Taverham Hundred: Spixworth

SPIXWORTH.

Roger of Poictiers had a grant of this lordship, and enfeoffed Albert, one of his dependants, herein, who held it of him at the survey; of this Roger see in Fretenham.

Suart, a freeman, held it under Harold, in the time of the Confessor, and had 2 carucates of land, 10 villains, and 3 borderers; there were then 2 carucates in demean, &c. and one among the tenants, with 6 acres of meadow, a mill, 10 swine, 193 sheep. Here were also 6 freemen of Stigand the archbishop, who had a carucate (the 6 freemen had a carucate also of Stigand, in Crostwick); these were added by Robert Blancar in the reign of the Conqueror; 4 villains belonged to it, with 2 carucates and 4 acres of meadow; the whole was always valued at 4l.; it was one leuca and a half long, and one broad, paid 10d. gelt, Stigand had the soc, but Roger had it with the land. (fn. 1)

Peter Bardolf was lord in the 1st year of King John, as appears by a fine, and in the 3d of Henry III. Peter granted to Robert Palmer 24 acres of land, to be held of him by the rent of 3s. 8d. per ann. and 6d. scutage to the King, when it was at 20s. and more if it exceeded that, and less if less, in proportion, and for this he paid to Peter 3 marks of silver.

In the 52d of the said King, Thomas, son of William Bardolf, was lord, and granted an annuity of 20 marks to Robert le Povre out of it, and the manor of West-Winch, for life, on his sale of Fretenham lordship, to Thomas; he was lord in the 10th of Edward I. when the jury, on the death of Robert de Grelley, lord of Tunsted, present that he held here half a fee of the manor of Tunsted, and the payment of 6 marks per ann. rent, and in the 14th of that King, he claimed view of frank pledge, the assise, &c. here, and in Frekenham, which his ancestors had time immemorial.

This Thomas Bardolf left a daughter Joan, by Cecilia his wife, which Joan, about the 10th of Edward II. conveyed her right to John Bardolf, and in the 17th of the said King, this lordship was settled by fine on the said John and Catherine, or Christian his wife, and their heirs, and left Thomas, a son and heir, a minor in 1354, who presented to Fretenham in 1372.

Thomas Bardolf and Alice his wife were living in 1480, and by his will dated April 20, 1383, and proved September 23, following, requires to be buried in the church of Spikesworth.

Thomas Bardolf was lord in 1402, and presented to this church, as he did in 1416.

In 1451, Agnes, widow of Oliver Bardolf, presented.

In 1458, John Skerning, Esq. who with Margaret his wife had a right in this lordship, and Fretenham, as a coheiress, probably a descendant of Oliver Bardolf (see in Fretenham): he also presented in 1461.

In 1474, William Catfield of Hadesco Thorp, by his will dated January 14, and proved in July 1475, bequeaths the lordship of Spixworth, after the space of 20 years, and the death of Alice his wife, to the right heirs of the said manor.

Soon after it came to the Southwells of Wood-Rising, and Richard Southwell, Esq. was lord, and presented in 1485.

Sir Robert Southwell died possessed of it in the 6th of Henry VIII. and left it to his nephew Richard Southwell, Esq. (then a minor) son and heir of his brother Francis Southwell, Esq. being held of the dutchy of Lancaster; afterwards this Richard was knighted, became a great courtier, and statesman, and left by Mary his second wife, a son, Richard Southwell, Esq. who presented as lord in 1567, and 1570.

From the Southwells it came to William Peck, Esq. (fn. 2) who was lord, and presented in 1612; the assignees of Thomas Peck, his son, presented in 1643, and in 1675, Thomas Peck; in 1688, Thomas Peck and Edmund Themilthorp.

After this it was sold to the Longes.

Francis Longe. Esq. was lord and patron in 1704, and Francis Longe, Esq. in 1729.

Francis Longe, Esq. who purchased it about 1690, was younger son of Robert Longe, Esq. of Reymerston, by Elizabeth his wife, daughter of Francis Bacon, a justice of the King's Bench.

The tenths were 1l. 13s. 2d.—The temporalities of St. Faith's priory 6s.

The Church is a rectory dedicated to St. Peter; the old valor was 11 marks, and the abbey of St. Martin de Sez, or Sees, (fn. 3) in Normandy, had a portion of tithe valued at 10s. Peter-pence were 16d. carvage 4d.—The present valor is 6l. and is discharged.

