Gallow and Brothercross Hundreds: North-Barsham

NORTH-BARSHAM.

In the same village (Barsham) Hugo had of the Earl Warren a carucate of land, held by a freeman in King Edward's reign, for a manor, and was so delivered to him. Twenty-one bordarers belonged to it, and one servus, and two halls; there were two carucates amongst the men, or tenants, and two acres of meadow, two mills, and a moiety of another, &c. and six socmen, with six acres of land, &c. one church endowed with twelve acres, valued all in King Edward's time, at 43s. per ann. at the survey at 30s. and paid 10d. gelt, and was accounted for, as to its measure, in West-Barham. (fn. 1)

Wauncy's Manor, or Southall.

Hugh, who was lord of West-Barsham, was ancestor of the family of de Wauci, and held this lordship at the survey under the Earl Warren; and having treated at large of them, under that town, I must refer the reader thereto.

It is probable that the family of Suthale had some interest herein, under the Wauci; William de Suthale lived in the 31st of Edward I. and Richard de Suthale, of North Barsham, was witness to a deed in the 8th and 14th of Edward II.; after this, in the reign of Edward III. it came to Edmund Gurney by the marriage of Catherine, daughter of Sir William, and sister of Sir Edward Wauci, and remained in that family.

Branch's Manor.

This was the principal manor, and held by a family that gave name to it, under the Waucis; Ralph Branch was lord, as appears from the Register of Walsingham, and Richard was his son, but sans date. (fn. 2)

In the 26th of Henry III. a fine was levied between William Braunche and Joan his wife, impedients, Thomas Trivet and Alianore his wife, querents, of the moiety of a knight's fee, and advowson of the church of North Barsham, passed to Thomas, &c.; this Thomas was in arms in the barons wars, against King Henry III. and his lands here given to Henry de Lacy; but in the second year of Edward I. the King directed his writ to the Barons of the Exchequer, to discharge Thomas Trivet from 20s. 1d. ob. charged on him, for the issues of this manor, during the time of its being seized into the hands of King Henry III. the Archbishop of York, and Robert Walerand, testifying, that he constantly adhered to that King, during those wars, though all his lands were seized on a sinister suspicion, after the battle of Evesham; this Thomas is said to have been a knight, one of the King's justices, and father of Nicholas Trivet, the historian, who wrote the reigns of several Kings of England. In the 57th of Henry III. he was a judge of Norwich, and in the 7th of Edward I. a commissioner to enquire after the authors of the quarrel between the monks and citizens of Norwich, which begun in King Henry's time; but still it appears that the family of Branch had an interest in it.

Nicholas Braunch held half a fee in the reign of Henry III. and in the 8th of Edward I. Nicholas, son and heir of Joan, paid relief for lands which he held in capite.

In the 29th of Edward I. Henry Hamond impleaded Nicholas, son of John Braunch, &c. for the flinging down his fold in this town, who pleaded it to be an innovation; and in the 32d of that King, Reginald de Pavely, and John de Higham, settled by fine a messuage, one carucate of land, and a mark rent, here, with the advowson of the church in tail, on Nicholas Braunch, and Robriga his wife; and in the 7th of Edward II. the lordship and hundred of Frome in Somersetshire were settled on Sir Nicholas Branch (fn. 3) and his wife Robergia.

Andrew Braunch was lord, and Joan his wife, in the 14th of that King, and in the 16th of Edward III. Sir Andrew Braunch granted to Mr. Hervey de Stanton, parson of Elm, in the Isle of Ely, and Henry, son of Aungier de Staunton, for the life of Mr. Harvey, this lordship and advowson. Hervey held it for life, being of the inheritance of Thomas, son of Andrew Braunch, who was under age, and in the King's custody, held of the Earl of Arundel, as of the honour of Castleacre.

Thomas Braunch died lord about the year 1361, and Mary his wife remarried John Giffard, as appears from the clause-rolls in the 44th of Edward III.; she was daughter of Walter Whitehorse, and in the 34th of the said King, Stephen Winslade assigned to her this manor for life, in full dower. Stephen was son and heir Alianore, by her husband Richard de Winslade, and sister of Sir Andrew Braunch, to whom this inheritance came.

In the 45th of the said reign, Sir John Minsterworth granted to John de Kingsfeld, and Joan, or Isabel his wife, and heirs of Joan, this lordship and advowson; there being a fine sued in the 40th of that King, when John Giffard, and Mary his wife, conveyed onethird part of the manor of Branches to John de Kingfeld, &c.

