Launditch Hundred: Dunham Magna Manor

DUNHAM MAGNA MANOR,

Arundel's Fee, or Harsick's Manor,

So called from its site, Dun signifying a hill, or rising ground. It was at the survey a beruite to the manor or honour of Mileham, which William de Noiers held or farmed under the Conqueror, who seized on it, on the deprivation of Archbishop Stigand, who was lord in the reign of the Confessor, when there belonged to it 4 carucates of land, 19 villains, 8 borderers, 2 servi, paunage for 20 swine, with one acre of meadow, and 8 socmen held 34 acres of land, with a borderer, and one acre of meadow; there was also then a carucate and an half in demean, and a carucate and an half amongst the tenants or men; 2 animals, or cows, &c. and there belonged to it the moiety of a market, and half an acre of land in Thetford, and 2 socmen, and 2 borderers had 40 acres of land, and a carucate, the whole, including the manor of Mileham, and the beruite of Licham, was valued in King Edward's time at 30l. at the survey 60l.

It was three leucas long and one broad, and paid 20d. to a 20s. gelt, whoever may have it. (fn. 1)

This was granted, soon after this account of it, to Alan son of Flaald, ancestor of the Fitz Alans Earls of Arundel, of whom see at large in Mileham, to which we refer the reader.

Alice, widow of Eudo de Arsic, held here and in Southacre, in the reign of Henry III. one fee of the honour of Mileham, and Sir Roger Harsick held it under the Earl of Arundel in the 3d of Edward I. and the moiety of a weekly mercate on Saturday, with the assise, and view of frank pledge: and in the 2d of Edw. II. John de Harsike had a charter of free warren.

In the 28th of Edward III. Sir John Harsik settled by fine on Thomas de Bittering and Christian his wife (his mother, as I take it) 7l. 13s. 4d. per ann. out of it.

On the death of Sir Roger Harsike in 1454, who married Alice, daughter of Nicholas Witchingham of Fishley, in Norfolk, Esq. it came to his two daughters and coheirs, Margaret and Jane; and on a division of the Harsike's estate, this was assigned to Jane, the youngest, who married Richard Dorward, Esq. (third son of John Dorward, Esq. serjeant at law and speaker of the House of Commons) by whom he had a daughter and sole heir, Margaret, who was the wife of Sir John Wingfield, fourth son of Sir John Wing field of Letheringham in Suffolk, and in her right was lord of this village, and dying in the beginning of Henry the Eighth's reign, was buried in the chancel of Dunham church, as was his lady in or about 1509.

Thomas Wingfield was their son and heir, who took to wife Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Thomas Woodhouse of Kimberley, by whom he had two sons, Roger and John, who left by Ann his wife, daughter of Thomas Townsend of Testerton, a daughter and sole heir Anne, married to Thomas Athow, Esq. of Beacham Well, serjeant at law; Roger, the elder brother, married Elizabeth, daughter of John Golding of Belchhamp St. Pauls in Essex, and had a son John, who died without issue by Elizabeth his wife, daughter of—Foster of Yorkshire. Roger his father conveyed by fine to Thomas Golding, Gent. son of John Golding, this manor of Arsick's, and the manor of Rous in this town, in the 38th of Henry VIII. with 6 messuages, 2 cottages, 500 acres of land, 60 of meadow, 200 of pasture, 30 of wood, 100 of heath and furze, and 10l. per ann. rent in Dunham Magna and Parva, and East Lexham: and in the 6th of Elizabeth, Sir Thomas Golding, Knt. and Henry Golding, Esq. conveyed to Nicholas and William Mynns the aforesaid two manors.

In 1572, And. Clerk presented as lord, and Christian his wife.

After this, in the reign of King James I. Henry Bastard, Gent. was lord, and presented to this church in 1599, and 1616; and in 1660, Mary, widow of Thomas Hogan, Esq. descended from Robert Hogan, Esq. of East Bradenham, living in the reign of Henry VIII. and dying in the 1st of Edward VI. left Thomas his son and heir, who was a knight, and died in the reign of Queen Elizabeth; Henry Hogan, Esq. was his heir, and by Anne his wife, daughter of Sir Henry Wodehouse of Waxham, had Robert, who died a minor in the 10th of James I. and being near his full age, at the instigation of his mother, then the wife of Sir Julius Cœsar of Bennington in Hertfordshire, levied a fine of certain lands to her use, &c.

Mary Hogan, widow of Thomas, who presented in 1678, was daughter of — Brograve of —.

Her son, Thomas Hogan, Esq. was lord in 1716, and by — his wife, daughter of Matthew Heliot, Gent. of Litcham, had Thomas, his son and heir, a lunatick, living in 1760.

