MITFORD HUNDRED AND HALF.
At the survey it belonged to the monastry of Ely, (St. Etheldreda
or St. Audry) the abbot and convent were lords of it, in the reign of
the Confessor, and was valued at 60s. per ann. (fn. 1)
It was granted with the manor of East Derham, to that monastery
by Ethelwold Bishop of Winchester, in the reign of the Saxon King
Edgar
King Edgar granted to it very great privileges, which were confirmed and enlarged by King Edward, and other Kings, and on the
erection of the bishoprick of Ely in 1109, was settled on that see, as
part of its revenues.
In the reign of Richard I. these royalties belonged to it, soc, sac,
thol, theam, infangtheof, and outfangtheof, frithwite, ferdwite, grithbrith, and all forfeitures; which he confirmed, as his father King
Henry had.
The Bishop's men were free from all toll, passage, geld, and Dane
gelt, and acquitted from all fines for murder in the said hundred, as
due to the Bishop, except they who held of a different fee, and
except treasure trove. He had the return of all writs in his own fee,
and that of other persons, writs, of replevin, all fines and amercements,
felons goods, and fugitives.
In the 34th of Henry III. he had his own coroner, and the hundred
was valued at 100s. per ann. in the 35th he had free warren, and in
the 41st of that King his own judge for this liberty, William le Briton;
when it was found that Hugh de Norword, late Bishop, had erected a
prison at East Derham, since the last iter of the judges, the prisoners
before being brought to Norwich.
In the 6th of Edward I. it appears that he had a gallows, tumbrel,
a free court, and cognizance of all secular crimes, and held pleadings
in the hundred as well as the sheriff in the county, and had assise of
bread and beer, and in the 21st of that King, a complaint being made
by the Bishop that some persons belonging to this liberty were
impleaded before John de Mettingham, one of the King's justices, and
his associates, and would not allow of his liberty, satisfaction was
ordered to be made to the Bishop, by the King, &c. in parliament;
about this time the jury find it valued at 10 marks per ann.
In the 11th of Henry VI. the Bishop's bailiff accounted for sheriff's
aid 8s. 2d. and for the letes of North and East Tudenham, Mateshale,
Thuxton, Gerveston, Reymirston, Hardingham, South-Bergh, Rysing,
Cranworth, Letten, Shipdam, Westfield, Bergh, Yaxham, Hokering, and
Streteman's-Dike; this was so called from the north street of East
Derham, which lies in the hundred of Launditch, of which John Le
Strange of Litcham in Norfolk was lord in 1277, and the men inhabiting in this street, met once every year to renew their pledges, at
this dike, in the presence of the bailiffs of both these hundreds, and
paid a fine, (ne occasionentur) not to be charged with any occasional
payments. The fine was 2s. of which the Bishop's bailiff was to have
1s. 8d. and the other bailiff 4d. or to eat with the Bishop's bailiff,
at the Bishop's charge, and the turn for this street was held at this
place.
The hundred remained in the see of Ely, till granted to the Crown,
by act of parliament, in the 1st of Elizabeth: in the beginning of
her reign I find it let for 4l. 5s. 3d per ann. besides casualties; and
in the 16th of James I. it was granted to Sir John Hobart, lord chief
justice of the Common Pleas, for three lives.
In 1669, the hundred court was kept at Brok pit, and I find the
sum of 13d. then paid at the turn held there for lands at Begale green
in Mateshale.
The office of bailiff was a patent place for life.
Bishop Alcok, in the reign of Henry VII. granted it to his kinsman
John Alkok: Henry Sharington, Esq. held it, in the reign of
Henry VI.
In the 37th of Henry VIII. Thomas Goodrye Bishop of Ely granted
Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk the office of bailiff, of all and singular the lordships, and lands in Norfolk, belonging to him for his
life, dated at Ely in the chapter-house, September 21.