Freebridge Hundred and Half: Islington

ISLINGTON.

This village is wrote in Domesday Book, Islingetuna, Esingatuna, Isingetuna, and derives its name from its site, near to the river Ouse, (called by the Britons Isse, or Ise,) on meadows.

Bundo, a considerable thane in the reign of the Confessor, held lordships in this town, Middleton, and Reinham, in Norfolk, which the Confessor gave to Hugh de Montfort: this consisted of two carucates of land, 8 borderers, 15 acres of meadow, and 2 carucates in demean, and half a carucate amongst the tenants; eleven socmen also belonged to it, with a carucate and 30 acres of land. Stigand, Archbishop of Canterbury, in his own right, as a lay fee, had the soc of five of them; the whole was valued at 5l. per ann. They also had half a carucate of land, and there were 4 borderers, with a carucate and 40 acres of meadow, which is valued in the above 5l. per ann. (fn. 1)

The family of Lisewis seems to be early enfeoffed of this, and from them it came to the two families of the Scales, and Inglethorps, or Ingaldesthorps, each of them holding a moiety of it, as they did of the manor of Reineham; of this see in Rainham.

Scales Manor.

Of the antiquity of this family, its descent and possessions, &c. see at large in Middleton.

In the 11th year of King Henry III. it was agreed between Thomas de Ingaldesthorp, and Robert de Scales, (fn. 2) that the said Robert should have to him and his heirs, the advowson of the church of Islington; and in the 31st of the said King, a fine was levied between Adam, son of Alan, (probably de Wigenhale,) and Thomas Thussard, querents, Robert de Scales, Fraer (or Frederick) de Cherevill, Roland and John de l'Frith, Ralph Frevill, Richard, son of Godfrey, Henry de Clenchwarton, Thomas de Sculeham, Martin, son of Gosceline, &c. the said Robert, Fraer, &c. injustly diverted a water-course, in Islington, and Tilney, &c. to the hurt of their free tenement, and a water-course was allowed them.

Robert de Scales was found to hold, in the 3d of Edward I. in this town, Tilney, Clenchwarton, Wygenhale, Howe, &c. one knight's fee, and a quarter, and to have assise of bread, &c.

And in the 33d of that King, it appears that he held a capital messuage in Islington, 90 acres of land, 5 of meadow, 40 of pasture, and 66s. rent per ann. of the castle of Dover, and 80 acres of land here, of Thomas Hauvile, by the service of 9s. and 6d. per ann.

And Richard Rigges, and Emma his wife, held in the 12th of Edward II. two carucates of land here, in Tilney, and South Lynn, of the Lord Scales.

On the death of Robert de Scales, in the 18th of Edward II. he was found to hold this lordship of the honour of Bologne, by one fee, and paying 10s per ann. ward, to Dover castle.

John Devereux, constable of Dover castle, and keeper of the Cinque ports, on the 5th of January, in the 12th year of Richard II. received of William Tydeman, receiver of the castle, 25s. of the ward of Robert de Scales, in this town, Middleton, Howe, &c. for 2 knights fees and an half, and for default of payment for 28 days, 70s. at 2s. 6d. per day; and in the 4th of Henry VI. Robert Lord Scales was found to have died seized of it, leaving Robert his son and heir, aged 6 years; and the said Robert dying unmarried, it came to his brother Thomas Lord Scales, and by his only daughter and heir, Elizabeth, to Anthony Woodvile, (by marriage,) Earl Rivers, and Lord Scales; and having no issue, to the Oxford family, (John de Vere, Earl of Oxford,) and to the family of Tyndale, on the accession of King Henry VII. to the crown, as heirs to the late Lady Elizabeth Scales, as may be seen in Middleton; but Richard III. on the attainder of Anthony Lord Scales, &c. aforesaid, had granted it to his great favourite, John, Duke of Norfolk, in his 2d year, (fn. 3) which grant was then set aside, that Duke being attainted.

In the 3d and 4th of Philip and Mary, John Tyndal had license to alienate it to William Tyndal and his heirs; afterwards it came to the Southwells.