Rous's manor

Was part of the Lord Bardolph's manor of Litcham which extended into this town, (of which see in Litcham,) and East Lexham, and was held by Richard Rouse in the reign of Henry III. and by Alan his son, in the 15th of Edward I. who with Jordan Foliet claimed a moiety of a weekly mercate on Saturday, with the Arsicks, who had the other moiety.

From the Rous's it came to the Lexhams, and after to the Mundefords, by marriage of the heiress of De Lechesham or Lexham, and the heirs of Osbert Mundford were found in the 4th of Henry IV. to hold the manor of Rous in Dunham, and East Lexham, by half a fee.

William de Rothing, who had a lordship in Wellingham of the lord Baynard's fee, had also a lordship belonging to the same fee in this town, and claimed, in the 15th of Edward I. a weekly mercate in Dunham Magna on Wednesday, and a fair yearly on the vigil, the day, and day after St. Murgaret.

The Earl Warren's manor or honour of Gressinghale extended also into this town. Wimerus, lord of Gressenhale, gave the patronage of the church to Castleacre priory: this was after held by the Stutviles, Foliots, Hastings, &c.

At the survey, Ralph de Tony had one socman, who held 30 acres and a half of land under Herold in King Edward's time, with four borderers and one carucate; this was valued under his capital manor of Necton. (fn. 2)

It was part of Sparham-Hall in Necton, and was called Corbet's or Churchman's manor, and held by Sir John le Briton in the 3d of Edward I. and by Ralph Churchman, in Richard the Second's time, and after by the Cockets, in the 1st of Edward VI. In 1633, Henry Beke purchased it of Osbert Prat, and Jeremy Beke, his son enjoyed it.

The temporalities of Castleacre priory were in 1428, 4s. 4d.—Westacre 12d.—Langley priory 4s. 2d.—Walsingham priory 8d.

In the 3d of Elizabeth, September 15, lands called Walsingham Acre, and Walsingham, two acres in the tenure of Henry Rust, were granted to Sir Edward Warner, and Ralph Shelton, with lands belonging to Langley abbey in the tenure of Thomas Wingfield.

In the 5th and 6th of Philip and Mary, Sir George Howard, Knt. had a grant of 21 acres of land in this town, and East Lexham, with liberty of a foldage in the tenure of Sir Nicholas L'Estrange, lately belonging to Magdalen chapel in Gaywood by Lynn.

Richard Fitz Alan Earl of Arundel gave lands to that chapel or hospital, in the reign of Edward I. in this town and East Lexham, and Sir Eudo Arsick gave them lands and a foldcourse for 250 sheep, and Alice his wife also lands.

The tenths were 7l. 18s.—Deduct 1l.

From ancient writings it appears that there were two churches in this town, that of St. Mary, and St. Andrew, and institutions into both, to the year 1491, as will appear.

Wimer, lord of Gressenhale, dapifer to the first Earl Warren, is said to have given to the priory of Castleacre the church of Dunham Magna; (fn. 3) but it is not expressed which church, probably that of St. Andrew, Hervey Canis giving to the said priory the church of St. Mary of Dunham Magna, with the advowson, and confirmed to the said priory all the donations of his predecessors, and 5 acres at Racheness, with part of his meadow at Sudacre, near to their court from the outward ditch, which joins to the meadow of the monks, staightways to the great water s. d. and Eudo de Arsick, with the consent of Alice his wife, confirmed this gift of Hervey, father of Alice.

Sometimes this church of St. Mary is called a chapel, and Eborard Bishop of Norwich, in Henry the First's reign, is said to have confirmed the church of Dunham, with the chapel of St. Mary, to the aforesaid priory, and John de Oxford Bishop of Norwich, in Henry the Second's time, confirmed also the churches of St. Andrew and St. Mary: the said Bishop instituted Gervase de Norwich, clerk, into the church of St. Mary Dunham mercate, at the presentation of the prior and convent of Castleacre; and after, at the request of the said Gervase, rector, the said Bishop received Roger Clerk into the vicarage, paying yearly to Gervase 3 marks, and answering for the said Gervase to the Bishop, and his ministers, by which it seems that a rector in that age had a power to nominate a titular vicar for his time to take care under him of the cure, with the consent of the Bishop.

Thomas de Blundevile, Bishop, in his first year instituted Edmund de Walpole, clerk, to the church of St. Mary, on the presentation of the prior, &c. and Jordan occurs rector in Henry the Third's time.

These two churches of St. Andrew and St. Mary were standing probably in 1518, though in the institution books of Norwich, mention is made only of St. Mary, into which the rectors were instituted then, and that only appears to be valued in the King's Books.

In 1522, sentence was given for the right of the rector of the churches of St. Mary and St. Andrew of Dunham Magna to take tithes of 13 acres of land, called Pentons, on February 6.

