North Erpingham Hundred: Berningham Northwood

BERNINGHAM NORTHWOOD.

At the survey there was but one town, in this hundred, of the name of Barningham, which at that time included what is now called Barningham Northwood, and also the town of Barningham Winter: the principal lordship was then held by Roger Bigot, ancestor of the Earls of Norfolk, and consisted of several tenures in the days of the Confessor, of which the lords and owners were deprived at the conquest.

One socman held 12 acres and half a carucate of land, which he ploughed with 2 oxen.—Also 16 acres of land, belonging to 4 freemen of Suffield, and paunage for 4 swine.—Osbert had 3 freemen, who held half a carucate of land, and 5 bordarers with a carucate and half an acre of meadow, valued at 10s. at the sarvey at 50s.; it was 10 furlongs long and 6 broad, and paid 16d. gelt. (fn. 1)

A freeman held also in King Edward's time, 3 acres of land, and ploughed with 2 oxen, valued then at 16d. at the survey at 3s.—of all the freemen in this hundred, the King had the sac and soc.

William Earl Warren had 30 acres of land, of which a freeman of Ketel was deprived, and Turold held it at the survey of that Earl; 3 borderers belonging to it with a carucate and an half of meadow, and 10 freemen of Alwin had 28 acres of land, which the Earl had by an exchange, for lands at Lewes: this seems to be joined soon after to the capital manor. (fn. 2)

The family of De Berningham were early enfeoft of a lordship in this town, which they held of the Bigots Earls of Norfolk. Alice de Berningham was a ward in the reign of Richard I. William de Berningham was living in the 4th of King John. (fn. 3)

Sir Nicholas de Berningham gave, in the 22d of Henry III. part of his heath here to the monks of Binham; and Richard de Berningham was found, in the 24th of the said King, to hold the 4th part of a fee of Roger Fitz Osbert, and he of the Earl of Norfolk in Northwood Barningham: the first time that I find it so called.

Richard de Berningham, and John his son, were living, as by a pleading in the 14th of Edward I.

In the 11th of Edward II. Richard de Berningham conveyed in trust to Remigius de Hetherset, &c. the manor of Great Berningham, with 60 acres of heath, settled on Richard for life, the remainder to John de Hedersete and Elizabeth his wife, after to Joan and Alice, her sisters, in tail; and in the 20th of Edward III. John de Hederset was found to hold half a fee, of Edmund de Baconsthorp, and he of the Earl of Norfolk in North Barningham.

This John was son of Sir Simon de Hetherset, Lord of Cringleford, in Norfolk, and one of the King's justices itinerant, by Cecilia, his wife; and Simon was son of John de Hetherset and Margery his wife. —John died before 1357, in that year Elizabeth, his widow, remarried John de Reppes.

William de Hetherset, Esq. son and heir of John de Hetherset, and Elizabeth his wife, was made guardian of the wool-customs in Norfolk, 1357, and by Eve, his wife, daughter of Sir Thomas Hetherset, (brother of John de Hederset, his uncle) left 2 daughters and coheirs; Elizabeth, 2d wife of John Winter of Town Berningham, and Sibilla, wife of John Pagrave, Esq. lord of this town, in her right.

William de Hetherset presented to this church, as lord, in 1365.

In the 47th of Edward III. Henry Bacon of Northwood Berningham, and Joan his wife, Robert Megges and Elizabeth his wife, conveyed by fine to Roger Taylour and Thomas Fox, lands here, and in Town Berningham, with the homages and services of William de Hedersete, William Winter, Roger Catt, &c. from Joan and Elizabeth, and their heirs; this probably was of the Earl Warren's fee abovementioned.

In 1420, and 1437, John Wentworth, Esq. (fn. 4) presented: and in 1441, Sibilla Pain of Norwich presented: what right they had, or John Banyard, Esq. who presented in 1471, does not appear, no presentation of John Pagrave, Esq. who married Sibilla, daughter and coheir of William de Hetherset, occurs; the first of that family who presented in 1508, was Henry Pagrave, Esq. Elizabeth, another daughter and coheir, married John Winter, Esq.

