Gallow and Brothercross Hundreds: Dunton and Doketon

DUNTON and DOKETON.

Dunton, so called, as sealed on a hill, was a beruite to the King's manor of Fakenham, at the survey, belonging to Herold in the Confessor's time, and when he was King of England. It then contained one carucate of land, six bordarers, &c. two servi, one carucate in demean, and one amongst the men; four acres of meadow, a mill, &c. Sixteen socmen had one carucate, and five bordarers, and there were then eight carucates, at the survey but one. This was valued under Fakenham, and was one leuca long, half a one broad, and paid 13d. gelt. (fn. 1) In this account, Doketon, or Docton, is included as an hamlet, or part of the manor of Dunton, and so not mentioned in the survey, or Doomesday Book.

King Henry II. is said to have given this town, with Doketon and Ketleston, to Ralph de Hauvile, to be held by petit serjeanty, the keeping of the King's hawks or falcons; and in another record, it is said by keeping of two ger-falcons for the King. This Ralph was a knight, and had a son Sir Ralph, who wrote himself sometimes De Hauville, and sometimes De Dunton, according to the practice and custom of that age; and by his deed sans date, granted to Roger, son of Gilbert de Dunton, lands here, to which Hugh de Pinkeny was witness, &c. His seal was of green wax:—party per pale; in chief, a label of 4 points, and was the founder of the priory of Mirmounde in Upwell, in the isle of Ely, to which he gave the churches of Dunton cum Doketon, and Kettleston, with lands in Lincolnshire, which grant was confirmed by King John, May 9th, in his fifth year. Of this family were Henry and Hugh de Hauville; and King John, in his 6th year, ordered the bailiffs of several ports to secure all the hawks and ger-falcons which should be brought beyond sea, till the said Henry and Hugh should chose what they thought fit for the King's use; and no one was allowed to buy any till this was done. About the same time lived Walter de Hauville, who held 60s. rent in land, at Hallingbury, in Essex, by serjeanty, and keeping the King's falcons.

In the 3d of King John, Sir Ralph had 10l. per ann. towards keep ing the King's hawks; and in the 2d of Henry IIId. Henry de Hauvile was lord, son of Sir Ralph; in which year Ralph de Jernemue (Yarmouth) conveyed to him by fine all his right in the lastage of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Lincoln; and in the following year, Gilbert and Ralph de Hauvile had a mandate to bring the King's ger-falcons in their custody safe to court, signed by Hubert de Burgo, the chief justice; and in the said year a fine was levied between John de Dereham, and Hawise his wife, late widow of Philip de Hauvile, and Ralph de Hauvile, of her dower here, &c. when Ralph assigned them lands in Bildeston, in Suffolk, for life, who released lands here to Ralph; and the said King, in his 5th year, directed his precept to the bailiffs of Dunwich, to deliver to Ralph, son of Henry de Hauvill, and Margaret his wife, all the lands and houses in that town which were Richard de Dunwich's, son of Robert, deceased, whose daughter and heir she was.

Hugh de Dunton impleaded, in the 34th of that King, Henry de Hauvile for taking his swans from his pool in Doketon, and carrying them to Dunton; and it was adjudged that he should make satisfaction, and permit Hugh to have the fishery in the water of Doketon, from Hugo's mill to the mill of Henry; Reiner de Dunton was found to be grandfather of Hugh, bailiff of Henry, and Ralph was father of Hugh. This Henry was found, in the 37th of the said King, to die seized of this lordship, that of Hacombly in Lincolnshire, Linford Parva in Bucks, and that Henry his grandson was his heir, aged one year, son of Ralph: it appears that this Henry had two wives; by his first wife, Ellen, he had Ralph his son (father of Henry, a minor) also Thomas and Henry; and by his 2d wife a son, aged 7 years; to his son Thomas he gave the lordships of Rainham, and this town, who died seized of it in the 51st of the said King, and in the said year, Mr. William de Clifford, eschaetor, accounted for 15l. 6s. 10d. of the issues of this lordship with Doketon, &c.

In the 3d of Edward I. Thomas de Havyle was found to have the lete, and paid 20l. relief to the King; (fn. 2) and in the 30th of that King, he is said to have a capital messuage in Dunton, 378 acres of land, 6 of meadow, a fishery, with a watermill, &c; and in the 8th of Edward II. Sir Thomas Hauville enfeoft Thomas his son in this lordship, and that of Rainham, valued at 20l. paying 18s. per ann. and keeping the King's ger-falcons at the King's cost.

Sir Thomas de Havile, Knt. by his deed dated in the 4th of Edward III. sold lands in Kettleston to John Temper, Gentleman, and Cecily his wife. I mention this, it being (as far as I remember) the first time that I have seen the addition of Gentleman in any deed.

After this it was possessed by James de Hauvile, son of Henry, in the 11th of Edward III. in which year he married Ann, daughter of Sir William, or James de Wace, and was then conveyed to James by Sir Robert Tiffour, and Maud his wife, late wife of Sir Thomas Havile; and in the 30th of that King, Sir James was with the King in Gascoine, and had letters of protection, and about this time is said to have sold this lordship to Sir Robert Tyffour, who aliened it to John de Wesenham, who conveyed it to Adam Chaunger, citizen of London, and he aliened it to St Robert Knollys, and Constance his wife.

