Happing Hundred: Ritson East

RITSON EAST.

Ralph Baynard was lord of this town at the survey, and had enfeoffed Jeffrey Baynard of this manor, of which Ansger, a freeman, who held it under Anger Stalra, was deprived; it consisted of 2 carucates of land, 16 villains, 5 servi, 2 carucates in demean, 2 of the tenants, &c. 5 acres of meadow, 5 runci, 10 cows, &c. 12 sheep, 40 goats: and 41 freemen had a carucate of land, and 8 carucates of meadow, valued at 4l. there was one freeman with 30 acres of land, and 2 borderers, and a carucate valued at 6s. and I freeman who held under Stigand, 2 carucates of land, 15 villains, &c. and one carucate and a half in demean; one carucate of the tenants, and 5 acres of meadow, valued at 40s. and 3 freemen 12 acres; and half a carucate valued at 4s. A freeman of Bishop Almar had also 2 carucates, and 15 villains, &c. with a carucate of the tenants, and 5 acres of meadow, &c. valued at 20s. and 3 socmen, 5 acres; and there was a mill, valued at 2s. the whole valued at 10l. 12s. at the survey at 20l. it was one leuca and a half long, one leuca and four furlongs broad, and the gelt was 19d. ½. (fn. 1)

This appears to have been a very great manor, made up of several fees, and different tenures, before the grant of it to the Lord Baynard, and afterwards was divided, and made several distinct lordships. Geffrey, who held it under the Lord Ralph Baynard, was (as I conceive) a brother, or near relation, of the said Lord.

William Lord Baynard, a descendant of Ralph, who held it in cavite, rebelling against King Henry I. forfeited this lordship, and his barony, and that King granted it to Robert, a younger son of Richard Fitz Gilbert, ancestor of the Earls of Clare, and from this Robert, the noble family of the Lords Fitz Walter take their rise. The head of this barony was Baynard castle, in London, which gives name to a ward in the said city.

From Geffrey, who was enfeoffed of it by the Lord Ralph, descended Sir Robert Baynard, who held it of the Lord Fitz Walter, of his barony of Baynard castle, as Sir Fulk Baynard, his son, did about the 20th of Henry III.

In the 52d of Henry III. Bartholomew Baynard, son of Sir Robert Baynard, (third son of Sir Fulk Baynard) dying s.p. Petronilla, his widow, remarried Hervey de Vaux; and Isabel, Maud, and Emme were his sisters, and coheirs, who granted to Petronilla the lordship that he held here for life, with a messuage, 72 acres of land, 2 of pasture, &c. in this town, and Happesburgh, by fine, remainder to Richard Esturmy, who with Joan his wife held it in the 54th of that King; but in the 1st of Edward I. William Esturmy, brother of Richard, conveyed his right herein to Robert Burnell Bishop of Bath and Wells, with the lordships of Helagh, upon Swale, Kirkeby, Herblawere, and Osmunderly, in Yorkshire; Morely, in Devonshire. In the 9th of that King the Bishop had a grant of free warren here, and in the 12th Peter de Huntingfeld, and Immania, who had a lordship in this town, convey that to him, with that of Wyckham in Kent, and Joan de Muncey, relict of Sir Richard Esturmy, released to him, in the 13th of that King, her interest herein, with messuages, lands, a mill, &c. and from this lord, it was after called the manor of Burnell, and he left it to his nephew.

Ingelram Berenger, in the 5th of Edward II. conveyed to Edward Lord Burnel, and Aliva his wife, (as a trustee,) this manor, with that of Thurning, and 100s. rent in Gunton in Norfolk; Eydon, Crofton, and Acton Reynold in Shropshire; and Compton Danno in Somersetshire; this Edward dying, left Aliva his wife, by whom he had no issue, and Maud his sister, and heir, and was found to hold this lordship by the service of 40d. at the end of every 24 weeks, to Baynard castle, then valued at 15l. per ann.

