An Essay Towards A Topographical History of the County of Norfolk: Volume 2. Originally published by W Miller, London, 1805.
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Francis Blomefield, 'Hundred of Wayland: Saham-Tony', in An Essay Towards A Topographical History of the County of Norfolk: Volume 2( London, 1805), British History Online https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-hist-norfolk/vol2/pp319-330 [accessed 26 November 2024].
Francis Blomefield, 'Hundred of Wayland: Saham-Tony', in An Essay Towards A Topographical History of the County of Norfolk: Volume 2( London, 1805), British History Online, accessed November 26, 2024, https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-hist-norfolk/vol2/pp319-330.
Francis Blomefield. "Hundred of Wayland: Saham-Tony". An Essay Towards A Topographical History of the County of Norfolk: Volume 2. (London, 1805), , British History Online. Web. 26 November 2024. https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-hist-norfolk/vol2/pp319-330.
In this section
SAHAM-TONY
Church is dedicated to St. George, who had a large gild held in his honour here, and a chapel, with his sepulchre in it; there were three other gilds, viz. of the Holy Trinity, our Lady, and St. Peter. The rectory was valued at 40 marks, and had a vicarage in the rector's gift, valued at 6 marks, the portion of the Abbot of St. Katherine's, de Monte Rothomagensi, or Roan, in Normandy, who was patron of the rectory, was valued at 40s.; (fn. 1) it paid 7s. 7d. ob. procurations, and 3s. 4d. synodals, and 2s. Peter-pence. In 1286 the vicar proved before the Justices Itinerant, that he was intitled to a mortuary at the death of any parishioner, and recovered a horse for the mortuary then in dispute; (fn. 2) in 1375, the Bishop certified the rights of the vicar, but upon the statute to endow the vicarages, the rector withdrew presenting to the vicarage, (fn. 3) and so it came to be an absolute rectory, as it now continues. There is a very good house, to which belongs a rectory manor and 23 acres of glebe. The temporals of the Prior of Norwich were taxed at 9s. 6d. and the rector of Shipdam paid a pension of 4s. to this rectory.
The chantry was taxed at 5l. 14s. 9d. ob. and was founded by William de Saham, in 1281, for his own and ancestors' souls, and for that purpose he settled divers lands and tenements in Wendling, on the Abbot and Canons at Wendling, on condition they paid five marks yearly to his chantry chaplain, serving in his chapel, which was dedicated to St. Andrew, and is still called Little St. Andrew's, and lies on Shipdham road in Saham, and this always paid tenths to the Dissolution. Tho. Southwood was chaplain of the chantry in 1443, and it is called in some evidences, the Church of St. Andrew in Saham.
I find the name of one vicar only of Saham, viz.
1315, 3 id. Apr. Ric. Scot, vicar of Saham. Theobald de Trecis, rector, patron.
Rectors.
1313, kal. April, Theobald de Trecis, accolite, the Queen's physician, presented by the Prior of Hermondesworth, proctor to the abbey of St. Katherine de Monte near Roan in Normandy.
1317, id. May, Peter de Briggemencourt, sub-deacon. Brother Humphry le Conte-Poyntour, proctor to Roan abbey.
1320, 6 non. March, A sequestration was granted to Theobald de Trecis, accolite, the Queen's physician.
1321, kal. May, John de Trecis. Brother John de Fraunkevyle, proctor, &c.
1329, 4 kal. August, John Rotarius parous de Trecis, sub-deacon. On the resignation of John Rotarius de Trecis. Brother Will. de Pestlamore, proctor, &c.
1343, 31 Oct. Rob. Poumart. The King, the temporalities of Roan abbey being in his hands, as belonging to an alien.
1356, 17 Nov. He resigned, and Benjamin or Benedict de Hockham had it in exchange for Offington, in Lincoln diocese. The King.
The rectory with the united vicarage was valued at 46 marks.
1361, 20 Sept. Tho. de Welford. The Proctor of Roan abbey.
