STARSTON,
Or Steres-town, was anciently in many parts; the head manor
belonged to Bury abbey, (fn. 1) and was infeoffed by Baldwyne, abbot there, (fn. 2)
in Roger Bigot; who obtained of the King, a freeman and his services here, which belonged to St. Audry's monastery at Ely; (fn. 3) and
another part which was Stigand's, he had, as belonging to his manor
of Earsham: all which he left to his successours, and they continued
in his family, till one of them granted off 2 fees, which made 2 manors,
to be held of the manor of Forncet, and reserved the superiour jurisdiction, lete, and advowson, with liberty of warren, &c. to his heirs; all
which have passed, and now continue (except the advowson) with the
manor and hundred of Earsham, in the Duke of Norfolk, lord thereof;
the chief part of the town being free suitors to the hundred-court at
Harleston. (fn. 4) The town at the Conqueror's survey was a mile and five
furlongs long, and five furlongs broad, and paid 13d. geld.
Starston-Hall Manor,
Being granted from the Bigods to be held of Forncet at one fee, was
owned by Bartholomew Evereus, or Devereux, lord also of Hardwick; (fn. 5)
and after by Roger Devereux, and in 1308, by Ralf Devereux and
Dionise his wife; and was soon after sold to James Herwardstoke, and
Jeffery de Waterbeche, son of Sir Jeffery de Stoke, Knt. in 1332, released it to Sir John de Herwardestok, rector of Pulham, who in 1341
confirmed it to John de Herwardestoke, his brother, citizen of London,
who sealed with gul. an eagle displayed or, on his shield, and his name
round it; he sold it to Robert de Bumpstede, citizen of Norwich, and
Robert and Thomas his sons; and they to William and Roger Pycot,
Stephen Horn, vicar of Ilketshall St. Andrew, and Richard Dautris,
feoffees to Roger Pycot, whose son, Sir Burth. Pycot, Knt. was lord
in 1373; in 1387, Richard Picot sold it to Ric. le Haukere and John
Caryolf of Redenhall, who reconveyed it, in 1395, to the said Ric.
Picot of Starston, John Caltoft, and Robert Rous of Dynington, his
feoffees; and in 1406, it was vested in Sir Rob. Berney, Knt. and
others, conditionally, that if Anne wife of Richard Picot should claim
any dower out of Blickling manor, that then the feoffees should enter
upon this. In 1411, this Richard was returned lord, and in 1428,
Thomas Picot, Esq. who in 1432, is said to hold Bovile's fee; he left
the manor at his death, vested in trustees for the use of his daughters
and heiresses, after the death of Alice his wife, daughter of Sir John
Tirrel, Knt. and widow of William Skrene; and in 1460, Robert Baynard of Specteshall, Esq. and Tho. Crofts of West-Hall, Esq. by direction of the will of Thomas Pycot of Starston, Esq. at the request of
Katerine daughter of Thomas Pykot, confirmed to Hugh Austyn of
Framlingham Castle, Gent. and to the said Catherine his wife, Starston, alias Pykot's manor, to hold to their heirs, with remainder to
Anne sister of Catherine aforesaid; and the same year, Hamon le
Strange, Esquire of the King's household, released to Hugh and Catherine, all his right in it: Kat. Austyn died before 1500, for then her
executor released the manor to Robert Bernard, Esq. and Anne his
wife, her sister; and in 1515, Christopher Calthorp, Esq. held his first
court in right of Eleanor his wife, one of the daughters and heiresses
of Rob. Baynard and Anne Bigot his wife: their son, James Calthorp
of Cockthorp, in Norfolk, succeeded, and was lord in 1560; in 1570,
Christopher, his son and heir, was dead, and it was held in jointure
by Jane daughter of Roger Rookwood, Esq. of Fishley in Norfolk, his
relict, then remarried to Sir Jerome Bowes of London, Knt. who in
1581, for 60l. per annum during his wife's life, released all right to Sir
James Calthorp of Cockthorp in Norfolk, Knt. who was lord in 1610,
and was succeeded by Christopher Calthorp, Esq. his son and heir; it
was then the chief manor in the town, and had a convenient house
belonging to it; it afterwards belonged to the Wiltons of Wilby in
Norfolk, was mortgaged to John Strange of Red-Lion Square, and is
now owned by Mr. Mills of London.
