BROCKDISH
Is the next adjoining town eastward, through which the great road
passes to Yarmouth; on the left hand of which, stands the church,
on a hill by itself, there being no house near it but the parsonage,
which joins to the east side of the churchyard. The advowson always
belonged to the Earl's manor here, with which it now continues.
In Norwich Domesday we read, that the rector had a house and 30
acres of land, that it was then valued at 15 marks, and paid as it now
doth for synodals 1s. 9d. procurations 6s. 8d. and 12d. Peter-pence. It
stands in the King's Books thus:
10l. Brokedish rectory. 1l. yearly tenths.
And consequently pays first-fruits, and is incapable of augmentation.
The church stands included in the glebe, which is much the same in
quantity as it was when the aforesaid survey was taken. It is in Norfolk archdeaconry, Redenhall deanery, and Duke of Norfolk's
liberty, though he hath no lete, warren, paramountship, or superiour
jurisdiction at all in this town, the whole being sold by the family along
with the manors of the town.
In 1603, there were 103 communicants here, and now there are 50
families, and about 300 inhabitants; it was laid to the ancient tenths
at 4l. but had a constant deduction of 14s. on account of lands belonging to the religious, so that the certain payment to each tenth,
was 3l. 6s.
The Prior of St. Faith at Horsham owned lands here, which were
taxed at 2s. 6d. in 1428.
The Prior of Thetford monks had lands here of the gift of Richard
de Cadomo or Caam, (fn. 1) who gave them his land in Brokedis, and a wood
sufficient to maintain 20 swine, in the time of King Henry I. when
William Bigot, sewer to that King, gave to this priory all the land
of Sileham, which from those monks is now called Monks-hall manor,
and the water-mill there; all which Herbert Bishop of Norwich conveyed to his father, in exchange for other lands, he being to hold it in
as ample a manner as ever Herbert the chaplain did; and in Ric. the
Second's time, the monks bought a piece of marsh ground in Brokedis,
to make a way to their mill, which being not contained in the grant of
Monks-hall manor from Hen. VIII. to the Duke of Norfolk, William
Grice, Esq. and Charles Newcomen, who had a grant of such lands as
they could find concealed from the Crown, seized on this as such; and
upon their so doing, the owner of the mill was obliged to purchase it
of them, by the name of Thetford-Mill-Way, and it hath ever since
belonged to, and is constantly repaired by the owner thereof.
Rectors of Brockidish.
12 - - Robert
12 - - Sir Ralf de Creping, rector.
1313, Sir Stephen Bygod. The King, for this turn.
1324, Nic. le Mareschal. Tho. Earl of Norfolk and Marshal.
1326, Mathew Paumer, or Palmer. Ditto. He changed for Canefield-Parva in London diocese with
Master Robert de Hales. Ditto.
1333, John de Melburn. Ditto.
1355, Roger de Wombwell. Lady Eleanor and Thomas de Wingfield, attorneys to Sir John Wingfield, Knt.
1356, John Knyght of Exeter. Mary Countess-Marshal, widow
of Tho. de Brotherton, who recovered the advowson by the King's
writ, against Sir J. Wingfield, Knt. and Thomas his brother, William
de Lampet and Alice his wife, and Catherine her sister, and so Wombwell was ejected.
1357, John de Esterford. Mary Countess-Marshal. He resigned in
1367, to John son of Catherine de Frenge, and he in
1368, to John Syward. Sir Walter Lord Manney.
1382, John de Balsham, who changed for Stowe St. Michael in
Exeter diocese, with
Bartholomew Porter. Margaret Marshal, Countess of
Norfolk.
1405, Sir John Dalyngho of Redcnhall. Eliz. Dutchess of Norf.
in right of her dower.
1417, he exchanged with Thomes Barry, priest, for the vicarage of
Berkyng church in London. John Lancaster, Ric. Sterisacre,
and Rob. Southwell, attorneys to John Duke of Norfolk, EarlMarshal and Notyngham, who was beyond the seas. Barry resigned
in
1422, to Sir Thomas Briggs, priest, who died rector. Ditto.
