Holt hundred: Salthouse

SALTHOUSE.

This town, though now in the hundred of Holt, was a member or part of the hundred of North Erpingham, at the time of the grand survey, and is placed therein, where we find this account of it; that it was then the lordship of William de Scohies, or de Escois, and of Seiar Bar in King Edward's time, who had 3 carucates of land, 4 villains belonging to his demean, and 2 carucates among his tenants, and that it was always valued at 40s. soc and sac belonged to it, and it was measured in his other manor of Saxlingham. (fn. 1)

William de Scohies sold this, with many other lordships, to Walter Giffard Earl of Buckingham; and by an heiress of that family it came to the ancestor of the Earls of Clare, who were the capital lords of it.

The family of De Kelling, who held the principal lordship of Kellig under Hugh Earl of Chester, (and which extended into Salthouse,) held that also, and so were patrons of the churches belonging to the said towns.

Sir Hubert de Kelling was witness to a deed, sans date. There was an agreement between him and Sir Thomas de Wabrune, that Hubert's men of Salthouse should do suit to his mill here, and Sir Thomas's men at Salthouse, should do suit to Sir Hubert's, when they could not grind.

In the 34th of Henry III. it appears by a fine then levied, that Aunger, son of Thomas de Rysing, married Agnes, widow of Sir Hubert de Kelling, and held in her right the 3d part of the manors of Salthouse and Kelling, and that Robert, son of Hubert, had 2 parts, and they agreed to present alternately to the churches, Agnes to have the first turn; and in the 52d of that King, Roger de Colvile, sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk, received of Robert, for not being a knight, 20s.

In the 15th of Edward I. Hubert de Kelling claimed view of frank pledge, a gallows, &c. in the said towns, &c. and held 3 quarters of a fee of John Hastings, and he of the Earl of Gloucester and Clare; by Alice his wife he had Sir Robert de Kelling, who, by Lecia his wife, had a son, Robert.

Robert, son and heir of Sir Robert, had 2 daughters and coheirs; Maud, married to Sir Richard Harecourt, and Joan, to Walter, son of William de Holywell, to whom he grants the aforesaid manors, in the 31st of the said King; and in the 13th of Edward I. Sir Richard and Maud released to Sir Walter Holewell, on the octaves, of St. Andrew the Apostle, all their part, to hold to them as long as William, father of Walter, should live, for his support, excepting for ever the right of presentation to the churches of St. Nicholas of Salthouse, and St. Mary of Kelling, and the moiety of the dower of Alice, formerly wife of Hubert de Kelling, when it shall happen, and after William de Holywell's, to hold it again for their lives.

The Holewells were a family of great antiquity in Bedfordshire.

Among the pleadings in King Edward the First's reign Simon de Holewell was possessed of lands in Holewell in the said county. Matthew de Holewell had Thomas his son, father of this Simon.

Alice de Holewell, patroness of the church of Holewell, granted to the abbot and convent of Westacre a portion of tithe in the church.

Walter aforesaid was afterwards knighted, and witness to a deed in the 15th of Edward III. and seems to die soon after.

Joan his widow, in the following year, by her deed, dated at Gamlingeye in Cambridgeshire, on the feast of St. Margaret the Virgin, sold all her interest in Salthouse and Kelling manors, with the advowsons, to Sir John Avenel, Knt. and made Sir Gerard de Braybrake, Knt. her attorney, to deliver seisen.

This Sir John married Jane, daughter and heir of Sir Walter, and in the 20th of Edward III. was found to hold 3 quarters of a fee of the heirs of Hastings, who held of the Earl of Gloucester: he was also lord of the manor of Avenell in Gamlingey, and son of Will. Avenel, marshal of the household to the King of Scots, and William was son of Ralph de Avenel, who was living in the 8th of Henry III.

King Edward III. in his 21st year, by letters patents, dated at Calais, July 20, granted to him free warren in all his demean lands in these towns.

Sir John dying in Britany, in the 33d of the said King, left John his son and heir, and being a knight, attended John Duke of Lancaster King of Castile and Leon, into Spain, and it is probable died in that expedition, and bore for his arms, argent, a fess between six annulets, gules.

