Smethdon Hundred: Ingaldesthorp

INGALDESTHORP.

The principal lordship of this town was in King Edward's time possessed by Torvert, a freeman, who had 3 carucates in demean, 10 villains, 15 borderers, 2 servi, with 50 acres of meadow; there were at that time, 3 carucates amongst the men, 2 mills and a salt-pit, 5 fisheries, 8 horses, 14 mares, &c. 340 sheep, and three freemen had a carucate, and 37 acres of land.

Peter Lord Valoins had a grant of this on the expulsion of Torvert, to whom belonged their right of foldage and protection, but Stigand had the soc, when it was valued at 9l. per ann. at the survey at 10l. but 12l. per ann. was paid for it, and was half a leuca long, and 5 furlongs broad, and paid 12d. to a 20s. gelt. (fn. 1)

Some suppose this town to take its name from one Ingulph, a Saxon, who was lord of it; but it is more probable it derives its name from a small rivulet that runs by it, called now corruptly Ingol, but formerly Eulves, and in the grand survey, Eulves-Thorp, and also Thorp alone, without any additional name, and lying by meadows, and marshes, obtained the additional word Ing, and so Ingeulves-Thorp, or Ingaldesthorp.

Of the family of the Lords Valoins and their descendants, a particular account may be seen in Dersingham, where also they had the capital lordship.

Ralph Fucatus held it in the Conqueror's reign, of Peter Lord Valoins; and Fulk de Munpinzun was lord of it in right of his wife, Agnes, daughter and heir of Fucatus, by whom he had a son, Ralph.

About the 3d of Henry III. Giles de Montepinzun was found to hold three knights fees in this town, of Yghulvesthorp and Riburgh, in Norfolk, and in Beleden in Essex. (fn. 2)

Giles, son of Ralph, was lord in the 34th of that King, and held it, as appears by a pleading of Isabella, wife of David Comyn. Sir Giles was a knight banneret, and died about 1320.

In the 9th of Edward I. Sir John de Monpinzun had a charter for free warren in this manor, and that of Ryburgh; and in the 27th of that King, this lordship was settled by fine on Giles de Mountpinzun and Eustachia his wife, and their heirs, by Oliver de Mountpinzun, &c. their trustees. (fn. 3)

William, son of Sir Gyles, conveyed it by fine, in the 7th of Edward II. to Robert, son of John Walkefare, and Margaret his wife, together with the advowson of this church, who occurs lord in 1327.

After this, Sir Richard Walkefare inhcrited it; and in 1349, the Lady Eufemia de Walkefar presented to this church.

Of this family was Sir Thomas de Walkefare, who signalized himself at the battle of Poytiers in France; and in the 31st of Edward III. had from that King, a safe condnct for his prisoner, Sir Tristram de Mugalies, for Broinard, Gerrard de Brois, and Megerdos, the scutiferi or esquires of the said Sir Tristram, and for his three valets, to go on horseback or on foot, to France, to procure his ransom. (fn. 4)

In the 43d of the said King, Sir Thomas Felton, Knt. of the Garter, possessed it; but in the 8th of Richard II. Sir John L'Estrange of Hunstanton, and Alianore his wife, who was daughter and coheir of Sir Richard Walkfar, for 500 marks, sold their right in this and Dersingham manor, to the Lady Joan, relict of Sir Thomas Felton, and sister to Alianore; and in the 12th of that King, the Lady Joan settled it in trust, on Richard de Burnham, parson of Queen Hithe, in London.

In the 3d year of Henry V. John Curson, son of Sir John Curson, released to John Clifton and others, all his right herein, late the Lady Felton's. William Curson, Esq. son and heir of Sir John Curson, of Belaugh, released in the 28th of Henry VI. all his right herein, to his father, and his wife, Joan; and Sir John Curson died seized of it, as appears by his will, dated January 10, 1471, and gives it to Thomas his son and heir, who died lord in 1511, leaving Dorothy his wife. John Curson, Esq. his son and heir, inherited it, and on his death, in 1546, it descended to William Curson, Esq. and to his son Thomas Curson, Esq. by Thomasine his wife.

About the year 1600, John Cremer, Gent. was lord and patron, and by Anne his wife, daughter of—Tash, had John Cremer of Ingaldesthorp, who married Margaret, daughter of William Boyton of Flitcham, in Norfolk, Esq. Francis Cremer was his son and heir, who by Margaret his wife, daughter of John Pell of Dersingham, Gent. had Francis, a son, aged 10 years, and a son Charles, in the year 1664; the arms of the family were argent, three wolves heads erased, sable, on a chief, gules, as many cinquefoils; crest, a ram's head erased. (fn. 5)

Sir John Cremer of Ingaldesthorp was high sheriff of Norfolk in 1660.

