Hundred of Wayland: Elingham-Parva or Little Elingham

ELINGHAM-PARVA, OR LITTLE ELINGHAM,

Joins to Rockland and Elingham-Magna, and was the lordship of Aluric, a freeman in the time of the Confessor. It was held at 2 carucates, and had 4 villeins, 2 bordars, 4 servants, and 20 acres of meadow belonging to it, 2 carucates being held in demean, and another might be added, it was very woody at that time, the mast or shack being sufficient to maintain 100 hogs; there were 12 beasts, 24 hogs, 37 sheep, 34 goats, and 5 socmen that had each a cottage, and half an acre of land, and were obliged to look after the stock. The whole was valued at 4l. and was risen to 4l. 3s. at the survey. The town was about 3 miles long, and 3 broad, and paid 10d. Danegelt out of every 20s. taxed on the hundred; the King first let it to Robert Blund, after the forfeiture of Earl Ralph, to whom he had given it, and at the survey Godric farmed it, and the Earl Warren had 6 freemen here, who held 80 acres of land. (fn. 1)

The first lord that I meet with since it came from the Crown, was fSir William Wisham, Knt. who had it in 1110; he granted an annuity of 10l. a year out of it to Tho. Lathe and Katherine his wife, of whom it seems as if he had formerly purchased it; in 1218, Will. de Mortimer of Attleburgh held a fee here and in Tofts, of the Earl Warren, which shews us that that Earl had a grant of it from the Crown; in 1227, Giles de Wachesham settled on Alan de Crepinges, the customs and services due for half a knight's fee here, to be held of Giles, at half a fee and xi. d. per annum. (fn. 2)

In 1274, Wido or Guy de Butetort was lord and patron, and had assize of bread and beer, and free-warren in 1286; in 1296, the manor was held of Will. de Mortimer of Atleburgh, and Alexander of Elingham, held it of Constantine, son of Will. de Mortimer, at one fee, and Constantine, held it of Robert de Montealt, and he of the King; but Constantine, as capital lord of the fee, returned his answer upon an inquisition, that he held it of the Earl Warren; in 1315, Guy Butetort was lord, and in 1317, Sir John de Botetort, senior, was lord and patron, and in 1322, sold the manor and advowson to Robert de Bures and his heirs for ever; and in 1324, the said Robert purchased of Tho. Carbonel and Olive Berry or Barri his wife, all the rents and services belonging to the manor of Barries in Rockland-Tofts, for lands which laid in this town: in 1327, Sir John de Wisham was lord, and had free-warren allowed him; he died seized in 1335, and in 1339, John de Wisham, his son, granted to Dame Hawise his mother, all his estate in Norfolk, Suffolk, Sussex, Surrey, Kent and Worcestershire, with this advowson, and those of Sheldesey and Chirchull in Worcestershire. In 1340, the manor and advowson were intailed for want of issue of John Wysham, on John, son of Sir Andrew de Bures and his heirs, remainder in fee to John Wysham, who was lord, and presented in 1387, and in 1395: in 1400, Sir Will. Wysham, Knt. and Margaret his wife, granted 10l. per annum out of this manor, to Katherine wife of Sir John Wysham, his mother; in 1408, Tho. Lathe, Esq. was patron, who had married Alice, daughter and heiress of Sir Will. Wysham and Margaret his wife; and in 1411, the said Thomas, Alice, and Margaret, settled it by fine on John Fitz-Ralf, Esq. Const. Mortimer, and his other trustees; and in 1432, John Fitz-Rauf, Esq. was lord and patron, and held it in 1420, of Tho. Beaufort Duke of Exeter, as parcel of the honour of Wormgeye, and it passed to Elizabeth, daughter of Sir John Fitz-Ralf, Knt. sister and coheir of Will. Fitz-Rauf her brother, and her husband Sir Rob. Chamberlain of Gedding in Suffolk, Knt. and of Bernham-Broom in Norfolk, who presented in her right, in 1454; he was succeeded by Sir Edw. Chamberlain of Berham-Broome, his elder brother Sir Ralph dying without issue, but Elizabeth his mother held it for life, and presented in 1505; Sir Edward left it at his death to Leonard Chamberlain of LittleElingham, his third son, who was lord in 1554, whose son, John Chamberlain, mortgaged it in 1570 to Rob. Flint, Gent. who presented in 1580, and afterwards it was sold by Chamberlain to Sir Thomas Pettus, who gave it with his daughter, Elizabeth, in marriage to Rowland Okcover, Esq. who mortgaged it to Will. Colgrave of London, Esq. to whom it was afterwards conveyed by decree in Chancery, Sir John Pettus and Horace Pettus confirming the title; at William's death, it descended to Henry Colgrave, his son and heir, who sold the advowson to the Rev. Mr. John Cater; he possessed it about one year only, and was succeeded by his brother, William Colgrave, Esq. who is now [1738] lord.