Maud, his sister and heir, married Sir John de Handlo, Lord Burnell, in her right; in this family it remained till in the 4th of Henry V. Edward Lord Burnell was found to die possessed of it, leaving by Jocosa his wife three daughters, and coheirs, Joyce, Catharine, and Mary: and on a division of the estate, this came to Cath. who married Sir Jn. Ratcliff, and they were possessed of it in the 18th of Henry VI. and the said Lady Catherine held it in dower, in the 31st of that King, and John Ratcliff, her son and heir, inherited it, ancestor to the Earls of Sussex.

In 1721, on June 27, an act passed for vesting the manor of Burnel, in Ruston, part of the estate of Jonas Rolf, Gent. and Lucy his wife, in trustees, to be sold for discharging of incumbrances thereof; and it was soon after possessed by the Earl of Orford, in which family it continues.

Kerdeston's Manor.

The family of Kerdeston was enfeoffed of a lordship here. William de Kerdeston, in the 6th of Henry III. was petent, and Robert Baynard, tenent, of common of pasture in 80 acres of land, in a fine, before Fulk Baynard, &c. the King's justices, and the said William held half a fee of the Lord Fitz Walter, and one of the said name was returned to be lord in the 9th of Edward II. Maud de Kerdeston, widow of Sir Roger, held it in the 20th of Edward III.

Sir William Kerdeston (son of Sir Roger) and Cecilia his wife, in the reign of Richard II. and Sir Thomas Kerdeston, and Elizabeth his wife, in the 3d of Henry VI. being then called Netherhall, alias Kerdeston's, (fn. 2) and in the 24th of that King, it was settled on Sir Thomas Kerdeston and Philippa his wife in tail; remainder to William de la Pole Marquis of Suffolk, and Alice his wife.

In the 16th of Edward IV. John de la Pole Duke of Suffolk was lord, and Edmund de la Pole Earl of Suffolk, who was beheaded in the 5th year of Henry VIII.; after this it was granted by the said King, as a forfeited estate, to Charles Brandon Duke of Suff. and being after his death again in the Crown, was granted April 11, in the 4th of Edward VI. to Thomas Thirlby Bishop of Norwich, and his successours, and so continues in the see of Norwich.

Vaux Manor.

In the 20th of Henry III. William de Vaux, and Peter de Hunting feld were found to hold one fee of Sir Fulk de Baynard, and Fulk of Robert Lord Eitz Walter; and in the 56th of that King Hervey de Vaux, and Isabel, or Petronilla, his wife, were querents, in a fine, Rich. Esturmy and Joan his wife, deforciants, of a messuage, 60 acres of land, 2 of pasture, &c. in this town, Happesburgh, &c. which Hervey and Isabel held before for the life of Hervey, by grant from Isabel, Baynard, Maud, and Emme her sisters, in demean, with homages, rents, services, &c. hereby granted to Hervey and Isabel, and the heirs of Hervey; to be held of the heirs of Richard and Joan, by half a fee, and the moiety of the fourth part of a fee, and paying castleward to Baynard castle, 12d. yearly for all services; Hervey paying to Richard 300 marks of silver.

In the 9th of Edward II. Burga, widow of William de Vaux, held it, and in the 5th of Edward III. the said lady; a fine was levied in the 50th of the said King, between John de Eccles, querent, and Sir John de Weyland and Burga, his wife, who was daughter and heir of William de Vaux, deforciant, of this manor, who granted to John, two parts of it during the life of Robert de Martham and Sibilla his wife, and by another fine, in the said year, Sir John and his lady were querents, and Robert and Sibilla, deforciants, of the two parts, now settled on Burgh and her heirs: Elizabeth, daughter, and heir of Sir John, and the lady Burga, married John Harewell, Esq. of Warwick shire, and had Joan, a daughter and heir, who married John Stretche, Esq. and enjoyed it in the reign of Henry V.

This lordship has been united to that of Burnel's, and is now in the Earl of Orford.

The Earl Warren had at the survey 10 acres and half a carucate, which four socmen held of Stigand Archbishop of Canterbury, in King Edward's reign as a lay fee: (fn. 3) this stands under the hundred of Tunstede, and not in Happing, (as Ralph Baynard's is,) and was valued with the Earl's manor of Coltesham in South Erpingham hundred.

