Mitford Hundred and Half: Wood Rysing

WOOD RYSING,

So called to distinguish it from Rysing near Lynn; but at the survey, occurs by the name of Rysing only, and takes its name, as seated on watery meadows: William Earl Warren had a grant of it on the expulsion of Alveva, a Saxon gentlewoman, who held it in King Edward's reign, with Feltwell, Wilton, Grimston, &c. all which the said Earl obtained of the grant of the Conqueror.

This lordship then consisted of a carucate, with one in demean, 16 villains, 6 borderers, and 5 carucates of the tenants, and 15 acres of meadow, paunage for 200 swine, &c. and there were then 8 freemen who had 3 carucates, &c. with 6 swine, 7 cows and one runcus, &c. 30 goats, valued then at 40s. at the survey at 60s.

It was 8 furlongs long, and 6 broad, and paid 15d. gelt. (fn. 1)

In this town also Alveva had a carucate in demean belonging to her manor of Feltwell, and accounted for there in the hundred of Grimshoe, also 2 socman, with 20 acres, held by the said Earl. See in Feltwell.

The Earl Warren had also a carucate in demean, and 2 socmen, with 20 acres, &c. here.

This town gave name to a family who were lords of it, and early enfeoffed of it under the Earl Warren.

In the 12th of Henry III. John de Rising conveyed by fine to Roger de Rysing, a moiety of this lordship, Alice, mother of Roger, appears then to have right of dower in it; and William de Rysing, in the 26th of that King, was impleaded by Emma, widow of Roger de Rysing, for right of dower, which she recovered here and in Bergh, &c.

Roger, son of William de Wode Rising, granted in the 14th of Edward I. to John, son of Gerard de Reedham, a messuage, with lands here; and in the 13th of the said King, William impleaded Cecilia, late wife of Gerard de Reedham, for a messuage, one carucate, and 6 acres of wood, as his right.

In the 9th of Edward II. William de Rising was returned to have a lordship; and in the 18th of Edward III. John de Enepol and Joan his wife, Henry Broom of Reedham and Maud his wife, Thomas Pykel and Joan his wife, John Wegge and Alice his wife, sold their right in this lordship, with lands, &c. in Wichingham St. Mary, and St. Faith's, to Will. de Witchingham, quit of the heirs of John, Maud, Joan, and Alice.

The said William had conveyed to him by fine, in the 32d of that King, the 8th part of the manor of Woderising, by Roger Hakun of Cantele, and Joan his wife, Edmund de Whitton of Reedham, and Isabel his wife, John Grigge of South Walsham, and Catharine his wife, quit of their heirs.

It is probable that this William de Wichingham, who was lord of Wichingham, a judge, and a knight, married an heiress of Roger or William de Rising.

In the 32d year of Edward I. Richard, son of John de Woderising, held of Isabell, late wife of Roger de Woderising, 6 acres of land, by fealty, and 3s. rent per ann.; and in the 36th of King Edward III. Richard de Rising and Isabell his wife, granted lands in this town, Bergh, Hengham, with divers natives, (slaves,) and all their sequels, to the said William and Margaret his wife.

Richard de Rising and Isabel his wife, John Taylour of Witchingham St. Faiths, and Julian his wife, John Lovetoun and Alice his wife, John Falman of Baldeswell, and Margaret his wife, Thomas Wyche, and Margaret his wife, granted several lands and meadows, with 5s. rent here, &c. to Richer de Wichingham and his heirs, with the homages and services, in the 44th of the said King, which Richer was son of Sir William, and Margaret his wife.

In the 2d year of Henry VI. Nicholas Wichingham, Esq. was lord.

About the beginning of the reign of King Edward IV. it came to Richard Southwell, Esq. by the marriage of Amy, one of the daughters and coheirs of Sir Edmund Wichingham, (fn. 2) lord of this manor.

