DUNSTON,
Or the town by the dune or hill, was at the Conquest (though but a
small village) in no less than five parts, the 1st belonged to Alan Earl
of Richmond, and at the Confessor's survey was owned by Herold
the Dane, and the King and the Earl had the lete, or superiour jurisdiction of the whole village, which was half a mile long and three
furlongs broad, and paid 6d. ob. geld or tax. The 2d, was Roger
Bigot's. The 3d, Godric the sewer's the 4th belonged to Merkeshall
manor, as at p. 46, and the 5th was a freeman of the King's who had
then 13 acres only, valued at 12d. (fn. 1) But soon after, the whole became
one manor, with the advowson of the rectory appendant thereto, and
belonged to the Crown, till the beginning of Ric. I. when William
Helgheton had it of that King's gift, whose son Herbert de Helgheton
granted the advowson from the manor, to Alice de Fundenhale, wife
of Robert Fitz-Ralf, who in 1196 had a trial with Herbert for the advowson, when the jury found, that it was not apparent, that the church
had ever yet been presented to, but that the parsons held it, from parson to parson, as from father to son, till the death of the last incumbent, and that though the said Alice had no manor nor demean in
Dunston, yet, it being founded in the fee of the said Herbert, her grant
was good, and she had the advowson confirmed to her, and her parson was instituted, (fn. 2) and so the advowson was separated from the
manor.
In 1205, King John confirmed the manor to William son of
Walkeline de Dunston, when Walkeline his father took upon
him a religious habit, and entered a monastery. This William was
falconer to King John, who settled this town on William de Dunston,
son and heir of William his falconer, (fn. 3) and Alice his sister, and their
heirs; he was succeeded by Bartholomew his son and heir, who in
1256, pleaded an exemption for his manor, from suit of the sheriff's
turn. In 1280, Rob. de Dunston, John de Dunston, and Jeffry de la
Penne, were lords here; and the same year, William son of Rich. de
Dunston was sued, for pretending to appropriate to himself the fishing
in the river between Shotesham and Dunston, when it appeared, that
the fishery on Dunston side, was common to all the tenants of Dunston
manor. (fn. 4) In 1285, Emma, widow of John de la Penne, had one part
of the manor, and in 1286, William son of Richard, and William son
Nicholas de Dunston, were lords; in 1345, Robert and John de Dunston had it; in 1385, Hugh de Dunston; and in 1395, John de Dunston
and Maud his wife settled it by fine on Sir Edmund de Thorp and his
trustees. I find about this time, Robert de Holveston had an interest
in the manor, (fn. 5) which soon after belonged to John Howes of Dunston,
who sold it to John de Bonyngton and Christian his wife, who all
joined about 1399, and conveyed the whole to Bartholomew de Appleyerd, citizen of Norwich, for life; and after his decease to Richard de
Dunston, chaplain, and his heirs, who after became seized of the whole
town; Agnes Custinoble, heiress of John de Bonyngton, releasing also
all her right. In 1401, Henry Luminour held it at the 8th part of a
fee, of Will. de Kerdeston, and he of the heirs of Montchensy, who
held it of Maud de Cromwell Lady Tateshall, and she of the King in
chief; and Roger de Blickling then held here the 5th part of a fee of
John de L'isle, and he of the King, as of the honour of Lancaster. In
1419, it was settled in trust on Sir John de Heveningham, Knt. Will.
Paston, and others, to the sole use of the Appleyerd family; and
in 1481, Will. Appleyerd of East-Carleton, Gent. bequeathed his manor of Dunston to Thomas his eldest son, and his heirs male, paying
annuities to his brother John, and Elizabeth his mother; and for want
of male issue, it was to remain to Thomas his brother, then to John
his brother, and to Henry son of John, then to Henry his brother, then
to Bartholomew, and then to John Appleyerd; it went after to Bartholomew, who died in 1492, and Margaret his widow, and Sir Rob.
Jermyn, administered. In 1534, Thomas Appleyerd settled it on John
Taseburgh his trustee; and in 1548, he was found to hold it of Edmund
Knevet, Knt. as of his manor of Hethersete, by knight's service, and
Robert Appleyerd, was his son and heir; in 1572, John Appleyerd,
Gent. had it. In 1632, John Hamond of Ellingham by Bungeye, Gent.
owned it, and dying this year, left it to John Hammond his son and
heir. It afterwards came to the Longs, and is now owned by Israel
Long, Esq. who is sole lord, impropriator and donor of the donative
or perpetual curacy of
The church, which is dedicated to St. Remigius; its advowson
was separated from the manor, as is above related; and in 1233, it
belonged to Bartholomew de Creke, as part of the ancient inheritance
of his family, for then he granted it to Richeld, widow of Rob. de
Creke, his father's second wife; and in 1264, it was given by Margery,
relict of Bartholomew de Creke, foundress of the nuns at Flixton, to
that house, to which it appropriated by Simon de Walton Bishop of
Norwich, (fn. 6) on condition the nuns should have the whole of the rectory,
finding a priest to perform the duty, and paying him for so doing;
and in 1238, a fine was levied, by which Roger Fitz Peter Fitz Osbert,
and Sarah de Creke, his wife, the heiress of the Creke family, settled
the advowson on the Prioress of Flixton, in pure alms : at the time of
the appropriation, the rector had a house and 30 acres of land. The
living was first valued at five, afterwards at 7 marks and an half, and
paid 2s. synodals, 6s. 8d. procurations, 12d. Peter-pence, and 2d. 0b.