1454, Sir Hen. White, priest. John Duke of Norf. Earl-Marshal
and Notingham, Marshal of England, Lord Mowbray, Segrave, and
Gower. He resigned in
1455, to Sir Thomas Holm, priest. Ditto. And he in
1478, to John Nun. The King, as guardian to Richard Duke of
York and Norfolk, and Lady Ann his wife, daughter and heir of John
late Duke of Norfolk.
1491, John Mene; he had a union to hold another benefice.
1497, John Rogers, A. M. Eliz. Dutchess of Norfolk. He resigned in
1498, to Sir John Fisk, priest, chaplain to the Dutchess. Ditto.
At whose death in
1511, Sir Robert Gyrlyng, chaplain to Thomas Earl of Surrey, had
it of that Earl's gift: he was succeeded by
Sir William Flatberry, chaplain to Thomas Duke of Norfolk,
who presented him; he resigned in
1540, to Sir Nic. Stanton, chaplain to his patron, Tho. Duke of
Norf. Lord Treasurer and Earl-Marshal, and was succeeded by
William Hide, priest. Ditto. He resigned, and the Duke
presented it in
1561, to Sir John Inman, priest, who was buried here Aug. 1, 1586.
1586, Aug. 4, Master Richard Gibson was instituted, who was
buried Oct. 1, 1625; he was presented by Robert Nichols of Cambridge, by purchase of the turn from William le Grice, Gent. and
Hester le Grice, wife of Charles le Grice, Gent. true patrons.
1625, William Owles, who held it united to Billingford. John
Knapp of Brockdish, by grant of this turn. He was succeeded in
1645, by Brian Witherel, and he by
Mr. James Aldrich, who died rector Nov. 10, 1657, from
which time somebody held it without institution, till the Restoration,
and then receded, for in
1663, May 14, Sir Augustine Palgrave, patron of this turn, in
right of Catherine his wife, presented George Fish, on the cession of
the last incumbent; he was buried here Oct. 29, 1686.
1686, Thomas Palgrave, A.M. buried here March 24, 1724. Fran.
Laurence, Gent.
1724, Abel Hodges, A.B. he held it united to Tharston, and died in
1729. Richard Meen, apothecary, for this turn.
1729, Richard Clark, LL. B. was instituted Dec. 3, and died about
six weeks after. Mrs. Ellen Laurence of Castleacre, widow.
1730, Alan Fisher. Ditto. He resigned in
1738, and was succeeded by Robert Laurence, A. B. of Caius college, who lies buried at the south-east corner of the chancel, and was
succeeded in
1739, by Francis Blomefield, clerk, the present rector, who holds it
united to Fresfield rectory, being presented by Mrs. Ellen Laurence aforesaid.
The church is dedicated to the honour of the apostles St. Peter
and Paul, and hath a square tower about 16 yards high, part of which
was rebuilt with brick in 1714; there are five bells; the third, which is
said to have been brought from Pulham in exchange, hath this on it;
Sancta Maria ora pro nobis.
and on the fourth is this,
Uirgo Coronata duc nos ad Regna beata.
The nave, chancel, and south isle are leaded, the south porch tiled,
and the north porch is ruinated. The roof of this chancel is remarkable for its principals, which are whole trees without any joint, from
side to side, and bent in such a rising manner, as to be agreeable to
the roof. The chancel is 30 feet long and 20 broad, the nave is 54
feet long and 32 broad, and the south isle is of the same length, and
10 feet broad.
At the west end of the nave is a black marble thus inscribed,
Here lyeth buried the Body of Richard Wythe Gent. who departed this Life the 6 of Sept. 1671, who lived 64 Years and 4
Months and 9 Days.
This family have resided here till lately, ever since Edw. the Third's
time, and had a considerable estate here, and the adjacent villages.
See their arms, vol. iv. p. 135.
