Taverham Hundred: Taverham

TAVERHAM.

Ralph de Beaufoe, had the grant of a lordship in this town, held by Olf, in the reign of the Confessor; containing a carucate of land, with 4 villains, 3 borderers, one carucate in demean, one among the tenants, and 10 acres of meadow, &c. the fourth part of a mill, and 5 socmen had a carucate and 13 acres of the demean land, 2 runci, one cow, &c. and 60 sheep, valued at 20s. then, at the survey at 30s. with the fourth part of a church endowed with 15 acres, valued at 16d. (fn. 1)

This lordship was possessed by the family of De Drayton, lords of Drayton, in this hundred, after by that of De Bellamonte, who conveyed it to Walter Langton, Bishop of Litchfield, &c. From the Peverells, his heirs, it came to the De la Poles, &c.

In the 3d of Henry IV. John Gurney, held 2 fees here and in Drayton, sometime John Springs, of the Lord Morley, as part of the barony of Rye, as may be seen at large in Drayton; and came with Drayton manor, on the death of Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk, by a grant of King Edward IV. to the see of Norwich, and so continues; the presentation, to a portion of this church always went with this lordship: See Drayton.

William Earl Warren had a lordship, of which Toca a freeman was deprived; there belonged to it a carucate of land, 6 villains, 6 borderers, with one servus, one carucate in demean, one carucate and an half among the tenants, with 10 acres of meadow, &c. and the 4th part of a mill, and the 4th part of a church, with 3 acres, 2 runci, 4 cows, &c. 40 sheep, valued then at 30s. at the survey at 40s. this belonged to the fee of Fretheric, it was one leuca and an half long, and one leuca broad, and paid 16¼d. to the King's gelt, whoever had it. (fn. 2)

A family who assumed their name from this town, was early enfeoffed thereof by the Earl Warren: Nicholas de Taverham was lord in the reign of King John, and in the 4th of Henry III. and Simon de Taverham, in the 20th of that King, held half a fee of the Earl Warren.

Baldwin de Taverham was living about the same time. Symon de Taverham had a charter for freewarren in the 20th of Edward I.

Simon Doo, parson of Rackhith All-Saints, released to William, son of Thomas Gerberge all his right in the manor, and advowson of the church of Taverham, and William, son of Sir Thomas Gerberge, confirmed in the 5th of Edward II. to Baldric, son of Simon de Taverham the said manor and advowson, for 100l. sterling, with all the rents, services, &c. and further grants that all the lands and tenements, which Joan, late wife of Peter de Taverham, and Roysia, late wife of Symon de Taverham held in dower of the said manor, to the said Baldric; witnesses, Alexander de Clavering, Bartholomew de Somerton, knights, &c.

Bartholomew, son of John de Tunstede, granted to Baldric and Elizabeth his wife, in the 21st of Edward III. all his lands, tenements, rents and services in this town, Attlebrig, Felthorp, Weston, and Marham.

Baldric de Taverham had two wives, Elizabeth was his widow in the 30th of that King; his first wife was Elianor, by whom he had Nicholas de Taverham, who married Christiana, and was father of Baldric, and of Sim. de Taverham; this Baldric, kept as his wife, Margaret, daughter of John Whythfoot, of Taverham, she being the wife of Robert de Bumpstede (then living), and had by her a son, called William Whythfoot, who marrying Isabel Maut, had a son called William Taverham. (fn. 3) Baldric's seal was argent, a saltire, sable, surmounted by a fess, gules, thereon, three bezants.

The said Baldric after married Margery, by whom he had Edmund de Taverham father of Baldric, by Alice his wife, and Baldric by Agnes his wife, was father of Alice, who married Edmund Winter, Esq. and had a daughter Margery, married to John Braunche, Esq. Besides this daughter Alice, Baldric had by Agnes his wife, a son, William de Taverham, father by Isabel his wife of Henry de Taverham, who died s.p. and a daughter Alice, married to Walter Nyche, merchant of Norwich.

The aforesaid Baldric, after the death of Margery took to wife, Elizabeth, on whom he entailed this lordship for life, then to Edmund his son, by Margery, on payment of an 100 marks to his executors in order to pay his debts, and on default, on Baldric, son of Nicholas; by Elizabeth his last wife, he had a son, John de Taverham, which Elizabeth was his widow, he dying in the 30th of Edward III.

In the 3d of Henry IV. John de Taverham, a minor, held half a fee of the Dutchy of Lancaster, and in 1404, William Taverham, Esq. presented to the church.

Afterwards it was in Sir John Falstolf, and so came to the De la Poles, (as in Hayberden,) and to the see of Norwich.

William, Bishop of Thetford, held in his own right, as a lay fee, a manor of which a free-woman was deprived; containing half a carucate of land, 3 villains, 2 borderers, one carucate in demean, half a carucate among the tenants, and 5 acres of meadow, paunage for 2 swine, and 3 socmen had 12 acres of land, &c. then valued at 12s. at the survey at 20s. (fn. 4)

William Beaufoe, Bishop of Thetford, who held this was a great benefactor to his fee, and gave to it many lordships, as this most likely among them; though I do not find this particularly named.

