Taverham Hundred: Catton

CATTON.

When the Book of Domesday was made, William the Conqueror had the capital manor of this village, and William de Noiers was his steward or bailiff, who took care of it for him, on the deprivation of Stigand Archbishop of Canterbury, who held it as a lay fee, and had 13 socmen, with a carucate of land, and 3 borderers, with 3 carucates, paunage for 12 swine: it was one leuca in length, and 5 furlongs in breadth, paid 8d. 3 farthings gelt, and was valued with Thorp. (fn. 1)

It remained in the Crown till King Henry I. on Herbert's (the Bishop of Norwich) foundation of a priory in his cathedral church, granted it to the monks, and it was appropriated to them. (fn. 2)

Thomas de Blomvile, Bishop, confirmed to the use of the almoner, 2 parts of the tithes of the demean lands of the priory manor, and 6 acres of land, with a messuage, (for which Roger, the priest of Catton, paid 3s. per ann.) was of the said demean, and not church land.

In 1271, the stock at their grange here was 3 scots, 2 oxen, 7 cows, one steer, and a heifer, 2 calves, a boar, 3 sows, and 12 pigs.

In the 3d of Edward I. the prior had the assise, view of frank pledge, with the lete.

In the Compotus of John de Worstead a monk, in the 2d year of William de Claxton, prior, is an account of his charges, for compost and manure, for lands here, and for marling, (as it expressly said,) of one acre and 3 roods of land, by which it is manifest that it was in practice; that in 1327, and in 1373, the steward or bailiff of the manor accounted for 49 hens, at 2d. each, for 235 eggs, 3d. for 101 days work in harvest, 10s. 1d. at 1d. per day each, also money for chevage.

Their temporalities in 1428 were valued at 102s. 10d. q.—rent of assise of free and customary tenants, in 1599, 6l. 3s. 9d. 3 farthings; perquisites of 2 courts, and the lete, 40s.

On the dissolution of the priory, in the reign of Henry VIII. it was granted to the dean and prebendaries, who held the lordship at this time.

The Conqueror had, at the survey, a lordship which Godric was his bailiff of, held by Edric, in King Edward's reign, and had been ejected, containing 60 acres, and 2 carucates in this town, (held by 2 freemen) and in Sprouston. (fn. 3)

This was held by the family of De Mounteney, of whom see in Beeston.

The Church is dedicated to St. Margaret, and was early appropriated to the priory of Norwich, and had a vicarage endowed, valued with the rectory at 16 marks. Peter-pence 9d. carvage 4d. and being a manor belonging to the priory, was not visited by the archdeacon, but he had the correction of all in the fee or manor of Mounteney.

Vicars.

William died vicar in 1313.

In 1313, John Harold was instituted vicar, presented by the prior, &c.

1316, Robert de Langele.

1327, Richard de Hackford.

Walter de Soterlee, vicar.

1346, Hugh de Schouldham.

1347, William Scrouting.

1349, John Heryng.

1356, Henry Fert.

1367, Edmund Brunhild.

1393, Robert Brond.

1416, John Walden.

1417, Henry Grup.

1420, William Collis.

1420, William Galyon.

1424, Robert Syre.

1444, Thomas Bettys.

1448, William Doraunt.

1448, Henry Patryk, vicar.

1459, Jeffrey Hemingsby.

1461, Thomas Hanworth.

John Parker, vicar.

1462, William Bylt.

1464, Edmund Alabaster.

1476, Robert Popy.

1491, Richard Selthouse.

1492, William Stephens.

1496, Laurence Aleyn.

1503, Jeffrey Parishe.

1510, William Calebeck.

1528, William Jackson.

1554, John Frynde, by the Bishop, a lapse.

1562, John Maltby, by the dean and chapter of Norwich.

1589, Robert Layth.

1598, William Fugill.

1666, John Harwood, A.M.

1692, Francis Folchier.

1715, Philip Burrows, died vicar in 1718.

1718, Gilbert Pickering, by the dean, &c.

1725, John Fou, by the King, a lapse.

James Wittins, vicar, in 1759, on Fox's death. Ditto.

The present valor is 4l. 3s. 8d. ob. and is discharged.

The church has a nave, and a north isle covered with lead, and a chancel tiled; at the west end a round tower, with 3 bells, raised octangular at the top.

At the east end of the chancel, against the north wall, on a mural monument of marble,

Exuvijs terrenis hic juxta positis, suis flebilis, superis spectabilis, et æterna nitidus juventa, œthereas penna prœpete, scandit domos Gulielmus ille Corius, armiger, e generosa Coriorum prosapia oriundus, vir magnis natus, nisi ad majora anhelasset, quippe terris concreditum cœli reposcunt, nec quicquam heu pignori opponunt. Fuit, dum noster fuit, juris consultus peritissimus (O rara copula) et integerrimus in Deum, D. principi fidelis, ingenio felix, affatu mollis. Suavitate morum conditus, probitate incoctus. Et (ut semel dicam ad aras, usq; amicus. Ast animœ effractis demum repagulis) non vagula, nec blandula, sed Dei princeps in patriam tam post liminio receptœ, nihil uspiam audit nisi lœtum euge: nihil sonat, nihil spirat nisi Hallelujah. Cui ut aliquando luscinia lector, nunc, nunc dum tempus est, accine. Obit ix calend. Januar. Ao. Xti. m.d.c. lxxxv. In cujus memoriam singultim hoc posuit conjux (O si licuisset) conjunctissima, Judith Corie.

On the summit of it are these arms, quarterly, in the first and 4th sable, on a chevron between three griffins heads erased, or, as many mullets, gules, impaling in the 2d and 3d, per pale, argent and sable, an unicorn passant, between three cross crosslets, counterchanged, impaling, argent, three castles.

On the east window,

Reverendus in Christo Pater Robertus Bronde, prior Norwicensis, ecclesie me vitriari fecit, Ao. Christi, 1528.

Here was his effigies, kneeling, holding in his hand a mitre, and a crosier, resting on his shoulder, or, with his arms; gules, a lynx, argent, spotted, sable, between three annulets, argent, on a chief, or, a pale, azure, thereon a mitre of the 4th between two cinquefoils pierced, of the 2d. This prior is sometimes called Robert de Catton.

On a gravestone,

Depositum Johs. Blanks, Gen. obt. 10, Apr. 1681, œtat. 57.

In the north isle, one for

Andrew Brereton, Gent. died May 15, 1703.

Orate p. a'i'ab; Johs. Keton, Sen. et Margarete uxoris ej;

Pray for the soule of John Brond and Agnes his wife, he died Janu. 26, 1542.

This John and Agnes were the parents of Prior Robert Bronde.

In the middle isle,

Corpus Gulielmi Bushys, Gener, hic jacet, obt. Octob. 6, 1673.

In the north isle was the chapel of our Lady. John de Katton and Margaret his wife, abovementioned, buried here, he died in 1458; his father, John, also buried here.

See Catton in Blofield hundred; Cat is the name of a river; thus Catwick in Yorkshire, Catworth in Huntingdonshire, Cutter in Rutland, &c.