carvage. In 1349, when the general plague had depopulated great
part of the realm, it was returned, that most of the parishioners here
were dead, the land left untilled, so that the Prioress could not pay
the King's taxes for it, nor the 10l. per annum to the Bishop, then
usually paid. It was granted by Edward VI. in 1539, to William and
Tho. Woodhouse, (fn. 7) and the whole belonged to Anthony Stiles, whose
son Anthony had livery of this rectory, with Swerdeston, &c. to which
he got it annexed, as at p. 52. In 1559, Ric. Nicholls, Esq. had it;
and in 1603, Simon Lusher, curate here, returned answer, that there
were 40 communicants in the parish, that it was an impropriation,
without a vicarage endowed, served by a perpetual curate, appointed
and paid by the impropriator; that the town paid clear to every tenth
18s. (fn. 8) The dean of the chapel in the Fields in Norwich had lands
here, settled on that college in 1391, by Henry Lumnor and others.
The Rev. Mr. William Berney, rector of Newton Flotman and Fretenham, is the present curate.
The church is about 19 yards long and 5 broad, hath no isles nor
porch; the nave and chancel hath one continued roof, covered with
tiles, as is the top of the tower, which is square, and hath in it only
one bell.
On a stone in the chancel there are three effigies in brass, with a brass
plate under them, but no inscription; and lower down on the same
stone, are cut three shields; on the first, a lion with its tail turned over
his head. (fn. 9) 2d, Talbot, arg a chevron gul. between three talbots
passant sab. 3d, Harborne, gul. a lion passant or, between three
bezants, a crescent for difference.
Here lyeth interred the Body of the late virtuous and pious
Wife of Clere Talbot, Doctor of the Law, the eldest Daughter of William Harborne of Mundham, Esq; who died 18th Day
of Decem. 1649, leaving three Daughters and Coheiresses by
William Sidnor of Blundeston, Esq; her former Husband.
On the other stone are the arms of
Long of Dunston. arg. three pales sab. on each three leopards
heads or. Crest, on a hill vert, a greyhound passant sab. collared
and chained arg.
Israel Long Esq; passed from death to life Nov. 13, MDCCIX.
There needs no Monument of Brass or Stone,
For one, whose Name is Monument alone.
Non Deest ulli celebrans Poema
Integro vitæ scelerisque puro:
Sufficit nomen maculis inane
Pro Monumento.
And also the Body of Sarah Long, the Dr. and Heir of Matthew Long Gent. deceased, and Relict of the said Israel Long,
who departed this Life Apr. 8, MDCCXX.
Par Nobile.
Here lies a Noble Pair, who were in Name,
In Heart, and Mind, and Sentiments the same,
The Arithmætick Rule then can't be true,
For One and One, did never here make Two.
Here lyeth interred the Body of Mary Long Widow, and
Relict of Matthew Long, Gent. who departed this Life the 19
Day of May 1668. Robert son of Israel Long Gen. and Sarah
his Wife died Dec. 8, 1668. Matthew Long Gent. died Nov. 12,
1658. Mary Dr. of Israel Long Esq. died Dec. 21, 1718, 55.
Long impales Potts, az. two bars surmounted by a bend or.
Mortale quod habuit, dum Christo jubente, immortale resurgat,
hoc sub marmore inter Majorum Cineres, deposuit Matthæus
Long Armiger, Vir moribus antiquis Vitæ integerrimus, Filius
Israelis Long de Dunston in Agro Norfolciensi; si quid amplius
Viator, scire cupias, Roges Egenos, qui toties hujus Largitate
Saturati, discessere, Eos roges Hospites, quos plenâ Mensâ toties
communicavit; Uxorem duxit Susannam, Domini Rogeri Potts
de Mannington Baronetti Filiam pientissimam. Obijt Aug. 28,
Anno æt. suæ 61, Salutis humanæ 1724. (He was
high sheriff of Norfolk in 1699.)
On a brass plate,
Orate pro anima margarete Applyard que abiit Anno Domini
M. bC. rriii. cuius anime propicietur Deus.
In the nave, the arms of Davy in a lozenge. Sarah Davy died 11
July, 1720, æt. 22.
Sleep on in Silence, never more to wake,
'Till Christ doth raise thee, and to Glory take.
In the windows, arg. a cross gul. Gul. a cross arg. Ar. six mullets three and three gul. Sab. two bars, and in chief three annulets
arg. impaling arg. in a bordure six mullets, 3, 2, and 1, G.