GREAT-HAUTBOIS,
Or Hobbies, church, hath a round steeple, a nave and chancel
leaded, and stands alone, not far from the river; it hath no memorial
in it, but this on a brass plate:
Orate pro animabus Richardi Hall, et Sillibe uxoris sue qui
obiit ir die Octob.Anna Domini Moacccii.
The advowson of the church of the Assumption of St. Mary the
Vingin here, was given in the year 1199, by Peter de alto Bosco
or Hautbois, to the prior and canons of St. Mary at Cokesford,
in the parish of Rudham in Norfolk, in consideration of which, the
prior released to Peter all right he had in the church of Tutington,
and in the tithes of the tenants of the said Peter, and of Pickenham
mill, and of the fishery there, and of the hay in the meadows there, all
which the said prior and convent had right to, by the deed of his father; and immediately after this, Hautbois rectory was appropriated
to the prior of Coxford, who served it by a stipendiary parochial
chaplain, (fn. 1) and in 1277, the Bishop of Norwich, upon a suit between
Robert Baynard, then lord, and the prior, returned it to be legally
appropriated, and that the lord had not any just claim to it, but that
it was valued at 6 marks, and that accordingly the prior paid 8s. to
each tenth for it, so that the King was answered all just dues, the said
prior having only 4s. rent of temporals in the said town. The Abbot
of Caen in Normandy had temporals here taxed at 5s. 9d. ob. and the
Prior of Bromholme had his, taxed at 3s.
In 1480, the church was disappropriated, and a rector instituted; and
from that time the priors of Coxford always had the patronage, to
the Dissolution, when it was granted to the Duke of Norfolk, and it
hath ever since remained in that family, and their trustees or feoffees
have constantly presented to it.
Rectors.
1480, 13 October, Gregory Voket. The Bishop collated
Richard Young, because the prior presented an unfit person;
he died in 1505, and
Nicholas Blake had it by lapse, at whose death
Oliver Hinde had it in 1532, and was the last presented by the
prior; at his resignation in 1547, Thomas Nobbes, who had a grant
of this turn, gave it to
John Cocks, who held it by union with Colteshall.
1557, William Galebank. Thomas Duke of Norfolk.
1561, Thomas Carr, by lapse, united to Scothow.
1564, Simon Bullock. Thomas Duke of Norfolk.
1569, Nicholas Ailand. Ditto. At his resignation in 1574, William Dix, and William Cantrel, feoffees to the Norfolk family,
gave it to Richard Coope, who resigned in 1589, and Dix and John
Holland, Esq. another feoffee, presented
Roger Chidlow; and in 1604 John Holland of Kenninghall, Esq. feoffee, gave it to
John Chidlow, who was buried in Siseland church, December
4, 1652, and
John Rose had it, at whose death, in 1661, Henry Lord
Arundel of Wardour, &c. gave it to Edw. Warnes, who held it
united to Lammas, and at his death, Christian Warnes his wife,
who had the next turn from the Norfolk family, gave it in
1701, to John Barker, who held it also united to Lammas, and at his
death, Francis Taylor, Esq. gave it to
The Rev. Mr. Samuel Taylor, his son, the present rector.
There is no rectory-house, but eleven acres and 3 roods of glebe.
It stands thus in the King's Books:
4l. 6s. 8d. Hautbois, vulgo Hobbies Magna rectory 35l. clear
yearly value.
So that being discharged, it is capable of augmentation. It pays
13d. procurations to the Bishop at the visitation, synodals 8d. archdeacon's procurations 4s. and the old valuation was six marks.
The village is in the liberty of the dutchy of Lancaster; and paid
30s. to every tenth, besides 4s. paid by the religious for their lands
here. It is laid to the land-tax at 234l. 15s. and pays 5s. 6d. to every
300l. levy of the county rate.
In this church was a famous image of St. Theobald, commonly
called St. Tebbald of Hobbies; it was much frequented for its
many pretended miracles, so that pilgrimages used to be made to it.
In 1507, in the will of Agnes Parker of Keswic is this, "Item I owe a
pilgrimage to Canterbury, another to St. Tebbald of Hobbies, and
another to St. Albert at Cringleforde," (fn. 2) and in 1507 Thomas Wood of
Cowteshale gave legacies to the gild of the Virgin Mary, in the
church of the Assumption of the Virgin at Hobbies, and to paint the
new tabernacle of St. Theobald there, and this saint being so famous,
made some mistake the dedication of the church, and suppose it to
have been dedicated to St. Theobald, which is not so.