1368, 20 Dec. John de Corby changed with Welford, and had this for Hurstmonceaux in Chicester diocese. The Prior of Hermondesworth patron. By grant from Roan abbey.
1377, 19 Nov. Henry de Wakerle, changed Hargrace in Lincolnshire for this, with Corby. The King, on account of the priory alien of Hermondesworth.
1386, 23 Dec. Wakerly changed this for Stow in Lincolnshire, with Philip Wen.
1389, 2 March, Wen, changed it for Crondale in Canterbury diocese, with John Graunger.
Master John Corf, rector, buried in the chancel in 1449.
John Morton resigned.
1450, 7 Nov. John Bryan. The President, Custos, and Fellows of St. Mary Winchester college in Oxford, commonly called New-College, founded by William of Wickham, who procured this advowson of King Richard II. it having devolved to the Crown, as part of the possessions of a priory allen. This society are now patrons and presented the following rectors.
1462, 20 May, John North, LL. B. change with Mitshitling, Winchester diocese.
1462, 18 Aug. Elias Holcote.
1464, 26 Jan. Laur. Cokkys, decret. Dr.
Rich. Rewys, resigned.
1467, 27 Nov. Will. Shaw.
1582, 27 July, Will. Porter; died.
1524, 23 Nov. Will. Cuffould, decret. Dr. resigned.
1546, 16 Sept. Ric. Dominick; resigned.
1557, 13 May, Edw. Osbern; died.
1557, 13 Jan. Sixtus Quaterman; died.
Rob. Payne; resigned.
1563, 23 Oct. Fran. Dorington. S. T. P. resigned.
1589, 12 Aug. John Estmond, LL. D.
1604, 23 Jan. Rich. Terry, he founded the free school here, and was a benefactor to the rectory.
1626, 15 Dec. Tho. Crane; died.
1662, 11 Jan. Will. Waldron; died rector.
1679, 25 April, John Harsent; he resigned.
1686, 10 Aug. Humphry Prideaux, D. D. the learned Dean of Norwich, author of that incomparable work intitled, The Connexion of the Old and New Testament, besides other things of great use; he resigned.
1694, 15 Nov. William Christmass, died rector.
1702, 23 Feb. Ric. Lydiat, LL. B.
1715, 7 Nov. Will. Curl, LL. B. on Lydiat's cession; he died June 1734; buried here.
1734, 10 Dec. The Rev. Mr. Daniel Rushworth, LL. B. The present [1738] rector.
The Rectory Manor.
The Rectory stands among the livings undischarged, being valued at 21l. 14s. 9d. ob. and pays first fruits, and 2l. 3s. 5d. ob. q. yearly tenths, and 2s. synodals; it belonged to the manor till Roger de Tony gave it in King John's time, with a large part of the demeans and many rents and services, with the leet of the town, to the rectory, the advowson of which he gave to the abbey of St. Catherine on the Hill by Roan in Normandy, who presented by their proctors or deputies, but could never get it appropriated, though they attempted it; the court was usually held in the church, as appears by the ancient rolls of the manor, a great number of which now remain in the rector's custody, from which it appears that the Prior of Norwich's portion was allotted to the sacrist of the cathedral, and that the Prior of West-Acre had of the gift of Roger de Tony, in the 5th year of King John, 20 acres of wood called North-Tweyt, and liberty of commonage on Saham commons, and also the tithes of all the wood sold out of his woods in Saham and Neketon, for his own, his father's, and mother's souls, which was confirmed by the Bishop of Norwich. There is a good glebe with a large convenient rectory-house joining to the west side of the churchyard; Mr. Ric. Terry, rector here, at his death left the house furnished, and ordered it to go from successour to successour for ever; at first there were all manner of implements of husbandry as well as furniture to above 200l. value, at that time, but they are now reduced to only some pieces of plate and a few household goods, for which the rector lays in security to leave them to his successour; he also gave a house and piece of land to the parish-clerk to ring the 8 o'clock bell from Michaelmas to Lady-day. The house is now down, the land let at 3l. per annum, (as I am informed,) but the bell is forgot to be rung. His picture is still in the house, drawn Anno Ætatis 62, Domini 1625, his arms are sab. a fess or between three swans arg.; motto, uni viros una beans. He gave four acres of land for glebe to the rectory, and augmented the free school here, (which was first founded in 1611, by Edw. Goffe of Threxton, Gent. who settled a house and land to the value of 10l. per annum on the master,) with ten pounds per annum more, which is the endowment of the present free school; the house stands a little distant from the east part of the churchyard, and the master lives in it and teaches school.
