in comes the Knight with his man, in great furie, without giving him the least time, either to call for helpe to the house, or to heaven, strangled the poor Frier, and left him dead upon the ground; the deed was no sooner done, and his rage somewhat appeased, but he began to enter into consideration of the foulness of the fact, and heinousness of the murder, withal the strict penalty of the law, due for such an offender, which would be no less than forfeiture of life and estate, and now begins better to ponder with himself, how to prevent the last, which may give him further leisure to repent the first; after diverse and sundry projects cast betwixt him and his man, it came into his mind by some means or other, to have his bodie conveyed back into the monastery, which being divided from his house only with a brick wall, might be done without any great difficulty; this was no sooner motioned, but instantly his man remembers him of a ladder in the back-yard, fit for the purpose; briefly, they both lay hands to the body, and the man with the Frier on his back, mounts the ladder, and sits with him astride upon the wall, then drawing up the ladder on the contrary side, descends with him down into the monastery, where spying the house of office, he set him upon the same, as upright as he could, there leaves him, and conveys himself again over the wall, but for haste forgetting the ladder, and so delivers to his master how and where he had bestowed the Frier, at which being better comforted, they betook themselves both to their rest; all this being concealed as well from the Ladie as the rest of the houshold, who were in their depthe of sleep: It happened at the same instant, the Frier Richard being much troubled with a looseness in his body, had occasion to rise in the night, and being somewhat hastily and unhandsomely taken, makes what speed he can to the house of office, but by the light of the moon, discerning somebody before him, whilst he could and was able, he conteined himself, but finding there was no remedy, he first called and then entreated to come away, but hearing no bodie answer, he imagined it to be done on purpose, the rather because approaching the place somewhat nearer, he might plainly perceive it was Frier John, his old adversary, who, the louder he called, seemed the less to listen; loth he was to play the sloven in the yard, the rather because the whole convent had taken notice of a cold he had late got, and how it then wrought with him, therefore thinking this counterfeit deafness to be done on purpose, and spight to make him ashamed of himself, he snatcht up a brick batt to be revenged, and hitting his adversarie full upon the breast, down tumbles Frier John without life or motion, which he seeing thought at first to raise him up, but after many proofs finding him to be stone dead, verily believes that he had slain him; what shall he now do, the gates are fast locked, and fly he cannot, but as sudden extremities impress in men as sudden shifts, so he espying the ladder, presently apprehends what had been whispered of Frier John's love to the Knight's Ladie, and lifting him upon his shoulders by the help of the same ladder, carries him into the porch of the Knight's hall, and there sets him, and so closely conveys himself back into the monastery, the same way he came, not so much as suspected of any; in the interim, whilst this was done, the Knight, being perplexed and troubled in conscience, could by no means sleep, but calls up his man, and bids him go listen about the walls of the monasterie, if he can hear any noise or uproar about the murther; forth goes he from his master's chambers, and having passed the length of the hall, purposing to go through the yard, finds Frier John sitting upright in the porch; he starting at the sight, runs back affrighted and almost distracted, and scarce able to speak, brings this news to his master, who no less astonished, could not believe it to be so, but rather his man's fantasie, till himself went down and became eye witness to the strange object; then wondrously despairing, he intimates within himself that murther is one of the crying sins, and such a one as cannot be concealed, yet recollecting his spirits, he purposes to make tryall of a desperate adventure, and put the discovery thereof to accident; he remembers an old stallion, that had been a horse of service, then in his stable, one of those he had used in the French wars, and withall a rusty armor hanging in his armorie, he commands both instantly to be brought, with strong newe cords, a case of rustie pistolls, and a launce; the horse is saddled and caparisoned, the armor put upon the Frier, and he fast bound in the seat, the launce tyed to his wrist, and the lower end put into the rest, his head-piece claspt on, and his beaver up, the skirts of his grey gown serve for bases, and thus accoutred like a knight, compleatly armed cap-a-pee, they purpose to turn him out of the gates he and his horse, without any paye or esquire, to try a new adventure. Whilst these things were thus a fitting, Frier Richard in the monastery, no less perplexed in conscience than the Knight, about the murther, casting all doubts, and dreading the strictness of the law, summons all his witts about him to prevent the worst, at length setts up his rest, that it is his best and safest way to flye, he remembers withall, that there was belonging to the Fryery, a mare, imployed to carry corn to and fro from the mill, (which was some half a mile from the monastery,) being somewhat fat, and therefore misdoubting his own footmanship, he thinks it the safer course, to trust to four leggs than to two, he therefore calls up the baker, that had the charge of the beast, and tells him that he understands there was meale that morning to be fetched from the mill, which was grinded by that time, therefore if he would let him have the mare, he would (it being now night) safe him the labour, and bring it back before morning; the fellow willing to spare so much pains, caused the back gate to be opened, the Frier gets up, and rides out of the monastery gate, just at the instant, when the Knight and his man had turned out the Frier on horseback, to seek his fortune; the horse presently scents the mare, and after her he gallops; Fryer Richard looking back, amazed to have an armed knight pursue him, and by the moon-light perceiving the fryer armed, (for he might discern his face partly by the moon and partly by the breaking of the day, his beaver being up,) away flyes he, and takes through the streets, after him (or rather the mare) speeds the horse; great noise was in the citty, insomuch that many wakeing out of their sleeps and morning rests, from their windows looked out; at length it was Fryer Richard's ill fate, to take into a turn again lane, that had no passage through; there Fryer John overtakes him, the horse mounts the mare, and with his violent motion, the rotten and rusty armor makes a terrible noise, Fryer Richard's burthen'd conscience, clamours out aloud for help, and withall cryes, guilty of the murther, at the noise of murther, the people being amazed, ran out of their beds into the streets; they apprehended miracles, and he confesseth wonders, but withal, that barbarous and inhuman fact to murther one of his convent; the grudge that was betwixt them is known, and the apparent justice of heaven the rather beleived; Fryer John is dismounted, and sent to his grave, Fryer Richard to prison, he is arraigned, and in process, by his own confession, condemned; but before the execution, the Knight knowing his own guilty conscience, posts instantly to the King, makes his voluntary confession, and hath life and goods (for his former good service) pardoned him: Fryer Richard is released, and the accident remains still recorded.