He was son of Robert Southwell, Esq. by Cecilia, his wife, daughter of Thomas Sharington, Esq. of Cranworth, as the pedigree here following sets forth. Richard was escheator of Norfolk and Suffolk, in the 38th of Henry VI. in the 4th of Edward IV. he was made by letters patents, marshal of the Exchequer, and in the said year had a grant of 20 marks per ann. on the aulnage of Suffolk, and is styled late servant to our well beloved cousin John Duke of Norfolk; and was living in 1466, executor then to John Brocher, rector.

(a) This John, as the family pedigree sets forth, married a daughter of — Symon, alias Prude, who bore - - - - -, three mullets of six points. In the 33d of Henry VI. it appears that William Bonds, &c. conveyed to John Southwell, and Alice his wife, the manors of Elgh and Pakefield, in Suffolk, and was (as is said) his 2d wife, probably daughter and coheir of Sir Edmund Berry, and relict of Sir Thomas Bardolf. In the 3d of Edward IV. Edmund Bardolf, and Alice Gryce, daughter of William Gryce, had lands conveyed to them in East Todenham, by John Southwell, and Alice his wife, for life; remainder to John and Alice, and the heirs of Alice.

In the 29th of Henry VI. he was member of parliament for Lewes in Sussex, and lived at Barham-Hall in Suffolk.

(b) Robert was also lord of Barham-Hall in Suffolk, and married Cecilia, daughter of Thomas Sharington, Esq. of Cranworth, in Norfolk, and is buried in the church of Barham, with this inscription on his gravestone,

Robert Southwell, Esq. apprentice of the law, justice of the peace, and Cecill his wife, daughter of Thomas Sharington, Esq. here buried, which Robert died 27 September, 1514.

And in a window of Barham Hall, Southwell, argent, three cinquefoils, gules, impaling Sharington and Swathing, quarterly, as in Cranworth.

(c) Sir Robert married Ursula, daughter and heir of Sir John Bohun, of Midhurst in Sussex, Esq. and died s. p. He was made seneschal of all the honours and manors forfeited to the King, by Edmund de la Pole in Norfolk and Suffolk or by the Duchess his mother, Duchess of Suffolk, ao. 19th Henry VII. and in the following year, by patent, chief butler of England.

In the 4th of Henry VIII. he was made supervisor of the King's lands, and castles, by act of parliament, and receiver general of them; he also married Ursula, a 2d wife, daughter of Sir Philip Calthorp, but died s. p. on the last day of March, in the 6th of Henry VIII. seized of this manor, held of the duchy of Lancaster, and left Richard son of his brother Francis, his heir, aged 10 years.—Bohun bore or, a cross, azure.

(d) Francis Southwell, Esq. brother to Sir Robert, was auditor of the Exchequer.

He married Dorothy, daughter and coheir of William Tendring, Esq. son of William, the son of Thomas Tendring, Esq. by Agnes, daughter and heir of Holbroke, by whom he had Sir Richard and Sir Robert Southwell.

(e) Sir Richard, eldest son of Francis, was a great favourite of King Henry VIII. one of the visitors appointed by him of the monasteries in Norfolk, on their suppression; of the privy council to that King, Edward VI. and Queen Mary; master of the ordnance, and armory, and one of the executors to Henry VIII.; high steward of the duchy of Lancashire.

In the reign of Queen Mary, he made a remarkable speech (1554) in the house of lords, on that Queen's being with child, and an act of parliament thereon passed, about the government of the realm, and the person of the child, in case of that Queen's decease. (fn. 3)

It appears by the account of Ambrose Jermyn, Esq. in the 37th of Henry VIII. that he was lord of the following manors:

Woodrising, Cranworth, Butler's, or Boteteur's in Letton; Whinburgh cum membris, Westfield, Skoulton, Carbroke, Woodhall, Carbroke Magna, or the preceptory manor, with the impropriate rectory, &c. Saham Tony, Insoken, and Outsoken, Cressingham Parva, Tottington, Campsey, and Mortimer's, Thexton, Morton cum Ringland, Kypton in Wesenham, West Rudham, Tofts, Bircham, Burnham, Lexham's, Geyton, Brancaster, Burnham Thorp, alias Wymondham's, Horsham, and Walsoken, Popinhoe, in Norfolk.