The town is valued to the tax at 1074l. 6s. 8d. and paid 9l. 6s. 4d. to the old tenths; and Thompson college had lands here at its dissolution.
The Church is a good building, consisting of a nave, two isles, chancel and south porch, which are all leaded; the tower is square, built about 1480, on it is St. George and the dragon carved in stone; it hath five bells, and formerly had a clock, which is now decayed.
On marbles in the chancel,
Guil. Waldron hujus Parochiæ Rector, eruditus simul et pins, et Virtutum omnium quæ vel Christianum, vel Christi Ministrum decent, Cultor sedulus, verumque exemplar. Obijt Decemb. 8°. Anno Dom. 1678.
Sub hoc Marmore jacet Corpus, Gulielmi Christmas, hujus olim Ecclesiæ Rectoris obijt xi°. Die Januarij Anno Salutis 1703.
Crane, or, on a chevron between three cranes rising az. three cinquefoils of the field, impaling
Leman, az. a fess between three dolphins embowed arg.
Crest, a crane's head erased az.
Hic jacent Reliquiæ S. S. Thomæ Crane, de Civitate Nordovici Mercatoris, Qui cum Septem supra Sexaginta Annos vixisset, certâ demum revivendi Spe occubuit, Anno Salutis 1700.
Seriùs aut citiùs Sedem properamus ad unam, Nec poterit Pietas, nec vultus sacra, nec Aurum, Rugis, instantique Moras adferre Senectæ.
Memoriæ piæ, lectissimæ Fæminæ et Conjugis suæ, Mariæ Crane, Thomas Thomæ Filius, posuit et dicavit. denatæ xi° Augusti, Anno Dni: 1671. Ætatis 34.
Here lieth the Body of Mrs. Anne Bride, Wife to Mr. Bartholomew Bride Merchant, and Daughter to Mr. Thomas Crane Minister of Saham, who died the 28 of June, Anno Dom: 1668, Watch and Pray.
Hic jacet sepultus hujus, olim Ecclesiæ Servus, Thomas Cranus, Sacræ Theologiæ Baccalaureus, qui obijt 2do Februarij A. D. 1662.
Tu tamen, Mortem ut numquam timeas, semper cogita.
Hic jacet Corpus Thomæ Goaffe Generosi, qui obijt 28vo. die Martij Anno 1688.
Frances Wife of Thomas Goaffe Gent. died in 1638.
Mrs. Eliz. Goaffe, eldest daughter of Mr. Tho. Goaffe, died Aug. 3. 1647, aged 20 Years, and 6 Months.
Mr. Edward Goaffe Gent. died 1659.
Hic jacet - - - - - Goaffe, Filius Magistri Thomæ Goaffe, natu maximus - - - - - 29° Anno Dni. 16 - - - - Suæ vigesimo et - - - - -
Shuckforth, a fess erm. between three eagles displayed. Crest, an eagle's head erased proper.
Here lyeth the Body of Thomas Shuckforth of London Merchant, who dyed the 29th of Sept. 1665 in the 26th year of his age.
Mr. Richard Shuckforth of Saham, died 12th Febr. 1671, aged 70 Years.
He was grandson of John Shuckforth of Diss, Gent. who lived there in 1546. (fn. 4) Son of Richard Shuckforth (who purchased and settled at Saham) by a daughter of the Dayneses of Roydon, from whom the present Mr. Shuckforth of Saham is lineally descended.
On a handsome silver salver belonging to the altar,
Ex Dono Thomæ Shuckforth, Generosi, in Usum Ecclesiæ Saham-Toniensis, Gulielmo Curll LL. B. Rectore, Anno 1721.