Sir John Phelip, Knt. and Julian his wife, daughter and heiress of Sir William Clopton, being dead before Sir Thomas Erpingham; their son and heir inherited at Sir Thomas's death, viz.

Sir William Phelip, Knt. who married Joan, daughter and coheir of Thomas Lord Bardolf, in whose right he was commonly called Lord Bardolf; he was one of the great warriours in France with Henry the Vth. (fn. 14) and while he attended the King in Normandy, was elected by the companions Knight of the most noble Order of the Garter, at St. George's feast, held by Humfry Duke of Gloucester, the King's lieutenant, and was installed by proxy; in 1436 he and his wife had license to found a chantry of three chaplains, at the altar of the Virgin Mary, in Dennington church, and to settle 20l. per annum on them; he died in 1440, being chamberlain to King Henry VI. seized of this town and of Clopton, Ilketshall, Dennington, Brokele, Brundish, Cretingham, and Wilby in Suffolk. He and his wife are buried in Dennington; the tomb still remains, (fn. 15) and was drawn by Joseph Kirby, and published in 1748, the plate being dedicated to Sir John Rous, Bart. Their daughter and heiress,

Elizabeth, married to John Lord Viscount Beaumont, and had

Henry Beaumont, who died in 1442, and is buried at Dennington with this on a brass plate;

Hic Facet Henricus de Belloonte, Filius et Heres Johs: Uicecomitis Beaumont, et Elizabethe Uroris eius, Filii et Heredis Dillielmi Phelip, Domini de Bardolph, et heredis terrarum de Erpingham, qui obijt bi^o die Novembris, Anno Domini Mccccflii, ruius anime propicietur Deus.