Francis Southwell, and Barbara his wife, held in the 9th of Queen Elizabeth, the manor of Islington, 40 messuages, 20 cottages, 200 acres of land, 300 acres of pasture, 100 of meadow, 10 acres of wood, with the appurtenances in this town, Clenchwarton, and Tilney, in capite, and died 10th November, in the 24th of Elizabeth.

Miles Southwell, Esq. held the same in the 30th of the said reign, in which year, about Easter, (as it seems,) it was conveyed by him to Sir John Willoughby, Knt. of Risley in Derbyshire; which Miles was son of Francis Southwell, Esq. aforesaid, aged 18 on his father's death, and had livery of it, in or about the 27th of Elizabeth.

Sir John Willoughby was son of Sir George Willoughby, and Elizabeth his wife, daughter and heir of Richard Neale, of Wigenhale, St. Mary Magdalen, which Sir George, died January 10, 1598, aged 80, and Elizabeth his lady, August 24, 1592, aged 76. Sir John, by Frances his wife, daughter and heir of Henry Hawes of Helgey, in Norfolk, had Sir Henry Willoughby, who alienated it by license, November 19, in the 9th of King James I. to William Guybon, Esq. and was held by Sir Francis Guybon, in 1700, whose son and heir William Guybon, Esq. of Thursford, in Norfolk, conveyed it to Anthony Dixon, Gent. and Joseph Dixon gave it to his nephew, Thomas Dixon, Esq. the present lord.

Ingaldesthorp's Manor.

John de Ingaldesthorp was lord in the 3d year of King Edward I. and in the 11th of that King, died seized of it, and several rents of assise. In the first year of King Edward III. Thomas de Ingaldesthorp held it by the 3d part of a fee, as of the honour of Hawley, and the service of 40d. per ann. to Dover castle.

On the inquisition after his death, in the 2d year of the said King, he is said to have held it in capite of the said honour, and it extended into Tilney, and Clenchwarton. In the 8th of that King, John, his son and heir, paid 33s. 4d. relief, for this manor.

Sir Edmund de Ingaldesthorp was the last heir male of this family, and dying in or about 1456, left one daughter and heir, Isabell, married to John Nevill Marquis Montacute, by whom she had 2 sons, John, who died young, and George Nevill Duke of Bedford, who dying without issue, the estate of the Ingaldesthorps was divided amongst his five sisters and coheirs, as in Tilney.

This was part of Kenwick manor in Wigenhale, St. Mary Magdalen, and extends here, as the manor also of West Walton, does.

Bishop of Ely's Manor.

Saint Audrey (that is the monastery of Ely) had one carucate of land here in King Edward's time, at the survey half a carucate, with 2 villains, 2 borderers, 20 acres of meadow, 2 salt-pits; 18 socmen belonged to this manor, with 17 acres and an half; the whole was valued at 16s. (fn. 4)

In the account of the lands of William Grey Bishop of Ely, in the 34th of Henry VI. it appears that this manor here and in Tilney was worth 157l. 16s. 6d. per ann.

In the reign of Queen Elizabeth, it was by act of parliament conveyed to the Crown, and in the 21st of James I. was part of the possessions of Charles Prince of Wales.

Earl of Clare's Manor.

William de Scohies had a manor granted him by the Conqueror, in this town, which Scula, a freeman, held in King Edward's time, as a manor, and it consisted of 2 carucates of land, 3 villains, 7 borderers; formerly there were 2 carucates in demean, at the survey but one, and 10 acres of meadow, 100 sheep, &c. seven socmen belonged to it, with 12 acres, valued formerly at 40s. at the survey at 60s. per ann.

The said William de Scohies had also here, of the gift of the Conqueror, another lordship, which Turchill, a freeman, held in King Edward's reign, of half a carucate, and 3 borderers held then half a carucate, now 2 bovates, 40 acres of meadow, and the moiety of a salt-pit, valued then at 10s. now at 20s. all Islingetuna is one leuca long, and half a one broad, and pays 12d. of a 20 shillings gelt. (fn. 5)

These lordships extended into Tilney, Walpole, &c. continued most likely in the tenure of Scohies, during his life, and after came to Walter Giffard, the first Earl of Buckingham. Walter, the 2d of that name, Earl of Buckingham, was lord in the reign of King Stephen, and on his founding the abbey of Nutley in Buckinghamshire, gave a portion of tithe, belonging to his lordship here and in Tilney, to that house, as he did likewise at Midleton; and from this Earl, by the marriage of a daughter, (as is said) it came to the Earl of Clare.