About the 10th of Richard II. John de Bokenham Bishop of Lincoln conveyed by fine, probably as a trustree, to Robert de Avenel (son of Sir John) and to Julian his wife, daughter of Sir Robert Belknap, chief justice of the Common Pleas, these manors and advowsons, with those of Holewell in Bedfordshire, Beeches and Gaunts in Wimple, Cambridgeshire, with that of Gamlingeye.

In the 12th of the said King, the said Bishop made a lease for 15 years of the manors of Salthouse and Kelling, to Sir Robert Belknap, and confirmed the manors to Robert Avenel and Julian his wife, and their heirs.

It is proper to observe here, that in this year, Sir Robert Belknap was banished into Ireland, and the King had entered on these two lordships; I find, by the escheators accounts, that he desired to be discharged of the issues and profits of them, which Sir Robert held August 1, in the 11th of Richard II. on which day he forfeited his lands and tenements, because demised by John de Buckenham, Bishop of Lincoln, and which Julian, daughter of Sir Robert, wife of John Avenel, yet living, held, and which after the death of the said Julian, was to revert to the said Robert and Julian his wife, and their heirs, extended at 100s. per ann. here being 70s. rent per ann. a windmill, issues of pleas, and profits of courts, profits of a fair held on the feast of the exaltation of the Holy Cross, with the advowsons; and in the 15th of that King, John Burton, clerk, had a grant of these manors, together with Philip de Tilney, William de Castleacre, Nicholas de Styvecle, Knights, and many others, dated March 30.

Julian aforesaid, on the death of Robert Avenel, remarried Nicholas Kymbell, Esq. of Bedfordshire; but it appears that she had by Avenel, a daughter and heir, Alice, who married John Fastolf of Fishley, in Norfolk, Esq. by whom she had also a daughter and heir, Alice, who married Edmund Wychingham of Fishley and Upton, Esq. 2d son of Nicholas de Wychingham, 2d son of William de Wychingham and Margaret his wife: this Edmund left, by the said Alice, 4 daughters and coheirs; Elizabeth, married to William Berdwell, Esq. of West Herling; Frances, to Sir William Nevill of Burscombe in Gloucestershire; Amy, to Richard Southwell of Wood Rising; and Joan to Sir Richard Longstrother, and after to Robert Boys.

In the 3d of Henry IV. Nicholas Kymbell and Julian his wife held a quarter of a fee in Salthouse and Kelling, of the Earl of March. In the 5th of Henry V. they, by deed, dated on Friday after the feast of St. John Baptist, demise to certain feoffees, the said manors and advowsons, with wreck at sea, &c. Kymbell sealing with a bell; and in the year preceding, it appears they had an annuity of 100s. payable out of them, and in the 2d year of Henry V. conveyed to Thomas Walsingham, &c. the advowson of the church of Salthouse.

At this time these 2 lordships were in the hands of feoffees. John Wodehouse, Edmund Oldhall, Esq. &c. confirm by deed, dated at Salthouse, on Monday next after the feast of St. Peter ad Vincula, in the 4th of Henry V. to Sir Ric. Whitington, Sir Thos. Fauconer, William Waldern, citizens and aldermen of London, the said manors in trust; Woodhouse sealed as the family at this day, and Oldhall with a lion's head erased, and Whitington, &c. confirmed it in the following year, to Nicholas Wychingham, &c. In the 28th of Henry VI. Edmund Wichingham confirmed his manor here to Sir Henry Inglos, &c. and Sir Henry grants his lordship by will in 1451, to the Lady Ilketeshale for life.

In the 28th of Henry VI. William Calthorp, Esq. Nicholas Appleyard, &c. feoffees, confirmed to Edmund Wychingham and Alice his wife, these manors, view of frank pledge, wreck at sea, a mercate, warren, gallows, &c. and in the 12th of Edward IV. an exemplification under the great seal was made on May 10, (at the request of Edmund Wychingham and Alice his wife, William Berdwell, junior, Esq. and Elizabeth his wife, lords of these manors) of 2 charters made to Sir John Avenel, one of free warren, dated July 20, at Calais, in the 21st of Edward III. the other of a mercate weekly, on Tuesday, at Kelling, and a fair on the eve and the feast of the exaltation of the Holy Cross.

