North Erpingham Hundred: Gimmingham

GIMMINGHAM,

Called Gunningham in Domesday Book; the Earl Warren was then lord of it, Ratho, a freeman, being deprived of it; 2 carucates of land belonged to it, 12 villains, eleven borderers, 2 servi, 2 carucates in demean, and 4 among the tenants, with 12 acres of meadow, 2 mills, 2 runci, that is horses for carriage, &c. and eleven breeding mares in the woods, &c. 30 sheep, 30 goats, and 36 socmen had 48 acres of land, and 3 carucates and an half; there was also a church endowed with 28 acres. Knapton and Sustran were added to it, under which towns see the valor, and a farther account in Knapton. (fn. 1)

In the 14th of Edward I. John Earl Warren and Surry was lord, and claimed free warren, assise of bread and beer, view of frank pledge, a gallows, with wreck of sea, here, and in the towns belonging to the soc of this capital lordship, which extended into the following towns: Mondesley, Knapton, South Repps, North Repps, Sustrand, Trunch, Triminingham, all which used to pay suit and service to the sheriff's turn, for the King's hundred of North Erpingham, which the Earl had withdrawn, to the King's injury; valued at 16s. per ann.

John Earl Warren and Surry, in the 12th of Edward II. granted it to Thomas Earl of Lancaster, and his heirs, with many other lordships, reserving his own right therein for life; and on his death, in the 21st of Edward III. it came to Henry Duke of Lancaster. Of the Earls Warren, see in Castleacre. At this time, there was a capital messuage, a park, eleven score acres of arable land, and was held in free soccage, by the service of a bell. Henry Duke of Lancaster dying without issue male, his estate and great inheritance came to his two daughters and coheirs; Maud, the eldest, married William Duke of Zealand, &c. and had this lordship, in part, (assigned her) of that inheritance; she dying soon after her marriage, the whole came to John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster, in right of the Lady Blanch, the other sister, by marriage; and from the said John, to his son, Henry IV. King of England, and continues at this time in the Crown, having its proper officers, a chancellor, &c. belonging to it, as part of the dutchy of Lancaster.

In the 2d of Henry V. Sir Thomas Erpingham had a grant, January 24, of 20l. per ann. out of this lordship.

This lordship was in the Crown in King Charles the First's time, and was after sold to the city of London, and pays a fee farm rent of 132l. 16d. q. per ann.

To the manor-house belonged formerly a very large hall, supported by several pillars; and the custom and rule was that no tenant, socman, &c. should go beyond that pillar which was appointed for their station and degree.

The temporalities of the priory of Bromholm were 2l. per ann. and the tenths of the town, 4l. 2s. Deducted 12s.

The Church is dedicated to All-Saints, and is a rectory; the patronage of it was granted by William, the first Earl Warren, to the priory of Lewes in Sussex, on his foundation of it; confirmed by his son, &c.; he gave also 40s. of soccage rent, to the said priory, in the soke of Gimingham; and the monks of.Lewes had a pension of 5 marks per ann. out of the rectory, confirmed to them by John de Oxford Bishop of Norwich.

The old valor was 15 marks; and the rector had, in the reign of Edward I. a manse, with 24 acres of land, and paid Peter-pence, 12d. In the year 1281, there was a controversy between the rector of this town, and that of Trimingham, about the tithe of fish in the hithe of Trimingham parish; the tithe of the venison in Gimingham park; the tithes of milk, cheese, butter, lambs, wool, pigs, calves, chickens, &c. the tithe of a place called Aleyns, the 3d sheaf of Rockland, and lands by Crenel fen, which was submitted to the Bishop. The present valor is 11l. 11s. 9d. and pays first fruits, &c.

Rectors.

Joc. de Lund instituted about 1190, presented by the prior, &c. of Lewes.

1300, Thomas de Querle. Ditto.

1300, Bartholomew de Cardewyle. Ditto.

1310, John de Dynycton.

1320, John Waron, by papal provision.

Mr. William de Walyngford, occurs rector, in 1326.

1342, William de Mirfeld, by John Earl Warren.

1353, William de Sutton, by the prior, &c.

Henry de Hopton occurs rector, in 1376.

William Hawe, rector.

1386, William de Fulmere.

Walter Winter, rector.

1401, Robert Fulbeck.

Robert Stratton, rector.

1422, Thomas Glyse.

1443, Stephen Clerk.

1448, Robert Reynold.

1453, William Reynold.

1454, Mr. Robert Cantell.

John Goose, rector.

1496, Mr. Hugh Barker.

1531, Richard Lache. In the 29th of Henry VIII. Robert, prior, and the convent, conveyed this advowson to the King; and in the said year, December 22, he granted it to Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk.

1564, James Lyng, by Peter Rede, Esq.

1571, Miles Cook, by Ann Rede, Gent.

1577, John Matchet, (by John Duke,) A.M.

1592, Samuel Greenway, by John Duke, Gent. of Kelshall, Suffolk; he certified in 1603, 35 communicants to be in this town.

1623, Thomas Thexton, by Robert Thexton, clerk.

1650, Robert Thexton, by the master and fellows of Catherine Hall, Cambridge.

1709, John Jeffrey. Ditto.

The presentation is in that society, as also the pension abovementioned of 5 marks.

1748, Henry Stebbing. Ditto.

On a gravestone in the chancel,

Hic jacet Elizab. Berney, quanda' filia Radulfi Berney, armig. de Gunton.

In the cross isle a gravestone,

In memory of Anthony Drath, Esq. who died May 8, 1612, and Elizabeth his wife, who died December 20, 1589.

A marble gravestone,

In memory of Richard Browning and Margaret his wife, 1635.

Here was a chantry granted with all the lands and tenements belonging to it in this town. Trunch and Paston, to Thomas Wodehouse of Waxham, in the 2d year of King Edward VI.