Another marble near the desk hath this,
Near this Place lays Elizabeth Wife of John Moulton Gent.
who died Oct. 31, 1716, aged 32 Years. And here lieth Mary the
late Wife of John Moulton, who died March 20, 1717, aged 27
Years. And also here lyeth the Body of John Moulton Gent.
who died June 12, 1718, aged 38 Years.
Moulton's arms and crest as at vol. iv. p. 501.
In a north window are the arms of De la Pole quartering Wingfield.
In 1465, Jeffry Wurliche of Brockdish was buried here, and in 1469
John Wurliche was interred in the nave, and left a legacy to pave the
bottom of the steeple. In 1518, Henry Bokenham of Brockdish was
buried in the church, as were many of the Spaldings, (fn. 2) Withes, Howards, Grices, Tendrings, and Laurences; who were all considerable
owners and families of distinction in this town.
The chapel at the east end of the south isle was made by Sir Ralf
Tendring of Brockdish, Knt. whose arms remain in its east window at
this day, once with, and once without, a crescent az. on the fess, viz.
az. a fess between two chevrons arg.
His altar monument stands against the east wall, north and south,
and hath a sort of cupola over it, with a holy-water stope by it, and a
pedestal for the image of the saint to which it was dedicated, to stand
on, so that it served both for a tomb and an altar; the brass plates of
arms and circumscription are lost.
On the north side, between the chapel and nave, stands another
altar tomb, covered with a most curious marble disrobed of many brass
plates of arms and its circumscription, as are several other stones in
the nave, isle, and chancel. This is the tomb of John Tendring of
Brockdish-hall, Esq. who lived there in 1403, and died in 1436, leaving
five daughters his heirs, so that he was the last male of this branch of
the Tendrings. Cecily his wife is buried by him.
On the east chancel wall, on the south side of the altar, is a white
marble monument with this,
Obdormit
hìc in Domino, lætam
in Christo expectans Resurrectionem, Robertus, Roberti
Laurence, ac Annæ Uxoris ejus,
Filius, hujusce Ecclesiæ
de Brockdish in Comitatû Norfolciensi Rector,
ejusdem Villæ Dominus, ac Ecclesiæ
Patronus, jure hereditario (si vixîsset) Futurus;
Sed ah! Fato nimium immaturo abreptus;
Cœlestia per Salvatoris merita sperans,
Terrestria omnia, Juvenis reliquit.
Dec. 31°. Anno æræ Christianæ mdccxxxixo.
Ætatis xxvo.
Maria, unica Soror et Hæres,
Roberti Frankling Generosi Uxor,
Fraterni Amoris
hoc Testimonium animo grato,
Memoriæ Sacrum posuit.
1. Laurence, arg. a cross raguled gul. on a chief gul. a lion passant guardant or.
2. Aslack, sab. a chevron erm. between three catherine-wheels arg.
3. Lany, arg. on a bend between two de-lises gul. a mullet of the
field for difference.
4. Cooke, or, on a chevron ingrailed gul. a crescent of the field
for difference, between three cinquefoils az. on a chief of the second,
a lion passant guardant of the first.
5. Bohun, gul. a crescent erm. in an orle of martlets or.
6. Bardolf, az. three cinquefoils or.
7. Ramsey, gul. a chevron between three rams heads caboshed arg.
8. as 1.
Crest, a griffin seiant proper.
Motto, Floreat ut Laurus.
On a flat stone under this monument, is a brass plate thus inscribed,
Sacrum hoc Memoriæ Roberti Laurence Armigeri, qui obijt
xxviijo die Julij 1637, Elizabeth Uxor ejus, Filia Aslak Lany
Armigeri posuit.
Arms on a brass plate are,
Lawrence impaling Lany and his quarterings, viz. 1, Lany. 2,
Aslack. 3, Cooke. 4, Bohun. 5, nine de-lises, 3, 3, and 3. 6, Bardolf. 7, Charles. 8, on a chevron three de-lises. 9, Ramsey. 10,
Tendring. 11, on a fess two coronets. 12, Wachesam, arg. a fess, in
chief two crescents gul. 13, a lion rampant. 14, Lany.