Sir Robert had a grant of free warren in the 2d of Richard II. and on June 15th, in the 10th of that King, he enfeoft Robert Braybrook Bishop of London, Sir John Cobham, Knt. John Drew, clerk, and John Seymour of London, of this and several other lordships, for settling it on his hospital at Pontefract in Yorkshire, as was accordingly performed, and the master of the said hospital, &c. presented as lord to the vicarage of Dunton cum Doketon.

On the dissolution of the said hospital, it was granted, May 17th, in the 3d of Edward VI. to Sir William Farmor, and Sir Richard Fulmerston, Knts. with the advowson of the vicarage and the impropriated rectory; and the said Sir William died seized of it in 1558. Thomas Farmor of East Barsham, Esq. had livery of it, in or about the said year, and on September 8th, in the 37th of Elizabeth, sold the same to Edward Coke, Esq. the Queen's attorney-general; and his immediate heir, the Right Honourable Thomas Coke Earl of Leicester died lord of Dunton cum Doketon.

The tenths were 4l. 2s. 6d.—Deduct 12s.

In the chancel, a marble grave-stone:

In memory of Matthew Lancaster, of Dunton, Gent, eldest son and heir of Matthew Lancaster, descended from John Lancaster, the first of that race in England, and first founder of Lancaster, from whom issued 50, or more, Knights, Esqrs.; and Gentlemen of Quality, some dignified by their honourable marriages into noble families, the rest, or most of them, in their several marriages, equalizing, if not exceeding their own rank and pedigree, died— 1658.

In the reign of Edward I. the prior of Meremounde had the rectory of this church, being appropriated to it; it had a manse, and 30 acres of land, and to the rectory of Doketon there belonged a manse, with half an acre, and the vicarage at 5 marks. Peter-pence 13d. ob.

Thomas de Havyle was then patron of the rectory of Doketon, or Doughton; the rector had a manse with half an acre of land, but was not valued. Peter-pence 4d. The present valor of both is 5l. 6s. 8d.

Rectors.

1305, Roger de Lekys was presented to the church of Dokcton, with the vicarage of Dunton annexed, presented by Sir Thomas de Hawvile, Knt.

1325, John Gerard, to the vicarage of Dunton, with the chapel of Doketon annexed. Ditto. (fn. 3)

1349, Thomas Harvey, by Sir Robert Twyford.

1349, Raph Bate, by ditto.

1349, Hugh Person. Ditto.

1366, Henry Coupere, by Adam Pyk, rector of Grymston.

1387, John de Cavenham, by the prior and convent of Mermaund.

1388, Simon Bodcar, by Robert, Bishop of London, &c.

Robert Perlington.

1414, John Carter, by the master and fellows of the college of Holy Trinity or Pomfret.

1416, John Skot. Ditto.

1422, Robert Helt. Ditto.

1425, John Arnold. Ditto.

1448, John Kyde. Ditto.

William Kelyng.

1460, John Hugonys, by the prior and convent of Mermound.

1473, Robert Fetyll, by the Bishop, a lapse

1492, Henry Mey. Ditto.

1500, Robert Wadelof, by Pomfret college.

1531, Thomas Kendal. Ditto.

1555, John Crane, by Sir William Fayremore, Knt.

1560, Thomas Lemon, by Catherine Fermour, widow.

1577, Vinc. Man, by Thomas Fermour, Esq.

1581, Henry Shales, by the Queen.

1584, Robert Ward, by Thomas Farmor, Esq.

1590, William Wilson, by Farmor's assigns.

1599, Michael Harridance, (in 1603, he returned 70 communicants,) by Edward Coke, the Queen's attorney, &c.

1604, Edward Hamond. Ditto.

1626, Edward Peartree, by Sir Edward Coke.

James Watts, by John Coke, Esq.; he occurs 1662.

William Allcock.

1686, William Scarlet, by William Guavus, Esq.

1701, William Brown, by the King, a lapse.

1736, Christopher Selby, by Thomas Lord Lovell.

It appears from a curious record, (fn. 4) that Thomas de Havile, son of Sir Thomas, son of Sir Ralf de Dunton, or Havile, was lord of Dunton and Doketon, and patron of both these churches, and that Sir Henry his son, as lord, presented Henry de Taterset to the vicarage of Dunton, with the chapel (as then called) of Dokton annexed to it; and in the time of this lord, Henry, both these churches were endowed and separated, and the right of presentation granted to the said Henry; the pension that the prior of Miremound had of 10 marks per ann. in them, being excepted in this: his grandfather, Sir James de Havele, son of Henry, was lord and patron, who conveyed his right in the same to Sir Robert de Tyfford, who presented to the vicarage of Dunton, with the chapel of Dokton annexed. Tyfford aliened his right to John de Wesenham, as John did to Adam Chaunger, citizen of London, and Adam, to Sir Robert Knolls and Constance his wife. The said Sir Robert settled it on his trustees, Robert Braybrook Bishop of London, &c. on his founding the hospital at Ponlfract in Yorkshire. About this time the prior of Miremound, pretending the right of presentation to be in him, presented John de Cavenham, but the prior's right being set aside, Simon de Bodcar was presented by Bishop Braybrook, &c. and instituted to the said churches, by Henry Spencer Bishop of Norwich; and by an inquisition taken May 19th, 1411, it was found that the right of patronage was in the master and fellows of the college, or, &c. of the Holy Triaity of Pontfract, Knolles hospital or college; and that the vicarage of Dunton cum Doketon was valued at 5 marks per ann.