This church seems to be held by several parceners. In the 12th of Henry III. Gilbert de Fransham and Maud his wife, conveyed by fine to William de Sculham, and his heirs, one mark rent in Tilney; and Thomas de Scoulham, Bartholomew le Noreys, in a plea brought against them, by Richard, son of Walter de Wygenhale, for digging of turf in the manor or marsh of Tilney, alleged that they had only a right of commonage therein, and that the soil was in Roger Earl of Clare and Gloucester, the Bishop of Ely, and P. de Sabaudia. (fn. 6)

Thomas de Werlington, and Elizabeth his wife, convey to William de Sculham, a mark's rent, with the homages, services of divers persons in this town, Tylney, Wigenhale, &c.

Of this lordship see the Earl of Clare's fee in Clenchwarton and Tilney.

Lord Bardolf's Manor.

At the survey Hermerus de Ferrariis, lord of Wrongey, had a considerable manor, of which Turchetel was deprived, consisting of one carucate and an half of land, 4 villains, and 11 borderers, 2 carucates in demean, half a carucate among the tenants, 10 acres of meadow, a church endowed with 2 acres, the moiety of a salt-work, 4 cows, &c. valued at 60s. and 15 freemen belonged to it in King Edward's time, who had 30 acres; there was also a carucate and 4 acres of meadow, valued then at 15s. at the survey at 10s.

The predecessor of Hermerus had the protection of them, and they might leave it, paying 2s.; but Stigand had the soc, the royalty or court baron.

Hermerus had also invaded or seized on 6 acres of land, valued at 12d. which 2 freemen held of William de Scohies. (fn. 7)

The chief lordship in this town, was that of Hugh de Montfort's, abovementioned, held by the Lord Scales, and the Ingaldesthorps.

This lordship of Hermerus had most probably its site in this town, and therefore is here accounted for, but the principal tenures and lands belonging to it, lay in Tilney, and the church here mentioned, was the church of Tilney, the church of Islington belonging absolutely to Montfort's fee, as appears from the presentations. What is to be observed of this lordship, I shall treat of at large under the lordship of the Lords Bardolph, in Tilney, to which lords the manor of Hermerus descended as will be shown.

William Howard, William Battail, and Robert de Caston, held the 3d part of a fee of the Lord Bardolf, in the reign of Edward I. See in Terington, and also Tilney,

Richmond's Fee.

In Islington, Alan Earl of Richmond had a carucate of land held by Rolf, a freeman, before the conquest: to this there belonged 6 borderers, and 2 freemen had 2 acres and an half, there was always a carucate, 3 salt-works, and the moiety of another, with 16 acres of meadow, valued at 20s. (fn. 8)

The Bishop of Baieaux (Odo) had this on the forfeiture (rebellion) of Ralph Earl of Norfolk, and Alan the Earl had half of it for his part: Ivo Taillebose gave him livery of it.

Jeffrey has in the same town, a freeman, with a carucate of land, and 7 borderers; there was always one carucate, and a freeman, and the right of a moiety of another, with 10 acres of land, 12 of meadow, and a salt-work, the whole valued at 20s.

This lordship also extended into Tilney. John, son of Wygenhale, John Hakebech, and their tenants, held 3 parts of a fee here, in Tilney and Wigenhale, of the honour of Richmond, in Henry the Third's reign; and in that of King Edward III. Thomas Fitz-George, John de Wigenhale, the abbot of Derham, and the prior of Westacre, held the fourth part of a fee, in the aforesaid towns, and South Lynn, of Ralph Nevill. John Duke of Bedford died seized of it in capite, in the 14th of Henry VI. held by George Lord Latymer, as part of Richmond honour.