In the chancel is a very fair monument with the pourtraitures of a man and his wife in marble, under an arch, supported by marble pillasters, and this epitaph.

Huc oculis viator.—Flebili hoc quod con === marmore, Gulielmus Peck, Armiger, terrenâ sua parte humatus jacet, vir pius olim et insignis.

Tandem vero opima conditione, effusâ prole, prolixa et œtate beatus, anima cœlos petijt, relictâ post se prœclarâ uxore Aliciâ filiorum prole quadrinœ, Thoma, Gulielmo, Johanne, Jacobo; necnon et sobole pari fœmineâ, Marthà, Mariâ, Elizabethâ, et Annâ, prosapia charissima, deseruit suos Alicia conjux, quœ et etiam illj tumulo connubia contraxit, fatales, œqué ac nuptiales agnoscens linteas perennior post fata comes.

Obt. Junij 21, A^o. Dnj. 1634, œtat. 65.

On the pavement a gravestone,

In memory of Francis Longe, Esq; who died Dec. 12, 1734, aged 76; he left Isaac his son, by his only wife Susanna, daughter and heir of Tobias Frere of Redenhall, Gent. and Robert and Francis, Ellen and Susan; and the arms of Long—gules, a saltire engrailed, and on a chief, or, three cross crosslets of the first.

A gravestone,

In memory of Charles Longe, LL.B. late rector, who died Apr. 31, œtat. 34, 1729.

One

In memory of Francis Long, Esq; who died Oct. 10, 1735, œtat. 46, he married Elizabeth, daughter of Edward Godfrey of Risby, in Suffolk, Esq; and had issue by her 2 sons, and one daughter, Francis and John, and Susan; with the arms of Long, and impaling Godfrey— sable, a chevron between three pelicans heads erased, or.

In the church, was a stone

In memory of William Davy, citizen of Norwich, and vintner, a benefactor to the church. He gave an altar cloth with orate, p. aia'b; Willi. Davy et Elizab. uxor. ejus. Viventes in carne orate p. defunctis, quia morieminj—Which was laid on the altar, on a dirge, or dirige: he died in 1475.

In the church was the chapel of St. Thomas the Martyr, and his image, and guild, and St. Mary's light.

Rectors.

Robert Bardolf occurs rector in the 14th of Edward I.

1309, Robert de Knapeton, instituted, presented by Sir Thomas Bardolf.

1334, Hubert Stannard, by John Bardolf.

1349, Henry de Taterford, by John Bardolf.

John de Dunton, occurs rector in the 43d of Edward III.

1467, John Lesse, by Thomas Bardolf.

1383, John de Wyllyngton, by William Essex, citizen of London.

1400, Richard de Walsham, by Thomas Lovel of Barton Bendish.

1402, Thomas Cantel, by Thomas Bardolf, Esq.

Richard Wormbridge, rector.

1414, John Cory, by Thomas Bardolf.

1416, John Dunston. Ditto.

John Kentyng, rector.

1444, Steph. Minyeth, by the King.

1451, John Sherman, by Agnes, relict of Oliver Bardolf.

1458, John Palmer, by John Skernyng, Esq.

1461, Richard Braunch. Ditto.

1485, Richard Gowshyll, by Richard Southwell, Esq.

1489, Thomas Plowman. Ditto.

Richard Gilbert, rector.

1498, William Perott, by Richard Southwell, Esq.

1527, Thomas Watts, by Richard Southwell, Esq.

1547, Thomas Lewen, by the assignees of Mary Leek, alias Darcy.

1556, Robert Beverley, by Mary Darcy.

1563, John Toller, by Sir Richard Southwell.

1567, John Hickling, by Richard Southwell, Esq.

Robert Baldwin, rector.

1612, Thomas Child, by William Peck, Esq.

1643, John Payne, by the assignees of Thomas Peck.

1675, Clere Talbot, by Thomas Peck.

1688, William Dalton, by Thomas Peck, and Edmund Themilthorp.

1704, John Hoadley, by Franc. Longe, Esq.

1706, Sam. Jones. Ditto.

1724, John Longe, died rector in 1739.

Thomas Bott, died rector in 1755, and Robert Styleman was presented by Franc. Longe, Esq.

1756, John Long. Ditto.

The town seems to take its name from a river, Spi-Kes, or Ches, and Worth.