There is also a silver cup, with our Saviour's head engraved thereon, and these words, Saham. Thonye. Anno. 1568.
In the nave, on a brass plate,
Anna Sandell hic vixit 26 Annos, et obijt 17 Die September: 1596 Æt: Suæ 48. Et ne putes, candide Lector, mortuam esse, quæ in Cælo vivit,
Disce mori Mundo, vivere disce Deo.
The Sandells had anciently a good estate here, which in 1545 was augmented by Rich. Sandell, who purchased of Edmund Southouse, Gent. and Jane his wife, a messuage, 80 acres of ground, liberty of faldage, and 30s. rent, in this and the adjoining towns.
On an old brass,
here lieth the Bodpe of Edwarde Goaffe late of Threrton,tol)o Departed This Lieff the20 of Mape 1612, and before bis Death to the Glorpe of Goo and adbancemente of Learninge, erected a ffre; Schole and 4 Almesse Mouses in the Tomnc of Saham Tonepe, and also 4 Almesse Rouses in the Town of Matton, and gabe unto cberpe of the same for eber, a reasonable and conbenient mepnte. nance.
Praised be God.
The font hath an eagle on the top, and on the wood work this,
Lavacrum Regenerationis.
Johannes Ives nuper de Saham, Insigne hoc Pietatis ana Testimonium, Deo et Ecclesiæ suæ moriens legavit. Anno Domini 1632.
By it is an old broken stone with this,
Spiro ... eth buried ... Forbie ... peaceable, Godlie, ... belovid ... lamented ... glorified ... filias ... cua Sperno.
In the north isle windows are the arms of
Beauchamp Earl of Warwick.
Ely bishoprick, and
Or, on a bend arg. cotised gul. three cinquefoils of the last.
In the south isle east window, arg. a chief gironne of four gul. and or, quartered with the bend cotised, impaling sab, a chevron or between three - - - -; and also the arms of Tony are in the windows, viz. arg. a maunch gul.
There are two altar tombs on the south side of the churchyard, the first for
Frances Wife of Luke Sheare and Daughter of William Shuckforth, who died Sept. 1 1701, aged 32. She left two Sons and two daughters. The second, for
Henry Forbey who died Jan. 6, 1724, aged 57 years. Anns Forbey died Febr. 14 1712 aged 7 Years. Simondes Forbey died April 4, 1708, aged 6 months. Margaret Forbey died 1704, aged 1 Year.
Burials in this church.
1382, William Woodham. 1429, William Rokell. 1528, Thomas Bolton of this town, Gent. he was lord of Haywood Hall in Diss, and afterwards of Boyland Hall in Brisingham, where he lived. (fn. 5) Alice his wife, and Thomas Jermyn his brother are mentioned. 1557, Richard Sandell, Esq.
Saham-Tony's, or the Capital Manor,
At the time of the Confessor, contained not only this whole town, but great part of the adjacent villages, and the whole of Ovington: the Confessor himself held it, and the hundred belonged to it; it extended then into Griston, Caston, Breccles, and Elingham; there were three carucates of land in the town, one of which was in the King's hands as demean, besides 40 acres of meadow, wood sufficient to maintain 730 swine, and there were then kept 60 sheep and 40 goats, there being 46 socmen, who did their annual suit and service to the manor, for the lands they held of it; it continued long in the Crown, and the Conqueror kept the chief of it in his own hands, for he had two carucates in demean; of the 46 socmen that belonged to it when he first had it; he gave 15 to Ralf, son of Ivo, and two to Berner the Archer, and another part, which after was called Pages manor, he gave Roger Bigot. In the Confessor's time, the whole was worth 12l. and at the survey 20l. it was about three miles long and two miles broad, and paid 2s. 6d. out of every 20s. taxed on the hundred. And from this time it belonged to the Crown, and was farmed at the old rent by divers persons, during the Conqueror's and the succeeding Kings reigns, to Richard I. who raised it, for Ebrad de la Denver paid that King 27l. 8s. 4d. a year for it, and soon after he left it to Ralf de Tony, whose descendant, Roger de Tony, obtained a grant of it to him and his heirs, with the hundreds of Weyland, Grimshoe, &c. of King John, in the first year of his reign, viz. 1199. (fn. 6)
Roger de Toeny, Todeni, Thony, or Tony, was the first of the family who had the town in fee, and from him it is still called Saham-Tony, to distinguish it from several towns of the same name, Sæham, Seham, Saham, or as sometimes pronounced Soham, (for they are all thus variously spelt in ancient records,) signifies no more than the dwelling at the great water, or Sæ, and accordingly here is a very large lake called Saham [Mere], which abounds with exceeding good fish of several kinds, but is most remarkable for its fine eels, though among them there is a particular species with exceeding large heads, (fn. 7) as much to be noted for their bad, as the others are for their excellent fine, taste and colour. Thus also Seham or Soham in Cambridgeshire hath the largest mere that I know of, and from these both the places received their names.
