Taverham Hundred: Felthorp

FELTHORP.

Several lords at the survey had an interest in this village, but the principal tenure belonged to Alan, the great Earl of Richmond, who held 88 acres of land, 2 carucates and 3 acres of meadow, possessed before the Conquest by 20 freemen, (and valued in Alan's great lordship of Cossey,) with paunage for 12 swine. The soc was in the King and the Earl, and it was 10 furlongs long, and 5 broad, and paid 8d. ob. gelt. (fn. 1)

In the 10th of King Richard I. William de Hunting feld with Isabel his wife, and William Breton, conveyed to William Battail, by fine, (fn. 2) before R. (Richard Barre) arch-deacon of Ely, William de Warr, &c. justices of the King, 60 acres of land here, in Alderford, and Swanington, with the advowson of the churches of the said 3 towns, and William Battail in the 3d of Henry III. conveyed lands here to Baldric de Taverham.

John Whytfoot and Margaret his wife held in the 7th of Edward III. as appears by a fine, a messuage, 150 acres of land, 4 of meadow, with 20s. rent per ann. in Felthorp, Taverham, Drayton, Attlebrigg, &c. and in the 5th part of 200 acres of heath in the said towns.

In the 40th of the said King, John de Middleton and Mary his wife, Baldric de Taverham and Margaret his wife, (she was a daughter and coheir of John Whytfoot,) surrendered by fine to Roger Russell, 3 messuages and lands here, and in Taverham, from the heirs of Mary and Margaret, probably two sisters and coheirs.

The Russels were a family in this town.

William Russell was living in the time of Henry III. Baldric de Taverham sold lands to Jeffrey Russell in the 33d of Edward III. and John de Russell, and Roger his son, lived in the 9th of Edward II. and the Russells gave name to a manor.

Afterwards Sir Henry Inglos possessed it in the reign of Henry VI. and his son Robert, in the 1st of Edward VI. Thomas Halse and Mary his wife, sold the manor of Russells, with lands, and a foldcourse to Henry Ward and Margaret his wife.

Thomas Hopkins, Gent. conveyed it to Henry Riches, Esq. about 1572.

Ralph de Beaufoe had 43 acres of land, of which 3 freemen were deprived, valued at 2s. and Richard held it under him; the King and the Earl had the soc. (fn. 3)

Ralph's lordship of Drayton extended into this, held by the Bellomonts, &c. and after by the De la Poles, and Brandon Duke of Suffolk, on whose death, being in the Crown, was granted (as in Drayton) to the see of Norwich, and so continues.

Walter Giffard possessed a carucate and 30 acres of land, 2 acres of meadow, valued at 8s. of which a freeman was deprived; the King and the Earl had the soc of the whole town, in King Edward's reign, but at the survey it was in Walter. (fn. 4)

Attlebridge, and this town belonged to him, this being as a part of Attlebrigg, and together were one leuca long, and 3 furlongs broad, and paid 8d. ¾ gelt: See Giffard's manor in Attleburgh.

The Conqueror had also 100 acres of land, which 4 freemen held before the Conquest; 7 borderers belonged to it, with 2 carucates and 5 acres of meadow, &c. valued at 10s. the King and the Earl had the soc. (fn. 5)

The King soon after granted this to Walter Giffard Earl of Bucks, and from that family it came to the Earls of Clare.

The families of De Gyney, De Bilney, and Whitwell held considerable lands here of the Earls of Clare.

Sir Roger de Bilney, aliened to the prior of Montjoy, in Heverland, 30 acres of heath, and as many of land here, in the 8th of Edward II. and about the said time, Thomas de Whitwell, rector of this church, gave all his lands, rents and services, with a foldcourse and heath here, to the said priory, for a yearly pension, and for the souls of his father Richard and Alice his mother.

The tenths were 20s.—Temporalities of Bromholm priory 12d.—of St. Faith's 11s.—of Ryegate in Surry 6s. 8d.—of Montjoy 5s. 5d.

The Church is a rectory dedicated to St. Margaret.

William Battail was patron in the 10th of Richard I. valued at 6 marks, paid Peter-pence 12d. ob. and carvage 3d. in the reign of Edward I.

The present valor is 4l. and is discharged, the patronage is in the see of Norwich.

Rectors.

John, son of Steingrein, occurs rector in the reign of Henry I.

Heymer de Attlebrigg, rector.

Thomas de Wytewell occurs rector in the 8th of Edward II.

1321, Edmund de Repps, presented by the prior of Weybridge; in the 11th of Edward II. the prior had a patent to purchase of William Battail, 3 acres of land here and the advowson of this church, and for 12 acres of land in Clipsby, Ouby, and Burgh in Flegg hundred, for a chantry in this church.

1330, William de Ringland. Ditto.

1342, William de Aldeby.

1346, Peter de Reynham.

1347, Robert de Thymelthorp.

1349, Jeff. Attefen.

1349, Thomas Strange.

1349, William Wyger.

1356, Jeff. Davy.

1389, John Leman.

1393, Ralph Atte Hethe.

1395, John de Holbeck.

1395, John Kensale.

1418, William Smith.

1422, Bartholomew Colete.

1422, Thomas Beket.

1433, John Ederych, by Henry Sturmer, Henry Lesingham, and John Middleton.

1443, John Rugge, by John Bertram.

1448, Thomas Bettys, by William Copuldike, Gent.

Thomas Hakon. rector.

1481, Christopher Brown, by John Palmer, &c.

1482, John Goodale, by John De la Pool, Earl of Lincoln.

1514, William Curlew, by the Bishop, a lapse.

1525, Ed. Covell, by Margaret, Countess of Lincoln.

1551, Thomas Sall, by the Bishop, a lapse.

1557, Robert Sall, by the Bishop.

On the death of Edmund de la Pool Earl of Suffolk, it was forfeited, and came to the Crown, and King Henry granted it to Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk, and being again on his death in the Crown, King Edward VI. granted it April 11, in his fourth year to the see of Norwich.

1562, William Gladwyn, by the Bishop.

1572, Edward Read.

1578, William Flegg.

1593, Edward Roberts.

1621, Thomas Kinching.

1662, Samuel Conant.

1665, Henry Dickenson.

1667, John Pitts.

1689, Nath. Nobbs.

Step. Norris, by the Bishop, rector in 1742.

1749, John Molden, by the King, on the death of Norris.

Here was St. Margaret's guild, and St. Catherine's tabernacle.

The church has 2 isles, a square tower, with 2 bells, and a chancel thatched, where is a grave-stone.

In memory of William Brereton, Gent. who died December 31, 1697, and these arms, argent, two bars sable.