Thomas Eldrich and Alice his wife, sold to Nicholas Turford of London, two parts of the manor and advowson of the church of North Barsham, in the 5th of Richard II. and in the 11th of Henry IV. Edward Attehale released to John Warncamp, and to Isabel his wife, daughter of John Attefeld, and the heirs of Isabel, the 3d part of the manors of North Barsham, and Exning, in Suffolk, and in all the lands and tenements, lately John Kingfeld's. This John Attefeld, Esq. was of Slynfold in Sussex; and in the 10th of Henry IV. left, as appears from the eschaets rolls, 3 daughters and coheirs; Alice, wife of Thomas Gosden; Isabel, wife of John Warncamp; and Ellen.

It appears by the will of George Sefoule of Waterden, dated August 5, 1469, that he died seized of this manor, and was proved November 19, 1469; in this family it continued till Thomas Sefoule, Esq. sold it, with the warren of conies, &c. in 1571, to Richard Perry, of North Barsham, yeoman; and Richard, in the 26th of Elizabeth, passed by fine to Edmund Russel, the manors of North Barsham, Branche's, Caley's, and Churche's.

By an inquisition taken at Norwich, April 1, in the 16th of James I. Philip Russel, Esq. was found to die possessed of this manor December 26, last past, called the manors of Braunch's, Caley's, and that of Churche's, with the advowson of the church, and of lands and tenements here, late part of the possessions of Hempton priory; and Edmund was his son and heir, (by Catherine his wife,) aged 17. Thomas Russel, Gent. of this town was living in 1638; this Thomas is said to have sold the lordship to James Ward of Hindringham, counsellor at law, and dying in the King's Bench prison, left 3 sisters, Jemima, married to — Britiffe of Wighton; Hannah, married to Charles Hastings; and Elizabeth.

This family is derived from Thomas Russel of Littleport, in the isle of Ely, whose son William had Henry Russel of West Rudham, in Norfolk, Gent. who by Margaret, his wife, daughter and heir, of John Bacheler, of West Rudham, and Isabel his wife, daughter and heir, of Thomas Ferrers, of the said town, left Henry, his son and heir, who by Elizabeth, daughter of — Wallis, had William Russell, of West Rudham, Gent. and by Agnes his wife, daughter of Thomas Walpole, of Houghton, Esq. he had Thomas Russell, his son and heir, William, and Edmund, which Edmund died September 13, 1589, and by Catherine his wife, daughter of Nicholas Bowry of Stone in Hertfordshire, was father of Thomas, his son and heir, who died without issue, and of Philip Russel, Esq. above-mentioned, who died in 1617, and was buried (as his elder brother, Thomas, was) in the church of North Barsham, leaving by Catherine his wife, daughter of John Walpole, of Houghton, Esq. Thomas aforesaid, who died without issue.

William Rootley, Esq. who was high sheriff of Norfolk in 1722, and his son, sold it to the Honourable Horace Walpole, Esq. and his son, the Lord Walpole, now possesses it.

Lete fee to the lord of the hundred, was 2s. ob.

Churche's Manor.

Godfrey de Levingdale of East Barsham, by deed sans date, gave lands to Maud Atte Church, and to John her son, in the fields of Barsham; and in the 34th of Edward I. Maud, widow of Henry Attechirch, settled on John, messuages and lands here. Henry Attechirch lived in the 9th of Edward II. William Attechirch in the 45th of Edward III. and the 10th of Richard II. Nicholas Attechirch, in the 19th of Richard II. and 3d of Henry IV. John, son of Nicholas, and John Atfeld, with their parceners, held half a fee here, and John Gurney, half a fee of the honour of Castleacre; after this it was in the Sefowls, and so united to Branch's manor.

In North Barsham also, Herold held in King Edward's time, (afterwards King of England) 2 freemen, with one carucate belonging to his lordship of Fakenham; at the survey, William Earl Warren possessed it, but his men knew not how he came by it; but the hundred witnessed that the Earl was seized of it, and it was left to the King to judge of it, as it belonged to his manor of Fakenham. (fn. 4)

Caley's Manor.

William de Gunthorp, rector of Fakenham, confirmed to Robert de Holm, clerk, and Robert Chamberlayn, all his lands, tenements, rents, and services of freemen and villains in North Barsham, and East Barsham, September 21, in the 7th of Richard II. William Caley was living, in the 10th of Richard II. and in the 19th. Edmund Caly, in the 6th of Henry IV. held a quarter of a fee, and William Caly was living in Edward the Fourth's time. Thomas Sefoule, by his will in 4th of Elizabeth, appears to be possessed of it; Richard Percy, soon after, held it, and so was united to Braunch's manor.

