Eynford Hundred: Weston

WESTON.

The principal part of this town was a beruite to William de Scohies's lordship of Wichingham, granted to him on the deprivation of Hardewin, a freeman, who was lord of it in King Edward's time; when there was one carucate of land, held by one villain, and 12 borderers, and one servus, one carucate in demean, and one among the tenants, and 2 acres of meadow; 10 socmen had 80 acres of land, and there were 8 carucates and 2 acres of meadow; a church endowed with 12 acres, valued at 4d. the whole was then valued at 7l. and after at 8l. 10s. per ann. two freemen had the 5th part of half a carucate, and 2 borderers a carucate and half, valued at 30s. The soc of these two, was in Folsham manor, but William Earl Warren now had it: it was one leuca long, and one broad, and paid 20d. gelt whoever held it. (fn. 1)

Longuevile's Manor.

William de Scohies, who was a Norman, and not a Scot, sold all his lordships in England, in the reign of Henry I. to Walter Giffard, the 2d Earl of Buckingham, who granted this, with the tithe of his demean, and the church, to the priory of Longavile in Normandy, of their foundation, and where Walter his father was buried; from the Giffards it came by marriage to the Earls of Clare.

King Edward III. in his wars with France, seized on this manor, as a priory alien, and it remained in the Crown, till King Henry VI. on September 12, in his fifth year, gave it to Winchester (or New) college in Oxford; and Walter Hill, custos of that college, in the 6th of Edward IV. when the manor of Tye Hall and Aldenham's paid quitrents to this manor, that had the lete of the town.

Tye-Hall,

So called from the family of De Tye, or Atte Eye, that is, at the water, or island; Sir Peter de Tye was lord of it in the 11th of Edward III. when a fine was levied of lands in Weston, conveyed to him by Nicholas Malysel, and Sibilla his wife, probably son of Peter Atte Eye, who was summoned in the 17th of Edward II. to a great council of the prelates, earls, barons, &c. In the 21st of Edward III. a fine was levied between Sir Peter, and Dionysia his wife, querents, John de Broke, &c. trustees, deforcients, of 16 messuages, a mill, 430 acres of land, 33 of meadow, 40 of wood, &c. with 70s. rent, the rent of 2 hens, and the eighth part of 550 acres of heath, in this town, Hindringham, Sparham, Lyng, &c. with the services of many persons; he farmed of King Edward III. the priory-manor of Longueville; Dionysia his widow, by her will, proved August 1, 1375, desires to be buried before the church door of the Holy Trinity of Barsham; bequeaths to Edward Charles her son, 100s. per ann. out of her manor of Kessingland in Suffolk, and to Sir Robert Tye, her son, the manor of Hoo in Manewedon, in the said county, in order to purchase the patronage of some church of the value of 20l. per ann. to appropriate it to the cathedral church of Norwich, to find two secular priests to celebrate for the souls of John de Hoo, and Dionysia his wife, William their son, and all the faithful. (fn. 2)

Sir Robert, son of Sir Peter de Tye, on his passage beyond sea, made his will at Barsham, in the 6th of Richard II. and desires his feoffees to enfeof his wife Elizabeth, of the manor of Barsham and advowson of Kessingland, with his lands in Mutford, and Wangford hundreds, for life, except the meadows called the park in Barsham, which he gives to Robert Charles, as it was ordained by feoffees; his manors of Cretingham, Lenwade, and Titleshale, his feoffees to take possession of, till Dionysia his daughter arrive to 14 years old, then to marry her, and give her 200 marks portion; the manors then to go to his son, or sons to be born, his wife being then with child; but if she shall have daughters, and no son, then the eldest daughter to have the manors of Barsham, and Kessingland, with Lenwade and Titleshale, and lands in Norfolk. Laurence de Tye, his brother, and Sir John de Hoo, his brother, Sir Emery de Willington his uncle, mentioned. The will of Elizabeth, relict of Sir Robert, proved 1385, September 25, wherein she bequeaths her body to be buried in Barsham, church, by her husband.

