Eynford Hundred: Hackford

HACKFORD,

Was one of the lordships of the Earl Warren, of which Wither, a freeman, was deprived; and Turold held it under the said Earl, for one carucate and an half of land, 6 villains, 10 borderers, and one servus belonged to it, there were 2 carucates in demean, and 3 carucates with 4 acres of meadow among the tenants, and one socman, 11 acres and half a carucate, a mill, 4 runci, &c. 5 skeps of bees, a church endowed with 9 acres, and 2 acres of meadow, valued in the whole at 50s. per ann. was 5 furlongs long, and 3 broad, and paid 4d. gelt, &c. It came to the earl by an exchange of lands at Lewes in Suffolk. (fn. 1)

Robert de Vallibus or Vaux, the youngest son of 3 brothers, who came over with the Conqueror, to seek their fortunes, was enfeoffed of this lordship, and several others by the Earl Warren, and was father of William, whose son Robert is said to have had 7 sons: Will. the eldest, dying without issue, was succeeded by his brother, Sir Oliver de Vaux, who by Petronilla his wife, daughter of Henry de la Mere, had 3 sons; Robert, who died young, William, the 2d, dying without issue, the inheritance came to the 3d brother, Sir John de Vaux, who paid to King Henry III. the fine due to him of 24 marks, for his brother William's marrying Alianore de Ferrers, daughter of William de Ferrers Earl of Derby, without the King's license.

Sir John, in the 5th year of Edward I. had a grant of a weekly mercate on Saturday, and a fair on the eve, day, and morrow of the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, in his manor of Repeham, this lordship extending into that town, and claimed the assise of bread and beer, &c. in the 14th of that King, and died seized of it in the 16th, leaving 2 daughters and coheirs; Petronilla married to Sir William de Norford, and Maud to Sir William de Roos, lord of Hamlake, who had 19 knights fees with her; and this manor was found to be held of the Earl Warren by half a fee. In this family it continued till the attainder of Thomas Lord Roos, in the first of Edward IV. who being after taken at the battle of Hexham, was beheaded at Newcastle upon Tine. Edmund his son was restored in blood, in the first of Henry VII. and dying October 23, 1508, was buried at Enfield, leaving 4 sisters and coheirs; Alianore, married to Sir Robert Manners of EthaleCastle in Northumberland: Isabel married to Sir Thomas Lovel, Knight of the Garter, lord president of the council to King Henry VII. who died at Enfield, May 25, 1524, and buried in the nunnery of Holywell by London, June 8 following; and Margaret and Joan.

Sir Robert Manners, in right of his wife, was lord of it, as was his son, George Lord Roos, whose grandson, Henry Earl of Rutland, and the Lady Margaret his wife, conveyed it to Thomas Lodge, Esq. in the 1st and 2d of Philip and Mary; soon after it came to the Heydons, and Sir Christopher Heydon presented to the church as lord in 1563, and Thomas Hunt, Esq. in 1589, and 1602, and William Hunt, son of Sir Thomas, in 1633, as lord.

Berner, an officer of the cross-bowmen, had a lordship also, out of which a freeman was expelled, who had a carucate of land, 3 villains and 3 borderers, with one carucate in demean, and half a one among the tenants, 11 acres of meadow, &c. valued at 20s. (fn. 2) The King's manor of Whitwell also extended into this town.

Roger Est, in the 8th of Edward I. settled by fine on Richard Partrick of Hackford, 6 messuages with lands and rents here, in Refham, Whitwell, and Sparham, for life, remainder to Est; and in the 32d of that King, Reginald Partrick conveyed to Henry Partrick 5 messuages, 50 acres of land, 5 of meadow, 3 of wood and 20s. rent in this town, Refham, Whitwell, &c. for life, remainder to Reginald.

William de Thorpe, and Cecilia his wife, settled in the 35th of that King, on Beatrix, daughter of William de Thorp, 9 messuages and lands here, in Repham, Kerdeston, &c. and William de Thorp had a lordship, and a right in the advowson, in the 3d of Edward II.

In the 17th of Edward II. John de Clavering held lands here, of the barony of Moncheney, late the Earl of Pembroke's, as did Walter de Calthorp, and the heirs of De Cressi, of the said Earl.

Thomas de Eggefeld, clerk, as trustee settled in the 4th of Edward III. 8 messuages and several parcels of land in Hackford, Whitwell, Kerdeston and Sparham, on Roger Est and Joan his wife, and on their sons.

Nicholas Wichingham was lord of Thorp-hall here, in the 2d of Henry VI. as was John Wichingham, Esq. in the 21st of Henry VII.