He married first, Thomasine, daughter of Sir Robert Darcy, Knt. of Danbury in Essex, by whom he had an only daughter, Elizabeth, married to George Heneage, Esq.; his 2d wife was Mary, daughter of Thomas Darcy of Danbury aforesaid, by whom he had Richard Darcy, alias Southwell, of Horsham St. Faith's, in Norfolk, Esq. and Thomas Darcy, alias Southwell, Esq. of Morton in Norfolk; but they being born in the time of his first lady, when Mary, (whom he afterwards married) was his mistress, and so illegitimate. (fn. 4)

Great part of his inheritance, with this lordship, came to his nephew, Thomas Southwell, son of Sir Robert Southwell, by Margaret his wife, daughter and sole heir of Thomas Nevill, 4th son of George Lord Abergavenny.

Mary his widow, was living in 1659. This Robert built here a large and splendid seat, with a park adjoining, where Queen Elizabeth was entertained in 1578.

(f) Sir Robert Southwell, younger brother of Sir Richard aforesaid, was master of the rolls July 1, ao. 33d of Henry VIII. lived at Mereworth in Kent, and was also chancellor of the court of augmentations, and high sheriff of Kent, in the reign of Queen Mary: he married Margaret, daughter and sole heir of Sir Thomas Nevill; in 1568, she was the wife of William Plumbe, Esq.

He was buried in the chancel of Mereworth church, and died October 28, in the first of Elizabeth, Thomas his son then aged 21.

(g) Thomas Southwell, Esq. son and heir of Sir Robert, and Margaret his wife, inherited this manor, as legal heir to his uncle, Sir Robert, and married 3 wives; first, Margaret, daughter of Sir Henry Jernegan of Cossey, who died s. p. his 2d, was Mary, daughter of Sir Rice Mansell, of Glamorganshire in Wales, by whom he had his son and heir, Sir Robert; and his 3d wife was Nazareth, daughter of Sir John Newton, of Hawtrey in Somersetshire, by whom he had a daughter, Elizabeth, married to Sir Barentyne Molyns, of Clapcot by Wallingford in Berkshire; he died in 1567, and Nazareth his widow married Thomas Lord Paget.

(h) Sir Robert Southwell, son of Thomas, was rear admiral in the famous engagement with the Spanish fleet, in 1588.

He married the Lady Elizabeth, daughter of Charles Howard Earl of Nottingham.

At his death, on October 12, in 1599, Sir Tho. was his son and heir; his widow married — Steward Earl of Clanrickard in Scotland; and on June 10, 1605, she had an annuity granted of 200l. per ann. on the decease of the Lady Elizabeth Leighton.

(i) Sir Thomas Southwell, on the death of his father, was about 5 months old; he married first, Margaret, daughter of — Fuller; and to his 2d wife, Mary, daughter of — Eden, LL. D. she died s. p. but by his first wife, he left 4 daughters and coheirs;— Sarah, married to William Peacock of — in Essex, Esq. Elizabeth, to John Middleton, of Hangleton in Sussex, Esq. Frances, to William Bemboe of London, Gent. and Penelope, to William, son and heir of Arthur Levet, of Petworth in Sussex, Gent.

Sir Thomas died in 1643, having wasted most of estate, and sold this lordship to Sir Francis Crane.

In the 2d of James I. the rent of assise of this manor was 12l. 15s. 7d. ob. of the demean land, 93l. 3s. 6d.; perquisites of court 58s. 8d. The whole rent was 191l. 12s. 3d. ob. David Hughes being then receiver general of Thomas Southwell's estate.

This family of Southwell, seems to take their name from the town of Southwell in Nottinghamshire.

