Tunstede Hundred: Swafield

SWAFIELD.

A lordship in this town belonged to the Bishop of Thetford before and at the survey, as part of the see, and Jeffrey held it of the Bishop: there was one socman with 24 acres of land, 2 borderers and the moiety of another, with one carucate valued at 5s. iiiid. and there were 28 acres belonging to the church, and a borderer, with 2 acres of meadow, valued at 2s. The whole was one leuca long, and 4 furlongs and one perch broad, &c. and paid 18d. gelt. (fn. 1)

William de Curechun or Curzun, and Julian de Swafield, held between them half a fee of the Bishop; and in the 2d year of King John, Julian had by a fine, the patronage of the church, with the manor house assigned him by William, but the lands were still held in equal moieties between them.

After this, Nicholas Bateler had a moiety; and in the 15th of Henry III. William de St. Clere, who possessed it, sold it to William, son of William de Heveningham, by fine.

In the said reign William de Monesley and his mother, held in demean a quarter of a fee of Thomas Elingham, and he of the Bishop; and this was held in the 20th of Edward III. by Laurence Sprigg of Thomas de Weston; and in the 4th of Henry IV. by John Mondeford, of Thomas de Weston, and he of the Bishop.

Richard, son of Gilbert de St. Dennis, impleaded in the 18th of Edward I. Nicholas de Monesley and Agnes his wife, for a messuage, a mill, thirty acres of land, one of turbary, and 19s. rent, which seems to be of the other moiety.

William Burgeis was lord of Swathefield-hall in 1465, and by his will, dated May 12, desires to be buried in the church by his wife Alice, and left James his son and heir.

William de Scohies had a grant of 6 acres of land, of which a freeman was deprived, valued at 6d. and the abbot of Holm had the soc of it. (fn. 2)

Ranulf, brother of Ilgar, had also a grant of 18 acres which 2 freemen were deprived of, with a carucate and an half acre of meadow, valued at xvid. (fn. 3) This seems to have come afterwards to the Earls Warren.

The Earl Warren's manor of North Walsham extended into this town, and William de Repps, &c. held lands in the 9th of Edward II. of the Earl.

In the 5th of Edward III. the jury present that the Earl's tenants in this town ought not to common in North Walsham.

Thomas Flegg and Dionysia his wife, convey to John Flegg a messuage, with lands, and a foldcourse here, &c. in the 33d of Henry III.

From the Earls Warren it came to the Earls of Lancaster, and so to the Crown, as in Gymingham, and became part of the dutchy of Lancaster, and is so at this time.

William de Repps, and the heirs of Plaiz, had an interest here under the Earl Warren in the 9th of Edward II.

The prior of Bromholm's manor in North Walsham extended also here. This was granted in the 4th and 5th of Philip and Mary to Francis Chaloner and William Butler, September 6; and in the 20th of Elizabeth was possessed by Thomas Gryme, Gent. There temporalities were 4s. 7d.—The tenths were 2l. 12s. 6d.—Deducted 8s. 4d.

The Church is a rectory, dedicated to St. Nicholas; the Earl Warren had the patronage in the reign of Edward I. but is said to have no right, the church being founded on the land and manor of the Bishop of Norwich; the rector had no manse, or land belonging to it, it was valued at 6 marks and an half, and paid Peter-pence 9d.; the present valor is 6l. and is discharged.

Rectors.

1300, William de Leyton, instituted, presented by John Earl Warren.

1344, Thomas de Scharnburn.

1361, John de Cocclescote, by Lady Maud de Lancaster Countess of Henayd, Leicester, &c.

1366, John de Styrup, by John Duke of Lancaster.

1368, Thomas de Wodehall. Ditto.

1372, Nicholas de Ripoun, by John King of Castile.

1378, Richard Gunnays. Ditto.

1383, Richard Raa. Ditto.

1390, John Goffe. Ditto.

1447, Michael Fregorre, D.D. by the King.

Edward Hall, occurs rector in the 5th of Henry VIII.

Robert Chaucer in 1603, and returned 75 communicants.

1729, Edward Broughton, by the King, on the death of Alexander Guthrie.

1746, Marmaduke Ward. Ditto.

The patronage is in the chancellor of the Dutchy of Lancaster, here was the guild of St. Nicholas.

Thomas Flegg was buried in the church in 1558.

The temporalities of St. Bennet of Holm, were 11s. 9d. ob.

Gilbert de St. Dennis, by deed sans date, granted to the prior of Bromholm, lands here, which Claricia de Becham, widow of Thomas de Birston, held in dower, and Richard his son confirmed them in the 19th of Edward I. William de Glanvile, the founder of that priory, gave the tithe of the paunage of the turbary of Swathefeld.