East Flegg Hundred: Maltby, or Mawtby

MALTBY, or MAWTBY.

Wiston, a freeman of Ralph Stalra, held it in the Confessor's time, consisting of a carucate and a half of land, 7 villains, 2 borderers, and 2 servi, there was a carucate and a half in demean, and one among the tenants, with 4 acres of meadow, and the moiety of a mill, 7 salt works, 7 cows, 2 swine, and 122 sheep. Sixteen freemen and the moiety of another held under commendation only 80 acres of land; there were always belonging to it 4 carucates, 2 acres and a half of meadow, and 4 salt works; and there were 14 freemen which Ralph, the Earl of Norfolk added, and they had 2 carucates and 50 acres of land, with 7 borderers, and the moiety of another, always 9 carucates and 10 acres of meadow, with 6 salt works and an half, and the fourth part of one. The King and the Earl had the soc of the whole, and all the freemen's tenure was valued at 30s. but at the survey at 53s. and 7d. the other at 40s. after at 50s. and at the survey at 66s. and 6d.; it was one leuca long, and 8 furlongs broad, and paid 2s. gelt. (fn. 1)

This lordship was granted to Ralph Guader Earl of Norfolk, but how long after the expulsion of Wiston at the Conquest does not appear; this Ralph forfeited it on his rebellion against the Conqueror, and Godric was steward of it for him, when Domesday Book was compiled.

A family who took their name from the town were early enfeoffed of it by the Crown, Simon de Maudeby had an interest herein in the 10th year of Richard I. when he was tenent, and Lambert Fitz Otho, petent, in a fine of 16 acres of land.

In the 4th of Henry III. Robert, son of Robert de Mauteby, Gyles, John, Jeffrey, Matt, and Ralph his brothers, came to an agreement with Robert, son of Walter de Mauteby, for 3 carucates of land which they claimed as the inheritance of Robert, son of Richard their father, which they released to Robert, son of Walter,

Robert de Mauteby, son of Richard aforementioned, gave to God, and St. Mary of Sibton priory in Suffolk, all his rent in his salt works here by deed sans date; witnesses, Sir William de Dweby, Sir Richard de Clipesby, Sir Wasin de Roulesby; the seal large, and a lion rampant.

Walter de Mauteby had free-warren in the 32d of Henry III. and in the 34th Walter de Mauteby, son of Robert, was lord, and in the 41st; and in 1270, William Aleyn of Stokesby, Epidia de Harynby, &c. co-feoffees of Richard de Haringby deceased, received of Sir Walter de Mauteby 6 marks of silver due to the said Richard, this, for the greater security (as the receipt specifies), was sealed by the seal of the official in the cathedral church of Norwich; the seal was broken, but part of it seemed to be the impress of a great church.

In the 20th of Edward I. the jury find, that neither the manor, or any lands in Mauteby were partable, but were to descend to Robert de Mauteby, son and heir of Walter; and Sir Robert de Mauteby occurs lord in 1300.

John de Mauteby was lord in the 9th of Edward II. and also in 1330, and in 1336, in the 10th of Edward III. as appeared from a deed of that date.

Sir Robert de Mauteby and Alianore his wife, living as by a fine in 1355.

In 1366, Sir John de Mauteby in the 40th of Edward III. was a feoffee for the manors of Lanwades, in Weston, and Peek-hall in Titleshale in Norfolk, and sealed with a plain cross; and in the year 1374, Sir John de Mauteby, son of Sir John, was buried before the altar of St. Mary's, in the church of Freton St. Edmund, in Suffolk, where he lived. (fn. 2)

Sir John de Mauteby, lord in the 5th of Richard II. and in 1396, Sir John de Mauteby and Agnes his wife enfeoffed Sir Adam Clifton in his manors of Mauteby, Winterton, East Somerton, &c. for the use of John, his eldest son, &c. in tail.

In 1403, Sir John de Mauteby made his last will and testament, on October 27 and 29, to be buried in the church of St. Peter and St. Paul of Mauteby, in the chapel of St. Mary, by the body of Agnes his wife, under the same marble stone, on the right hand; appoints Robert de Martham, Geff. de Somerton, John de Gresham, &c. (fn. 3) executors; gives to Robert, his son and heir, all his horses, cows, carts, corn, bees, wardrobe, ornaments of his chapel in Mauteby manor; to John his son, a piece of silver, late John Mauteby's his uncle's, &c. to Thomas, his son, another piece, &c. proved December 18, following; this Sir John died October 30, 1403.

