Loddon Hundred: Brome

BROME.

Robert, son of Corbun, had a grant of this lordship, on the deprivation of Anant, a thane, or Saxon nobleman, containing 2 carucates of land, 2 borderers, one servus, 2 carucates in demean, and 2 oxen; paunage for 20 swine, 20 acres of meadow, a mill, the moiety of a fishery, 3 cows, and 50 sheep, with 2 skeps of bees. Five freemen held under Anant, in commendation, 10 acres of meadow, with half a carucate among them all, valued at 40s. at the survey at 50s. it was one leuca long, and 5 furlongs broad, paid 8d. gelt, and Humphrey was enfeoffed of it, and held it of Corbun at the survey.

On the death of Robert, son of Corbun, it came (as I take it) as an escheat to the Crown, and was granted to William de Albini, by King William II. ancestor of the Earls of Arundel.

In the 16th of Henry II. William de Brom was lord, as appears from a fine. Roger de Brome was living in the 8th of Richard I. and in the 17th of King John, entered into covenant with Elias Benjamin, of this town, that Elias should not mortgage, or dispose of any of his lands, without the consent of Roger, until the time of his beginning his journey to the Holy-land, and then he was to deliver it to Roger, to keep for three years, who was to advance as much money to Elias for his journey, as the same should be then valued at, for that time; the land to remain to Elias, if he should return, or to his heirs if he died; witnesses, John de Lodne, Alan de Mundham, Henry de Brom, &c.

William de Brom was lord in the 25th of Henry III. and granted to Roger le Sage and Alice his wife, lands here in Elingham, and Yerpeston; in the 27th of that King, he was found to hold it of Isabel, lady dowager of Arundel, of Rysing castle, and was living in the 51st of the said King, then a knight: he and his son Roger were witnesses to a deed.

Sir Roger de Brom was lord (son of Sir William) in the 11th of Edward I. when there was a dispute between him and Sir John Bigod, lord of Stockton, and he was living in the 36th of the said King, and then settled it on William his son and heir, remainder to Robert his son.

In 1304, Petronilla is called late wife of Sir Roger; she is said to have been a daughter and coheir of Roger de Somery, who married Nicholaa, sister and coheir of Hugh Earl of Arundel.

But this is a mistake: to a deed then dated, is her seal, which is a very particular one; the two coats of her husband, (Sir Roger,) and her own are impaled, that of her husband covering, or being over a moiety of her own coat, and the husband's coat stands impaled on the left side, contrary to all rules since observed.

Sir Roger's coat is ermin, a chief indented, gules, her coat is half a plain cross, the other half being covered by that of her husband, which proves that she was not a daughter of Somery, who bore two lions passant, and probably she was a Bigot or a Shelton.

At this time this lordship was valued at 18l. per ann.

Sir Roger died in 1303, and was found to hold it of the honour of Rysing castle, and William was his son and heir, who dying soon after was succeeded by Robert his brother, who, with Joan his wife, was living in 1336; and in 1343, presented to the church of Blonorton: by Joan he had a son, Roger, who, with his father, lived in the 20th of Edward III.

Robert de Brome was lord in the 22d of Richard II. and then gave to Henry his son and heir, the manor of Sunderland-Hall, in South Walsham; Henry his son, presented to this church in 1400, and 1416.

Robert Brome, Esq. who married Margaret, daughter and coheir of Theobald de Thuxton, son and heir of Alice, sister and coheir of Sir Jeffrey de Fransham, lord of Skerning, in Norfolk, was (as I take it) son of Henry aforesaid.

This Robert died in the year 1438, when Margaret his widow presented to the church of Scarning.

Robert, his son, died lord in 1455, his will being proved January 8, in that year, and left by Oliva his wife, Richard his son and heir, who dying s. p. about 1510, it descended to his two sisters; Mary, who married first, to John Jenney of Hardwick, by whom she had Edward Jenney, Esq.; her second husband was Ralph Shelton, Esq. son of Sir John Shelton; and Edward Jenney granted by fine to Ralph and Mary his wife, his moiety and right in this lordship, about the year 1533.

Anne, the other sister and coheir, married first, Robert Stede, Esq. afterwards John Brampton; Thomas, his son and heir, sold his right or moiety, also to Ralph Shelton, Esq. whose son Ralph was lord of the whole lordship, and died in 1592, his mother Mary dying in 1542.

This Ralph married Prudence, daughter and coheir of Edward Calthorp, Esq. by his deed, dated August 18. ao. 31st Elizabeth, he settled this manor and advowson, with a fulling-mill, on himself for life, after to his 3 daughters, Thomasia, wife of Thomas Uvedale, Gent. Grace, wife of John Thurton, Gent. and Mary wife of William Cooke, senior, of Lynstead, Suffolk, Gent. and their heirs.