Sir John de Southwell had a patent dated at Rennes in Britany, June 7, ao. 13, of Edward I. to be seneschal of the dutchy of Gascoign in France; and on June 2, in the 17th of that King, had a grant of the castle of Burdeaur, for life, for his great services, and for rendering himself an hostage, for the liberty of Charles King of Sicily, then a prisoner in Arragon.

In the 20th of that King, he was sent with Nicholas de Segrave and Osbert de Spalding, as judges, to hear and adjust complaints in the isle of Man, and was wrote to by the King, in his 22d year, to attend and assist him in the recovery of Gascoign, which had revolted.

John Southwell, in the 22d of Edward III. was made chief officer for the King, in the county of Cork in Ireland, for life, on the attainder of Thomas Earl of Desmond, with power to make a deputy, for as much as he was always attendant on the King's person.

In the 34th of the said King, John de Southwell, was D'ni. Regis clericus, probably clerk of the King, and had a pension of 10 marks per ann.

Richard Southwell, was high sheriff of Kent in the 48th of Edward III. and called Historicus Anglus by Pitt, (fn. 5) and Nicholas Southwell was groom of the bedchamber to King Rich. II. and sent by him in his 11th year, to the King of France, with credentials.

The arms of Southwell, and of families abovementioned: Southwell, argent, three cinquefoils, gules; Tendring, azure, a fess between two chevronels, argent, Holbrook, gules, a chevron, between ten cross crosslets, or; Darcy, azure or argent, three cinquefoils, gules; Nevill, gules, a saltire, argent, charged with a rose, proper; Heneage, or, a greyhound, currant, sable, between three leopards heads, caboshed, azure, in a bordure ingrailed, gules.

Fuller, argent, two bars and a canton, gules; Eden, argent, on a fess, gules, three garbs, or, between two chevronels, azure, each charged with three escallops, argent; Peacock, gules, on a fess, engrailed, argent, three mascles, azure, between three bezants, each charged with a peacock's head erased, azure; Middleton, argent, a saltire engrailed, sable; Levet, argent, lion rampant, and crucily of cross crosslets, fitcheè, sable.

Sir Francis Crane, Knt. abovementioned, who purchased this lordship of Sir Thomas Southwell, was Chancellor of the Garter, and brought into England the manafacture of curious tapestry, settled at Mortlack in Surry; gave 500l. to the rebuilding of St. Paul's church, in London, added 4 poor knights to the number of those in Windsor castle, with 40l. per ann. to each of them.

He married Mary, daughter of David, and sister of Sir Peter de la Maire, and died at Paris June 6, 1636, lord of this manor.

He was succeeded by Richard Crane, Esq. his brother, created baronet March 20, 1642, who married Mary, daughter of William Lord Widdrington: he lived here, and died in 1645; his will is dated September 20, in the said year.

By Mary, daughter of — Bond, his adopted heir, and niece, it came to William Crane, Esq. son of John Crane of Loughton, in Buckinghamshire, clerk of the kitchen to King James and King Charles I. by Mary, daughter of Sir Thomas Tresham, of Rushton in Northamptonshire.

About the year 1668, this William and Mary Crane, conveyed this lordship to Gabriel Bedle, citizen and stationer, of London, executor of John Bedle of London, Esq.

Edward Bedell, Esq. was lord in 1682, probably nephew of John aforesaid, and son of William Bedell, by Anne his wife, daughter of — Brown, governor of Nimeguen in Holland, son of Sylvester Bedell of Molesworth in Huntingdonshire, by Anne his wife, daughter of James Pickering of Titchmarsh in Northamptonshire, Esq.

In 1681, Edward Bedell, Esq. presented to this church: he married Arabella, daughter of George Porter of Whitehall, in Westminster.

In August, 1715, George Bedell, Esq. died lord, and unmarried, and left 2 sisters and coheirs, Mrs. Bringlow and Mrs. Burgess, who sold this lordship to Pinkney Weyland, Esq. of London, who is lord and patron.