There is a picture of this Robert drawn in 1629, æt. 36. He built
the hall in 1634; it stands near half a mile north-east of the church,
and was placed near the old site of Brockdishe's-hall; the seat of the
Tendrings, whose arms, taken out of the old hall when this was built,
were fixed in the windows. The arms of this man and his wife, and
several of their quarterings, are carved on the wainscot in the rooms.
On the south side of the churchyard is an altar tomb covered with a
black marble, with the crest and arms of
Sayer, or Sawyer, gul. a chief erm. and a chevron between three
seamews proper.
Crest, a hand holding a dragon's head erased proper.
To the Memory of Frances late the wife of Richard Tubby Esq.
who departed this Life Dec. 22, 1728, in the 60th Year of her Age.
And adjoining is another altar tomb,
In Memory of Richard Tubby Esq. (fn. 3) who died Dec. 10th.
1741, in the 80th Year of his Age.
There are two other altar tombs in the churchyard, one for Mr.
Rich. Chatton, and another for Eliz. daughter of Robert and Eliz.
Harper, who died in 1719, aged 8 years.
The town takes its name from its situation on the Waveney or Wagheneye, which divides this county from that of Suffolk; the channel of
which is now deep and broad, though nothing to what it was at that
time, as is evident from the names of places upon this river, as the opposite vill, now called Sileham, (oftentimes wrote Sayl-holm, even to
Edw. the Third's time) shows; for I make no doubt, but it was then
navigable for large boats and barges to sail up hither, and continued
so, till the sea by retiring at Yarmouth, and its course being stopt near
Lowestoft, had not that influence on the river so far up, as it had before; which occasioned the water to retire, and leave much land dry
on either side of the channel; though it is so good a stream, that it
might with ease, even now, be made navigable hither; and it would
be a good work, and very advantageous to all the adjacent country.
That [Brod-dic] signifies no more than the broad-ditch, is very plain,
and that the termination of ò, eau, or water, added to it, makes it the
broad ditch of water, is as evident.
Before the Confessor's time, this town was in two parts; Bishop Stigand owned one, and the Abbot of Bury the other; the former afterwards was called the Earl's Manor, from the Earls of Norfolk; and the
other Brockdishe's-hall, from its ancient lords, who were sirnamed
from the town.
The superiour jurisdiction, lete, and all royalties, belonged to the
Earl's manor, which was always held of the hundred of Earsham, except that part of it which belonged to Bury abbey, and that belonged
to the lords of Brockdishe's-hall; but when the Earl's manor was sold
by the Duke of Norfolk, with all royalties of gaming, fishing, &c. together with the letes, view of frankpledge, &c. free and exempt from
his hundred of Earsham, and the two manors became joined as they
now are, the whole centered in the lord of the town, who hath now
the sole jurisdiction with the lete, belonging to it; and the whole parish
being freehold, on every death or alienation, the new tenant pays a
relief of a year's freehold rent, added to the current year: The annual
free-rent, without such reliefs, amounting to above 3l. per annum.
At the Conqueror's survey the town was seven furlongs long, and five
furlongs and four perches broad, and paid 6d. to the geld or tax. At
the Confessor's survey, there were 28 freemen here, six of which held
half a carucate of land of Bishop Stigand, and the others held 143
acres under the Abbot of Bury, and the Abbot held the whole of Stigand, without whose consent the freemen could neither give away, nor
sell their land, but were obliged to pay him 40s. a year free-rent; (fn. 4) and
if they omitted paying at the year's end, they forfeited their lands, or
paid their rent double; but in the Conqueror's time they paid 16l.
per annum by tale. There were two socmen with a carucate of land,
two villeins and two bordars here, which were given to Bury abbey
along with the adjacent manor of Thorp-Abbots, but were after
severed from that manor, and infeoffed by the Abbot of Bury in
the lord of Brockdishe's-hall manor, with which it passed ever after. (fn. 5)
Brockdish-Earl's Manor, or Brockdish Comitis.