Robert Cremer, Gent. sold this manor about 1730, (and afterwards entered into holy orders) to Theodore Hoste, Esq. brother to Colonel Hoste, of Sandringham, to whom he devised it, and Theodore Hoste, Esq. second son of the said colonel, is the present lord, as his male heir.

Another lordship in this town, (called Torp) belonged to Turchetel, a freeman, in the Confessor's reign, which on the conquest was granted to Roger, son of Renard; to this there belonged a carucate and an half of land, 5 borderers, 2 servi, and 3 acres of meadow, 2 carucates in demean, afterwards 6 oxgangs, or bovates, &c. half a carucate of the tenants, the moiety of a mill, and a fishery, &c. valued in Turchill's time at 20s. at the survey at 30s. and Stigand had the soc. (fn. 6)

This lordship soon after this survey, came into the hands of the Earl Warren, and was held by the ancient family of Ingaldesthorp, who took their name from this town, of which family I shall treat at large in Reynham.

Robert de Ingaldesthorp held it of the Earl Warren, in the reign of King Stephen, also another in Snetesham of the Earl Warren, and on that account is sometimes (according to the custom of that age) wrote Robert de Snetesham.

In the 9th year of King John, a remarkable instance, relating to a murder of a person, offering itself, wherein one of the family of the Ingaldesthorps being concerned, I could not omit mentioning it in this place: (fn. 7)

John Chamberlain (Camerarius) then sued Herbert de Patesle, for the murder of Drugo Chamberlain, his brother, and by the King's license, the crime and punishment was thus compromised and agreed to:

Herbert was to travel to Jerusalem, there to serve God for the soul of Drugo who was slain, the space of 7 years, including the time of his going and returning, and if he returned into England before that time, he was to be punished as a convict; and Thomas de Ingaldesthorp, (whom I presume was an accessary,) was to find a monk of Norwich, Castleacre, or Binham, or a canon of Thetford, Cokesford or Walsingham, to pray for the soul of the said Drugo, and also to pay to his parents the sum of 40 marks.

Sir Thomas de Ingaldesthorp was lord in 1272, and Sir John de Ingaldesthorp, son and heir of Sir William, in the 7th of Richard II.

Thomas Ingaldesthorp, Esq. died possessed of it in 1421; and in 1425, King Henry VI. committed the custody of this manor to Richard Elleswick, alias Sharnborn, on account of the minority of Edmund, son of the said Thomas, who being afterwards a knight, left Isabel his sole daughter and heir, in 1456, who married John Nevile, (son of Richard, Earl of Salisbury, and brother to Richard, the great Earl of Warwick) created Marquis Montacute, and Knt. of the Garter, and slain at Barnet-field, in the 10th of Edward IV. leaving George his son and heir, who died without issue, in 1483, leaving 5 sisters and coheirs; but how this manor after this passed, does not appear, from any record that I have met with. It is probable that it was soon after in the Cursons, and so united to the aforesaid manor, as it continues at this time.

The Ingaldesthorps estate in Reynham, Wimbotsham, Snetesham, &c. in Norfolk, came (on a division of it among the 5 sisters and coheirs) to Isabella, the youngest, and so to the Huddlestons of Cambridgeshire, she marrying Sir William Hudleston.

The tenths were 2l. 16s. Deducted 6s.

The Church is dedicated to St. Michael, has a nave, a north and south isle, and a chancel covered with lead, and at the west end a square tower, with 3 bells, and directly before the south porch, at about 15 feet distance, stands a stone cross It is a rectory, the present valor in the King's books is 12l. anciently at 12 marks, and Peterpence 12d.

The priory of Binham had a portion of tithes valued in 1428, at four marks per ann.

On a gravestone in the chancel, with the arms of Cremer,

Hic jacet spe optima resurgendi corpus Johs. Cremer, generosi, filius quintus Johs. Cremer de Snetesham generosi, qui in uxorem duxit Margaretam filiam Gulielmi Boyton de Flitcham, armigi. et obt. Jan. 12 Ao. Sal. 1652, œt 70, et Margaretæ uxoris ejus pientissimæ quœ obt. Mart. 19, 1666, œtat. 68. Sic placide dormiunt Martius et uxor ut olim in thalamo, nunc in tumulo.

Boyton's arms are impaled by Cremer, on a fess indented between six cross crosslets, three escallops; Cremer impaling ermin, on a canton, azure, a pelican, or; Pell.