In this family it continued till the last Earl Warren, who died s. p.

It was afterwards granted to the Earl of Lancaster, and so to King Henry IV. and the Crown.

The abbot of St. Bennet had a carucate and 60 acres valued in Scothow; (fn. 4) it appears that Stephen de Redham held lands here, and in Scothow, in the 33d of King John, paying 50s. per ann. and 50 combs of barley: this tenure is also placed in the hundred of Tunsted.

Roger of Poictiers had also 6 acres of land and one of meadow, of which a freeman was deprived: this was valued, and went with his lordship of Tunstede. (fn. 5)

The Church is dedicated to St. Mary, and was a rectory; Jeffrey and Ralph Baynard, about the reign of William I. gave the advowson to the priory of Lewes: Sir Fulk Baynard, son of Sir Robert, confirmed it; and the prior, in the 25th of Edward III. granted it to King Edward III. who settled it on the dean and canons of Windsor, on his foundation thereof. The Register of Castleacre says, that the advowson of this church, with those of Fishlake, and Sandale Magna, in Yorkshire; Whaddon, and Caxton, in Cambridgeshire, were granted by the prior, (fn. 6) to that King, that the priory of Lewes might be made an Indigena, as by letters patents, May 20, A^o. 47 of Edward III.

William, the second Earl Warren, is said to have granted his interest in the patronage of this church to Lewes priory; Roger de Kerdeston, and William, his son, the tithes of their lands; by an inquisition sans date, it was found that Fabian, late parson of Ryston, presented Roland, his son, to the vicarage of this church, by a grant from the prior, though Robert Baynard opposed it.

Rectors.

In 1270, William de Lewknore was rector.

1277, Ralph de Fremingham, instituted rector, presented by the prior of Lewes: at this time the rectory was valued at 55 marks, a manse and 60 acres belonged to it, and there was a vicarage valued at 12 marks. And before this, Peter de Hay, paying 3 marks, had by the gift of the prior this church, with a moiety of the chapel of Ridlington, for life, and in 1234, Mr. John Pagrave died rector.

1332, William de Burstowe, presented by the prior.

In 1351, the rectory was appropriated to the chapel of St. George, at Windsor, a pension of 20 marks per ann. being reserved for the vicar, with a manse, stable, and 3 acres of land, who was to find bread and wine; and the custos, and canons of Windsor to pay a pension of 4 marks per ann. and the vicar 2 marks per ann. to the Bishop of Norwich.

Vicars.

1359, John Rest, vicar, presented by the custos, &c. of Windsor.

1366, Andrew de Goldings.

1386, Thomas Nyman.

1394, Robert Stele.

1400, William Buskin.

1429, Henry Pert.

1431, Francis Norwich.

1440, Thomas Depham.

1457, John Bukke, alias Bosse.

1466, John Eston.

1500, John Hunton: he wills in 1516, to be buried in the chapel of our Lady, edified in the churchyard.

1516, William Bukwell.

1530, Henry Barker.

1591, Robert Wood, by the Bishop, a lapse.

1592, Robert Wood, by the Queen.

1592, John Haylet, by the Queen.

In 1603, Richard Burrage was curate, and certified that there were 260 communicants, and then there was no vicar.

1605, John Jenyson, instituted vicar, presented by the King.

1623, William Hamblyn, by the dean of Windsor.

1661, John Elwood,

1710, James Grey, by the dean, &c.

George Monk died vicar, 1750, and John Whiting, was presented by the dean, &c.

1757, Thomas Hewet. Ditto.

Here were the guilds of the purification, and of the Trinity, the lights of our Lady, the Trinity, and St. Ann.

The tenths were 12l. 6s.—Deducted 4l.

The temporalities of Windham priory were 32s.—Of Bromkolm, 9s. 4d.—The spiritualities of Carhow priory 10s.

The vicarage is valued at 11l. 11s. 10d. and pays first-fruits, &c. the dean, &c. of Windsor has the patronage.