In the 20th of Henry III. Adam de Tunstal held a quarter of a fee in this town of Robert de Caston, and he of the Bishop of Norwich in capite; and in the 20th of Edward III. the heirs of Adam Tunstall.

In the 3d of Henry IV. Isabel Moute held it, as part of the barony of the see of Norwich.

The prior and convent of the Holy Trinity of Norwich, founded by Bishop Herbert, had a considerable lordship here, the church of St. Michael in Norwich near the cathedral, on what is now called the tomb land, had (as the survey informs us) in King Edward the Confessor's time, a carucate of land, and Stigand, the Bishop of the diocese, held it in right of that church, when there were 4 villains and 2 borderers belonging to it, one carucate in demean, and one among the tenants, 4 socmen had 13 acres of land, and there were 8 acres of meadow: on the deprivation of Stigand, it was granted to William de Beaufoe, and he held it as a lay fee when the survey was made; but as this had been given to the church of St. Michael, by the Earls of the East Angles, it was soon after the survey, re-assumed, and being in the Crown, was at the request of Roger Bigot a great Norman baron, (who possessed great part of the lands of the late Earls of Norfolk) granted by King William II. to the church of the Holy Trinity of Norwich, by this charter or deed.

"Willus Rex Anglor. Herberto, Norwicensi, episcopo et omnibus Baronib; suis de Norfolc et Studfolc. saltm.—Sciatis me dedisse sce Trin. Norwic. ecclie rogatu Rogerj Bigot terram Michaelis de Utmonasterio, et terram de Taverham que ad eande terram p. tinet, quietam semper et libam ab omnibus scotis et Geldis et omnibus alijs consuetudinibus. Teste Eudone Dapifero apud Westm. &c."

By this it appears that Herbert had then built the church of the Holy Trinity, the mother church of the diocese of Norwich, and it seems also that he had then erected a monastery there, (or priory,) the church of St. Michael being styled, without the monastery, and that this grant was to annex this land to the see; so that Herbert soon after settled it on the prior, or monastery founded by him.

By a grant of King Henry I. it was confirmed to the monks:

Henricus Rex. Anglor. R. filio Walteri et minist. suis de Norfulc. et Suff precipio quod monachi de Norw. teneant terram suam de Taverham ita bene, &c. Test. R. Boss. (fn. 5)

Historians relate that this church of St. Michael takes its name, from the tombs, as a remarkable place of burial, but this is a mistake.

Richard Duke of Normandy, who died in 996, erected an abbey in Monte qui dicitur Tumba; out of veneration to St. Michael. Many churches were dedicated to St. Michael in Monte Tumba, a place so called where it is said he appeared, and performed a miracle. (fn. 6)

This lordship extended also into Attlebrig, where the priory had considerable possessions, as may be there seen.

Emma, daughter of Edwina Bardolf, granted to William de Kirkeby, prior of Norwich, 4 acres and an half of land in Taverham.

Alan, son of Petronilla de Taverham, gave to the priory, lands; John, son of Nicholas Bardolf was a benefactor in the 9th of Edward I. as was Agnes Bardolf and Sir John de Eston, gave lands here in the said reign: so that the prior in the 15th of that King claimed free-warren, a gallows, the assise, &c. and complaint was made that he had erected a pool in the water between Ringland Hill and North Croft, and appropriated it, as a several.

In 1428, the temporalities of the priory were 6l. 13s. 10d. ob. and the cellarer accounted for 8l. 11s. 11d. received out of this manor, and for 3s. paid that year to the manor of Hetherset; 13s. 4d. to St. Paul's hospital, and 3s. 6d. to the prior of St. Leonard's, as rents resolute.

On the dissolution of the priory, it came to the Crown, and King Henry VIII. in 1538, on the foundation of a dean, and prebendaries, &c. granted this lordship to them, as it now continues: in the 6th year of Elizabeth, it was granted by lease, with the lete for 99 years to Henry Riches, Esq. of Swanington, who assigned it to August. Sotherton.

An excellent and curious survey of this lordship, taken in the 8th of Edward I. was in the year 1714, in the hands of Edmund Rippingale, Gent. attorney at law of Norwich, or of Edmund Thymelthorp, Gent. of the said city.

To this priory manor the presentation of one moiety of the church, belongs, and their lessee presents, Henry Riches, Esq. presented, and the Sothertons now, by that right.

Thomas Sotherton, Esq. living here in 1765.

In Taverham, Herold had a lordship in King Edward's reign, which he held at the Conquest, and on his death, the Conqueror seized on it; it consisted of a carucate, 2 acres and an half of land, 2 villains, 4 borderers, one carucate in demean, and half a carucate of the tenants, with 10 acres of meadow, &c. one mill, and the moiety of another, &c. it was a beruite to Causton, and valued with it.

In King Edward's reign 13 socmen belonged to it, with 2 carucates, and 21 acres of land, and Walter Giffard had them. (fn. 7)

Sir John de Estron, had a lordship in this town in the 53d of Henry III. held as I take it, of Walter Giffard, Earl of Buckingham, and it came by the heiress of Estron, to Thomas de Brockdish, who gave name to it: of this see in Attlebrigg.

