North Erpingham Hundred: Hanworth

HANWORTH.

Roger Bigot, ancestor of the Earls of Norfolk, was lord of a manor of which Withri, a freeman, was deprived on the conquest; containing 4 carucates of land, eleven villains, and 30 borderers, 2 servi, 4 carucates in demean, and 5 among the tenants, paunage for 60 swine, with 6 acres of meadow, a mill, one runcus, and 14 cows, — 11 sheep, 30 goats, 7 skeps of bees; and Roughton was a beruite to it; 3 villains in Aldby, Ingworth and Calthorp belonged to it, with 3 borderers in Alburgh, Susted, and Thurgarton:—so that in the whole, it was worth 4l. at the survey 5l. &c. was 8 furlongs long, 5 broad, paid 9d. ob. gelt; Withri had the soc and sac; the King and the Earl, all forfeitures. (fn. 1)

King John, in his 5th year, granted to Roger Bigot Earl of Norfolk, lord of this town, the privilege of a fair, on the vigil, the day, and the day after St. Bartholomew; and in the 3d of Edward I. Roger Earl of Norfolk, and Earl-Marshal of England, had the lete, the assise, and a fair; in the 14th of the said King, claimed the trial of any robber or thief, taken in this lordship with the stolen goods, and on conviction, the carrying of him prisoner to his manor of Colby, by Aylesham in South Erpingham hundred, and of hanging him there.

In the 33d of that King, Simon de Hedersete was keeper or steward of this lordship, and had the King's writ to cut down 14 oaks by Hanworth wood, to repair the King's house at Burgh, by Aylesham. Earl Roger died this year, and he was found to have had 140 acres of land, a meadow called Barler's, in Aleby, pasture, called Bellows, 3 water mills, one windmill, part of one in Aleby, and a park in this town.

King Edward II. in his first year, sent his writ, dated January 16, to Sir Simon, to deliver up the custody of this manor, and that of Fornset to John de Thorp, late Roger Bigot's Earl of Norfolk, deceased; witnesses, John de Sandale, locum tenens of the treasurer; this John was afterwards Bishop of Winchester.

This Earl, leaving no issue, had constituted King Edward I. his heir, to the greatest part of his estate, who granted it, with the earldom of Norfolk, and the marshalship of England, to Thomas de Brotherton his 5th son; though some historians say he was created Earl of Norfolk, by his brother-in-law, King Edward II.

Thomas de Brotherton left Margaret, a daughter and coheir, who married John, Lord Segrave, by whom he had a daughter and heir, Margaret, (Elizabeth as some say,) who brought this lordship and the inheritance of Brotherton, by marriage, to John Lord Mowbray. This Margaret was created by King Richard II. Dutchess of Norfolk, her eldest son dying s. p. Thomas, her 2d, Earl of Nottingham, and Earl-Marshal of England, was in the 20th of the said King, created Duke of Norfolk. In this family this lordship remained, till Ann, daughter and heir of John Mowbray Duke of Norfolk, married to Richard Duke of York, 2d son of Edward IV. dying without issue, Sir John Howard, Knt. was created Duke of Norfolk, and Marshal of England, in right of Margaret his mother, (daughter and coheir of Thomas de Mowbray Duke of Norfolk,) married to Sir Robert Howard, father of the said Sir John, and was lord of this manor.

In the 4th of Henry VII. the rent of assise was 26l. 2s. 8d. ob. q. customary rents and services, 15l. 7s. 6d. ob. rent of capons, hens, 34s. 10d. ob. the farm of Wentland 10s. 1d. ob. Of the demeans, mill, agistment of the park, picage of Alburgh fair, and Hanworth fair, - - - - -.

On the attainder of Thomas Duke of Norfolk, it came to the Crown in 1572, and Queen Elizabeth, in her 35th year, December 6, demised to John Lane of London, Gent. the site and demeans of this lordship, the park, Alburgh fair, all courts belonging hereto, with messuages, houses, mills, and barley rents; viz. 92 quarters, 5 bushels and a peck, at the rent of 27l. 12s. 11d. per ann. for 21 years, which Lane soon after assigned it to William Dix, Gent.