The Customs of the manor are, that the fine is at the lord's will; the eldest son is heir; and it gives no dower. There is no leet now kept, though it is said to be appendant to the manor, and as such was kept about fifty years since. They cannot fell timber on the copyhold without license, which by custom hath been always compounded for, at a third part of the clear value.

The Church is dedicated to St. Peter, was valued at 10 marks, and paid 12d. Peter-pence. It had two gilds belonging to it, one of St. Peter, and the other of St. John Baptist; in 1663, they had license to sell a bell, and in 1671, another to lessen the chancel.

It is a rectory, valued in the King's Books at 7l. 1s. 10d. ob. but being sworn of the clear yearly value of 41l. 18s. it is discharged of first fruits and tenths, and hath been augmented by the present rector, who hath procured the bounty, and settled a portion of the impropriate tithes of Great Elingham for that purpose.

This town paid 4l. 12s. 8d. to the old tenths, and is now valued at 391l. 14s. 2d. to the tax.

The monks of Thetford's temporalities were valued at 10s. per annum.

Rectors.

1317, 4 non. Mar. Hugh Perpunt of Kilverdeston. Sir John de Botetourt, Knt.

1349, 9 Sep. Walter Atte Oke of Bredefield-Magna. Hawise de Wysham, Knt.

1387, 30 Jul. Rog. de la Hay, priest. Sir John de Wysham, Knt.

1395, 11 Oct. William Lenchewyk. Sir Will. Wysham, Knt. He resigned.

1395, 11 Oct. Rob. Couclyf, change with West-Acre burgh.

1408, 8 Aug. Will. Okele. Tho. Lathe, Esq.

1408, 29 Nov. Stephen At Lathe. Ditto. On Okele's resignation.

1432, 8 Oct. Roger Robin of East-Bradenham. John Fitz-Rauf, Esq. He was buried in the church.

1454, 16 April, Tho. Melton, on Robin's death. Sir Rob. Chamberlain, Knt.

1484, 20 Nov. John Folsham, on Melton's resignation. Ditto.

1494, 14 June, Ric. Aston. Roger Ormeston, Esq.

1505, 15 Jan. Mr. Peter Ashton. Lady Eliz. Chamberlain, widow.

1506, 7 Nov. Rich. Billington.

1508, 6 Oct. John Hardingham. Lapse. On Ashton's death.

1530, 15 March, Arthur Buckley, on Hardyngham's death. Edward Chamberlayn, Esq.

1554, 7 July, Richard Hatley, priest, on Buckley's deprivation. Leonard Chamberlayn, Esq.

1561, 22 Sept. John Middletone. Lapse.

John Gildensleeve; he resigned.

1580, 21 March, Rob. Evat. Rob. Flynt, Esq.

1608, 11 Jan. John Warde. John Hodson, clerk, for this turn.

He held it by union with St. Swithin in Norwich, of which he was patron.

1647, 27 July, Philip Cornwaleys, A. M. on Warde's death. Sir Tho. Pettus, Bart.

1647, 24 Aug. John Jermy, A. M. on Cornwaleys's resignation. Ditto.

Rob. Chawner; he died rector.

1672, 6 Jan. Tho. Bond, A. B. Lapse.

1727, 21 Dec. Humphry Bickley, A. B. on Bond's death. John Cater, clerk, united to the major part of Atleburgh.

1728, 15 April, The Rev. Mr. John Cater, the present [1738] rector, on Bickley's resignation, who is also patron, and holds it united to the vicarage of Elingham-Magna.

There is a neat parsonage-house, built by Mr. Cater, adjoining to the north-west part of the churchyard, to which belong about 32 acres of glebe; the town contains about 20 houses, and 150 inhabitants.

The tower is square, and stands on the south side of the church, and serves for a porch; there is only one bell; the church and chancel are tiled, the N. vestry is ruined: it is neat and clean, being new repaired and beautified; in the windows I saw these arms,

Chequy or and gul. a fess erm. Or a saltire ingrailed sab.; and

Gul. three round buckles arg.

There is only this inscription on a brass in the chancel,
Dere Iyerth the Corps of Robert Flant, under this stone. whose Godln Death, did pranse bis thief, be beinge gone, Den toward Branche he hath left, which shall ensue, Borne of a Dertuous Wight, by Birth from Wountagne