Earl Giffard's interest in this lordship came to the Earls of Clare; the family of De Taverham, had also an interest herein.

Edmund Earl of March, as heir to the Earls of Clare, had a right herein in the 3d of Henry VI. and before this Elizabeth, Lady Say, wife of Sir William Heron, had an interest here.

The priory of Mountjoy in Haverland had lands here in 1428, valued at 11s. held of the honour of Clare.

Alan Earl of Richmond had also a lordship here, on the deprivation of Turbert, a freeman, who possessed in Edward's reign, a carucate of land held by 4 villains, and 3 borderers, one carucate in demean, and half a carucate among the tenants, with 5 acres of meadow, &c. valued at 20s. (fn. 8)

Haimer held it under Earl Alan at the survey, and it was valued in Felthorp: See there.

The tenths were 33s. 4d.

The Church was dedicated to St. Edmund, and had 2 medieties, one mediety was in the prior of Norwich, the other mediety belonged to the lordships of Ralph de Beaufoe, and William Earl Warren, who presented alternately; there being 2 portions or rectors belonging to this mediety.

In the reign of Edward I. Richard was rector of one portion of this mediety, valued at 8 marks, and Edmund was rector of the other, of the same value.

The prior of St. Faith's had a portion of tithe out of this mediety, valued then at 3s.—Peter-pence 16d.—Carvage 6d. ob.

Simon Bishop of Norwich, in 1265, confirmed to the monks of Castleacre in Taverham, and Drayton, 2 parts of the corn tithe of the whole demean of William, son of Baldric de Taverham, which his ancestors had given to them. (fn. 9)

Rectors.

In 1274, Laur. de Lincoln was presented by the King, as guardian of the lands of Nicholas de Taverham, this was of the Earl Warren's fee.

In 1305, Edmund occurs rector.

1310, Edmund Neve instituted, presented by the King; (fn. 10) the lands of Walter de Langton, Bishop of Litchfield, being then in his hands; this was R. de Beaufoe's fee.

1316, William de Derham, by the King.

1327, Peter de Taverham, by Baldric de Taverham.

1328, Richard Lacy, by Sir Edmund Peverell.

1341, Adam Frenkdish, by Baldric de Taverham.

1349, William de Weston. Ditto.

1351, Peter de Meringthorp, by Sir William de la Pole.

1352, Thomas de Brome. Ditto.

1361, Steph, Lomb, by Sir William de la Pole of Castle Ashby.

1375, Peter de Wadgate, by Alice, relict of Edmund de Taverham.

1384, Hugh de Countesthorp, by Sir Martin Everard of Leverington.

1386, John Bardy. Ditto.

1390, William Stepy, by Alice, late wife of Sir Martin de Everard.

1392, Henry de Langley, by Sir John de Seton.

In 1395, the advowson of one of these portions was settled by fine on John Winter, &c. by John Gourney and Alice his wife, with Drayton, and Hailesdon manors.

In 1404, Simon Kiggis, by William Taverham, Esq.

1409, John Gilbert, by Sir Robert de Berney, Sir William de Calthorp, &c.

Thomas Small, was rector in the 16th of Henry IV.

Thomas Tomlinson, and Thomas Clark, rectors.

1447, William Taverham, to a mediety on the resignation of Sim. Hoole, presented by Sir John Falstolf, and Sir Henry Inglon.

The present valor of each of these portions is 4l. 2s. 8d. ob. and the Bishop of Norwich was patron of one, that belonged to Beaufoe's fee, and Thomas Sotherton, Esq. of the other in 1740.

In 1450, Peter de Sancta Fide, a carmelite of Norwich, had license from Pope Nicholas V. to receive any ecclesiastical benefice, and was presented by Sir Inglos, William Jenny, Gent. and Thomas Howys, feoffees of Drayton manor, late Sir John Falstolf's.

1722, Mr. John Jeffreys by the Bishop, died rector of this church and of Drayton, 1755.

The other moiety of the church was in the priory of the Holy Trinity of Norwich.

Ingulfus, the first prior, gave in 1119, the moiety of the tithes of Taverham (belonging, as I take it, to the convent's manor) to the hospital of Normans Spittle in Norwich, with the consent of his monks, and a pension of 13s. 4d. was afterwards paid to that hospital for them.

The old church and chancel were destroyed by lightning in September 1459.

In 1499, I find the chapel of St. Mary of Taverham mentioned, and there was the guild of our Lady.

Sir August. Sotherton was buried here, and his lady.

In the church were the arms of Braunch, argent, a lion rampant, gules, bruised with a bendlet, sable;—argent, a saltier, sable, thereon, a fess, gules, charged with three bezants, born by William Taverham, Esq. lord and patron;—Winter, impaling Taverham;—Braunch, impaling Winter;—Braunch impaling Calthorp.

Braunch had anciently a manor here.

Queen Elizabeth, on March 26, in her 27th year, granted to George Petre certain tithes here, &c. belonging to the late priory of Horsham St. Faith's.

The town takes its name from Tav, or Tavy, the British name of a river, and is a hamlet by the Tav.