Launditch Hundred: Kypton

KYPTON.

This was one of the King's lordships at the survey, and farmed or held of him by Godric, and before that by Aluric and Alfer; there belonged to it 3 carucates of land, 2 borderers, and 3 acres of meadow, and 2 carucates in demean, but at the survey none, but four might be recovered; and 9 socmen had half a carucate of land, an acre of meadow; and the whole, with Horningtoft, was valued at the survey, at 7l. of the 9 socmen Stigand had the soc in King Edward's time, and Ralph (Earl of Norfolk) had invaded or seized on it, before he forfeited it by his rebellion, and upon that forfeiture, Godric holds it of the King.

It was measured with Horningtoft, and they both were 8 furlongs long, and 5 broad, and paid 4d. gelt. (fn. 1)

This lordship was granted soon after the survey to Alan Earl of Richmond, and in the 8th year of Edward I. Sir Robert de Tateshale was found to hold one knight's fee here, in Horningtoft and Wyssynset of the honour of Richmond, paying 10s. ward to the castle, yearly, and these lordships were then valued by an extent, at 40l. per ann.

Thomas Burt claimed free warren in his demeans here, and in Horningtoft, in the 15th of Edward 1. and held it of the Tateshales.

After this, in the 31st of that King, Gregory de Castello, and Hugh de Sprouston, held the same, and in the 41st of Henry VI. John Duke of Bedford was found to die seized of it, held of him by Thomas Lucas, and belonging to the manor of Swaffham, being parcel of Richmond honour.

In the 35th of the said King, Tho. Lucas held it of Edmund Earl of Richmond.

In the 36th of Henry VIII. the King granted license to Mary Duchess of Richmond and Somerset, to alien this manor to Thomas Broke and John Williams; and in the said year, Oct. 28, the King granted to Tho. Wriothesley and Jane his wife, a manor and messuages, lands and a fen, in the tenure of Sir Roger Townsend, lately belonging to Westacre priory.

Roger Townsend, son and heir of Sir Roger, was possessed of it in the 7th of Elizabeth, in which family it still remains; a moiety (as I take it) of the old Richmond fee.

The town has been quite demolished, many years: it stood probably near to the place called Kypton-Ash, where there is kept a great sheep fair, on the —yearly, and is now in the parish of Wesenham.

Godfrey de Lisewis (of whom see in Rainham) gave by deed, sans date 12 acres of land lying at Ciptune Blachehoe; and by another deed with the consent of Maud his wife, and William his son and heir 24 acres lying on the heath of Kypton Blakehoe. (fn. 2)

In the 17th of Edward II. Henry son of Reginald de Sprouston, and Margaret his wife, granted by fine to Thomas, son of Thomas de Stirston, the manor of Kypton, Thomas paying to Henry an annuity of 20l. per ann.

John Wharles or Quarles, of Holkham, and Margaret his wife, conveyed, in the 7th of Henry IV. to John Felbrigg and—Gurney, 100 acres of land, 3 of meadow, and 30 of pasture in Wesenham, Rainham, and the moiety of the manor of Kypton; and Thomas Lucas of Holkham, Esq. by his will dated February 25, 1446, gives to Etheldreda his wife, his manor of Kypton, lying in Wesenham also, and Rainham, until Elizabeth his daughter was of age, then the said daughter to have one half thereof, and Etheldreda the other during her life, remainder to Elizabeth and her heirs lawfully begotten, remainder to Stephen Lucas his brother, remainder to the right heirs of the testator; (fn. 3) proved April 20, 1447, being a moiety of the aforesaid Richmond fee. Thomas Lucas inherited it as heir to the Neals: see in Holkham.

After this it came to the Southwells, and Sir Robert Southwell died seized of it in the 6th of Henry VIII. and in the 17th of that King, Richard Southwell, Esq. son and heir of Francis, brother to Sir Robert, had livery of it. In a computus of John Forbie, steward to Sir Richard Southwell, in the 3d of Elizabeth, it appears, that the rent of assize of the free and bond tenants was 57s. 9d. ob.; rent of capons, 3s.; farm of the demeans 9l. 11s. 6d.; for 830 sheep, at 30s. per hundred, 12l. 9s. 9d.; perquisites of court 12d.; rents paid to the bailiff of the honour of Richmond 5s. per ann.; (fn. 4) to the bailiff of the Duke of Norfolk's manor of Castleacre priory 21d. ob.; to the rector of South Reynham, late belonging to the priory of Blackborough 6d. per ann.; to the bailiff of the manor of Scales in South Reynham 12d. and Mdm. an arrear of rent of 15 years, from the executors of Sir Roger Townsend, 15s. 8d.

In the 40th of Elizabeth, it belonged to Edward Coke, Esq. afterwards lord chief justice: this seems to be a part of the old Richmond fee, and is still in the family, the Right Honourable the Earl of Leicester holding it at his death in 1759. A rent of 5s. per ann. is paid to the manor of Swaffham.