Sir John de Hoo abovementioned was prior of Yarmouth. Sir Robert bore argent, a bend between 6 cross crosslets, sable.

Sir Robert de Tye, son of Sir Robert, was lord in the 2d of Henry V. and soon after sold it to Augustine Stratton, Esq. Sir Robert dying on the 8th of Oct. 1415, was buried in the church of Soterley in Suffolk, as appears by his monument there, (fn. 3) in the reign of Queen Elizabeth; and in the following year, Sir John Heveningham, John Knevet, Edmund Oldhall, Esq. &c. confirmed to Augustine Stratton, Esq. and John Stratton, citizen and mercer of London, their manor of Weston, which they purchased of Sir Robert Tye, on this condition, that if the said Augustine, &c. pay to John Wilby, master of the chantry of Metingham, and John Norwich, 100 marks, to take effect, otherwise not; by deed dated at Weston, April 5, in the 4th of Henry V.

John Stratton was lord of Tyes-hall, Lyons, and Aldenhams, in Weston, in the 8th of Henry VI. when they were settled on him and Elizabeth his wife, and their heirs, and sealed with argent, on a cross sable, 5 bezants; by Elizabeth his wife, (daughter, as I take it of Sir Hugh or Andrew Lutterell,) he had an only daughter who married John Andrews of Baylsham in Suffolk, son of James Andrews, Esq. by Alice his wife, daughter and heir of John Weyland, son of William Weyland.

In the 8th of Edward IV. November 8, John Heydon, feoffee of John Stratton, of Weston, Esq. grants to John Andrews, and Elizabeth his wife, the manor of Weston, and all the lands in Helmingham, Morton, Ringland and Hokering, which he had of the feofment of John Stratton, Esq. and Elizabeth, by deed dated August 4, in the 17th of Henry VI. John Andrews, by Elizabeth his wife, left 2 daughters and coheirs, Elizabeth, who married Thomas Wyndsore, Esq. of Stanwell in Middlesex, and Anne, the wife of Sir John Sulyard of Wetherden, in Suffolk, lord chief justice of England: between these two daughters, the estate of Andrews was divided.

In the 5th of Henry VII. September 12, Dame Anne Sulyard, late wife of Sir John Sulyard, Robert Lytton, Esq. of Knebworth in Hertfordshire, under treasurer of England, and Elizabeth his wife, late wife of Thomas Wyndesore, Esq. leased to John Mills, yeoman, their warren, games of conies, hares, feasants, &c. in Weston, Tyes, Aldenham, Lion's manors, &c. and in the 9th of Henry VII. August 8, the said Dame Anne, by the name then of Dame Anne Bouchier, (fn. 4) grants to And. Sulyard, her son and heir, (by Sir John Sulyard, she being his 2d. wife,) and to Margaret London of Norwich, widow, whom the said Andrew is to marry, (fn. 5) all her moiety in Weston, and all her lands in Norfolk, with all her cattle, and sheep in number 440, valued at 36l. to him and the heirs of his body, on his paying to her an 100 marks; and in the 15th of the said King, November 5, Sir Robert Lytton and Dame Elizabeth his wife, let to farm to And. Sulyard and Margaret his wife, their part and interest in the other moiety, and all their lands in Morton, Lyng, &c. in Norfolk.

Margaret London aforesaid, was widow of William London, Esq. and daughter and coheir of Robert Lyston of Badingham in Suffolk.

On March 10, in the 24th of Henry VIII. And. Sulyard, Esq. sold his moiety of Weston Tyes, Lions, and Lanwade, held of the manor of Longvile, to Firmin Rookwood, Esq. Andrew died s. p. in the 30th of Henry VIII. and was buried at Wetherden in Suffolk, where his father and mother, and first wife lay; he was esquire of the body to the Lady Mary, daughter of King Henry VIII.

