Launditch Hundred: Wellingham

WELLINGHAM

Is wrote Walnesham in the grand survey, being a ham with a Wet Ing, or Mound, against the water, as Walpole, Walton, &c. and was at that time the lordship of Ralph Lord Baynard, and owned by Harold in King Edward's time, who was afterwards King of England: 2 carucates of land then belonged to it, 9 villains, 3 borderers, 14 acres of meadow, one carucate in demean, &c. 2 amongst the men or tenants, paunage for 60 swine; 7 socmen held 20 acres of land, &c. and 3 socmen of Stigand then belonged to it, who held of the King's manor of Mileham, and paid there all customary dues.

It was delivered up in Stigand's life to the Lord Baynard, by an exchange, as their men relate, who had a carucate and 40 acres of land.

The manor was valued in King Edward's reign at 20s. and 10 at the survey, and the soccage part then at 4s. at the survey at 40d.

The whole was one leuca long, 9 furlongs broad, and paid 10d. gelt, whoever was lord of it. (fn. 1)

Baynard's Fee. Frevill's Manor.

It appears by a pleading in the fourth of King John, that Michael Capra had granted by fine, in the 10th of Richard I. 2 carucates of land in this village, to William de Huntingfeld, and Isabel his wife, and the heirs of Isabel, to be held of Michael, of Baynard castle in London.

The family of De Capra, Cheffre or Chevere, as they are wrote, were lords of part of this town, and of Titleshale, where a further account may be seen of them.

In the 3d of Henry III. Baldwin de Frevile held the fourth part of a fee of Walter Fitz-Robert; and at the same time Thomas Coble and his parceners held lands in soccage.

It is to our purpose to observe here, that William Lord Baynard, grandson to the aforesaid Ralph, taking part with Helias Earl of Mayne, Philip de Braose, William Malet, and other conspirators against King Henry I. forfeited his barony of Baynard, the head whereof was Baynard's castle, by the Thames side, to the south of St. Paul's cathedral, and which gives name to one of the wards of that city, which, on this forfeiture, was granted by that King, to Robert, a younger son of Richard Fitz-Gilbert, progenitor to the ancient Earls of Clare, from which Robert, the noble family of Fitz-Walter, barons of the realm, did descend.

In the 14th of Edward I. Baldwin de Frevill impleaded Ralph le Clerk to render an account of the stewardship which he held of him in this town, Wesenham and Lucham.

In the following year the jury find the said Baldwin to have free warren in his demean lands: he died lord in the 17th of the said King; and Alexander, as appears from the eschaet rolls, was his brother and heir.

This Alexander married Joan, daughter of Ralph de Crombwell, by Margery his wife, daughter and coheir of Philip Marmion of Scrivelby in Lincolnshire.

An agreement was made in the 6th of Edward II. between Sir Alexander Frevill, and Clementia L'Estrange, late wife of John L'Estrange; the said Alexander having let to her this lordship, and that of Wesenham, for life; she covenants to keep all buildings in repair, and after 6 years to pay 40l. rent per ann. and if dying before the six years, her heirs to hold it under the same covenants, and for an income she paid 40 marks.

In the 17th of Edward III. Baldwin de Frevil held one fee, and Baldwin his son, was his heir; and the said Baldwin the son, was lord in the 20th of that King, and held it of the Lord Fitz-Walter.

The Frevills bore or, a cross flurt, gules.

Soon after this it came to the family of De Bello Prato, or Beaupre, and Thomas, son of Richard Beaupre, (fn. 2) presented to the rectory of the Tertia Pars of this church, in 1349.

This Richard was also a person of eminency in the county of Cornwall in this reign, and Thomas aforesaid, his son, appears to be a knight, in the year 1632, whose son, Nicholas, succeeded him, and held it of the Earl of Rutland in the 3d of Henry IV.

In the Beaupres it remained till the death of Edmund Beaupre, Esq. in 1567, the last heir male of that family. (fn. 3)

After this, it came to Sir Robert Bell, lord chief baron of the Exchequer, who was lord of this manor, in right of Dorothy his wife, one of the daughter's and coheirs of Edmund Beaupre aforesaid; and Edmund Bell, son and heir of Sir Robert, had livery of it about the 20th of Elizabeth.

Sir Edward Coke was lord in the reign of James I. John Coke, Esq. in 1659, and the Earl of Leicester was the late lord.