This manor always attended the manor of Forncet after it was granted
from the Crown to the Bygods, along with the half hundred of Earsham, for which reason I shall refer you to my account of that manor
at p. 223, 4. It was mostly part of the dower of the ladies of the several noble families that it passed through, and the living was generally given to their domestick chaplains. In 3 Edward I. the Abbot
of Bury tried an action with Roger Bigod, then lord and patron, for
the patronage; (fn. 6) pleading that a part of the town belonged to his house,
and though they had infeoffed their manor here in the family of the
Brockdishes, yet the right in the advowson remained in him; but it
appearing that the advowson never belonged to the Abbot's manor,
before the feofment was made, but that it wholly was appendant ever
since the Confessor's time, to the Earl's manor, the Abbot was cast:
notwithstanding which in 1335, Sir John Wingfield, Knt. and Thomas
his brother, William de Lampet and Alice his wife, and Catherine her
sister, owners of Brockdishe's manor, revived the claim to the advowson; and Thomas de Wingfield, and lady Eleanor wife of Sir John
Wingfield, presented here, and put up their arms in the church windows, as patrons, which still remain; but Mary Countess Marshal,
who then held this manor in dower, brought her quare impedit, and
ejected their clerk; since which time, it constantly attended this manor, being always appendant thereto. In 15 Edw. I. Roger Bigot,
then lord, had free-warren in all this town, as belonging to this manor,
having not only all the royalties of the town, but also the assise of
bread and ale, and amerciaments of all the tenants of his own manor,
and of the tenants of Reginald de Brockdish, who were all obliged to
do suit once a year at the Earl's view of frankpledge and lete in Brockdish; and it continued in the Norfolk family till 1570, and then Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk, obtained license from Queen Elizabeth
to sell it; it being held in capite or in chief of the Crown, as part of
the barony and honour of the said Duke, who accordingly sold the
manor, advowson, free-fishery, and all the place or manor-house, and
demean lands; together with the lete, view of frankpledge, liberty of
free warren, and all other royalties whatsoever, free and exempt from
any jurisdiction or payment to his half hundred of Earsham, to
Charles le Grice, Esq. of Brockdish, and his heirs, who was
descended from Sir Rorert le Grys of Langley in Norfolk, Knt.
equerry to Ric. I. and Oliva his wife, whose son, Sir Simon le Grys,
Knt. of Thurveton, was alive in 1238, and married Agnes daughter and
coheir to Augustine son of Richard de Waxtenesham or Waxham, of
Waxham in Norfolk, by whom he had Roger le Grys of Thurton, Esq.
who lived in the time of Edward I. whose son Thomas le Grice of Thurton, had Roger le Grice of Brockdish, who lived here in 1392; whose
son Thomas left John le Grice his eldest son and heir, who married a
Bateman, and lies buried in St. John Baptist's church in Norwich; (see
vol. iv. p. 127;) but having no male issue, William le Grice of Brockdish, Esq. son of Robert le Grice of Brockdish, his uncle, inherited;
he married Sibill, daughter and sole heir of Edmund Singleton of
Wingfield in Suffolk, and had
Anthony le Grice of Brockdish, Esq. (fn. 7) who married Margaret,
daughter of John Wingfield, Esq. of Dunham, who lived in the place,
and died there in 1553, and lies buried in the church, by whom his
wife also was interred in 1562. His brother Gilbert Grice of Yarmouth, Gent. (fn. 8) first agreed with the Duke for Brockdish, but died before it was completed; so that Anthony, who was bound with him
for performance of the covenants, went on with the purchase for his
son,
Charles le Grice aforesaid, (fn. 9) to whom it was conveyed: he
married two wives; the first was Susan, daughter and heir of Andrew
Manfield, Gent. and Jane his wife, who was buried here in 1564; the
second was Hester, daughter of Sir George Blagge, Knt. who held the
manor for life; and from these two wives descended the numerous
branches of the Grices of Brockdish, Norwich, Wakefield in Yorkshire,
&c. He was buried in this church April 12, 1575, and was found to
hold his manor of the hundred of Earsham, in free soccage, without any