Franciscus, filius Johs. Cremer de Ingaldesthorp, gener. qui in uxorem duxit Margaretam filiam Johs. Pell de Dersingham arm. spe optimâ resurgendi sub hoc marmore placide dormit, et obt. Aug. 13 Ao. S. 1676, ætat. 49. Huc tendimus omnes.

Cremer impaling Pell.

Margareta pia conjux Franc. Cremer, gen. et filia Johs. Pell de Dersingham, arm. obt. 14 Nov. 1680, œtat. 50.

Elizabethœ uxoris alteræ Franci. Cremer, armigi. et filiœ Gulielmi Hartley de Brampton in agro Hunt. cæmeterium, hac vitâ migravit 26 die Mart. Ao. œtat. 32, Sal. 1681.

Cremer impaling sable, three lions passant in pale, argent, English.

Hic jacet corpus Luciœ Cremer, quæ tertia fuit uxor Franc. Cremer de hac villâ armig. unaq; ex filiabus et coheredibus Edwi. English de Brightling in comit. Sussex, armig. obt. x Jan. 1685, œt. 31.

Cremer impaling a chevron, ermin, between three leaves slipped, Pearson.

Hic jacent reliquiœ Revdi. Gulielmi Cremer, A.M. de hac villa quondam rector, obt. 1 Apr. 1736, ætat. 72, hic juxta quoq; posita est Maria conjux sua obt. 1737, œt. 67, Sept. 28.

The Lady Joan Curson, by her will, dated July 10, 1500, and proved November 30 following, widow of Sir John Curson, bequeaths her body to be buried in this chancel, her daughter Ann Littleburgh her executrix, and Sir Robert Drury supervisor. Joan was, as I take it, a daughter of—Bacon.

1612, May 16, Anne, wife of Thomas Cremer, here buried.—1620, June 17, Thomas Cremer.—1612, May 3, Anne, wife of John Cremer, junior.—1623, Anne, wife of John Cremer, senior, November 17.

In a window of the chancel was an Orate p.a'i'a. Robti Walkfare, militis, with his arms, argent, a lion rampant, sable, on his sinister shoulder, a mullet of the first; and in one of the windows of the church, argent, a chevron, azure, and in chief, a file of five points, gules, Swillington, with an orale for Thomas de Swellington.

Peter de Valoins, who was the capital lord at the survey, gave, on his founding of Binham priory, two parts of his tithe to that house; and Adam, son of Alured, for the souls of the Lady Becha his wife, and Peter de Valoins his grandfather, Roger de Valoins his uncle, Peter de Valoins, junior, his kinsman, gave a mansion, a croft, 3 acres in the field, one of meadow, 5 of pasture, with right of common, and a turbary. (fn. 8)

In 1275, there was an agreement between the prior of Binham, and Sir Edm. de Munpinzun, rector of this church, with the assent of Sir Jn. de Munpinzun, patron, and confirmed by the Bishop of Norwich, about the tithes of the demeans of the said Sir John, and of lands formerly Sir John de Breton's, that the rector should have the said tithe to him and his successours, paying 4 marks per ann. for the same to the prior and convent, under the penalty of 40s.

Before this, there was an agreement in the time of Bishop Raleigh, between the then prior, and Hugh de Ardern, rector, that the tithes aforesaid should belong to the prior.

Rectors.

1327, Andrew de Baskervyle, presented by Sir Robert de Walkefare, Knt.

1349, William Hamond, by the Lady Eufemia de Walkefare.

1379, John Syvell, by Sir Thomas de Felton,

1403, William Trendyl, by the Bishop of London, &c.

Adam Okden, rector, buried, 1504.

Marmaduke Cholmly, occurs rector in 1603.

John Cremer, then patron.

Thomas Drake, rector, compounded 1609, and Simon Davy, in 1638.

Jonathan Catlin, rector, compounded 1644.

William Cremer occurs rector in 1696.

1736, Thomas Groom, junior, on Cremer's death, by Thomas Harris, Esq.

1742, Peter Lawson, by Robert Lawson, Esq.

1745, Thomas Weatherhead, (the present rector) presented by Robert Lawson, Esq.

There have been Roman coins found here. A small silver one of Nero; legend, NERO. CÆ. AVG. IMP. bare headed; Reverse, a civic crown, and PONTIF. MAX. TRIB. P. V. P. P. EX. S. C.

Also one less than a silver sixpence, an head with an helmet, no legend, the reverse, one, (but obscure) in a chariot, and 4 horses in career; under them, ROMA. and one very small, antique and rude; —an horse in full speed, probably a British coin.