Taverham Hundred: Beeston

BEESTON.

The Conqueror was possessed of a lordship here, of which 6 freemen were deprived, who had it in King Edward's reign, containing 30 acres of land, and 2 carucates, with 2 acres of meadow, also 9 freemen with 40 acres and a carucate, valued in Rachey; Godric took care of this for the King, as his steward; the King and the Earl of Norfolk had the soc, the township was half a leuca long, and 5 furlongs broad, and paid 10d. gelt. (fn. 1)

Godric, the King's steward, had also 30 acres, and half a carucate, with 2 acres of meadow, of which a freeman was deprived, valued at 2s. per. ann. and the King and the Earl had the soc, and this Godric held in his own right. (fn. 2)

The ancient family of De Mounteney were lords of this manor in the reign of Henry II. when Robert de Mounteney was found to hold one fee here, &c. of the old feoffment, and Sir Arnold de Mounteney held here in Catton, &c. the same in King Henry the Third's time, of Robert Lord Fitz Walter. (fn. 3)

It is probable that it remained in the Crown some time, and was granted by King Henry I. to Sir Richard de Lucy, lord chief justice of England.

Maud, the eldest daughter and coheir of Sir Richard, married to Walter Fitz Robert, the progenitor of the Lords Fitz Walter, and Sir Arnold de Mounteney, married Dionysia, the fourth daughter and coheir.

One of the same name was lord in the 20th of Edward III. of Wroxham, Catton, &c.

In the 3d of Henry IV. John Lancaster was found to hold the manor, late Arnold de Mounteney's in this town, Sprouston, Wrexham, &c.

John Jermy, Esq. was lord in the first of Edward V. and in the 17th of Henry VII. it was conveyed to John Corbet, Esq. and Sir Thomas Corbet, Bart. was lord in 1639.

After this it was purchased by Sir Thomas Adams, and after by Sir Lamb. Blackwell, Bart. as in Sprouston, in which family it remains.

In the 6th of Edward III. Benedict de Beston and Agnes, his wife, confirmed to John de Corpusty, merchant of Norwich, lands, &c. in this village, and Thomas de Beston, wills to be bmied in the church of Beston, by his ancestors, and gives legacies to his nephew John de Beston.

John Cocke, son of Roger Cocke of Cossey, confirmed to Edmund Mortoft of Beston, a tenement called Corpustey's.

By an inquisition taken at Norwich, on the death of Simon Nunne of Ringfeld in Suffolk, he was found to die November 5, in the 38th of King Henry VIII. seized of a capital messuage, called Wryngeys, and 48 acres of meadow, pasture, wood and heath here, and in Crostwick, and of a messuage, and lands, called Corpustey's, and 20 acres and an half of land, held of Wroxham manor, Wrongey messuages, &c. being held of the hundred of Taverham of the King by fealty, and James was his son and heir, aged 9 years, by Margaret his wife, daughter of Thomas Guybon, Esq.

This James Nunne of Beeston, Gent. confirmed it to Robert Partridge of Fynbarrow Magna, in Suffolk, March 30, A^o. 6th of Elizabeth.

Robert Lord Mallet, had a lordship of which 2 freemen in this town, and 3 freemen in Sprouston, were deprived, who possessed 64 acres of land, and there was a borderer, a carucate, and an acre of meadow valued at 6s. the King and the Earl had the soc. (fn. 4)

The Lord Mallet granted it to Walter de Cadomo, with the barony of Horseford, of which this lordship was a member, and so always passed with it, to the Cressies, Claverings, Lord Dacres, &c. as may be seen at large in Horsford.

Ralph de Beaufoe had 30 acres of land, a carucate of meadow, and a moiety of the church, at the survey, of which a freeman had been deprived, valued at 12d. (fn. 5)

This Ralph, left a daughter and heiress, Agnes, who married Hubert de Rie, castellan of Norwich; a coheiress of this family, Oliva, brought it to John Marshall, lord marshal of Ireland, and by Hawise, heiress of that family, it came to Robert Lord Morley.

The tenths were 2l. 4s. 6d. The temporalities of the prioress of Carhow 6s. 7d.; of Peterston priory 7s. 2d.; of Horsham St. Faith's priory 3s. 6d.

The Church was dedicated to St. Andrew, and had two medieties, in the patronage of the Mounteneys, and both granted by Robert de Mounteney, son of Arnold de Monteney, by fine in the 54th of Henry III. to Geffrey, prior, and the convent of Peterston; this was valued at 5 marks per ann. as the other moiety was, but one of them was appropriated, soon after the grant.—Peter-pence 10d. ob. q.—Carvage 4d.

Rectors.

Roger de Fordon, occurs rector in 1244.

Geffrey, in 1311.

1314, Robert de Thorpernald, instituted to a mediety, presented by the prior, &c. of Peterston.

1321, Walter de Kemesay. Ditto.

1322, John Poteys.

1323, Simon de Hemesby.

1324, John Carywen.

1341, Robert de Ashle.

1349, Robert Baxter.

1452, Nicholas Bungey, a Carme, on the union of Peterston priory, to that of Walsingham; the Bishop of Norwich became patron, and presented now.

1458, Henry Antingham. Ditto.

1461, Andrew Fishman.

1492, Mr. Bartholomew Northern, LL.B.

1493, John Clerk.

1521, John Burman.

1531, William Buttrosse.

1543, Walter Claxton, presented by John Corbet, Esq. on the 6th of November, in the 38th of Henry VIII. this John Corbet had a grant of the patronage.

1554, John Thompson, by the Bishop.

1609, Leonard Greaves, by Thomas Corbet, Esq.

1611, Leonard Greaves, by the King.

1615, Robert Gallard, by Thomas Corbet, Esq.

1639, Samuel Gallard, by Sir Thomas Corbet, Knt.

1660, Richard Ireland, by William Adams, Esq.

1693, Bambridge Dean, by Sir Charles Adams, Bart. See in Sprouston.

In 1740, the heirs of Sir Lambert Blackwell, had the patronage.

The present valor of this rectory is 3l. 6s. 8d. and is discharged.