Bresingham's Manor
Takes its name from its ancient lords; Walter de Bresingham was lord
about 1235; (fn. 6) after him, William his son; in 1362, Richard de Bresingham; and it continued in the family till 1462, when John Bresingham, Esq. died, and was buried in Brockdish church, and left the
manor to Elizabeth daughter of William Grice of Brockdish, his
wife, and her heirs; and it continued in the Grices till they sold it to
the Pycots, or Pygots; and in 1578, William Pyeot was lord, who sold
it to Bratholomew Cotton, Esq. son and heir of Rog. Cotton by Audry,
daughter and heiress of John Cotton, second brother to Sir Rob. Cotton
of Lanwade in Cambridgeshire, Knt. In his time it was returned to have
a house, demeans, and royalties, but no copyhold tenants nor court baron, the whole being manumised; and the freeholders belonging to it,
paid about 19s. per annum freerents. He lies buried under a sumptuous monument on the north side of the chancel; his effigies, with a
ruff about his neck, is kneeling at a desk; his crest, on a torce A. S.
a griffin's head erased arg. Motto, Mors Quies, Vita Labor. 12
coats marshalled, with a crescent gul. in the fess point for difference.
1, Cotton, S. a chevron between three griffins heads erased arg.
2, Ar. a fess invecked gul. in chief a rose of the second. 3, Erm. on
a chief sab. two mullets or. 4, Erm. on a bend sab. three eagles heads
erased arg. 5 as 1. 6 as 2. 7 as 3. 8, Gul. a chevron between
three drops or. 9, Arg. three birds heads gul. in a bordure ingrailed
sab. 10, Sab. a cinquefoil in an orle of martlets arg. 11, Vert, three
eagles displayed or, a canton erm. 12, Erm. on a bend gul. three
eagles displayed or.
Hic in Christo obdormit Bartholomeus Cotton Armiger,
Filius et Hæres Rogeri Cotton ex antiquâ Familiâ Cottonorum de Lanwade in Comitatuù Cantabrigiæ, per Etheldredam Fliam
et Hæredem Johannis Cotton Fratris secundi Roberti Cotton de
Lanwade Militis, Qui veræ Religionis verus Cultor, Benificus
egenis, et omnibus charus, munere Eirenarchæ complures annos,
et Clerici Brevium atque Processûum in Camerâ Stellatâ xxxiiii
Annos, cum summâ Integritates Laude perfunctus; tres duxit
Uxores, Ceciliam Borrough, Virginem et Hæredem, Aliciam Gascoigne, et Annam Sterlinge Viduas, Animam Deo pie et placide
reddidit, die Lunæ viz. xxi Junij Ao Salutis MDCXIII. Ætatis
suæ LXXVIo.
Patri Optimo Thomas Filius et Hæres, in Officio Successor,
observantiæ ergo posuit.
Thomas Calthorp Gent. his son and heir, married Eleanor, daughter
of James Calthorp, whose son, Bartholomew Cotton of this town, married Jane daughter of Ric. Luckin of Diveshal in Essex, and had Luckin
Cotton, Gent. who by Anne his wife, (fn. 7) he left issue; he is buried here
with this,
In Memory of Luckin Cotton Gent. interred Jan. the 17, 1654.
He left 2 Sons, Luckin and Bartholomew; and 2 Daughters,
Lydia and Mary; (fn. 8) Bartholomew and Luckin died synce, and
were buried by their Father; Bartholomew Apr. 14, and Luckin
Oct. 3, 1655.
Cotton with a crescent, impales az. on a fess or, three lions faces
gul.
Crest, on a torce or, and sab. a gray-hound arg. collared or.
On an altar tomb with Cotton's arms,
Here lie the Bodies together of John-Luckin Cotton, Gent. who
(being about 25 Years of Age) was interred Jan. 17, 1654, and of
his 2 Infants Sons, Luckin and Bartholomew, who (like un-timely
Fruit) fell all at a Blast, and in the space of ten Monthes, withered away in the Immaturity of their Years; Bartholomew
(being about a Year old) was buried Apr. 13, 1655; and Luckin
the eldest (not being 3 Years old) periodized the Males of his
Family here by his deplored Death, and was buried Oct. 3, 1655.
Our happiest Dayes do passe
From us poor mortall Men;
First and before the rest!
Seneca.
In 1689, Robert King of Great Thurlow in Suffolk, in right of his
wife, Eliz. daughter of Thomas Steward of Barton-Mills in Suffolk,
and relict of Sir Robert Kemp of Finchingfield in Essex, was lord here,
and lived in 1705; his son Thomas, about 1698, was killed by Sir
Sewster Peyton, Bart. but by a daughter of Cordel, and sister and heir
of Sir John, left one son; she died his widow in 1706.