This Roger was descended in a direct line from Roger de Tony, Standard-Bearer of Normandy, and founder of the abbey of Conchis in that dukedom, whose son Ralf came in with the Conqueror, and for his services in the battle against King Harold, had many lordships given him, and as Mr. Dugdale tells us, (fn. 8) no less than 19 in this county; he gave to the abbey of Conchis, as the same author says, his lordship of Wrotham, to the monks of West-Acre, all the lands that Oliver the priest held of him there, and died in 1102, and was buried at Conchis, leaving Ralf, his son and heir, who married Judith, daughter to Waltheof Earl of Huntingdon and Northumberland, with whom he had Kertling (commonly called Carthlage) manor in Cambridgeshire; he was succeeded by Roger de Tony, his son, who confirmed Weretham lordship to the monks of Conchis; (fn. 9) he had a grant of a hundred shillings land in Holkham in Norfolk, (fn. 10) and dying in 1162, left this Roger de Tony, who obtained the grant of this manor, his son and heir. It was then valued at 28l. 8s. 8d. a year, for at the time of the grant's being passed, Robert Fitz-Roger, and Richard de Gosfield, who served sheriff of Norfolk for Robert, had so much allowed out of his accounts, as rents sunk by the grant. And it appears that the King gave it among other things in exchange for 140l. per annum, lands in Anjou, and in recompense for the service he did him when Earl of Moreton. He was succeeded by
Ralf, his son and heir, who joined the Barons, but was after that in the King's favour, in 1239, being signed with the cross, as divers other nobles then were, he took a journey to the Holy Land, and about Michaelmas time died on the sea, and
Petronill, his widow, had this manor and Neketon for life; she remarried to William, son and heir of Tho. de St. Omer, who was lord in her right, (fn. 11) and in 1275 was justice itinerant with Simon de Grey in Cambridgeshire; in 1285, the hundred and manor were valued at 60l. per annum, and paid 50s. per annum blanch farm to Norwich Castle. Her son, Roger de Tony, died in 1276, so that he was never lord. Petronill his mother survived her second husband, and at her death it went to
Ralph de Tony, her grandson, son of Roger aforesaid, deceased, who died in 1293, and
Robert his son succeeded; in an inquisition taken in his time, it was found (as it was in another taken in 1280) that all persons belonging to Saham used to be free from toll in Watton market, till Sir Oliver de Vaux, lord there, compelled them to pay it, upon which account, in 1298, (fn. 12) this Robert obtained a charter (or rather renewed and got the former altered) for a weekly market on Mondays at his manor of Saham, and two fairs yearly, one on the day and morrow of the Feast of St. Martin the Bishop, and five days following, and another on the eve and morrow after the Feast of St. George the Martyr, and five days following; (fn. 13) he was one of those barons that subscribed the letter sent to Pope Boniface, the 12th of Feb. 1300, 29th Edward I. in the parliament held at Lincoln, concerning the subjection of the kingdom of Scotland to that of England, which the Pope then pretended to intermeddle with, subscribing himself, Robert Toney Lord of Walingford, bearing for his arms, arg. a maunch gul.; he died seized in 1309, and by the inquisition taken after his death it was found that this manor was worth above 110l. per annum, and that
Alice, widow of Thomas Lord Leibourne, deceased, was sister and next heir, aged 25 years, and that Maud his wife had the manors and advowsons of Neketun, Little Cressingham, and Little Fraunsham, in free marriage, and that they were jointly seized till Robert died, they being held of Will. de Wigenhall, as of Richmond honour, at half a fee; his right of fishery in Saham mere was valued at 13s. 4d. the park 10l. &c.
