Holt hundred: Thornage

THORNAGE.

William Beaufoe was lord at the survey, and held it in right of his church or see, then at Thetford; and Aylmare, Bishop of Elmham possessed it, by the same right in King Edward's reign, as a manor, with 8 carucates of land, 40 borderers, and 8 servi belonged to it, with 8 carucates in demean, and 10 among the tenants, paunage for 50 swine, 9 acres of meadow 3 mills, 4 runci, or beasts of carriage, &c. and 100 sheep.

Brunton, Saxlingham, Beckham, were beruites belonging to it, and valued with it.

There were 16 socmen with 36 acres and 4 carucates; the whole was valued in King Edward's time at 13l. at the survey at 30l. per ann. was one leuca long and 4 furlongs broad, and paid 12d. gelt; and there was a church endowed with 32 acres, valued at 32d.

In the 35th of Henry III. Walter Bishop of Norwich, lord of it, had a charter of free warren; and in the 15th of Edward I. the Bishop claimed view of frank pledge, assise of bread and beer, weyf, &c. and a gallows in Thorndych.

It remained in the see till the exchange of land made in the 27th Henry VIII. between the King and the Bishop of Norwich, and was granted July 1, by that King, in his 28th year, with the advowson, to Sir William Butts, M.D. the King's chief physician, in which family it continued, till Anne, only daughter and heir of Edmund Butts, Esq. and Anne, his wife brought it by marriage to Sir Nicholas Bacon, Bart. son and heir of Sir Nicholas, lord keeper of the great seal, and so remained in that family, till sold by Sir Edmund Bacon, Bart. to Sir Jacob Astley, Bart. of Melton, about 1710, whose grandson, Sir Jacob Astley, Bart. died lord and patron.

Tenths, 2l. 6s. Deducted 10s.

The Church is a rectory. The old valor was 10 marks. Peterpence, 5d. The prior of Norwich had a portion of tithe valued at 5 marks. The present valor is 6l. 18s. 4d.

Rectors.

In 1258, Mr. Simon de Letheringset occurs rector.

1305, Richard de Suctone instituted, collated by the Bishop of Norwich.

1307, Mr. Nicholas de Rudham. Ditto.

1315, Mr. Nicholas de Rudham. Ditto.

Mr. Warine de Fuldone, rector.

1319, Mr. Nicholas de Rudham. Ditto.

1349, Robert de Walton. Ditto.

1357, William Hurtand. Ditto.

1358, John Wynter.

1360, Nicholas Crouch, collated by the Bishop of Norwich.

Thomas Tymworth.

1619, Augustine Underwood, rector, compounded May 5.

Christopher Birlingham, rector, about 1620.

Francis Fesquet died rector 1734.

1734, Nathaniel Shorting succeeded, presented by William Brereton, Gent.

1759, John Astley, presented by Sir Jacob Astley, Bart.

Thomas le Freemen aliened an acre with a messuage in Brunton, and a messuage with 38 acres of land and 5 of pasture in this town, to the parson of Brunton, in the 6th of Edward II.

On the north side of the chancel is a tomb,

In memory of Anne, daughter of George Waldgrave, Esq; of Smalbridge in Suffolk. who married first, Henry Buers, Esq; of Acton in Suffolk, Esq; and 2dly Sir Clement Heigham, who died April 21, 1559, œtat. suœ, lxxxiiii.

By the tomb it appears that she had three sons and 5 daughters.

On it are the arms of Buers, ermin, on a chief indented, sable, 2 lions rampant, or impaling Waldgraae and Heigham, sable, a fess, checque, or and azure, between three horses heads erased, argent, impaling Waldgrave.

On the south side a tomb for Sir William Butts, with his effigies in armour, kneeling, his helmet at his feet, and his lady by him on her knees, with their arms, Butts impaling Buers.

In the steeple window, azure, a lion rampant, billetty, sable, and a chief, or, impaling argent, six columbines, azure, on a chief, sable, three castles, or.