rent or service, and not in capite; and Brockdishe's-hall manor of the
King, as of his barony of Bury St. Edmund in Suffolk, which lately
belonged to the abbey there, in free soccage, without any rent or service, and not in capite, and
William le Grice, Esq. was his eldest son and heir, who at the
death of his mother-in-law, was possessed of the whole estate; for in
1585, William Howard, then lord of Brockdishe's-hall manor, agreed
and sold it to this William, and Henry le Grice his brother, and their
heirs; but Howard dying the next year, the purchase was not completed till 1598, when Edw. Coppledick, Gent. and other trustees,
brought a writ of entry against John son of the said William Howard,
Gent. and had it settled absolutely in the Grices, from which time
the two manors have continued joined as they are at this day; by
Alice, daughter and heiress of Mr. Eyre of Yarmouth; he left
Francis le Grice, Esq. his son and heir, who sold the whole
estate, manors, and advowson, to
Robert Laurence of Brockdish, Esq. (fn. 10) who married Elizabeth,
daughter of Richard, son of Edmund Anguish of Great-Melton, by
whom he had
Robert Laurence, Esq. his son and heir, who married Elizabeth,
daughter of Aslack Lany, who survived him, and remarried in 1640, to
Richard Smith, Gent. by whom she had one child, Eliz. buried here
in 1641: he died July 24, 1637, and lies buried by the altar as aforesaid: he built the present hall, and had divers children, as Aslak
Laurence, Robert, born in 1633, buried in 1635, Samuel Laurence, born
in 1635, Ellen, born in 1635, Elizabeth, who married William Reynolds
of Great-Massingham, Gent. and
Francis Laurence of Brockdish, Esq. his eldest son and heir,
who married Ellen, daughter of Thomas Patrick of Castle-acre, Gent.
widow of Mathew Halcote of Litcham, Gent. who survived him, and
held Brockdish in jointure to her death, which happened Jan. 6, 1741,
when she was buried in the nave of Litcham church: they had Frances, and Elizabeth, who died infants; Mary, who died single about
1736, and was buried in the vestry belonging to Castleacre church;
Jane, married to Mr. Thomas Shin of Great Dunham, by whom a
Thomas, a son, &c. she being dead; Ellen, now widow of Thomas
Young of Oxboro, Gent. who died Oct. 1743, leaving issue, the Rev.
Mr. Thomas-Patrick Young of Caius college in Cambridge, Benjamin
and Mary, and
Samuel Lawrence, Gent. their second son, is now alive and
single; and
Robert Lawrence, Esq. their eldest son and heir, is long since
dead, but by Anne daughter of John Meriton, late rector of Oxburgh,
his wife, he left one son,
Robert Laurence, late rector of Brockdish, who died single,
and
Mrs. Mary Laurence, his only sister, who is now living, and married to Robert Frankling, Gent. of Lynn in Norfolk, is the present
lord in her right, but they have no issue.
Brockdishe's-Hall Manor,
Belonged to Bury abbey as aforesaid, till the time of Henry I. and
then the Abbot infeoffed
Sir Stephen de Brockdish in it, from whom it took its present
name; he was to hold it at the 4th part of a knight's fee of that abbey:
it contained a capital messuage or manor-house, called now Brockdishe's-hall; 105 acres of land in demean, 12 acres of wood, 8 of meadow, and 4l. 13s. 10d. rents of assise; he left it to
Jeffery de Brockdish his son, and he to
William, his son and heir, who in 1267, by the name of William de
Hallehe de Brokedis, or Will. of Brockdish-hall, was found to owe suit
and service once in a year with all his tenants, to the lete of the Earl
of Norfolk, held here. He left this manor, and the greatest part of his
estate in Norwich-Carleton (which he had with Alice Curson his wife) to
Thomas, his son and heir, and the rest of it to Nigel de Brockdish,
his younger son; (see p. 102;) Thomas left it to
Reginald, his eldest son and heir, and he to
Sir Stephen de Brockdish, Knt. his son and heir, who was capital bailiff of all the Earl of Norfolk's manors in this county; he was
lord about 1329, being succeeded by his son,
Stephen, who by Mary Wingfield his wife, had
Reginald de Brockdish, his son and heir, (fn. 11) to whom he gave
Brockdish-hall manor in Burston, (see vol. i. p. 127, vol. ii. p. 506,)
but he dying before his father, was never lord here; his two daughters
and heiresses inheriting at his father's death, viz.