Robert Mauteby, Esq. enfeoffed in 1413, Sir Miles Stapleton, Sir Sim. Felbrigge, Sir William Argenton, &c. in the manors of Mauteby, Sparham, Basingham, Beckam, Matlash, Briston, Kirk-hall in Salle, Flegg-hall in Winterton, Somerton, &c. 100s. rent in Castre, and Merkeshale, Freton manor in Suffolk, to fulfill his will made in the same year, by which he enjoyns Eleanor his wife, to pay his debts; 20 marks per ann. for two years to John his son, for maintenance; 5 marks to brother John Ocle, to serve for him and his families' soul, and John to pay him 5l. per ann. for life, 20s. per ann. to Eleanor his daughter, a nun at Shouldham; 80l. to the marriage of Agues his daughter; his wife with the remaining profits, to keep Walter, Edward, Peter, and Thomas his sons, till of age, and Agnes till married. All the manors after his mother, and his brothers and sister provided for, to be released to John his son and his heirs, entailed; and if Agnes dies unmarried without her portion, that to go to the repair of the south isle of Mauteby church; Alianore his widow, remarried Thomas Chambers, Esq. lord of Sparham in her right A^o. 20th of Henry VI.

John, son and heir, of Robert Mauteby, Esq. married Margaret, daughter of John Berney, Esq. of Reedham, by whom he had Margaret his only daughter and heir, who married John Paston, Esq. son and heir of Sir William Paston the judge, and brought a great estate into that family: by her will dated February 4, 1481, then his widow, and proved December 18, 1484; "bequeaths her body to be buried in the ele of that church of Mauteby, in which ele, rest the bodyes of diverse of myne ancestors, I wyll that my executors purvey a stone of marble to be leyde aloft upon my grave, and I wyll have four scotchyns set thereon, one at each corner thereof, the first, Paston, and Mauteby; the second, Manteby, and Burney of Redeham; the third, Mauteby, and the Lord Loveyn, the fourth, Mauteby, and Sir Roger Beauchamp, and in the middle, of the stone, a scotchyn of arms alone; and under the same—God is my trust; with a scripture written in the verges thereof,"

Here lyeth Margaret Paston, late wief of John Paston, doughter and heyre of John Mawteby, Squyr.

Item. I will that eche pore houshold late my tenants at Sparham have 6s.—Item to the reparation of the church of Redham ther I was born, I bequethe 5 marks, and a chesible of silk, with an aube with my arms thereupon.—Item. to the dean and his brethren at the chapel a feild 20s.—to Edmund Paston my son, a standing peice covered with an unicorn;—to Katherine his wife, a purpylle gurdyll, harnesed with silver and gylt;—to Robert, son of the said Edmund, all my swans, marken with Daweneys mark, and with the mark late Robert Cutler, clerk, and to his heirs,—to Ann my daughter, wief of William Yelverton, myne green hanging in my parlour at Mawteby; to William Paston my son, my standing cuppe, chased parsel gylte, with a cover, with my arms in the bottome, and a flate peece with a trayll upon the cover, 12 silver spoones, 2 silver salts;—to John Paston my son, a gylt cuppe, and to Margery Paston, wief of the said John, my pixl of silver; to William Paston, son of the said John, and Elizabeth his sister, 100 marks;—to Custance, bastard daughter of Sir John Paston, when she is 20 years of age;—to John Calle, son of Margery my daughter, 20l. when she cometh to age of 24;—to Ann my daughter 10l.—to Osbern Berner, 10 marks—John Paston, sqeyer, my son, executor.

In this family it continued, Sir William Paston was found to die possessed of it, in the reign of King James I. after the death of William Paston Earl of Yarmouth, who died without any surviving issue male, his estates were sold to pay his debts, and this lordship with many other, was conveyed to the Right Honourable Lord Anson, who died lord in 176-.

Roger Bigot, ancestor of the Earls of Norfolk, had a small tenure at the survey, which before the Conquest was held by a freeman, under the commendation of Alwin, (fn. 4) containing 20 acres and a half of land, with 3 borderers, and 2 bovates, and one acre of meadow, with a salt work valued at 7d.