Sir And. Wynsore, Knt. Lord Wyndesore, by his deed dated November 30, in the 27th of Henry VIII. confirmed to Edward his son, the moiety of the wards and his manors, in Weston, and sealed with a buck's head, cabos'd. After this, Windsore's moiety came also to the said Firmin.

Firmine Rookwood is said to have built the hall of Weston, and was 3d son of Edmund Rookwood, (son of Roger Rookwood,) of Euston in Suffolk, by Alice his wife, daughter of William London, wife afterwards of Sir Thomas Bedingfield of Oxburgh, and of the Lord Burgh; her sister and coheir, Margaret, married Sir Edward Clere.

On an inquisition taken at Norwich April 10, in the 1st of Elizabeth, he was found to die November 19, last past, seized of the manors of Ties-hall, Lions, Lenwade, and Aldenham's, and to have left by Thomasine, (fn. 6) his 2d wife, William, son and heir, aged 27. He had to his 1st wife, Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Sir John Timperley and Jane his wife, natural daughter of the first Duke of Norfolk, and some pedigrees make William Rookwood, son and heir of Firmin, to be by this wife. This family of Rookwood descended from John Rokewode, who was eschaetor of Norfolk and Suffolk, in the 49th of Edward III. and was living at Euston in Suffolk, in the 10th of Richard II.

William Rookwood was collector to Henry Bishop of Norwich, in 1381, and eschaetor in the 1st of Henry V.

Roger Rookwood, of Euston, died in or about 1479, Alice his wife in 1482; Nicholas Rookwood was chief prothonotary of the Common Pleas in the 32d of Henry VIII.

William Rookwood, Esq. lord of Weston, married Frances, daughter of Robert Holditch of Ranworth, Esq. by whom he bad William, his son and heir, and by Margaret his wife, daughter of Henry Doyley of Shotesham, was father of Henry Rookwood, Esq. of Weston. By the marriage articles, between Firmin Rookwood and Robert Holditch, it was agreed that the marriage of William, son of Firmin, and Frances, daughter of Robert, should be at Ranworth, and the charges born by Robert, except one hogshead of wine to be bought by Firmin, who was to pay for William's apparel, by the advice of the right honourable the Lady Burgh; and Robert Holditch was to lay out 20 marks in apparel for his daughter Frances, by the said lady's advice; Robert was to give them their board for one year, and Firmin the next year's board, the portion to be 180l.—Dated March 10, A^o. 3d and 4th of Philip and Mary.

William Rookwood, senior, Esq. was lord in the 20th of Elizabeth, and in the 22d of that Queen, he and Alice (then his wife) entered into covenants on the marriage of his son William, with Margaret, daughter of Henry Doyly: who was to pay 600 marks as a portion for his daughter: this William was living in the 4th of James the first, and was father of Henry Rookwood, Esq. of Weston, who married in the said year, Susan, daughter of Anthony Drury, Esq. of Besthorp in Norfolk. He was living in 1647, and had by Margaret his wife, daughter of Charles Suckling of Wotton in Norfolk, Henry, his son and heir, who died unmarried, October 11, 1718, and was buried in Weston church, to that Thomas his brother was his heir, and by Mary, daughter of George Thurlow of Hetherset, was father of William Rookwood, Esq. lord in 1720; after this it was conveyed to John Custance, Esq. alderman of Norwich, in 1726.

Aldenham's Manor and Lenwade's

In the 40th of Ed. III. Isabel, daughter of William Ode of Wetson, late citizen of Norwich, confirmed to John de Derby, rector of Weston, &c. a messuage there formerly John Aldenham's, with lands, &c.

This afterwards came to John de Stratton, and continued in the lords of Tye-hall, till William Rookwood, senior, and William, his son, sold it in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, to Robert Rose or Ross, but in the 3d of James I. Robert Rose, in consideration of 466l. 13s. 4d. sold to Thomas Southwell, sen. his heath and sheep-walk, called Aldenham's.

Lonwade seems to have been an hamlet to Weston, and to have given name to the bridge there, over the river.