Alice Leibourne had issue by her first husband, Juliana, first married to John de Hastyngs Lord Abergavenny, secondly to Thomas Blount, Steward of the Household to Edward II. and thirdly, to Will. de Clinton; but Saham did not go to her, but was settled on
Guy de Beauchamp Earl of Warwick, second husband of the said Alice, and their heirs; he was son and heir of Will. Beauchamp Earl of Warwick, and died seized in 1315, leaving it to
Thomas Earl of Warwick, his son and heir; Alice his wife survived him, and the following year married to William la Zouch of Ashby in Leicestershire, and died in 1324.
Thomas Earl of Warwick was not two years old at his father's death, and so became the King's ward, who knighted him at the age of 13 years, and gave him livery of all his lands, and among others of the whole estate of the Tonys, for which he paid 100 marks relief, Saham, Flamsted, Kirtling, &c. being held by barony. He died of the pestilence in France, Nov. 13th 1369.
Guy de Beauchamp, son and heir, died in his father's life time; but upon his marriage with Phillipa, daughter of Henry Lord Ferrers of Groby, they had Saham, Wayland, Grimshoe, Cressingham-Parva, Fraunsham-Parva, and Neketon, manors and advowsons, with the advowsons of the priories of West-Acre and Shouldham, (fn. 14) settled on them and their male heirs, for want of which, at his wife Phillipa's death in 1384, they descended to his brother,
Thomas Beauchamp Earl of Warwick, who married Margaret, daughter to William Lord Ferrers of Groby; (fn. 15) he was a man of much renown in warlike affairs, from his youth, so much noted for virtue and prudence, that he was chosen in parliament Governour of King Richard II. who was then young, being also one of those nobles who went with that King's letter to Pope Boniface the Ninth, complaining of the provisions of benefices, and other exactions of the see of Rome in England. (fn. 16) Towards the latter part of King Richard's reign, this noble Earl was attainted, and the manor and hundreds were given by the King to John Montacute Earl of Salisbury, and his heirs male, along with Panworth Hall manor in Ashill, and Saham, and the other possessions of the Earl of Warwick; but the attainder being reversed in the 1st of Henry IV. he died seized of all his ancient estate, April 8, 1401, and his wife, Jan. 22, 1406, leaving
Richard Beauchamp Earl of Warwick, their son and heir, a man no less famous than his noble progenitors; he was made Knight of the Bath at the coronation of Henry IV. and the next year, at the coronation of Jane, wife to that Prince, he kept justs on the Queen's part, against all comers; in 1402, he took the banner of that great rebel, Owen Glendowr, and put him to flight, and soon after was made Knight of the Garter. (fn. 17)
In 1407, he went to the Holy Land, and visited his cousin the Duke of Barr; and in his way thither, performing many gallant feats of arms, and being respectfully received and treated by many princes, he arrived at the Holy Sepulchre, and set up his arms on the north side of the Temple; Baltredan, the Souldan's Lieutenant at Jerusalem, hearing that he was descended from the famous Guy Earl of Warwick, (whose story they had in books of their own language,) feasted him royally, and gave him large presents; from Jerusalem he came to Venice, and having travelled into Rusia, Poland, &c. shewing much valour in many tourneaments, he returned into England, and was immediately retained by Henry Prince of Wales, (afterwards Henry V.) to serve him in peace and war for 250 marks a year, and at that King's coronation was made High Steward of England, and behaved so bravely during his whole life, that the Emperour Sigismund told King Henry, that no Christian Prince had such another Knight, for wisdom, nurture, and manhood; adding, that if all courtesic were lost, yet it might be found again in him; insomuch that ever after, by the Emperour's authority, he was called, the Father of Courtesy; he died at Roan in Normandy, 1439, leaving