Abbot of Bury's and Broughton's Manor.

The abbot of Bury, or St. Edmund, had a lordship here, before the reign of the Confessor. In the survey we find this account of it, that there was one carucate and 25 villains, one carucate in demean, and one among the tenants, 20 acres of meadow, 4 cows, 80 sheep, and 6 socmen in Lynn, belonged to it, who had 26 acres of land, with one carucate and a salt-work, valued at 40s. (fn. 9)

This was a beruite belonging to the abbot's manor of Rungton, in Clacklose hundred.

Sampson, abbot of Bury, on the foundation of the hospital of St. Saviour's without the town of Bury, in the reign of Hen. II. gave to that hospital, two parts of the tithes of his lordship here and in Tilney, and in the 9th of Edward I. John, abbot of Bury, demised to William de Saham, clerk, for life, one messuage, with the demean lands, meadow, and pasture, a windmill, suit of the abbot's tenants to it; saving to the abbot, the homages, rents, services, of his freemen and villains, paying 20l. sterling; witnesses, Sir Ralph de Alneto, Sir William de Walpole, Sir Robert de Northwold, Sir William de Tirington, Sir Philip de Fenne, Sir Ralph de Wirham, Sir Adam de Talbot, Knights, Robert Russell, William de Bradenham, James de Fenne Alexander de Walpole, &c. And in the Register of the Sacrist, it is observed, that the monks had no deeds, or memorandum, of the time or person who gave this lordship. (fn. 10) In the 30th of the said King there was an extent of it, whereby it appears, that there was a capital messuage belonging to it, and 127 acres of arable land, in demean, valued at 11l. 6s. 4d. per ann. the price of every acre, 20d. 50 acres of meadow in demean, valued at 6l. 5s. at 2s. 6d. per acre; a windmill of 40s. per ann.; 53 tenants who paid 61s. 10d. per ann. with several other free tenants, with rents and services, &c.; and in 1428, the temporalities of this abbey were valued at 23l. 13s. ob. per ann.

In the 17th of Edward IV. John Broughton, Esq. and Anne his wife, conveyed in trust, to Thomas Bishop of Lincoln, John Bishop of Rochester, and Horwode, clerk, of the privy seal, this lordship here and in Tilney, with the ferry between Old and New Lenn; and the said Anne died seized of it, ao. 20, then a widow; and in the 5th of Henry VII. John Broughton died seized, held of the abbot of Bury.

On the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, ao. 21 Henry VIII. John, son of John Broughton, Esq. dying a minor, Catherine and Anne his his sisters had livery of it, with Saxlingham manor in Norfolk.

Anne, their mother, remarried Sir John Russell; and Thomas Strange, Esq. by the marriage of Anne, one of the sisters, had a moiety of it.

In the 30th of Henry VIII. Sir Walter Hobart demised it to Humphrey Carvile, Gent. for 10 years, paying 16l. per ann. and John Hobart had an interest in it, ao. 32 Elizabeth. After this it was in the Thurstons, and John Thurston, Esq. of Hoxne in Suffolk, conveyed it to Sir Richard Brown, Bart. who died seized of it (and in that family it remains) 1760.

The Church is dedicated to St. Mary, has a nave, a cross isle and a chancel covered with reed; the tower is four-square, and stands at the south part of the church, and through it is a passage into the church, and there are two bells.

It was anciently a rectory valued at 18 marks: it was appropriated to the priory of Blackburgh, (on a grant of the lord Scales,) in the 22d or 24th of Edward III. and a vicarage was then settled, valued at 5 marks, Peter-pence was 13d. the present valor is 6l. 13s. 4d. and is discharged of first fruits and tenths.

In a window was the portraiture of Roger Lord Scales, on his knees, in complete armour, with a scroll in his right hand, thereon—Jesu Fili dei miserer ===. with his arms—gules, six escallops, argent, impaling, ermin, a cross ingrailed, gules, the arms of his Lady, Joan, daughter of Sir Robert Norwood, with Scales's crest, a plume of ostrich's feathers argent, issuing out of a coronet, or.—Also the arms of Ufford Earl of Suffolk, sable, a cross ingrailed, or.