Starston-Place is now owned by Waldegrave Pelham, Esq. and
is a good house near the church.
Beckhall Manor
Is so called from the site of it, (long since demolished,) being near
the bek or rivulet that runs through this village. It was very anciently
in William de Bovile's hands, who held it at one fee of Forncet manor.
In 1296, William de Ingham had it; in 1306, Eliz. de Ingham; in
1309, John de Ingham died lord, and Oliver de Ingham, his son, succeeded; in 1330, being then a knight, he settled it on John de Ingham,
his son, and Katherine his wife, and their heirs, reserving five marks
per annum for life; in 1342, Sir Oliver was returned lord, and in 1358,
Isabel de Ingham was lady; and it passed with Ingham in Norfolk to
the Stapletons, and was settled by Sir Miles Stapleton, Knt. and Dame
Joan his wife, on John his son, and Isolda his wife, and their heirs;
in 1418, Sir Miles Stapleton, Knt. was lord, and Sir Brian his son and
heir was 40 years old; he died seized in 1438, leaving it to Sir Miles
his son and heir, then 30 years old; in 1441, he settled it on Catherine his wife, and died seized in 1465, and it continued in the family
till 1501, when Dame Elizabeth Fortescue, daughter and heiress of Sir
Miles Stapleton, first the wife of Sir Will. Calthorp, and after of Sir
John Fortescue, Lord Chief Justice, and lastly of Sir Edward Howard,
(while Fortescue's widow,) settled it on the heirs of her body, and so it
came to the Calthorps, and afterwards to the Gawdies, and was joined
by the Cottons to Bresingham's manor.
Bouton's, or Bolton's Manor,
Passed in a great measure like the manor of the same name in Hardwick, which see at p. 220. In 1285, William le Claver and Katherine (fn. 9)
his wife had it; in 1318, William his son and heir, whose daughter
and heiress, Maud, married to Walter de Burwood, whose widow she
was in 1362. It was sold by Will. Gresham, Esq. to Peter Gleane of
Norwich, at which time it had no house, but several copyhold tenants
belonging to it.
Gunshaw's Manor in Starston, Nedham, &c.
Was anciently held by William de Arches of John de Mendham, at half
a fee; it formerly belonged to the Heylocks, and was purchased of the
Wisemans about Charles the First's time, by one Mr. Stiles of Codenham, whose wife married a second husband, and held it for life.
It hath a farm-house and about 50l. per annum besides the royalty
and many copyhold tenants. It is now owned by Mr. Nun of Southwold in Suffolk.
The several manors of Seymer's and Huntingfield's in Mendham,
Gunshaw's and Burt's in Nedham, Pulham, &c. and Payone's in Denton,
extend hither.
The church is dedicated to St. Margaret; the rector hath a good
house and about 43 acres of glebe; there are no customs, all tithes being
due in their proper kind. It is undischarged of tenths and first-fruits,
and stands thus in the King's Books,
15l. Sterston rectory. 1l. 10s. yearls tenths.
In the old Valor it was valued at 30 marks, and paid 2s. synodals,
7s. 7d. 0b. Archdeacon's procurations, 14d. 0b. Peter-pence, and the
town paid clear to every tenth 3l. 15s. The monks of Thetford had
lands here, and the tithes arising from them, were anciently valued at
20s. but was afterwards compounded for perpetually at 6s. per annum,
and in 1612, was paid by the rector to the lord of Aslacton manor, in
right of Thetford priory; at the same time also, the rector paid a pension of 3s. 4d. to Mendham priory, as a perpetual composition for the
tithes of that part of their manor of Hunting field's, which extended
hither; for which lands, that house was taxed at 24s. 2d. ob. The
Prior of Norwich had temporals in the parish taxed at 5s. 10d. and
the Prioress of Carrow at 14d.
Rectors.
1306, Robert de Beverley. Sir Roger le Bigot Earl-Marshal and
Norfolk. He exchanged for Hadstock in London diocese in 1319,
with
John Pikard of Herwardestok. Tho. Brotherton Earl
Norfolk.
1348, John Woodward.
1361, Will. Danyel. Sir Walter de Manny, by Nic. de Horton.
rector of Lopham, his attorney general, he being out of England.