In the 19th of Edward IV. John Hoydon died possessed of it, called then Haydon-hall, and in the 41st of Elizabeth, Sir William Haydon was lord of it, and of East's manor in Hackford, &c. alias Nugoun's. These came after to the Hunts as above.

The temporalities were 2l. 7s.—Deducted 10s.

The Church of Hackford was a rectory dedicated to All-Saints, the old valor was 15 marks, and paid Peter-pence 7½d. the present valor is 7l. 0s. 5d.

In the 3d of Edward II. a fine was levied between William de Thorpe, querent, and William de Wichingham, tenant of this advowson, and one acre of land.

Rectors.

1317, John Pertryke instituted, on the presentation of Sir William Ross of Hamelak.

1338, Ralph Brown, on the presentation of Sir William Ross.

1339, John de Sixendal. Ditto.

1353, Thomas de Leverington, by Sir John Avenel.

1364, William de Berton, by Sir Thomas Roos Lord Hamelake.

1367, William Chattock. Ditto.

1383, John de Grimston. Ditto.

1384, Adam de Popelton. Ditto.

1396, Rowland Zwyk, by Beatrice Lady Roos.

1422, William Bungay, by the King.

1423, Thomas Essex. Ditto.

John Radewell, rector.

1428, John Sprygg, by Thomas Lord Roos.

1436, Thomas Boleyn, by Edmund Beauford Earl Morton, and Alianore his wife, in right of her dower of the lands of the Lord Roos lately deceased.

1437, Robert Frodesham. Ditto.

1440, John Smith. Ditto.

1454, John Gamelyn, by Edmund Duke of Somerset, and Constable of England.

1479, William Cubyt, by Richard Roos, Esq. Cubyt gave to the town and church of Hackford, a drinking-house with 2 acres, to have his yearly obit kept in the church, and wills that the guilds and drinkings of all the four parishes (that is Hackford, Refham, Whitwell, and Kerdeston) be kept there, if they desire it.

1506, John Haukesford, by Sir Thomas Lovell.

1509, John Gooddyng. Ditto.

1531, John Maners, by Thomas Maners Earl of Rutland.

1542, Christopher Lockwoode, by Thomas Earl of Rutland.

By an indenture tripartite, dated April 18, in the 35th of Henry VIII. between Robert Coke, owner of the fee simple of the church of Whitwell Christopher Lockwode, clerk, parson of Hackford, and vicar of Whitwell, Thomas Bayfield, William Brese, John Blofield, &c. parishioners of Hackford, very and undoubted patrons of the vicarage of Whitwell, witnessing, that whereas the late parish church of Hackford, chancel, with all the church goods, ornaments, and jewels, and most part of the dwelling-houses, &c. in Hackford, were by misfortune lately burnt by fire, the said church or rectory of Hackford, was consolidated to Whitwell, by William Lord Bishop of Norwich, all parties consenting.

1559, William Colleson, by the assigns of Henry Earl of Rutland.

1563, William Dawson, by Sir Christopher Heydon.

1583, Step. Jerveis. Ditto.

1589, Ant. Maxey, by Thomas Hunt, Esq.

1602, Robert Lambkin. Ditto.

1617, William Quelch, by Elizabeth Hunt, widow.

1620, Robert Griffith, by the assigns of Elizabeth.

1633, Robert Blofeld, by William Hunt.

1637, Thomas Symonds. Ditto.

Sam. Townsend, an usurper, held it in 1655, but Symonds was restored in 1662.

1684, John Pits, by William Hunt, Gent.

1689, Nathanial Palgrave. Ditto.

1706, John Palgrave. Ditto.

1721, Robert Cory, by Mary Palgrave, spinster.

1750, John Neale, by Ann Turner.

1758, Mr. Step. Buckle, by George Hunt Holley, Gent. to Hacford cum Whitwell hac vice.

John Goddyng, rector, by his will in 1531, gives to the making of a chapel in the south part of Hackford church, if one happens there to be edified, 6s. 8d. if not, to the repair of the church; (fn. 3) and I find Anthony Sugate to bequeath by will 20 marks to the rebuilding of the said church after it was burnt, if ever it should be rebuilt.

In this church was the gild of All-Saints.

The temporalities of Longavile priory were 6s. 4d.; of Ely 13d.; of Walsingham priory 8s.

The town is called Hackford by Refham, and sometimes in old writings Refham Hackford, to distinguish it from Hackford by Hingham, and both take their names from a ford over a rivulet, Hackford, Hakeford, or Akeford.