In the 20th of Edward III. Roger Sire, and others, held the sixth part of a fee, and in the 40th of that King, Hamond de Barsham, and Anastasia his wife, conveyed by fine, to Roger de Ouston, and Roger Sire, 3 messuages, 144 acres of land, 3 of meadow, 3 foldcourses, and 6s. rent, in North and East Barsham, Waterden, &c. who granted for life an annuity, to Hamond and his wife.

Mr. John Borage of North Barsham, Gent. gave by will, dated October 27, 1636, to the master, fellows, and scholars of Clare-Hall, in Cambridge, where he was sometime a scholar, a rent charge of 35l. per ann. out of his messuages, lands, and tenements, in North and West Barsham, towards the maintenance of a fellow, to be held only until the non regency, or five years after the said fellow's commencing master of arts; capable of being elected, when he shall be sophister of 2 years standing in the said hall; to be chose out of the founder's name and kindred, in that hall, or in any other college in Cambridge, as shall be found capable thereof, and for want thereof, any Norfolk, or Norwich man may be elected.

The prior and convent of Norwich used to receive out of mind 3s. per ann. to the use of the cellarer, out of a mill, and a close, given by Gilbert Passelewe, who, with the consent of Maud, his wife, Simon, and his other sons and daughters, gave the tenth penny rent of his mill in Barsham, to the cellarer of Norwich, by deed sans date: Witnesses, Hamonde Passelewe, John de Marsham, &c. (fn. 5)

The temporalities of Walsingham priory here, were 21s. 8d.—Of Petreston, 10s. 6d—Coxford priory, 6d.—Creke priory, 4s. 8d. and Castleacre priory, 3s. 6d.

The church is a rectory, dedicated to All-Saints, in the patronage of the Braunchs, lords in the reign of Edward I. when the rector had a manse, with 30 acres of land, and was valued at 12 marks, and the prior of Castleacre had a portion valued at 5 marks, Peter-pence 12d. Symon Bishop of Norwich confirmed to them 2 parts of the tithes of the demeans of William Branch, and of the lands, late Hoel de Waterden's.

Rectors.

John Trivet, occurs rector A^o. 14th Edward I.

1317, Thomas de Rollesby, by Sir Nicholas Braunche.

1325, John Hereward. Ditto.

1349, John de Sothelyngton, by Mr. Hervey de Stanton.

1361, John de Blaby, by Thomas Braunche.

1372, John de Swynstede, by John de Kingsford.

1375, Richard Atte Stone. Ditto.

1382, John de Stonhall, by Sir Nicholas Twyford.

1391, John Atte More, by William Atte Chirch, Henry Walpole de Houghton, &c.

1409, Edmund Lekers, by Sir William Calthorp, John Drew, &c.

1421, William Kyrre, by William Lexham, &c.

1440, Roger Sawere, by Richard Atte Chirch, de North Barsham, and Henry Walpole.

1461, Mr. Thomas Forest, by George Sefowle, Esq.

1467, John Cotton, by John Hoom, Gent.

1474, Thomas Warner, by John Blake of Trows, and Margery, his wife.

1493, Thomas Kemp, by Thomas Sefoull, Esq.

1527, John Giles, by Giles Sefoule, Gent.

1550, William Davison. Ditto.

1554, William Poll. Ditto.

1555, Thomas Johnson. Ditto.

1557, John Potter, by Thomas Sefoule, Gent. Potter had been a monk of Keldon-abbey in Yorkshire, lived and died at Wissingset.

1569, Mr. John Muriel, L. L. B. by the assigns of T. Sefoule.

1589, Samuel Stallon, by Richard Percy, Gent.; died 1613.

Joseph Lawson, died rector 1643.

John Wyard, rector, buried in 1680.

1681, Robert Goodrick, D. B.

1686, Abraham Smith, buried 1689.

1689, Joseph Tomson.

1723, John King, by William Routley, Gent.

1724, Joseph Tompson. Ditto.

1762, Mr. Dowsing, by the Lord Walpole.

St. Catherine's chapel, in North Barsham, mentioned in 1531.

Here was St. John's gild.

In the Register, under Mr. Lawson's hand,

Deo Gratias, Quod Nos Satias, Bonis Rusticorum, Contra Voluntatem Eorum.

Against the north wall of this church is a murual monument, with a shield—Quarterly, argent, a lion rampant, in a bordure, gules, in the 1st and 4th Russell; in the 2d and 3d or, a chevron gules, and a chief vairy, or and azure, and impaling Walpole.

In memory of Phil. Russell, Esq. who married Catherine daughter of John Walpole, of Houghton, Esq. and dyed December 26, 1617, aged 66.

The said arms are carved on the wainscot, in the manor-house.— On the pavement of the chancel, a grave-stone, in memory of Joseph Thomson, rector, who died in 1723.