Mitford Hundred and Half: South-Burgh

SOUTH-BURGH.

William Earl Warren had a grant of the lands of 7 freemen, of whom 3 borderers held half a carucate of land, and 5 acres of meadow, 2 mills, &c. and there were then also 2 carucates, a church endowed with 12 acres, the whole valued at 20s. per ann. It was 6 furlongs long, and 5 broad, and paid 15d. gelt. (fn. 1)

In the 9th of King John, Thomas de Benefeld was lord of this manor, held of the Earl Warren, and conveyed to Walter de Bergh the advowson of the church of St. Andrew of South-Berk.

Walter de Berk, in the 12th of Henry III. granted by fine to William his son, the said advowson with 2 carucates of land in Berk, and in Rising; but Walter was to enjoy it for life; so that it appears, the Berks held it under Benefeld; and in the 53d of that King, Henry de Berk gave lands in Berk Magna, (as it was sometimes called, and also Berk by Hingham,) to distinguish it from Bergh by Mateshale, (both of them lying in Mitford hundred) to Geffrey son of Walter de Hingham.

The jury find in the 9th of Edward I. on a pleading, that a tenement with 40 acres of land, 10 of meadow, 3 of wood, and a mill here, was not partable land, being purchased by Walter, grandfather of Robert de South-Berk, and Richard his brother, sons of William de South-Berk, and held of John de Benfeld, by the fifth part of a fee.

In the 13th of that King, Richard de Suthberg granted to Ela, or Alice de Calveley, wife of John, a messuage, with lands here, and in Wood-Rising. This seems to have been the lordship, John de Calveley her husband presenting to the church in 1329, and she was daughter of Richard de Suth-Berk.

In the 17th of Edward II. Thomas de Burgh conveyed lands in this town and in Wood-Rising, to Edmund de Breccles, rector of Elingham, in trust, as I take it; and in the 20th of Edward III. the tenants of the lands, late John de Benefeld's, were found to hold the 6th part of a fee of the Earl Warren.

In the 26th of that King, Richard de Wyrham conveyed to William son of John de Calveley, this lordship and advowson.

This William died soon after, sans issue; for in the 35th of Edward III. Amicia or Alianore, married to John Coroner, was found to be sister and coheir of John de Calveley, father of William. (fn. 2)

John Atte Thorn presented to the church in the said year, probably in right of his wife, another of the sisters and coheirs.

John Botild presented in 1375, and in 1389, whose right came probably by Coroner, as may be seen in Reymerston and Calveley.

In 1439, Thomas Crofts of Westal, senior, Esq. and Thomas Crofts, Esq. of Norfolk, in 1463; Thomas Gray, Esq. as lord in 1550, who was lord also in 1556; but before this, in the 17th of Henry VII. Thomas Caus passed by fine this lordship of Botyld's, with lands in this town, Hardingham and Henghum, and the advowson, to Francis Calybut, Humphrey Adam, and William Deane.

In 1561, John Aldham, Gent. was lord in right of his wife,—. On September 17, in the 11th of Elizabeth, he sold to Thomas Thwayts, of Hardingham, Esq. a moiety of the manor of Botild's, and a moiety of the advowson, and after, the other moiety of both; which manor was possessed by Francis Cushion, of Hingham, who left 4 daughters and coheirs; —, married to John Aldham, of Thympling, Gent.; —, to John Thurston of Hoxne; Jane, to Thomas Carsey, of Southbergh; and Ellen, to Henry Wyat, of Deepham in Norfolk.

Thomas Thwayts conveyed it, in the 23d of Elizabeth, July 15, to Francis Sturges, Esq. son of Francis, who presented in 1587; he died seized of it, and left it to Thomas his son, a minor.

Thornhagh Gurdon, Esq. lord and patron in 1714; and in the Gurdons it remains.

The manor of Calveley in Remerston, extended into this. In the 8th of King John, William Coke had an interest herein, and conveyed lands held by knight's service, to William, son of Geleran

In 1277, William de Calveley and Sarah his wife, held it; and in the 20th of that King, an assise was brought before William de Giselham, and Hugh de Cressingham, the King's justices, to know whether John de Calveley, and Nicholas his brother, William de Calveley, William de Boyton, and Edmund de Swathing, had disseised Catherine, widow of William de Swathing, of an alder kar here and in Letton, containing 160 acres; and the jury find that William de Calveley, and Sarah, his wife, father, &c. of John de Calveley, and Edmund de Swathing, held it in common, and after divided it between them and deprived her of it.

The tenths were 46s. Deducted 6s.

In Bergh, Hermerus de Ferrariis had seized on 2 acres of land, belonging to a freeman, and valued at 6d. (fn. 3)

This was part of Wace's manor in Thuxton, Mateshale, &c.

The Church is a rectory, dedicated to St. Andrew; the ancient valor was 12 marks; Peter-pence 2s. 6d. Richard de Bergh, was patron about the 9th of Edward I. The present valor is 5l. 13s. 6d. ob.

Rectors.

John occurs rector in the 14th of Edward I.

1329, Thomas de Welburn instituted, presented by John de Calvele.

1333, Walter de Tyvetshale, by ditto.

1361, John Atte Thorn, by William de Bergh, clerk.

1375, Guy de Crokedehok, by John Botild.

1389, John Rothwell, by ditto.

John Paveley, rector.

1439, Richard Ewyas, by Thomas Croftes.

1442, Edmund Elys, by Thomas Croftes, Esq.

1453, Thomas Wykks. Ditto.

1463, Henry Tavell. Ditto.

John Winter, rector.

1550, Thomas Burlie, by John Gray, Esq.

1556, James Proctor, by the assigns of John Gray.

1556, Simon Anderson. Ditto.

1561, John Powlet by the assigns of John Aldham, Gent.

1587, Edward Brown, by Francis Sturges, Esq. in 1603, he returned 96 communicants, and that Thomas Forth, yeoman, was then patron.

About 1660, John Smith, occurs rector.

1714, Nathaniel Salter, on the death of Benjamin Resbury by Thomas Gurdon, Esq.

1750, Parker Gurdon, on Salter's death, by Thomas Gurdon, Esq.

1762, Robert Partrich.

Here were the guilds of All-Saints, and of the Holy Ghost; St. Andrew's image, St. Mary's light, and that of the Sepulchre.

The temporalities of Westacre priory in meadows, 3s.

Thomas Carsey of this town, son of Robert, of Dickleburgh, had these arms confirmed to him by William Harvey, in 1563, gules, a bend engrailed, argent, between six bezants.