LAKENHAM
Takes its name from its situation, by the broad water or lake. It
belonged to Stigand in the Confessor's time, who held it as a berewic
or hamlet belonging to the manor of Thorp. It was then two miles
long, and seven furlongs broad, and paid 3d. 3q. to the Dane-geld.
It had a church and 13 acres of glebe held in Frank-Almoign, but at
the general survey it belonged to the Conqueror, (fn. 1) and Will. de Noiers
looked after for him. It continued in the Crown, till King Henry I.
gave the manor and advowson to Bishop Herbert, and they two
settled them on the prior and convent, and the manor continued in
the church till the Dissolution of the convent. In Edw. the First's
time, it was found by an inquisition then taken, that it was ancient
demean of the Crown and entitled to all the liberties of ancient
demeans; that it was in the liberty of the convent, and had all the
same liberties as Eaton manor, it being then in Humbleyard hundred.
It had a common gallows and cucking-stool, free-warren, &c. This
manor, with that of Ameringhall, paid a rent of a bridle and pair of
spurs, or 3s. 4d in lieu thereof, to the Earl of Arundell. In Richard
the Second's time, Robert Thugarton, and others, settled 120 acres of
land, and one acre of meadow, and 2s. 2d. yearly rents, lying here,
and in other towns, on the prior and convent; which in 1284,
belonged to John Fitz Gilbert, (fn. 2) who then claimed view of frankpledge, and assise of bread and ale, of all his tenants in Lakenham.
In 1428, the prior was taxed for his temporals at 15l. 10s. 8d. and the
village paid to each tenth 1l. 13s. but had a deduction of 6s. 8d. for
the lands of the religious, which were taxed by themselves.
The rectory continued appendant to the manor till about 1205,
and then John de Grey Bishop of Norwich (fn. 3) appropriated it to the
chamberlain of the monastery, reserving to himself all episcopal and
parochial jurisdiction; upon this, a vicarage was erected, which in
Norwich Domesday Book is rated at 40s. to the first fruits, but was
not taxed; that is, not liable to any tenths, fifteenths, &c. as the rectory was, which was estimated at six marks, and paid 8s. every whole
tax. The church was not visited by the Archdeacon of Norfolk, but
was an exempt, as belonging to the Prior's manor, from all but episcopal jurisdiction; as to procurations, synodals, and Peter-pence, it
was free, for it is not so much as mentioned in the Archdeacon's
Register; neither is it valued in the King's Books; but being sworn
of the clear yearly value of 30l. 1s. it is capable of augmentation.
It seems, part of the profits went to maintain a cell of monks at St.
Catherine's chapel on Muswold-hill, (see p. 425,) and the rest belonged
to the chamberlain's office. This vicarage was afterwards endowed
upon the statute, and the vicar is entitled to all the tithes in the
parish, except those of corn or grain, which belong to the impropriator; (fn. 4) the present vicar having recovered all the small tithes of
the demeans and Hall-farm, after a long suit for the same; for on
March 17, 1735, the decree of the court of Exchequer was affirmed
in favour of the vicar, by the House of Lords.
Vicars.
PRESENTED BY THE PRIOR AND CONVENT.
1312, John de Berney, priest.
1327, Simon Den of Brisele, R.
1359, John Hakoun of Wilby.
1361, Andrew Kynne.
1370, Peter Smith, buried in the churchyard, 1375.
1375, Roger Calf.
1386, Edmund Martin, lapse, who, the same year, changed for
Worsted, with John son of Hugh de Kimberlee; at whose death it
was kept void, and the chamberlain of the monastery received all the
profits of the vicarage, as well as rectory, and served it by one of the
monks, or a stipendiary curate, to the Dissolution, and so it was
continued by the dean and chapter till 1610.
1610, Anthony Wilkinson, A. M. the King, by lapse; he was succeeded by
Ralph Marham, who was presented by the dean and chapter,
and died vicar in 1626, and
Tho. Smith (fn. 5) was instituted, on whose death in
1666, John Harwood, A. M. succeeded.
1692, Francis Folchier, A. M. on Harwood's death; and in
1715, Philip Burrough on Folchier's deprivation; he held it united
to Catton, was minor canon, and died in 1718, and
Pexall Foster, A. M. succeeded, on whose death in
1719, the Rev. Mr. John Fox, A. M. minor canon of the cathedral,
the present vicar, was instituted on the presentation of the dean and
chapter, and holds it united to the vicarage of Catton.