Uvedale died s.p. and Thomasine remarried Charles Crofts, Esq.

Grace had a daughter, Maud, who married Christopher Calthorp, Esq. son of Sir James Calthorp of Cockthorp, and had a son, James, and a daughter, Elizabeth, married to Edward Hanchet of Uphall in Braughing, Hertfordshire, and James sells his part and right to William Cook, senior.

The will of Ralph Shelton, senior, Esq. was dated October 21, 1538, whereby he gave legacies to the repair of Brome bridge, and Ditchingham-Dam, and was buried in the church of Brome, before the image of St. George, at the south end of the high altar.

The will of Ralph his son is dated October 31, ao. 34th of Elizabeth, wherein he gives to Cecily his 2d wife, all her apparel, rings, jewels, and chain, &c. and to Cecily Shelton, his grandchild, at her age of 18, 60l.; she was daughter of his son Edward Shelton, who died before him.

In 1603, Charles Crofts, Esq. William Cook, Gent. and John Thurton, Gent. held this lordship, and had the patronage of the church.

After this, William Cook, Esq. son of William Cook, who married Mary, daughter and coheir of Ralph Shelton, was sole lord of this manor, and presented in 1645; by Mary his wife, daughter of Thomas Astley of Melton Constable in Norfolk, Esq. he was father of William Cook, of Brome, Esq. created baronet June 29, 1663, knight of the the shire in — and by Jane his wife, daughter and coheir of William Steward, Esq. of Barton-Mills in Suffolk, had 7 daughters; first, Dorothy, married to John Herne of Ameringhale, Gent. s. p.; 2d, Jane, died single; 3d, Mary, married to Richard Freeston, Esq. of Mendham in Suffolk; 4th, Elizabeth, to Thornhaugh Gurden of Letton, Esq.; 5th, Bridget, to — Proctor, Esq.; 6th, Agneta, to Charles Bedingfeld, Gent.; 7th, Lettice, to John Gordon of Assington in Suffolk, Gent.

Sir William died in January 1708, and before his death, sold this lordship to John Fowle, Esq. son of John Fowle of Norwich, barrister at law, and Sarah his wife, daughter of George England of Yarmouth, Esq. son of Thomas Fowle, of Burnham in Essex, by Elizabeth his wife, daughter of Matthew Ediston of Haveningham in Essex, Gent.

John Fowle, Esq. who purchased this manor, presented to the church in 1701, and married first, Mary, daughter of John Mingay, Esq. of Saxlingham, and Ranthorp-Hall in Tasburgh, by whom he had John Fowle, Esq. and Thomas Fowle, LL.D. commissary to the dean and chapter of Norwich, and archdeacon of Norfolk.

John Fowle, Esq. lord, was one of the commissioners of the excise in 1726, and in 1760, and married — youngest daughter of Sir Charles Turner, Bart.

The tenths were 2l. 18s. Deducted 7s.

The Church is a rectory dedicated to St. Michael, was valued at 10 marks, in the reign of King Edward I. and had then 30 acres of glebe, with a manse. Peter-pence, 10d. Carvage 5d.

Rectors.

In 1307, Henry de Thorp was instituted, presented by the King, on the minority of William, son and heir of Roger de Brome.

1332, John, son of Sir Roger de Brome, presented by the Lady Petronilla de Brome.

1335, Edward de Blomvyle, by Robert de Brom.

1361, John Wadelow, by William de Blonvile, and Richard de Stonham.

1400, John Gerard, by Henry de Brom.

1416, William Cuppere. Ditto.

1459, Thomas Green, by Richard Brom.

1475, Thomas Jay. Ditto.

Thomas Swayn, rector.

1495, Thomas Wurlych.

1514, John Shylton,

1515, William Coots.

1541, Robert Randolf, by Ralph Shelton, Esq. and Ann his wife.

1554, John Clement, by Ralph Shelton, Esq.

1556, Robert Wood. Ditto.

1558, Edmund Hodgeson. Ditto.

1558, Thomas Bursey. Ditto.

1561, William Nobbes. Ditto.

1591, Clement Payman. Ditto.

1594, Timothy Carew; he returned in 1603, 109 communicants.

1626, Edmund Barber, by William Cook, Gent. and Mary his wife.

1645, William Cooke, Esq.

1661, Edward Yovell, by William Cook, Esq.

1701, John Baron, by John Fowle, Esq. Baron was afterwards D.D. and dean of Norwich.

1717, Samuel R. Ditto.

1738, John Mingay, by ditto, died rector in 1760.

1760, William Manning, by John Fowle, Esq.

The present valor is 6l. 13s. 4d. and is discharged.

In this church was the guild of St. Michael; and in the town was a chapel, dedicated to St. Botolph, and was in ruins (as appears) in 1558.