William de Scohies had also lands which Hugh held of him, possessed by 2 freemen, and the moiety of another, belonging to Scohies capital lordship of Stokesby. (fn. 5)

The family of De Redham had an interest in this, the Berneys, and after the Cleres of Stokesby, &c.

The Church is a rectory, dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, the old valor was 20 marks; the prior of Merton in Surrey had a portion of tithe, valued at 30s.—Peter-pence 2s. but in the chartulary of Merton, it is said to be but 13s. 4d.—The present valor is 13l. 6s. 8d. and pays first-fruits and tenths.

Rectors.

In 1307, Thomas de Hykelyngge was instituted rector, presented by Sir Robert de Mautby.

1347, John de Batisford, by Sir Robert de Mauteby.

1349, Edmund de Maultby, by ditto.

1397, John Tydesdale, by Sir John de Mautby.

1407, John Begge, by Robert Mautby.

1448, Robert Iteringham, by John Paston, Esq.

1453, Mr. Constantine Dalby, master of Grammar and Arts, by ditto, buried in 1460, in the chapel of St. Mard in Arnburgh at Yarmouth.

1460, Thomas Howys, by John Paston, he was after rector of Blofield, Pulham, &c. See in Castor.

1465, Robert Coteler. Ditto.

1480, Thomas Hevenyngham, by Margaret, late wife of John Paston, senior, Esq.

John Browning, rector.

1535, Henry Parker, A.M. by Sir William Paston, Knt.

Mr. Robert Bronde, rector.

1553, Mr. Robert Crosseley, S.T.B. Ditto.

Thomas Bretland, rector.

1571, Mr. Vincent Goodwin, by the Bishop, a lapse.

Robert Stele, rector.

1588, Godfrey Pendleton, by Mary Paston, Gent.

1613, Thomas Dengayne, S.T.B. by Thomas Knyvet, John Heveningham, knights, and John Jermy, Esq.

Edward Boyce, compounded for his first-fruits November 25, 1640, he was B.D. sometime fellow of Corpus Christi college, Cambridge, and published in quarto, London, 16 sermons in 1673, dedicated to Sir Robert Paston, after his death in 1667.

Mr. Kirby died rector in June 1671.

1671, Andrew Calle.

Francis Gay Lucas died rector, in 1717, and

Richard Gay Lucas succeeded, being presented by the Earl of Yarmouth.

The church consists of a nave and a chancel covered with reed, and has a tower, the lower part round, the upper octangular, with one bell.

In the chancel, a marble stone,

In memory of Andrew Calle, rector, A. M. qui. ob. 20, Martij 1697, ætat. 56, arms on a fess, between two chevronels, three escallops.

Hic jacet Edw. Boys generosâ familia de Fredvel in agro Cantiano oriundus; collegij Corporis Xti. Cantab. socius in theolog. bacc. et hujus eccles. rector. indignus, obt. 10, Martij, 1667, ætat. 67, regiminis 28; arms, or in a bordure, a griffin, segrant.

In a north window of the chancel is the effigies of a man on his knees in complete armour, and these arms, sable, a cross, argent, under it, - - - - - - de HYKELING. &. ALIS. SR. FEMA. Also the effigies of his wife Alice or Elizabeth de Hickling, with the same arms.

At the east end of the church, against the south wall, lies a curious antique monument, a stone coffin about a foot and a half deep, resting on the pavement, and about 7 feet in length, on the lid or cover, (the whole being of gray marble,) is the effigies of a Knight Templar, crosslegged in armour, in full proportion, his sword in a broad belt, hanging over his shoulder, in memory, as is said, for a knight of the family of De Mauteby, and living, as the style of the monument bespeaks, about the year 1250.

At the west end of the church, a gravestone of marble, in memory of Robert Howlet, who married Catherine, daughter of Laurence and Ann Womack, and died October 22, 1714, aged 39.

Arms, three owls heads erased, impaling, a lion rampant, Womack.

The south isle, where many of the Mautbys were buried, and which was rebuilt, by Margaret Paston, the heiress of the family, and where she was buried, is all in ruins.

In the church was the guild of St. Peter, and the arms impaled of Mautby and Loveyn, Mautby, and Clifton, Mautby and Beauchamp, Mautby and Berney, also Mautby and Marshall.

The temporalities of St. Olaves were 8d.; of St. Faith's in salt, 8s. 4d.; of Norwich priory 19d.

The tenths were 6l. 13s. 4d.—Deducted 13s. 4d.