Gallow and Brothercross Hundreds: Taterford

TATERFORD,

So called from the river Tat. Humphrey de Bohun had a grant of it at the conquest, on the expulsion of Ulnoth, who held it in King Edward's reign, of Stigand the Archbishop of Canterbury, who had a carucate of land held by 3 villains, and 11 bordarers, and 2 servi; there was one carucate in demean, and at that time 2 carucates among the men, with 3 acres of meadow; a mill, &c. and one beruite belonged to this manor, with half a carucate of land, and 3 bordarers, and a carucate and 2 acres of meadow, a mill valued at 40s. per ann. it was half a leuca long, and 3 furlongs broad, and paid 3d and ¾ gelt. Four socmen, with 40 acres, were taken from this manor, and William de Warren had them. (fn. 1) Ulnoth was brother of King Harold.

Humphrey de Bohun was a kinsman to William Duke of Normandy, and attended him on the conquest of this realm, and is called Humphrey with the beard, most of the Normans then shaving their faces. It does not appear that he was possessed of any other lordship in Norfolk, at the general survey, than this of Taterford; and was ancestor to the Bohuns Earls of Hereford and Essex. It is probable that this lordship remained not long in this family, as I find no further account of them relating to it.

In the 9th of King John. Henry de Hauvill was lord, (of which family see in Dunton,) who granted to Pagan de Taterford his right of presentation to this church, with a salvo jure. This Pagan had a considerable interest in this town, and confirmed to William Person of Taterford, and Margaret, daughter of Henry de Saham, and their children, 24 acres of land, paying 6d. per ann. to the King's scutage, with a foldcourse, a common of pasture where they pleased with his cattle, for which they did homage to him, paid him 5 marks of silver, and Maud his wife, 2 talents of gold, and acquitted him of his mortgage of 4 marks to Benedict the sewer:—Witnesses, Simon de Saham, Osbert, son of Roger de Stratesete, and William his brother, &c. In the 5th of Henry III. Margery, widow of Pagan de Taterford, and John her son, were living.

Hugh de Dunton, alias Havile, by deed, sans date, released to Sir Thomas, son of Richard de Snetterton, all his right in 40d. issuing out of lands here, and 12d. per ann. of the serjeanty, which he received of Sir Thomas, for which he received money, and lands in Doketon.

In the 52d of Henry III Richard Spike of Taterford, and Sabina his wife, granted, by fine, to Richard, son of Thomas de Snetterton, land, and 5s. rent, in this town, Tatersete and Dunton; and, in the 14th of Edward I. Richard, son and heir of Richard de Dockyng, granted to Richard de Boyland, and Maud his wife, this manor and advowson, with all his arable lands, meadows, pastures, homages, wards, mills, turbaries, &c. paying to him and his heirs, one clove per ann. and Thomas de Snetterton, granted for himself and heirs, that the said Richard and Maud might have liberty to fish, to dig turf, &c. as freely as Richard de Dockyng had ever enjoyed, or his grandfather Richard.

Thomas de Sneterton was, in the 7th of Edward II. deforciant in a fine, and Thomas de Gannock, clerk, querent, of 24 messuages, a mill, 522 acres of land, 3 of meadow, 4l. rent, and the rent of 4 quarters of barley, and a half, in Taterford, Tatersete, Shireford, Helgeton, and Riburgh Parva, settled on Thomas de Sneterton for life, remainder to Simon Brake of Brandeston, for life, then to Edmund de Snetterton, and Alice his wife, in tail, remainder to John, Richard, and William, in tail.

In the 20th of Edward III. Roger Bretoun, and Alice his wife, held here, and in Shereford, one fee, which Thomas de Sneterton, and his parceners, formerly held. John de Wolteron, parson of Snoring Parva, William de Barsale, and Richard de Waterden, released to Henry Stockel of Taterford, clerk, William de Horning, &c. all their right in 2 messuages, lands, meadows, and pastures, fishery, turbary, with the services of several persons, and advowson of the church, which they had lately purchased of Sir Richard de Boyland, Knt. by deed, dated on Palm Sunday, in the 34th of Edward III.

Afterwards it was in Sir Robert Knolles, who had free warren here, in the 2d of Richard II. his right herein came from Sir James Havile, and Sir Robert Tyffour, with the manor of Dunton, as may be there seen, and was settled by him on his college, or hospital, of Pontefract in Yorkshire, with the advowson; when it was found to be held of the prior of Flycham, by knight-service, and the prior to hold it of the heir of Somerville, and he of the King, valued at 8l. per ann. and then 30 acres, part of the said manor, was held of the prior of Cokesford, by the service of 4s. 5d. rent, by the year.

On the dissolution of this hospital, it was granted, May 17th, in the 3d of Edward VI. to Sir William Fermor, and Sir Richard Fulmerston. Sir William Fermor mortgaged it to John Winter, Esq. and the lady Catherine Fermor, late wife of Sir William, redeeming it, it was conveyed to her, October 13, in the 5th and 6th of Philip and Mary, who gave it for life to Henry Spilman, Esq. remainder to Nicholas Fermor, Gent. a nephew of Sir William Fermor; and the said Nicholas, by his deed, dated November 3, in the 12th of Elizabeth, sold it, with lands in Gatesend, Dunton, &c. to Thomas Fermor, Esq. of East Barsham, his eldest brother, for 500l. and he sold it to Thomas Grave, Esq. of Lynn, whose daughter and heir brought by marriage to Henry Vilet, Esq. this lordship, with that of Tatersete, as may be there seen. —Vilet bore, argent, on a chevron, gules, three castles, or, on a canton, azure, a lis of the 3d.

The prior of Coxford had lands here, farmed by Henry Fermor, Esq. in the 7th of Henry VIII.

The prior of Lewis' temporalities, valued at 11s.

The tenths were 42s.—Lete fee to the lord of the hundred, 12d.

The Church is dedicated to St. Margaret, and is a rectory; the ancient valor was 10 marks; the present 6l. 6s. 8d. and is discharged from first fruits and tenths.

Richard de Dokkyng was patron in Edward the First's reign, when the rector had 40 acres of land, but no manse.—Peter-pence, 7d.

Richard de Boyland, in the 14th of Edward I. and Maud his wife, had the patronage, as appears from a fine, and presented in 1314, Ralph Howe.

1332, Roger de Boyland, by ditto.

1348, Robert Baillies, by Sir John Boyland.

1399, Thomas Mowton, by John Drewe.

Nathaniel Osborne died rector, 1727.

John Stone died rector, 1758; he was presented by the Lady Diana Drury.

1758, John Wright, on his own petition, being patron.

Here was the gild of St. Margaret, and the common light.