North Erpingham Hundred: Thurgarton

THURGARTON.

The abbot of St. Bennet of Holme was lord of this manor in Edward the Confessor's reign, and at the survey. This abbey was founded by King Canute, and this lordship was given to it by a Saxon lady, Edgiva Swanehals, as the register of Holme says. (fn. 1)

At the survey the abbot had 2 carucates of land, 4 villains, and 4 borderers, 2 carucates in demean and one among the tenants, 4 acres of meadow, &c. a mill, one runcus, 2 cows, &c. with 30 goats; and 49 socmen had a carucate of land with 5 carucates and 2 acres and an half of meadow, valued in King Edward's time at 4l. at the survey at 6l. it was 13 furlongs long, and 6 broad, and paid 16d. ob. gelt, and the soc belonged to it. (fn. 2).

In the 15th of King John, Thomas, son and heir of John de Thurgarton, held lands of the abbot which his father had; and in the 7th of that King, a fine was levied between Ralph the abbot, and Eustace Fitz John, tenant of the whole land of Thurgarton, when he released it to the abbot, who regranted to Eustace all the land which Cecilia, his grandmother, held of him, by 5s. rent; and in the 12th of the said reign, Peter de Hobois paid 20 marks for seisin of lands here, and in Antingham, claimed of the abbot, when the abbot pleaded that he had not disseized Peter, but that the King had set over the religious houses certain guardians or keepers: and in the 19th of that King, Peter released all his right to the abbot.

The abbot, in the 3d of Edward I. claimed the lete, assise, &c. and would not permit his maltsters and brewers to come before the King's bailiff of the hundred to the view of frankpledge, &c. and signed and marked his flagons with his own mark, &c.

In 1428, the temporalities of the abbot were valued at 17l. 7s. 6d. per ann. and in 1535, King Henry VIII. by act of parliament, on the dissolution of the monasteries, settled the revenues of this abbey on the see of Norwich, and took to himself the ancient revenues of that see; by which act this lordship of Thurgarton, called the Chamberlain's, came to be annexed to that see. In the 3d and 4th of Philip and Mary, by the account of Thomas Rugg, then bailiff, the rent of assise was 21l. 11s. 1d. q.— 1l. pension out of the rectory;—Lete fee to North Erpingham hundred, 16d.—To Thurgarton rector 2s.—The convent's manor and rents 30s.—A pension of tithes belonging to the chamberlain, 33s. 4d.—To the penitentiary out of Honylands in Baningham and Tuttington, 4l. 13s. 4d.—The farm of the demean lands was 7l. of the herbage, 15s. 8d.—Farm of the site of the manor, 4 quarters, 6 bushels of barley at 3s. 4d. a quarter; perquisites of court with fines included, 55s. 8d.—and 4l. 13s. 4d. rents, &c. belonging to the cellarer, out of lands here and in Twayte, demised to Miles Hobart, Esq.—And the Bishop of Norwich is lord at this time.

Roger Bigot, ancestor of the Earls of Norfolk, had, at the survey, 2 borderers in this town, belonging to his manor of Hanworth, also one freeman of Ilvingus, who held in King Edward's time, 12 acres of land, which he always ploughed, and half a carucate, valued then at 2s. at the survey at 5s. (fn. 3)

Roger Bigod Earl of Norfolk was lord in the 3d of Edward I. and about this time, William, son of Robert of Felmingham, purchased of John, son of Eustace of Thurgarton, lands here, in Sustede, &c.

In the 9th of Edward II. Richard de Walkstede, and Margaret his wife, had in this town, Basingham, Sustede, &c. messuages, 52 acres of land, 7 of meadow, 12 of pasture, settled on them for life, by John de Felmingham.

In the 29th of Henry VIII. Sir Thomas Bedingfeld, Alice his wife, and Firmin Rookwood, her son and heir, conveyed to Edmund Windham, Esq. a manor in Thurgarton.

William Windham, Esq. died lord in 1761, leaving his son and heir a minor.

The tenths were 3l. 8s. 4d.

The Church is a rectory formerly in the patronage of the abbot of St. Bennet of Holm, who had a portion of tithes valued at 2 marks per ann. The present valor is 9l. 6s. 8d. and is discharged of tenths, &c. The Bishop of Norwich is patron.

Dedicated to All-Saints.

Rectors.

In 1316, John de Claxton held it by sequestration.

1323, Eustace de Rising, by the Bishop, a lapse.

1327, Adam de Murimouth, junior, by the abbot of Holm.

1328, Ralph de Erpingham. Ditto.

Ralph Aylmer occurs rector, 1333.

1342, Edmund de Fresingfeld, by the Pope.

1352, Ralph Urri, by the abbot.

1392, John Bridale. Ditto.

1406, Robert de Wolstan.

1407, John Merchaunt.

1421, William Snyterton.

1435, Thomas Dannard.

1438, James Burbach.

1441, Philip Lewys.

1450, Richard Wyston.

1471, Edward Wrenne.

1478, Simon Crosse.

1483, Thomas Bokenham.

1485, John Bakon.

1509, John Warmolle.

1534, Walter Roper, by the assigns of the abbot.

1556, Robert Rugge, by Sir Thomas Woodhouse.

William Dawson, rector.

1563, John Machet, by the Bishop.

1583, Henry White, by the Bishop; in 1603, he certified that there were 104 communicants.

1617, John Taylor, by the Bishop.

1628, George Franklyn. Ditto.

1652, Thomas Hennant, by John Kendal.

1662, John Scambler, by the Bishop.

1668, Benedict Rively, by the Bishop.

1695, Thomas Geffrey, by the Bishop.

1701, Patrick St. Clair, by the Bishop.

1740, John Custance. Ditto.

In the church was the gild of St. Margaret.

In the chancel on a grave-stone,

Hic jacet sepultus in gra. et m'ia Dei D'n'us Johes. Bakon, quo'd rector de Thurgarton, qui obt. 1509.

John Bacon of this town by his will proved May 19, 1526, requires to be buried in the church of Thurgarton, All-Saints. (fn. 4) In the church were the arms of St. Bennet's abbey of Holm, sable, a crosier staff, in pale, between two crowns, or;—also gules, a boar passant, argent, in chief a crescent, between two estoils, or.—Bacon.