The tenths were 3l. Deducted 12s.

The temporalities of the priory of Lewes were 41s.; of Wendling abbey 14s.; of Flitcham priory 27s. 3d.; of the monks of Thetford 12s.

Reedham's Manor.

John, son of Gerard de Reedham, had a lordship in the 14th of Edward I. and John de Reedham was returned to be lord in the 9th of Edward II. and in the 9th of that King, settled it on Walter and Thomas his sons. Afterwards it was united to Wood-Rising manor. Sir Guy de Boteturt's lordship of Cranworth also extended herein, and he was returned as lord in the 9th of Edward II.

Reedham's probably was what the King held at the survey, and in Oeseley, viz. 3 borderers, with 12 acres of land, valued in Hingham, and after united to Woodrising manor. (fn. 6)

The church of Wood-Rising is dedicated to St. Nicholas. In the reign of Edward I. the rector had a manse, with 2 acres, and it was valued at 12 marks. Peter-pence 8d.

William, 2d Earl Warren, granted the patronage of it to the priory of Lewes, and a portion of tithe belonged to it, valued at 10s. per ann.

The present valor of this rectory is 4l. 18s. 3d. and is discharged from first-fruits and tenths.

Roger, son of William de Woderising, sued the prior of Lewes, in the 8th of Edward I. for the right of patronage; the prior pleads that Roger, grandfather of the aforesaid Roger, gave it by deed to the priory; it appeared that Richard de Rising had confirmed the prior's right, in the first of Richard I. and Roger de Rising, in the time of Pandolf Bishop of Norwich, and that Roger, son of William, remitted to John de Avinion, the prior all his right.

Rectors.

John de Walcote occurs rector in the 14th of Edward I.

William Lomb occurs rector in the 19th of Edward II. and William occurs in the 20th of Edward III.

1354, (fn. 7) William Palmer, presented by the prior of Lewes.

William de Foston, rector.

1356, Thomas Blaby. Ditto.

1358, William de Foston.

1361, Roger de Schevesby.

1379, William de Hodington.

1380, William Fesaunt.

1383, Thomas Dampurday.

1399, Nicholas Younge, occurs rector.

1412, Thomas Stokys.

1426, John Wyche.

1427, Thomas Smith.

1461, John Brocher.

1467, William Scowle. Ditto.

1481, John Dunstan.

1504, John Skynner.

1509, William Rothen, by the Bishop, a lapse.

1514, John Pomfret.

1542, Robert Dobbs, presented by the Duke of Norfolk.

In the 29th of Henry VIII. Robert the prior, &c. of Lewes, granted the patronage by fine to that King, who in the said year, gave it to the Duke, on December 22.

1546, William Roper, presented by the Duke, and nominated by Sir Edward Southwell.

1564, Henry Tayler, presented by the Duke, nominated by Thomas Southwell, Esq.

1572, John Poley, by John Blenerhasset, nominated by Thomas Lord Paget.

1587, John Gildensleeve, by William Dix, Esq. by lease.

1591, Christopher Sutton, A. M. ditto, prebend of Westminster. (fn. 8)

1612, John Sutton, by the King, on the minority of Thomas Southwell, Esq.

1629, William Edwards, by Thomas Earl of Arundel.

1665, Peter Frankland, by William Crane, Esq.

1681, Samuel Grey, by Edward Bedell, Esq.

1712, John Watson, junior, by George Bedell, Esq.

1750, Colby Bullock, by Elizabeth Bringloe, widow, Elizabeth Burgess, &c.

In the chancel a gravestone,

In memory of Sir Francis Crane, with his arms, on a wall, party, per bend dexter, azure and or.

On another,

In memory of Robert, eldest son and heir of Robert Southwell, knight, by Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Charles, Lord Howard, lord admiral of England, who died September 23, 1586.

Also an ancient altar monument of a warrior, in alabaster, deprived now of its brasses, &c.

Here were the lights of St. Mary and the Trinity.