As to the MANOR, when the priory was converted into a dean and
chapter by Henry VIII. Ao. reg. 30, it was confirmed to them with
their other possessions, and continued in the church till 3d June,
1 Edw. VI. and then the dean and chapter surrendered all their possessions to that King, who the 9th Nov. the same year, regranted
great part of their possessions to them, and among other things, this
impropriate rectory and church, and advowson of the vicarage, but he
excepted the manors and rectories, and advowsons of the vicarages, of
Hemesby and Wiclewood, and the manors of Martham and Lakenham;
and also all messuages, lands, tenements, meadows, pastures, feedings,
TITHES, rents, courts, leets, and other hereditaments, whatsoever, to
the said manors belonging or accounted, as parts of the same manors
and rectories; and also excepted all those lands, tenements, and
tithes, assigned to the manor of Lakenham, out of the manors of
Eaton and Ameringhall. By virtue of which, this manor only was
vested in the King, the small tithes being passed away with the grant
of the advowson of the vicarage; and thus they continued in the
Crown till July 1st Ao. VI. reg. And then the King granted to Tho.
Gresham, Esq. and his heirs, this manor, and rectory, and church of
Lakenham, with the advowson and right of patronage of the vicarage
of the church; and Lakenham wood, (fn. 6) and the two mills, &c. and the
fald courses, and all tithes of what kind or nature soever, &c. But
the said Gresham never enjoyed the rectory or advowson of the
vicarage, the King having regranted them before, to the dean and
chapter, who always enjoyed them. In 1563, Sir Tho. Gresham, Knt.
mercer, and lord mayor of London, held this manor, with the rectory
and manor of Westacre, and the manors and granges of Great and
Little Walsingham, &c. of the King's manor of East-Greenwich, by
fealty only, in free soccage, and not in capite: and he died seized,
and Dame Anne his wife had it after him, who offered it to sale in
1580. In 1640, George Lord Berkley was lord here, he died in
1685, (fn. 7) and left it to George, his only surviving son, who being one of
the Lords of the Council to Car. II. was created Viscount Dursley,
and Earl of Berkley; and in 1693, it was owned by his 2d son James
Berkley, A. M. one of the prebendaries of Westminster, who died
about 1695; and in 1735, Jane Chaplin, widow, held it for life,
remainder to the Hon. Henry Berkley, third son to Charles late Earl
of Berkley, and brother to James Earl of Berkley.
The church is dedicated to St. John Baptist, and All the Saints,
and had a gild called St. John's gild belonging to it, which was held
before a remarkable image of the Baptist, which stood in the chancel,
and here was also an image of St. Theobald, or Tebald, much frequented by pilgrims, which offered there, for every year the offerings
at St. Theobald are accounted for, and amounted to 13s. and sometimes more, in a year. In 1452, Rob. Blickling, Esq. of Forwich, was
buried in Carrow abbey church, and ordered that the cross near Cowhawe in Lakenham, between the city and Hereford bridges, should be
well repaired at his cost, in honour of Christ was crucified.
The church stands on the cliff by the water side, and is 23 yards
long and five broad, it hath a square tower and three bells.
In the chancel, Anne Dr. of Augustine Reeve of Bracondale Esq;
1658, 12.
Reeve of Stratton Norf. az. a chevron between three pair of
wings conjoined and elevated or, impaling
Fawether, gul, billeté or, on a chief of the 2d a lion passant
vert.
Elizabetha Uxor Henrici Reeve de Bracondale in Comitatu
Civitatis Norvici, Generosi, Morbo Decennali conflictata, neque
per tot discrimina eluctari potens, quadraginta messibus peractis
15° die Mensis Aprilis 1690, placide in Domino obdormivit.
Fawether as before, impales Sedley, az. a fess wavy, between
three goats heads erased or.
Anne Relict of Sam. Fawether, of Halesworth in Suff. Esq; 17
Febr. 1696.
Orate pro anima Willi: Grene, cuius anime propicietur deus Amen.
In the nave, Will. Coan 1707, 79. Peter Webb. 1701, 6. James son
of Edm. and Sarah Webb, 1703.
1982, Martin son of Walter Ordmer of Norwich, gave a meadow
here to the prior of Norwich, and the revenues of the prioress of Carrow were taxed at 4d.
To this village belongs the hamlet of