Henry, his son by his second wife, his heir, who was first made Premier Earl of all England, and after that, Duke of Warwick, and was to take place in Parliament next the Duke of Norfolk, and before the Duke of Buckingham, which that Duke would not bear, and therefore it was agreed, that one should take place one year, and the other the next, and he who survived, to take place of the other's heir male as long as he lived. He died June 11, 1445, being 22 years old; in his father's lifetime, when he was scarce 10 years old, being then called the Lord Dispencer, he married Cecily, daughter of Richard Nevill Earl of Salisbury, (who after his death married John Lord Tiptoft,) by whom he left one daughter,
Anne, who died in 1449, in her infancy, and this manor, with the whole inheritance of the Beauchamps, went to
Anne, her aunt, as only sister of the whole blood, to her deceased father, who was then married to
Richard Nevill Earl of Salisbury, who for his special services about the King's person, had the title of Earl of Warwick, confirmed to him and his wife, and their heirs, with all pre-eminences that any of their ancestors had, before the creation of Henry Duke of Warwick. This was that great Earl who was so powerful, as to be nick-named Richard make King, so famous for his courage and popularity in Edward the Fourth's and Henry the Sixth's days, that every man wore his badge, the ragged staff, on his hat, and painted the white cross on his door; yea, so exceedingly hospitable was he, that at his house in London, six oxen were usually eaten at a breakfast, and every tavern was full of his meat, for every one that had any acquiantance in his family might take as much boiled and roast meat as he could carry away upon a long dagger, as the Atlas has it, page 343. He was slain at Barnet-Field, 11th Edward IV. his Countess Anne surviving him, who had all her inheritance taken from her, and was forced to shift from place to place in great straits; but however, the Parliament were so kind, as to settle the whole on
Isabell and Anne, her two daughters; the first married George Duke of Clarence, and the second to Richard Duke of Glocester, (fn. 18) afterwards King Richard the Third, who enjoyed Saham, Neketon, Panworth Holl, Cressingham-Parva, and the rest of the Norfolk estate, with the whole inheritance, till his death in Bosworth-Field; and then King Henry VII. restored the whole inheritance to the Countess
Anne, but not with purpose that she should enjoy it, for it appears that after the power given by the act, she conveyed the whole inheritance to the
King, who immediately constituted Sir John Ratcliff de FitzWalter, Knt. Steward of Saham, Little Cressingham, Panworth, Neketon, Wayland, and Grimshoe hundreds, and these were after called Warwick Lands, and amounted in all to 113 manors and hundreds, all which were enjoyed by the Crown, till they were granted off by degrees; in 1506 Sir Rob. Lovell, Knt. was steward; in 1527 the Viscount Rochford had this manor for a term, and after that it remained in the Crown, till
King Henry VIII. in the year 1544, granted the manor and park of Saham, and the hundreds of Grimshoe and Wayland to
Sir Richard Southwell, Knt. and his heirs, and the same year the said Richard had license to alien 60 acres of land, called Parkers Average, at the end of Saham park, to Nic. Mynne, and his heirs. In 1570,
Robt. Southwell, a minor, was lord. And afterwards, in 1580, the
Lord Paget had it. In 1616,
Sir John Steward, Knt. Lord Kintcleven in Scotland, aliened it to
Clement Corbet, during the life of Elizabeth his wife. It afterwards came to the Berneys in 1634, when
Sir Ric. Berney kept his first court; and in 1688,
Ric. Berney of Redham, Esq. was lord, and it being mortgaged to Mrs. Anne Martell; in 1709, it was purchased by
John Cotton, Esq. who is lately dead, and the manor (as is reported) is to be sold by decree in chancery.
