Happing Hundred: Horsey

HORSEY.

Four freemen held in the Confessor's time, the principal tenure, or manor here, under the commendation or protection alone, of Edric de Laxafeld; the King and the Earl had the soc, 50 acres, with a carucate, and 6 acres of meadow belonging to it, and what they possessed was then valued at 40s. at the survey; when they were deprived, and Roger Bigot, ancestor of the Earls of Norfolk, was lord, at 68s. 8d.; the whole, with its beruits, was valued in King Edward's time at 90s. at the survey at 6l. 11s. 4d. and together with what the freemen had enjoyed at 10l. and was one of the lordships that Ralph Earl of Norfolk had, and was deprived of, on his rebellion against the Conqueror, and was taxed at 10l. per ann. when the Conqueror granted it to Roger Bigot, (as he says,) when his brother came from Apulia, with Geff. Ridel.

Roger Bigot had also 12 acres belonging to a freeman in King Edward's reign, by whom, and others in Stalham, Brunsted, &c. one carucate and 4 acres of meadow were held; of these Ailwin, his predecessor, had not even the commendation in King Edward's time, yet he claims them as belonging to his fee, by a grant of the Conqueror, because he had the commendation of them in the Conqueror's time: this was valued at 4s. and the King and the Earl had the soc.

The King had 4 freemen who held of him 20 acres, and half a carucate, valued at 2s. which also came to Roger. Ralf had 31 acres and an half, and 3 borderers, with half a carucate, and 4 acres and an half of meadow. (fn. 1)

Thomas de Thirne had an interest herein, and gave to Joseph, son of Bond de Horsey, and Hellen his niece, all the land that Bond held in this town, and what he held of his father, his mother, and his brother, paying yearly 4s. 3d.—witness, Sir Jeff. de Hickeling and Brian his son, Sir Warin de Rolvesby. Sir Warin de Waxtonesham, William de Colekyrke, &c. by deed sans date: Thomas also grants to Reginald de Gelham, his nephew, son of Walter de Gelham, all the land of the fee of Joseph de Horsey, which Bond held of him and his ancestors, paying 3d. per ann.

In the 10th of Edward I. Sir Oliver de Ingham held of Thomas de Horsey, by the service of a rose, a messuage, and 40 acres of land, 10 of meadow, and Elizabeth, his widow, held it in dower, in the 15th of that King, as Mary, widow of Sir John de Ingham, did in the 9th of Edward II. from the Inghams it came, by marriage, to the Stapletons, and from them to the Calthorps, as in Ingham.

After this it was in the Pastons, and Sir William Paston died lord, in the first of Philip and Mary; in this family it continued many years, the Earl of Yarmouth being lord in 1740; after this it was sold to the Lord Anson, who died lord and patron, and his heirs possess it.

The tenths were 2l. 8s. 4d.—The temporalities of Hickling priory 9s. 6d.—of Weybridge 4s. 5d. q.

The Church is dedicated to All-Saints, and was a rectory. Peter Bardulph was rector in the 13th year of King John, and had been presented to it by Godwin de Horsey: his son and heir, Adam, gave it to the priory of Hickling, and was appropriated thereto, and a vicarage was settled, in the reign of Edward I. The rectory was valued at 2 marks, the vicar had no manse, and the sacrist of that priory was said to occupy the manse which formerly belonged to the vicar. Peter-pence 8d. ob.

Vicars.

In 1315, John de Limpenhawe instituted vicar, presented by the prior.

1349, Alexander Derver.

1361, Adam de Limpenhawe.

1393, Adam Sheve.

1401, John Water.

1406, Richard de Auburn

1427, John Smith.

1452, Richard Franceys.

John Bullock, vicar.

1458, Thomas Fakenham.

1482, Robert North Repps, alias Webster.

1521, Edmund Whitsted; after this it was held several years by sequestration.

On the dissolution, this rectory impropriate, and the patronage of the vicarage was granted by King Henry VIII. to Sir William Woodhouse, and Sir Henry Woodhouse sold it to Sir William Paston.

In 1603, Richard Allen, the curate, certified that there were 58 communicants, and that for serving the cure he had some small tithes worth 40s. per ann. and that Sir William Paston had the rectory.

1609, Thomas Sadlington, vicar, presented by Sir William Patson.

1612, William Comfort, by Thomas Knevet.

1615, Richard Skipp.

1636, William Woodroff, by William Paston, Esq.

Here were the guilds of All-Saints, St. Mary, St. Ann, and St. John Baptist.

In 1740, the Earl of Yarmouth was patron, but the church has been several years in ruins: the present valor is 3l. 1s. 4d. and is discharged.

William Bishop of Thetford held at the survey, in his own right, as a lay fee, a lordship of which a freeman, under the commendation of Almar Bishop of Elmham, was deprived, consisting of 25 acres, 3 borderers, with half a carucate and 10 acres of meadow, valued at 11s.; the King and the Earl had the soc; and there were also 2 freemen under the commendation of Bishop Almar, who had 16 acres of land, and 5 of pasture, valued at 30d. of which they were deprived, and William de Noers held this under Bishop William aforesaid. (fn. 2)

Bishop Rugg, in Henry the Eighth's time, is said to have alienated revenues belonging to the see in this town, and Palling, with their appropriated rectories, &c. for Ingham Grange, rectory, &c. to Thomas Woodhouse, as I take it: see in Palling.