Southall

Was that part of this town which belonged to the Conqueror's manor of Mileham, held by the socmen of Stigand Archbishop of Canterbury, on whose deposition it was granted by the King to Alan, son of Flaald, together with the capital manor of Mileham, soon after the survey; for at that time it appears to be in the Conqueror's hands, and farmed of him by William de Noiers. (fn. 4)

Alan was ancestor to the noble family of the Fitz-Alans Earls of Arundel, and granted this, with the hundreds of Launditch and South Greenhow, and other lordships, to Seward, ancestor of a family who assumed the name of L'Estrange.

William, son of Alan, granted or rather confirmed by deed sans date, to Durand, son of Ralph, son of Seward, the land of Wellingham, Bittering, and Sutton, for the payment of 8s. per ann.; witnesses, Robert, abbot of Salop, John Hamo, and Guy Extraneus, (L'Estrange,) and in the 6th of Edward I. John son of Ralph L'Estrange of Lucham, conveyed to John, son of John L'Estrange of Lucham, a messuage with lands, and a mill in this town, and lands in Wesenham, with the advowson of 2 parts of the church of Wellingham.

In the 33d of the said King, John L'Estrange of Lucham, and Clementia his wife held jointly by the feofment of John L'Estrange his father, a messuage and lands here of the heirs of Richard Fitz Alan Earl of Arundel, by the service of 10s. per ann. and Ralph was his brother and heir; and in the said year John de Stoneham, and Roger de Neketon, conveyed by fine to John L'Estrange, and Clementia (fn. 5) his wife, 44 messuages, 73 acres, of land, 12 of meadow, 45s. rent, and the rent of 6 quarters of barley, with 3 of oats, in this town, Wesenham, and Fransham, with the advowson of the church of Wellingham.

In the 4th year of King Edward II. Ralph Le Strange granted by fine to John son of Gilbert, and his heirs, this manor and advowson, &c. which Clementia, widow of John Le Strange held for life, John granting to Ralph an annuity of 8l. with a clause of distress on the goods and chattels of the said John, in the towns of Lenne, South Lenne, and Welle; this John, son of Gilbert, was father of Richard, who was the first of his family who took the name of Beaupre from his lordship of Outwell, seated on rich meadow-lands and pastures; Thomas de Beaupre was son of Richard and lord of both manors, viz. of Frevill's and Southall in this town, and a rent out of this manor is paid to the manor of Mileham.

Tenths 2l.—Deduct 6s. 8d.

The Church of Wellingham is dedicated to St. Andrew, to which there belonged two rectones; one called the portion of John, who was rector in the reign of Henry III. valued at 7 marks per ann. this consisted of two parts of the tithes of the parish; the other called the portion of Roger, valued at 4 marks, which had the third part of tithes; the prior of St. Faith's at Horsham had a portion also of tithes valued at 6s. 3d. per ann.—The Peter-pence was 10d.

The rectory of the two parts seems to be in the Arundel's fee, and the third part in the fee of Baynard; and in the reign of King John Roger de Frevill impleaded Michael Capra, to show cause why he brough a Quare Impedit against him, and hindred him in presenting a proper person to the rectory of the third part of this church.

The present valor is 5l. 8s. 6d. and is discharged.

Rectors.

1304, William de Holm, rector of two parts, presented by John Le Strange, and Clementia his wife.

1311, John de Derham to the two parts, by ditto.

1311, John de Frense, to the third part, by ditto.

1315, Phil. he Wymondhale to two parts, by ditto.

Peter Leche occurs rector of the third part in 1345.

1347, John de Outwell, to the third part, by Thomas, son of Robert de Welingham,

1349, Thomas Garel to the third part, by Thomas, son of Richard Beaupre.

1349, Simon de Lexham, to two parts, by ditto.

1375, Simon Gurgwant, by John de Beston.

1391, John Woderow, by Thomas Clogg, capellan. (fn. 6)

1401, William Hovel, by Nicholas Beaupre, &c.

1426, Geff. Daniell, by Thomas Beaupre.

1456, Thomas Wrestlingworth. Ditto.

1465, Roger Chuller. Ditto.

1465, Thomas Shelbrook. Ditto.

1467, Robert Hypgame. Ditto.

Nathaniel Ducket, rector, died 1722, and Luke Budworth succeeded, presented by Thomas Coke. Esq.

1755, Thomas George, on the death of Henry Roberts, by the Earl of Leicester.

The church has three bells.