On Thomas Howard Earl of Arundel's being restored in blood, in the first of King James I. he had also in the said year, June 17, a grant of this manor, &c.

Roger Bigot had also another lordship in this town, of the gift of tho Conqueror, of which Withri, a freeman, as aforesaid, was deprived, who had in the Confessor's time, 3 freemen, (but at the survey there were 5 borderers under Roger Bigot,) who held 60 acres of land with a carucate and an half, and 3 roods of meadow, then valued at 10s. but at the survey at 18s. per ann. (fn. 2)

This was afterwards (as I take it) called the manor of Belhouse. In the 9th of Edward II. William Clarkson was returned to have a lordship here, probably this.

In the 18th of Henry VI. Thomas Holland, and Agnes his wife, passed by fine, to Robert Norwich, and William Norwich, junior, the manor of Belhouse in Hanworth; soon after, Sir William Phelip Lord Bardolf died seized of it; and William Viscount Beaumont held it in the beginning of Edward the Fourth's reign. Stephen Betrynge, by his will, in 1490, gives it for life to Elizabeth, his wife, and after to William, his son. (fn. 3)

The Church was formerly a rectory, valued at 15 marks, and paid Peter-pence, 10d. and dedicated to St. Bartholomew. The prior and convent of Thetford, had a portion of tithe in King Edward the First's time, valued at 3 marks per ann. and at that time the prior of Hickling held it appropriated to him with 30 acres of land, when there was a vicar who had a house, but no land; the present valor of which is 5l. 1s. 6d. and is discharged.

Vicars.

In 1306, Nicholas de Causton was presented to the vicarage by the prior of Hickling, and instituted.

1338, Nicholas Belleward. Ditto.

1349, Robert de Alby.

1384, John Garel. Ditto.

1398, John Knot. Ditto.

1410, John Ryche.

1433, John Bateman, canon of Hickling, by the Bishop, a lapse.

Edmund Worstede.

1440, William Curteys.

1483, William Thyrsford.

1493, John Botild.

1494, Thomas Marys, by the Bishop, a lapse.

In 1507, July 16, the Bishop united this vicarage to the priory of Hickling, during the life of Robert Wyndham, alias Botilde, by the prior.

1533, Thomas Hawe.

1555, Thomas Conyers, by the Bishop, a lapse.

William Gray, vicar.

1589, Robert Roo, by Sir Edward Clere.

1597, Robert Claphamson. Ditto.

In 1603, he returned 95 communicants.

Anthony Jermy died vicar, 1723, succeeded by Thomas Gallant, by Sir John Hobart, Bart.

1733, George England, by Lord Hobart.

1737, Thomas Sayer. Ditto.

1757, John Tayleur, (this church then consolidated to Gunton) by Sir William Harbord, Bart.

Robert Playford, buried in the church, in 1558.

On a gravestone in the church,

William Doughty, only son of William Dougthy, Esq; by Frances his 2d wife, after eleven years travel into the Barbadoes, &c. safely arrived at this his native town, and when he had with great joy seen all his friends and neighbours, took his leave, and returned to the universal place the earth, where all must rest till the sound of the trump, at the age of 42 years, March 8, 167²/3—William, son of Robert Doughty, of Hanworth, Esq; and Hester his wife,- - - - - - - -

Also on a gravestone

Orate p. a'i'ab; Johs. Bitteryng, et Marg'te uxor. ej.

In the church is St. Mary's and St. Bartholomew's light.

Haganworda is a compound; Ha or A, Ken or Gan, a name of many rivulets; as Kenton, Ken-ford; and thus Aken, a city in Germany, called now Aix La Chapelle; Worth always signifies that site, or place where two streams meet and unite.