The Pagraves are a very ancient family, and take their name from Pagrave, a town in the hundred of South Greenhow, of which John, son of Thoric de Pagrave was lord, in the reign of King Henry II. and William Pagrave held of William, son of Alan de Norfolc, one fee, in the said reign. Robert, son of William de Pagrave, and Margaret his wife, are mentioned in a fine A^o. 24 of Henry III. (fn. 5)

Robert Pagrave, (probably son of John and Sibilla abovementioned,) and Margaret his wife, were living in 1414, as appears from a fine. And in 1425, John Pagrave, Esq. who married Margaret, daughter of Sir William Yelverton, (the judge) of Rougham, was his son and heir: she is said to have been sister and coheir of William Yelverton, Esq. her brother, (by Agnes, 2d wife of Sir William,) of the whole blood: by his will, dated April 13, 1467, he was buried in the church of the Friars-Preachers at Norwich, by Margaret his late wife, and appoints Anne, his wife, executrix: proved May 7, following. (fn. 6) —Anne his widow, married Roger Drury, Esq. and dying in 1501, was buried by her first husband Palgrave, in the choir of the FriarsPreachers, being then the widow of Drury, and was a great benefactrix to the said friars: she was daughter of William Hanningfield of Suffolk.

Henry Palgrave, Esq. son and heir of — and Margaret his wife) by his will dated September 11, 1513, orders this lordship with that that of Thuxton in Norfolk, to remain in the hands of his feoffees, (fn. 7) Sir Robert Brandon, and William Paston, Esq. Margaret, his mother, then living, held the manor of Woodhall, in Hetherset, and makes his wife Ann, and John his eldest son, executors: Clement, Thomas, &c. also sons; proved January 14 following.

In 1524, Sir William Paston presented to this church, being guardian of Clement, son of Henry Pagrave, Esq. by which it appears that his eldest brother, John, was then dead: in 1554, Clement Pagrave, Esq. presented, and in 1557; but in 1559, the vicar-general of the Bishop of Norwich, by virtue of a lapse, as I take it, and Clement, also, presented in 1581.—John Pagrave, Esq. was living in the 1st of Elizabeth, and in 1605: John Palgrave, Esq. presented also in 1608. — Sir August. Pagrave, of this family, was knighted by King James I. at Hinchingbrook, in Huntingdonshire, November 24, 1604, and died 1639, aged 72.

John Pagrave, Esq. son and heir of —, was living in 1635, and on June 24, 1641, created Baronet.

Ann, relict of Sir John Pagrave, Knt. and Bart. was buried in December 1676, in the chancel of St. Peter's church of Hungate, in Norwich; she was daughter of Sir William de Grey of Merton, in Norfolk, and married, first, Cotton Gascoign, Esq. of Illington in Norfolk.

Sir August Palgrave, Bart. presented in 1677.

Sir Richard Palgrave, Bart. succeeded his father, Sir August, about 1731; on his death this lordship, by a decree in chancery, was ordered to be sold, by his heirs, who were the four daughters of Samuel Smith, Esq. late of Colkirk in Norfolk; who was son of Ursula, daughter of Sir John Palgrave, Bart. grandfather of Sir Richard, and father of Sir August. Catherine, 1st daughter and coheir, married Thomas Bendish, Esq.—Ursula, — Offley of Derbyshire;—Theodosia, Samuel Sparrow, Gent. of Lanham in Suffolk; and Lucy,— Pett of Debenham in Suffolk, Gent. and afterwards Jonas Rolph of Lynn, Gent. after this it came to the Windhams.

William Windham, Esq. lord and patron in 1760, who dying in 1761, left his son and heir a minor.