By an indenture, bearing date September 8, in the 13th of Henry VII. an exchange was made of the manor of Wychingham (as then called) between Sir Henry Heydon and William Berdwell, Esq. for that of Drayton Hall in Scarning, and Dillington; and whereas that of Wychingham in Salthouse and Kelling, was 30s. per ann. superiour to that of Drayton, Sir Henry agrees to pay an annual rent of 30s. to Berdwell; and in the 24th of Henry VIII. John Wooton of North Tudenham, Esq. and Elizabeth his wife, daughter and heir of Robert Berdwell, Esq. confirmed the said exchange to Sir Henry Heydon.

It appears that great disputes arose notwithstanding this settlement: Sir Edward Belknap, Knt. cousin and heir to Sir Robert, who was attainted, (being restored in blood and possessions, as heir to him, in the parliament holden on February 1, in the 6th of Henry VIII.) claimed right and title to these manors, and to those of West Wickham, Keston, Baston, and Southcourt in Kent, and John Heydon was obliged to purchase Salthouse and Kelling, of Sir Edmund, on June 13, in the 7th of Henry VIII.

From the Heydons it came to Thomas Croft, Esq. of Sheringham, who in the 35th of Elizabeth, mortgaged this manor called Bardwell's, in Salthouse and Kelling, with the manor of Ilketeshale in Kelling, to Thomas Thetford, Esq. with all the rents, services, foldcourses, &c. clear of all incumbrance done by him, Sir William Heydon, or Sir Christopher, father of Sir William.

In 1714, John Leng, Esq. was lord, and presented; and in 1745, John Leng, Esq.

The son of the Reverend Mr. Girdleston, a minor, is now lord and patron.

The tenths were 8l. Deducted 1l. 18s. 8d.

The Church of Salthouse is a rectory, dedicated to St. Nicholas, and was valued at 40 marks. Peter-pence 9d.

The priory of Westacre had a portion of tithe valued at 6s. 8d. per ann.

The present church was built by Sir Henry Heydon in the beginning of the reign of Henry VII.

The present valor is 20l.

Rectors.

Robert de Salthouse occurs rector in 1266.

Symon de Bodham, rector.

1322, John de Oxenden instituted rector, presented by Sir Walter de Holewell.

1327, Mr. Robert Inge. Ditto.

1337, William de Rythere. Ditto.

John de Rose.

1360, Mr. John Blaunchard, by Sir Warine de Bassingborn, and Mary his wife.

1361, Henry Attewell, by John, son and heir of Sir John de Avenel, deceased.

Henry Knoff.

1370, Robert Archer, by Nich. de Stivekele.

1397, John Clerk, by the King.

1398, John Playford, by the King.

1409, John Wychingham, by Nicholas Kymbell.

1416, Nicholas Kent, by John Cornwalleys, and John Torell, Esq.

1417, Henry Bamme, by Thomas Walsingham, &c.

1420, William Kyrre. Ditto.

1421, Edmund le Ker. Ditto.

1443, Robert Colyn, by Thomas Walsingham, Esq.

1458, William Brewster. Ditto.

1476, William Rougham, by John Heydon, Esq.

1495, William Herwer, by Sir Henry Heydon.

1500, Robert Sawyer. Ditto.

Steph. Prowet.

1559, Greg. Madys, by Sir Christopher Heydon.

1560, Christopher Nuttall. Ditto.

1589, Steph. Gervys, by Sir William Heydon.

1592, Robert Hetherington, A.M. Ditto.

Thomas Dawney compounded for first fruits, as rector, in June 1613, presented by the Lady Sydney,

Edmund Dawney compounded in 1643.

Charles Worsley died rector 1682.

Thomas Bainbrigg, rector on his death.

1714, Thomas Turner, by John Lang, Gent.

1745, John Beales, presented by John Leng, Esq.