1372, Tho. de Trowel. Margaret, Marshal, Lady Manny. In
1379, he changed for Boyton in Salisbury diocese, with
John Haselore, who was succeeded in
1383, by Tho. Alborn, who changed for Boreham in London diocese
in 1386, with
John Gelle, and he for Castor by Norwich in 1393, with
John Lefe, and all of them were presented by the said
Margaret
1408, Will. Newton. Elizabeth Dutchess of Norfolk. He was
succeeded by Will. Baker, who exchanged for Southrey in 1420,
with
Alex. Colloo, who had it of the gift of Sir Gerard Usflete, Knt.
and Eliz. Dutchess of Norfolk, his wife. He died rector the next
year, and was interred in the churchyard.
1421, John Wele. Ditto. He resigned in 1437, and John Duke of
Norfolk gave it to
John Swan, who was buried in the chancel in 1478, being
succeeded by
Peter Wodecock. Eliz. Dutchess of Norfolk. In
1515, Nic. Carr had it by lapse, and at his death in 1531, the Duke
gave it to
Nic. Cotney, at whose death in
1558, Will. Clark had it, and resigned the same year to
Tho. Palmer, who died in 1576, and Will. Dix and Will.
Cantrell, feoffees to the Norfolk family, presented
George Grame, who resigned in
1586, to Peter Raye. The Queen. In
1603, Peter Rix, then rector, returned 120 communicants in the
parish. In 1629, Will. le Neve, patron of the turn, presented
Will. Bennet, who died in 1638, and was succeeded by
Richard Anguish, who was one of the sequestered clergy,
(Walker, fo. 184, part ii,) and was of the family of Anguish of Melton,
(p. 17, 18, 21,) where his children were baptized. Thomas Earl of
Arundel.
1669, Ric. Lewthwaite. Henry Lord Howard.
1672, Will. Wyatt, A. M. Richard Richmund, this turn. He
is buried in the churchyard on the south side, with this on a head
stone:
Gulielmus Wiat A M. Rector hujus Ecclesie ob. 29 Sept, 1699.
Henry Duke of Norfolk in 1699, presented
Tho. Arrowsmith, who lies buried in the chancel at the southeast corner, for whom there is a neat monument with the crest and
arms of Arrowsmith, impaling Smith of Cratfield.
Crest, an arm erect sab. holding a wreath vert.
Arrowsmith, erm. on a chevron between three arrows sab. five
pheons O.
Smith, barry wavy of eight A. and az. on a chief G. three
barnacles O.
Underneath lieth the body of Thomas Arrowsmith M. A.
rector of this parish and Aldburgh 30 Years; he was the eldest
son of the Rev. Mr. Arrowsmith vicar of North Weald Essex,
and Grandson of the eminent Dr. Arrowsmith some time master
of Trinity college in Cambridge. He was a truly zealous and
conscientious Son of the Church of England, whose Discipline he
strictly observed, and whose Rights he was always ready to defend; He was a generous Benefactor to his Relations, an hospitable Neighbour, and a never failing friend to the poor: He
married the Daughter of John Smith of Cratfield, Esq; and Relict
of Anthony Freestone late of Mendham Gent to whom he was a
kind and indulgent Husband 25 Years, he died March 28, 1729,
aged 55.
His mournful Widow, in Testimony of her inviolable Affection
to him, has caused this Monument to be sacred to his Memory.
1725, 15 Aug. Philip Williams, S. T. B. fellow, and some time
president of St. John's college in Cambridge. Rowland Hill, Bart.
by purchase from the Duke of Norfolk, he being obliged to present a
fellow St. John's college in Cambridge. He is now D. D. and held
it some time with Barrow in Suffolk, and at his resignation in
1746, The Rev. Mr. George Davies, late fellow of St. John's college, had it, and is the present rector. Ditto.
The tower is square and hath five bells; on the 5th,
Per Thome Meritis, mereamur Gaudia Luics.
The nave is leaded, and the south porch and chancel are tiled.
On a brass by the church door.
William Bugott Gentleman, died Nov. 1580.
Blessed is he, that dieth in the Lord.
Bacon, arg. on a fess ingrailed between three escutcheons gul.
as many mullets or, impaling Bedingfield.
Philip the Son of Francis Bacon Esq; and Dorothy his wife,
died un-weaned at Nurse, Nov. 1657.
Death is the Sentence of the Lord over all Flesh.
1740, Thomas Aldous a Poor Man buried, aged 106 Years.
Twenty shillings a year is paid to the use of the poor, out of the
estate of John Smith, late of Harleston, butcher, after owned by
Francis Botterit of St. James's Suffolk.
There is a town-house for four families, and some inconsiderable
quantity of town-land.