Alice, married to William de Lampet about 1355, and Catherine
some time after, to William son of John de Herdeshull, lord of North
Kellesey and Saleby in Lincolnshire, who inherited each a moiety, according to the settlement made by their grandfather, who infeoffed
Sir John de Wingfield, Knt. and Eleanor his wife, and Thomas his
brother, in trust for them; (fn. 12) soon after, one moiety was settled on Robert Mortimer and Catherine his wife, by John Hemenhale, clerk, and
John de Lantony, their trustees; and not long after the whole was
united, and belonged to
Sir William Tendring of Stokeneyland, Knt. and Margaret his
wife, daughter and coheir of Sir Will. Kerdeston of Claxton in Norfolk,
Knt. who were succeeded by their son and heir
Sir John Tendring of Stokeneyland, Knt. who jointly with Agnes
his wife, settled it on
Sir Ralf Tendring of Brockdish, Knt. one of their younger sons,
who built the old hall (which was pulled down by Robert Lawrence,
Esq. when he erected the present house) and the south isle chapel,
in which he and Alice his wife are interred; his son,
John Tendring of Brockdish, Esq. who was lord here and of Westhall in Colney, (see p. 5,) and was buried in the said chapel, with
Cecily his wife, died in 1436, and left five daughrers, coheiresses, viz.
Cecily, married to Robert Ashfield of Stowlangetot in Suffolk, Esq.
Elizabeth, to Simeon Fincham of Fincham in Norfolk, Esq.
Alice, to Robert Morton.
Joan, to Henry Hall of Helwinton.
Anne, to John Braham of Colney.
Who joined and levied a fine and sold it to
Thomas Fastolff, Esq. and his heirs; and the year following,
they conveyed all their lands, &c. in Wigenhall, Tilney, and Islington, to
Sir John Howard, Knt. and his heirs; and vested them in his
trustees, who, the year following, purchased the manor of Fastolff
to himself and heirs; this Sir John left Brockdish to a younger son,
Robert Howard, Esq. who settled here, and by Isabel his wife
had
William Howard of Brockdish, Esq. who was lord in 1469; he
had two wives, Alice and Margaret, from whom came a very numerous
issue, but
Robert, his son and heir, had this manor, who by Joan his wife
had
William Howard, his eldest son and heir, who died in 1566,
seized of many lands in Cratfield, Huntingfield, Ubbeston, and Bradfield in Suffolk; and of many lands and tenements here, and in Sileham, &c. having sold this manor the year before his death, to the
Grices as aforesaid; but upon the sale, he reserved, all other his
estate in Brockdish, in which he dwelt, called Howard's Place, situate
on the south side of the entrance of Brockdish-street; which house and
farm went to
John Howard, his son and heir, the issue of whose three daughters, Grace, Margaret, and Elizabeth, failing, it reverted to
Mathew, son of William Howard, second brother to the said John
Howard their father, whose second son,
Mathew Howard, afterwards owned it; and in 1711, it was
owned by a Mathew Howard, and now by
Mr. Bucknall Howard of London, his kinsman (as I am informed.)
The site and demeans of the Earl's manor, now called the place,
was sold from the manor by the Grices some time since, and after belonged to Sir Isaac Pennington, alderman of London, (see vol. i. p.