Saham's or Page's Manor,
At the time of the Conquest, was given to Roger Bigot, of whom Robert held it for life; it was then worth 30s. per annum. (fn. 19)
In 1139, Hugh Bigot gave the King a fine to have his manor of Saham again, which Hubert de Munchensi held; it after came to the Warrens, and Ralf de Warren, lord here, granted the monks of CastleAcre two messuages and the lands belonging to them, with the services of two men, and liberty to fish with two boats at all times of the year in Saham mere; in 1194, Robert, son of Simon of Saham, paid King Richard I. 20 marks for his relief to have all his lands in peace, which his father held in capite, at half a fee; in 1228, he held it at a whole fee of Ralf de Tony; in 1274, and 1282, Will. de Saham, clerk, son of this Robert, was Justice of the King's Bench; and in 1276, Justice Itinerant in Worcestershire, and Richard de Saham, his brother, was one of the Barons of the Exchequer in 1285. In 1276, Robert de Saham (perhaps) another brother, was lord; in 1287, William, son of Ralf de Saham, had it conveyed to him, and was lord in 1299. In 1315, John de Saham owned it; from whom it came to the Pages, a family that had been ancient owners in the town, for in 1249 Robt. Page settled a messuage and land here on Adam Page; and in 1316, Tho. Page, parson of St. Andrew's in Snitterton, settled a messuage and lands on Walter Page; and in 1334, Edmund de la Sale of Norwich, and John Watts of Stanford, chaplain, settled the manor and all the Page's estate, on Adam Page of Saham, and Eliz. his wife, and being after purchased by the Coes, it became joined to Howard's Manor.
Botiler's, Howard's, Hervey's, and Page's,
Was part of the capital manor granted by Roger de Tony in the time of Henry III. to John Boteler, who held it of him at the fifth part of a fee; it after was held by Ralf de Beeston: and in 1345, John Nottingham, Robert Curson, and William his son, held it as trustees for Thomas Howard, to whom they soon after released in. In 1315, William le Butler was lord; in 1401, Edward Howard and John Notingham had it, who sold it John Coe, Esq. who died possessed in 1483. In 1507, it was settled on Hugh Coe and Anne his wife; and in 1525 Christopher Coe settled his manor of Howard's, Hervey's, and Page's, on Sir Christopher Jenny, Knt. and Elizabeth his wife, with 20 messuages, six faldages in Saham, Ashill, Threxton, Carbrook, Ovington, &c.
In 1577, Bartholomex Skerne was lord; in 1581, Frances, Mary, and Jane, were his daughters and coheirs, and one Gifford married Frances; it seems they sold it, for in 1590 Robt. Houghton, Esq. conveyed it to Charles Howard, Knight of the Garter, Lord Effingham, and High Admiral of England, and Miles Corbet, Esq. and it was after purchased by Sir Ric. Berney, and joined to the great manor.
As to Harveys when single, I do not meet with any thing of it.
In 1638, Page's Place, or the manor house and 60 acres demeans, belonged to Thomas Goffe, Gent. as son and heir of Edward Goffe.
Part of one of these manors was sold off, and held as a separate manor, by Tho. Ives, in 1585, after it was sold to Bayly, then came to Greenleef, who sold it to Mr. Cotton.
Woodhouse Manor
In Saham was part also of Saham manor given by Roger de Tony, to Ralf de Bosco or Bois, (that is of the wood,) to be held at half a fee; in 1345, Simon de Bois had it; and in 1315, Ralf at Wood was lord, who took his name from the wood he lived by, as the manor did from the house he lived in; part of this manor was soon after joined to the capital manor that it first belonged to, and another part to Woodhouse manor in Ovington, that manor-house being the ancient site of this manor, is called in evidences sometimes Woodhouse in Saham, and sometimes in Ovington. (fn. 20) The Atlas, p. 344, tells, that King Henry VIII. anno reg. 37, gave two closes in this parish, late Sir Richard Southwell's, to his new college, called Christ Church, in Oxford, with many other estates, when he made it the cathedral of his new-erected see.