In 1446, Joan Lady Bardolph, widow of Sir William Phelip, held the advowson and manors here, and died seized this year; her will is dated Sept. 7, 1446, and was proved the 3d of April, 1447, in which she bequeathed her body to be buried in St. Margaret's chapel on the south side of Dennington church. Her executors sold in 1447, the old seat of the Erpinghams in St Martin's at the Plain in Norwich, to William Calthorp, Esq. but these manors went to

William Viscount Beaumont, and Lord Bardolf, who in the 1st of Edward IV. 1460, was attainted, and though these manors and others were at first granted to Joan his wife, yet in

1466, The King granted them to Roger Rees, Esq. for life, as forfeited by Beaumont; he was afterwards knighted, and was sheriff of Norfolk in the 9th of Edward IV. and again in the 13th year of that King, and he had a confirmation of them in 1474.

In 1487 Sir Philip Calthorp, Knt. and Joan his wife, had a grant of the receivorship of these manors, they being then in the Crown, after the death of Roger Rees, Esq. as parcel of the Beaumont's forfeited lands.

But in 1517, Sir Philip Calthorp had an absolute grant of them from King Henry VIII. and at his death, his lady Joan held them, and in 1543 it was conveyed to Sir Edward Warner, Knt. of Mildenhall in Suffolk, and his heirs, (fn. 16) he died without issue in 1565, and Robert Warner, his brother and heir, then 55 years old, kept his first court here; in 1572, Henry son of Robert had livery of these and several other manors, and in 1578 sold them to

John Hobart of Thweyt, who in 1596, left them to William Hobart of Metton, his son and heir, who held them to his death in 1620; he is buried in the nave of Erpingham church with this,

Hic jacet Corpus Willielmi Hobart Generosi, qui obijt quinto die Novembris Anno Domini 1620.

By his wife Catherine, daughter of Robert Underwood of Cromere, Esq. and sister and sole heir of her brother James, he had two daughters, coheiresses; Anne, married 1st to Nicholas Bacon, third son of Sir Robert Bacon of Riburgh, by whom she had no issue: secondly, to Thomas Herne of Heverland, Esq; by whom she had Clement Herne of Heverland, Esq. who died in 1720, aged 80, and Thomas Herne, Esq. was his eldest son and heir, whose uncle, John Herne of Wichingham, had Thwayt and Metton, and died without issue,

But these manors, on the partition, fell to Frances Hobart, who married William Hurst of Berkshire, but had no issue, but by her other husband, James, son of Sir Henry Davy, pensioner to King Charles I. she had three daughters; the 1st married a Bouchier, Thomasine, the third, married Plowdon of Latham in Hantshire, and

Frances, the second, to whose share these manors fell, married Sir George Windham of Cromere, Knt. who left it to his son,

Francis Windham, Esq. who was lord in 1691, and

Francis Windham, Esq. of Cromere is now lord and patron of one turn.

South-Erpingham, or Gerberge's Manor,

Belonged to Richard (Vetulœ filius) or le Veile in Henry the First's time, and to his son Roger, in Henry the Second's time, and John de la Veile died seized seized of it in 1278. In 1284 Walter Gerberge held it, at a quarter of a fee, of Robert Fitz-Roger, and he of the honour of Eye, and claimed view of frankpledge, and assize of bread and ale, but he could not prove his right, and so it was disallowed; in 1297 he was lord, and then lived at Wickhampton, as also in 1315, in 1345 Edward Gerberge his son had it, and he it was, that conveyed it to the Erpinghams, and so ever since it hath passed with the other manor, together with

Tusard's Serjeanty,

Of which see p. 260, 327, 541, the part here, Hubert de Cordeboef or Corn-de-beof held as a member of Cawston, of the gift of Henry I. by the serjeanty of finding an archer for the king's service, it being a part of the serjeanty in Banningham, Berningham, (Winter,) and Erpingham, that Henry I. gave to Gerard Tusard, to find him 5 archers; the Earl-Marshal held Tusard's part, and John Cordeboef the other; in 1406 Walter de Berningham held the whole of Roger Bigot Earl of Norfolk, it was after held of the manor of Berningham Winter, by Robert Brome, and was purchased to the other manors by Sir Thomas Erpingham, and was always held as a member of Berningham, with that manor, at half a fee of the honour of Forncet.