Robert Lord Scales, who gave this church to the priory of Blackburgh, married Catherine, daughter of Robert Ufford Earl of Suffolk; here were also the arms of Inglethorp, and of Fellbrigg, and these verses,

Anno Milleno Domini C. Ter, Nonagens Unus addatur Numerus bonus, ut videatur.

Here are grave-stones

In memory of Fran. Hoope, yeoman, who died June 30, 1591.

Richard Saye, who died March 15, 1625

Nicholas Edwards, Gent: and Ann his wife, he died Dec. 3, 1701, she Oct. 29, 1688, with the arms of Edwards, ermin, a lion rampant azure, on a canton, or, an eagle displayed, sable.

Vicars, &c.

1309, Hugh de Gransete, instituted rector, presented by Sir Robert de Schules.

1312, Richard Leye. Ditto.

1314, Hugh de Gransete. Ditto.

1320, Robert de Tilney. Ditto.

1322, William de Hauberford. Ditto.

1323, John de Betham. Ditto.

1362, John Marlere, vicar, presented by the prioress of Blackburgh.

1383, William Battaile. Ditto.

1387, John Cook. Ditto.

1393, John de Ilsington. Ditto.

Henry Bishop of Norwich, April 3, 1387, settled the vicarage at 10l. per ann. and reserved an annual pension of 16s. per ann. to the see, which Bishop Thirbby released to the King, in 1550, and 2s. per ann. to the high-altar of Norwich.

1429, Richard Salisbury. Ditto.

1431, Henry Cay. Ditto.

1442, Thomas Geyton.

1451, Roger Ashby. Ditto

1461, John Doughty. Ditto.

1481, Robert Todde. Ditto.

1500, Thomas Ketyll. Ditto.

1504, John Parsey. Ditto.

1511, Thomas Tutyng. Ditto.

1517, Robert Bretton. Ditto.

1519, Thomas Sympson, by the King; the prioress had presented William Compton, who was set aside, as not qualified.

1538, John Skott, by the King,

1572, Marmaduke Neve, by the Queen, who on July 2, in her 2d year, granted the impropriate rectory to John Harrington and George Burdon.

John Crosse, vicar.

1585, Lancelot Stephenson, by the Queen.

1623, William Selby, by the King.

1662, George Vernon. Ditto.

Richard Bowker, vicar.

1667, Thomas Wild. Ditto.

1692, Edmund Wase. Ditto.

1700, Thomas Meyers. Ditto.

1715, Henry Herdman, by the King.

1724, Jerem. Brown. Ditto.

1727, Joseph Barker, by the King.

1755, John Daville, by the King.

The temporalities of West Derham abbey in 1428, were 3s. 10d.— Westacre priory 1l. 14s. 9d. William de Wygenhale aliened to it a messuage and lands in Tilney, Ao. 7 Edward II.—Walsingham priory, 2s. —Wirmegey priory 7d.—Norwich priory, 8s. 4d.

The tenths were 7l. 10s. per ann.

In the 8th of Edward II. a fine was levied, whereby Thomas de Hindringham and John Grace conveyed to Robert de Watervill and Alice his wife, 6 messuages and several parcels of lands in Ilsington, South Lenn, Saddlebow, Seche, &c. settled on Robert and Alice; and before this, Sir Thomas Baud, or Burgh, gave to Walter de Maydston, clerk, all his lands, &c. which he had here in Clenchwarton, and Wigenhale, and paid scutage for the 8th part of a fee in the 17th of Edward I. and Bartholomew, son of Wydo de Tylney, held this 8th part of Sir Thomas

Queen Elizabeth, on June 7, in her 12th year, demised the manor of New-hall, valued at 10l. 14s. 1d. per ann. (part of the lands assigned to Queen Mary, before she came to the crown) to Thomas Lovell, Gent. with the site of the manor of New-hall in Islington, &c. demised to Reginald Brereton, under the great seal, on January 23, Ao. 3d and 4th of Philip and Mary.