159,) and one of those who sat in judgment on the royal martyr, for
which his estate was forfeited at the Restoration, and was given by
Car. II. to the Duke of Grafton; and his Grace the present Duke of
Grafton, now owns it.
the benefactions to this parish are,
One close called Algorshegge, containing three acres, (fn. 13) and a grove
and dove-house formerly built thereon containing about one acre, at
the east end thereof; the whole abutting on the King's highway north,
and the glebe of Brockdish rectory west: and one tenement abutting
on Brockdish-street south, called Seriches, (fn. 14) with a yard on the north
side thereof, were given by John Bakon the younger, of Brockdish,
son of John Bakon the elder, of Thorp-Abbots; the clear profits to go
yearly to pay the tenths and fifteenths for the parish of Brockdish when
laid, and when they are not laid, to repair and adorn the parish church
there for ever: his will is proved in 1433. There are always to be 12
feoffees, of such as dwell, or are owners in the parish, and when the
majority of them are dead, the survivors are to fill up the vacancies.
In 1590, 1 Jan. John Howard, Gent. John Wythe, Gent. William
Crickmere and Daniel Spalding, yeomen, officers of Brockdish, with a
legacy left to their parish in 1572, by John Sherwood, late of Brokdish,
deceased, purchased of John Thruston of Hoxne, Gent. John Thruston
his nephew, Thomas Barker, and the inhabitants of Hoxne in Suffolk,
one annuity or clear yearly rent-charge of 6s. 8d. issuing out of six acres
of land and pasture in Hoxne, in a close called Calston's-close, one head
abutting on a way leading from Heckfield-Green to Moles-Cross, towards the east; to the only use and behoof of the poor of Brockdish, to
be paid on the first of November in Hoxne church-porch, between 12
and 4 in the afternoon of the same day, with power to distrain and
enter immediately for non-payment; the said six acres are warranted
to be freehold, and clear of all incumbrances, except another rentcharge of 13s. 4d. granted to Hoxne poor, to be paid at the same day
and place
In 1592, John Howard of Brockdish sold to the inhabitants there, a
cottage called Laune's, lying between the glebes on all parts; this
hath been dilapidated many years, but the site still belongs to the parish.
From the old Town Book.
1553, 1st Queen Mary, paid for a book called a manuel 2s. 6d.; for
two days making the altar and the holy-water stope, and for a lock for
the font. 1554, paid for the rood 9d. 1555, paid for painting the
rood-loft 14d. At the visitation of my Lord Legate 16d. To the
organs maker 4d. and for the chalice 26s. 1557, paid for carriage of
the Bible to Bocnam 12d. for deliverance of the small books at Harlstone 15d.; the English Bibles and all religious Protestant tracts usually
at this time left in the churches for the information and instruction of
the common people, being now called in by the Papist Queen. Paid
for two images making 5s.; for painting them 16d. for irons for them 8d.
But in 1558, as soon as Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne, all these
Popish, images, &c. were removed out of the church. Paid for sinking the altar 4d.; carrying out the altar 5d.; mending the communion table 3d.; 1561, paid for the X. Commandments 18d.; for pulling
down the rood-loft 14d.; paid Roger Colby repairing the crosse in
the street 26s. 8d.; for a lock to the crosse-house, &c.; 1565, for digging
the ground and levelling the low altar, (viz. in the south chapel,) and
mending the pavement. For makyng the communion cup at Harlston 5s. 4d. besides 6s. 2d. worth of silver more than the old chalice
weyed. 1569, paid to Belward the Dean for certifying there is no
cover to the cup, 8d. 1657, layd out 19s. 4d. for the relief of Attleburgh, visited with the plague. Laid out 17s. for the repair of the
Brockdish part of Sileham bridge, leading over the river to Sileham
church. This bridge is now down, through the negligence of both
the parishes, though it was of equal service to both, and half of it repaired by each of them. In 1618, the church was wholly new paved
and repaired; and in 1619, the pulpit and desk new made, new books,
pulpit-cloth, altar-cloth, &c. bought.
From the Register:
1593, Daniel son of Robert Pennington, Gent. bapt. 13 July. 1626,
John Brame, Gent. and Anne Shardelowe, widow, married Sept. 2.
1631, John Blomefield and Elizabeth Briges married May 30.
1666, Roger Rosier, Gent. buried. 1735, Henry Blomefield of Fersfield, Gent. single man, and Elizabeth Bateman of Mendham, single
woman, married Feb. 27.