Adam, son of Herman de Lonwade, confirmed by deed sans date, to John, his nephew, lands in Lenwade.

In the 30th of Edward I. a fine was levied between John de Lenwade, and Margaret, querents, W. de Repps, &c. of messuages, and lands here, in Sparham, Wichingham, &c. this in old writings is called a manor, and was held of the lordship of Longvile, and came also to the lords of Tye-hall, and so to Rookwood.

Edmund de Lonwade, in the 3d of Edward III. settled by fine on himself for life, a messuage, 70 acres of land, 6 of meadow, 2 of marsh, and 32s. rent in Weston, and Wichingham, remainder to Peter Atte Tye and his heirs, from whom it came, as in Tye-hall, to Stretton, and Rookwood.

Lyons Manor.

Ralph de Lions, and William de Lions were lords, and mentioned in the grant of Walter Giffard, the 2d Earl of Buckingham.

Adam de Lyons of Weston was living in the 24th of Henry III. and acknowledged to do service for half a fee to William de Englefield, for his lands in Weston, and Helmingham: Jeffrey de Lyons, and Thomas, son of Henry de Lyons, in the 32d of Edward I.

Hugh de Stanford settled by fine on Adam de Lyons, in the 8th of Edward II. 7 messuages, a mill, 120 acres of land, 30 of meadow, and 40s. rent in Weston, Helmingham, and Ringland, for his life, remainder to Ernald de Lyons his son, and Alice his wife in tail.

Adam, son of Ernald, released in the 21st of Edward III. to Sir Peter de Tye, and Dionysia his wife, lands here, and sealed with a lion rampant.

By a deed dated at Rollesby, in the 15th of Richard II. on Thursday next after the feast of the annunciation of the blessed Virgin, Nicholas, son of Arnald Lyons of Weston, parson of Rollesby, reciting, that whereas Will. Lyons of Flytcham, had infeoffed John Stanford &c. in his manor of Weston Lyons in Weston, Helmingham, Moreton, which where the said Arnald Lyons, Nicholas released his right in the same.

In the 3d of Henry IV. Walter de Middleton held here the 4th part of a fee, of the heirs of Arnald de Lyons, and he of the Earl of March; and in the 10th of that King William de Snetesham conveyed it to Sir John de Ingaldesthorp. After this it came to Stratton and Rookwood.

Alan Earl of Richmond had 20 socmen, who held one carucate of land, and 16 borderers, in the reign of the Confessor; there were among all these 8 carucates and 4 acres of meadow, and these socmen were valued in Alan's manor of Costesey or Cossey. The soc was in the King's manor of Folsham, and on Ralph Earl of Norfolk's, rebellion, the Conquer or gave it to Alan. (fn. 7)

In the reign of Henry III Adam de Lions and his tenants held lands by knight's service here, and John de Veutry, the moiety of a quarter of a fee of the manor of Linge, and did ward for the same to the castle of Richmond.

Robert Vincent of Marling ford, confirmed in the 42d of Edward III. to John, son of Thomas de Weston, and Thomas, son of John, a messuage, and 12 pieces of arable land. In the 19th of Richard II. Martin de Taverham confirmed to Margaret Stratton, late wife of Thomas de Weston, all the lands, tenements, rents, services, &c. in Weslon, and Helmingham for the life of the said Margaret, remainder to the right heirs of Thomas de Weston.

In the eschaet rolls of the 12th year of Edward IV. it appears that Margaret, sister and heir of Sir Thomas Tudenham, relict of Edmund Bedingfield, Esq. of Oxburgh, died seized of a manor called Asgat's in Weston, and had also an interest in the lordships of Ties-hall and Aldenham's, all which seem to have come to the Rookwoods: see in Helmingham.

Odo Bishop of Baieaux had a small fee here as a beruite to Snetesham, 50 acres of land, and 20 acres held in King Edward's time by 6 borderers, and valued in Snetesham. (fn. 8)

This with another small tenure held by Hacon, at the survey, who had one socman, with 16 acres of land, and half a carucate, valued at the survey at 11s. (fn. 9) and came afterwards to the Rookwoods, &c.

