Tunstede Hundred: Paston

PASTON.

The great manor of Bacton extended into this town, and was held of the Glanviles; Bartholomew de Glanvile, son of William de Glanvile, gave the church of Paston, of which town he was lord and patron, to the priory of Bromholm, founded by his father

On the death of Jeffrey de Clanvile, this lordship came to his five sisters and coheirs about the beginning of King Henry the Third's reign, the families of De Peche, Hunting field's, Leche's, Latimer's, &c. whose interest therein centred in the Pastons, as may be seen in Bacton.

Holm Abbot's Manor.

In the reign of King Edward, and at the survey, St. Bennet's abbey of Holm had a lordship, consisting of a carucate of land, 2 villains, 2 borderers, with half a carucate of the tenants, and a mill, valued at 10s. it was one leuca long, and 4 —broad, and paid 15d. gelt, (fn. 1) and was given to find provision for the monks.

Anselm, the abbot, soon after the Conquest, granted to Osberne, the priest of Paston, lands of St. Bennet in fee to him and his heirs, and William, abbot in the reign of King Stephen, gave to Richer de Paston, son of Osberne, son of Griffin de Thwait, all the land of the convent here, with their men, &c. which continued in the Paston family many centuries, and was sold after the death of William Paston Earl of Yarmouth, to the Lord Anson, with Oxnead, and many other lordships which descended on that Lord's death in 17 - -, to his brother and heir, — Anson, Esq. is now lord of the whole town.

Bishop Rugg, in the 34th of Henry VIII. exchanged with Sir Tho mas Paston, Knt. one of the privy chamber, the manor of Paston, for Dersingham rectory, &c.

William Earl Warren had a grant of a lordship, of which 5 freemen were deprived; a carucate and 30 acres of land belonged to it, with one villain, 19 borderers, 5 carucates, 2 bovates and 2 acres of meadow, a mill, and a church with one acre, valued at 40s. and the abbot of Holm had the soc; (fn. 2) Turold held it under the Earl at the survey.

John Earl Warren was lord in the 15th of Edward I. and had view of frank-pledge, assise of bread, &c. and free warren. In the 9th of Edward II. the Pastons held it of the said lord, as they had done many years. Clement de Paston, who married Cecily, daughter and heir of William Leach, had the grant of an oratory, or chapel in his house at Paston, in 1314, and so was annexed to their other tenures.

William de Scohies held also at the survey, 20 acres of land and a borderer, of which a freeman was deprived, who was under the protection only of Edric, valued at 12d. (fn. 3) This came after to the Earl of Clare, and was held of that honour by the Pastons.

In 1603, the manors of Paston, Leaches, Latimer's and Huntingfield, &c. were valued in the whole, at 238l. 13s. 7d. with 172 comb, 3 bushels of barley, &c. and out of these there were 3l. 9s. 10d½. per ann. to the manor of Gymingham, by Sir William Paston.

The old hall of this family stands near to the church, and had 2 courts; in the inner court is a well; the buttery hatch, with the hall, is standing, but the chambers over it, and the chapel, are in ruins.

Over a door of the great staircase, out of the hall, the arms of Berry are carved. Sir William Paston the judge married a daughter and heir of Sir Edmund Berry.

The church was a rectory, dedicated to St. Margaret, valued at 15 marks and an half, and was granted by Bartholomew de Glanvile to Bromholm priory, with 52 acres of land, and being appropriated, a vicarage was settled, valued at 20s. Peter-pence 10d.

The present valor is 6l. 13s. 4d. and is discharged: it consists of one isle, and a chancel covered with reed, has a square tower and 5 bells.

Vicars.

In 1325, William Kenyng instituted vicar, presented by the prior of Bromholm.

1333, Robert Bradenham. Ditto.

1349, Robert de Helghetone succeeded Clement Clerk.

1353, Reginald Martin.

1350, Thomas Trendel.

1363, Robert Spacy.

1378, Richard Bishop.

1388, Robert Kilverston.

1400, Robert de Paston.

1409, Richard de Causton.

1442, John Pertryk.

1447, William Pope.

1455, John Cok.

1460, Robert Williamson.

1464, William Warner.

1484, George Huddespath, by a Bishop, a lapse.

1514, John Bishop of Calcedon, and prior of Bromholm.

1522, Robert Collette, Decret. Dr.

On the Dissolution, King Henry VIII. conveyed to Thomas Woodhouse of Waxham, the patronage of this vicarage, with the appropriated rectory, on June 5, (fn. 4) in his 37th year; and in the 19th of Elizabeth, Henry Woodhouse had license to sell it to William Paston.

In 1603, Edward Bury was curate, and returned 127 communicants. Sir William Paston then received all the profits, allowing some herbages to the curate.

1636, Thomas Acres, presented vicar, by William Paston, Esq.

1640, Edw. Warner. Ditto.

1645, Henry Dickinson, by Sir William Paston, Baronet.

1725, Timothy Jones, by the Bishop.

1737, William Stockles. Ditto.

In the church was the guild of St. Ethelbert, and the light of Bekhithe, alias Bekkergate, maintained by that part of the parish.

There is a curious tomb in the chancel, erected for the Lady Catherine Paston, with her effigies, made by the famous statuary Mr. Nicholas Stone, and set up by him in 1629, for which he was paid 340l. and was very extraordinarily entertained.

To the reviving memory of the vertuous and right worthy Lady Dame Katherine Paston, daughter of the right worshipfull Sir Thomas Knevet, Kt. and wife of Sir Edward Paston, with whom she lived in Wedlock 26 years, and had issue two sons yet surviving, William and Thomas: she died March 10, 1628.

The same statuary also erected a monument here for Sir Edmund, which cost 100l.

Juxta hoc marmor positœ sunt exuviœ D'ni Edmi. Paston Equitis aurati qui obt. Ano. D'ni. 1628, œtat. suœ 48.

Here were also buried Clement Paston, Esq. and Beatrice his wife, he died in 1419; between the south door, and the tomb of his wife, the father and mother of Sir William the judge. Also a monument for Erasmus Paston, Esq. and his wife Mary, daughter of Sir Thomas Windham, ornamented with brass plates, &c.

Mention is made of a chapel in the meadows.