The ancient valor of the rectory of Dunham St. Mary was 12 marks and paid Peter-pence 5d. ob.; the prior of Sporle had a pension out of it of 13s. 4d. In the 15th of Henry VI. Joan, Queen Dowager of England, wife of King Henry IV. died seized of it, being an alien priory dissolved.

Simon Bishop of Norwich confirmed to the priory of Castleacre the tithe of 33 acres about 1260.

The present valor is 12l. 1s. 10d. ob.

Rectors

1310, John de Wygenhale, rector, presented by the prior, &c. of Castleacre.

1324, Simon de Caly. Ditto.

1349, Humphrey Byrinob. Ditto.

William occurs rector, 1371.

John Philip died rector 1397.

1397, nemo occurrit.

1418, Mr. Maur. Tourney. Ditto

1418, John Burre. Ditto.

1423, Gilbert Bocher.

1438, Geffrey Brown. Ditto.

1482, Edmund Herbord. Ditto.

1505, Thomas Chanon. Ditto.

1501, Geffrey Brown. Ditto.

1518, Hugh Driver, Decret. Bacc. presented by the prior, &c.

1525, Richard Partriche. Ditto.

1533, A presentation, but no name.

1554, William Kegall, alias London, by Thomas Duke of Norfolk.

On the dissolution of religious houses, Thomas, prior of Castleacre, conveyed the patronage by fine, to King Henry VIII. in his 29th year; and, on December 22, in the said year, the King granted it to Thomas Duke of Norfolk.

1559, Richard Garnet, by the Duke.

1562, Thomas Sadler. Ditto.

1566, Edmund Golding, by Nicholas Mynne, Esq.

1572, Richard Bracell, by Andrew Clerk and Christian his wife.

1577, Solomon Smith. Ditto.

1580, Edward Grenewood. Ditto.

1591, Cuthbert Norris, by Tho. Mighte, Gent.

1599, Cuthbert Norris, S. T. P. by Henry Bastard, Gent. of Dunham.

1599, Samuel Gardiner, S. T. B. Ditto.

1616, John Beacon, S. T. B. by Cuth. Norris, assignee of H. Bastard.

1635, John Dixe, by Thomas Dixe.

1660, John Benton, by Mary Hogan, widow.

1679, Richard Ransom. Ditto.

1694, John Wightman.

1721, Ambrose Pimlow, by Thomas Hogan, Esq.

1752, John Arnam, by the lord chancellor, (as guardian to Thomas Hogan, Esq. a lunatick,) on Pimlow's death, and now rector.

In the parlour of Dunham-hall were the following arms formerly, in the glass;—Wingfield impaling Bovil; Wingfield and Bovile, quarterly, impaling Glanvile; Wingfield impaling Fitz-Lewis, sable, a chevron between three trefoils slipped, argent; Wingfield impaling Townsend; Waldgrave, per pale, argent and gules, a roundel counterchanged, and Bacon, gules, on a chief, argent, two mullets, sable; Waldgrave and Athow, sable, a chevron between three carpenter's squares, sable; Athow and Curson, ermin, a bend, compony, sable and argent; Dorward, ermin, on a chevron, sable three crescents or, impaling Coggeshall, argent, a cross between four escallops, sable; Fincham, impaling argent, a lion rampant, azure, Stead; Argent, a chevron between three bears heads, sable, muzzled, or, Berry; Walpole, impaling sable, three lozenges, ermin, Shaw, Harsick, and Caly. Vert a lion rampant, or, vulned in his shoulder, gules, Robsert.

In the parlour chamber, argent, three griffins heads erased, gules in a bordure, azure, of 8 towers, or; quartering ermin, on a canton gules, an owl, or, in the 2d quarter; and argent, two bars, gules, on a chief, or, a lion passant, gules, in the 3d quarter; in the 4th, vairy, argent, and gules, with an escotcheon of pretence, gules, a fess between four hands couped, or.

Also Howard Duke of Norfolk, quartering Brotherton, the Earl Warren and Mowbray.

In the hall, Athow impaling Thoresby: Athow and Curson quarterly, impaling Jenneyson.

Harsike, who was lord of this town, bore or, a chief indented, sable.

Wingfield, argent, on a bend, gules, cottised, sable, three double wings of the first.

Golding, gules, a chevron or, between three bezants.

Bastard, argent, on a bend between three lis, sable, as many boars heads couped, or;—and Hogan, argent, a chevron vairy, or and gules, between three hurts, each charged with a lion's gamb erect, or.

The Church is built in a conventual form, with a tower between the nave and the chancel, which is thatched, but the nave is leaded.

In the chancel is a gravestone

In memory of Henry Bastard, gent. lord of this manor, who died August 23, 1624, œtat. 62 and 11 months, with his arms as above.