The tenths were 4l. 14s. 2d.—Deducted 16s.

Weyland bore, argent, on a cross, gules, five escallops, or.—Andrews, argent, on a bend between two bendlets sable, three mullets, or.— Sulyard, argent, a chevron, gules, between three phæons, sable.—Luttereti, or, a bend, between six martlets, sable.—Windsor, gules, a saltire between twelve cross crossiets, or.—Rookwood, argent, three chessrooks, and a chief, sable.—Holditch, azure, on a chevron or, three magpies proper.

The Church is a rectory, dedicated to All-Saints, the ancient valor was 40 marks, the present valor is 8l. 18s. 0d. it paid Peter-pence 18d. and the prior of Longuevile had the patronage, and a portion of 6 marks per ann. now paid by the rector to New College in Oxford, and was for the tithe of Giffard's demean lands, granted by him.

In the 1st of Edward I. Reginald de Sprouston, and Theophania his wife, released their right in the patronage to the prior of Longuevile.

The church has a nave and 2 isles, with a chancel, and a tower with 5 bells.

In the middle isle a gravestone,

In memory of Wm. Lamb, Gent: who died Sept. 27, 1666.

On one, with an effigies in brass,

Of your charity pray for the sowle of Elizabeth, late wife of Firmin Rookwood, Esq; daughter and heir af Sir John Timperley, Kt. who died May 13, 1533.

Another,

In memory of Margaret wife of Hen. Rookwood, who died Janu. 19, 1691, aged 79 years—Here lyeth the body of Hen. Rookwood, the elder, Esq; who died April 16, 1659,—Infra deponitur corpus Jerningamiæ, uxoris charissimæ Gulielmi Rookwood, Generosi, incorporea anima tollitur in excelsis, ob. 22°. Decemb. 1668, Ætat. 44.—Hen. son of Wm. Rookwood dyed Nov. 12, 1656.

In the chancel window, Tye, impaling sable, a bend engrailed, argent, cottised, or.

The temporalities of West Derham abbey, were 36s. 8d.—of Norwich priory 11s. 2d.—of Ely priory 5s.—of Hickling 12d.—of St. Faith's 6s.

Lands lately belonging to West Derham abbey, granted April 4 in the 24th of Elizabeth, to Theoph. Adams and James Woodshawe, valued at 55s. per ann.

In King Henry the Third's reign the King was patron and Mr. Simon Thanet was rector.

Rectors.

Ralph de Walpole, occurs rector about 1290.

1329, Roger de Gildesburgh, presented by the proctor of the prior, &c. of Longville.

1333, Thomas de Brinton. Ditto.

William Plugge.

1359, John de Derby, by the King; the temporalities of Longeville, in the King's hands; he exchanged it for the archdeaconry of Barnstable.

1369, Peter Horseman, by Sir Nicholas Tamworth.

1374, John de Kendal, by the King.

1397, John de Middleton. Ditto.

1440, Simon Thornham, LL. B. by Sir Ralph de Rochford.

1458, Robert Popy, in decret. bacc. by the master, &c. of St. Mary of Winchester's college in Oxford.

1471, John Fermour, A. M. Ditto.

1477, William Holden. Ditto.

Richard Skypton.

1485, John Wodeward. Ditto.

1511, William Bower. Ditto.

1543, Roger Hardy, A. M. Ditto.

1556, William Smithe. Ditto.

1559, Henry Cornwallys. Ditto.

1577, Christopher England, by the master, &c.

1631, John Moorse. Ditto.

1654, John Sheffield. Ditto.

1715, Philip Smith. Ditto.

1733, Gloster Ridley. Ditto.

Here were the guilds of All-Saints, St. Mary, and St. John Baptist; the image of St. Thomas the Martyr, and St. Mary's light.