In the hall of the manor-house were these arms; quarterly, argent, on a chevron sable, a cross flory of the 1st, Wanton; and azure, two lions passant, guardant, or, Benston, impaled by Drury, quarterly, on a bend, gules, three mullets argent, pierced sable; and ermin, a chief indented gules; (fn. 8) azure, on a bend, wavy, or, three birds sable, in a bordure engrailed sable, bezanty, Read.

The Church is a rectory dedicated to St. Peter, and was valued at 11 marks.

In the reign of Edward I. when the rector had a manse, and 8 acres of land, Peter-pence 8d. the present valor is 6l. 13s. 4d. and is discharged.

In the chancel is a neat alabaster monument:

For a sacred and religious remembrance of Margaret Pope, daughter of John Pagrave, Esq. John Pope, doctor of law, her husband, caused this monument to be set up: she left her life the 25th of December, 1624.

In the north isle, a curious monument of marble, &c. with the busts of a man and a woman.

Memoriæ sacrum— Here resteth in Christ the bodies of Sir Austin Palgrave, knight, and Dame Elizabeth his wife, who was the daughter of Sir John Willoughby of Rysley in Derbyshire, and by whom he had issue, 9 sons and 5 daughters, and he at the age of 72, and she at 53, commended their spirits; he 1639, she 1633.

Also a monument railed in,

In memory of John Palgrave, who died 1611.

Agnes, wife of William Say, and widow of Robert Bacon of this town, by her will, in 1486, was buried in the church by her husband.

In the church Pagrave's arms, azure, a leopard guardant, saliant, argent; which was also the arms of Hetherset; argent, on a bend, gules, three mullets pierced, sable: Lovell of Erst Herling; Yelverton of Rougham; Caly, and Clifton, quarterly. Pagrave impaling quarterly, or, a chevron between three torteaux, Glemham and Brandon; barry of ten, argent and gules, a lion rampant over all, or, crowned of the second. Quarterly, azure, fretty, or and sable, a fess between two chevrons, or, Banyard. Argent, a chevron between three cross crosslets, fitché, sable.

Richard Winter of Norwode Barningham, buried in the church, 1476.

Rectors.

John de Berningham was lord and patron in the reign of Edward I.

In 1311, Henry de Berningham was instituted rector, presented by Richard de Berningham.

1340, James de Dernford, by Sir John de Hederset.

1349, Thomas Dod, by Elizabeth, late wife of Sir John de Hederset.

1365, Robert de Quitay, by William de Hederset.

1420, John Bentele, by John Wynteworth.

1432, Richard Pechard. Ditto.

1437, Robert Millen, by John Wentworth, Esq.

William Rookedale, rector.

1441, John Tocell, by Sibilla Payn of Norwich.

1471, George Hudspeth, by John Banyard, Esq.

1508, Henry Bernard, by Henry Pagrave, Esq.

1511, Richard Forneys. Ditto.

1524, Edmund Fuller, by Sir William Paston, guardian of Clement, son; of Henry Pagrave, Esq.

1554, William Mepall, by Clement Pagrave, Esq.

1557, Thomas Parker. Ditto.

1559, Ralph Duker, by the Bishop's vicar-general.

1581, Robert Quashe, by Clement Page, Esq.

1605, John Money, by John Pagrave, Esq.

1608, William Smith. Ditto.

Richard Briggs, rector.

1626, Samuel Thornton, by the Bishop, a lapse.

1661, Cuthbt. Lock, A. M. by Sir John Palgrave. Knt. and Bart.

1677, William Ombler, S. T. B. by Sir Aug. Palgrave, Bart.

1680, Robert Sibbs. Ditto.

1697, William Wickham. Ditto.

John Palgrave died rector 1721, and Richard Sibbs succeeded, presented by Sir Richard Palgrave, Bart. 1760.

In the church were the gilds of St. Peter, and St. Ann's image.

The temporalities of the prior of Ely were 5s. 6d.

The tenths of the town 2l. 4s. Deducted 6s. 8d.

Berningham, or Barningham, signifies a ham on the meadows, by a hill.

Robert Quashe certified in 1603, that there were 52 communicants.