Ther was also a chantry here, founded and endowed by John
Parham, with divers lands here, and in Hobies-Parva, Scoriston, &c.
of which John Castre was chantry priest in 1442; at the Dissolution
King Edward VI. in 1557, granted among other things to Thomas
Woodhouse of Waxham, Esq. the Chauntry called de alto Bosco, in
the town of Hautbois-Magna, with all the manors, letes, lands, rents,
and services thereto belonging in Norfolk, to be held in soccage by
fealty only, of the King's manor of Brook, and the next year he sold
it to William Mingay of Norwich, notary publick, and his heirs,
John Blomefield, Esq. being witness. Under this grant also passed,
The Hospital of St. Mary, commonly called God's-house, at
the head of Hobbies Causeway, which was founded about 1235 by Sir
Peter de alto Bosco or Hautbois, for his own and ancestors
souls, for the reception of travellers and poor people; he settled ten
acres and one rood of land in Great-Hautbois, and 2 acres and an
half, and all Millfen Marsh, by Great-Hautbois Causeway, and all the
rents and services which Stephen de Walton and 26 other tenants paid,
together with all his lands in Little-Hautbois, Worsted, Swannington,
and Banningham, and Roger son of Roger le Povere, Roger Trussebut,
and Sir Richard de Cham, Knt. lords of the several fees of the lands
given by Sir Peter, released all their right to Peter Olive, chaplain,
the first custos or master of the Hospital. (fn. 3)
The founder appointed the almoner of St. Bennet to be principal guardian of this house, enjoining him to commit the custody of
it to the master or custos of the hospital of St. James, at the head of
the Causeway of St. Bennet at the Holm, who should yearly account
with the almoner, and govern this house, by a deputy appointed by the
said master, who should be custos of this hospital, and as such, account
yearly with the master of St. James's hospital.
The master was to be free from all dues to Sir Peter, as lord of
Hautbois manor; Thomas de alto Bosco, and Richard his son were
witnesses.
This house was licensed by Pope Alexander the 4th, in the third
year of his pontificate, to have a chapel, bell, and proper chaplain,
for the use of the poor of the hospital, the revenues being able to bear
the expense, and Roger, then custos, certified this license to the
Bishop of Norwich.
The revenues of this chapel of St. Mary were taxed at 18s. 10d.
The Manor of Hautbois-Magna,
Belonged to the Abbot of St. Bennet at the Holm, one part, of the
gift of King Edward the Confessor, and of Elgelwin, a Saxon
ealderman or thane, lord of it, under that prince, and the other, of the
gift of Ralph Earl of Norfolk, when he granted the burial of his
wife to that monastery, with the King's consent; (fn. 4) this part was held
of the abbey at the Conqueror's survey, by William de Warren,
of whom Ralf Stalra held it, and the other part was held by Ralf de
Beaufoe, of whom Eudo held it; the whole village being then six
furlongs long, and four broad, and paid 2d. to the geld or tax, towards
every 20s. raised by the hundred. (fn. 5)
Soon after the survey, Herman held one half, under the abbot, at
the will of the convent, but his son,
William, who took the sirname of De alto Bosco or Hautbois,
was infeoffed in the half of Great Hautbois; which he was to hold of
the monastery, at half a fee; he had also all Little-Hautbois, with the
Abbot's land at Calthorp, the land of Ulf, and the land of Ralf in
Erpingham, to hold at half a fee more, and had the stewardship of the
abbot, granted him by Alfwold, abbot there; his son
William was a great man in his days, being very much concerned for the affairs of the monastery all his life time; he had several
sons, as Peter, William, Thomas, &c, from whom issued several
branches of the family, (fn. 6) but the principal estate went to his eldest son,
Sir Peter de alto Bosco, or Hautbois, (fn. 7) who was a knight, and
paid at the rate of a quarter of a fee for his manor here, to the Earl
Warren, his chief lord, of whom he held it; he appears to be very
old in 1234, and died about 1239, for in 1238 he released by several
deeds to the Abbot of St. Bennet's all his right in the manors of
Thugarton, Thwait, Antingham, and Shipden, and in the hundred of
Tunsted, and in the offices of the stewardship and procuratorship to
the monastery, for 17l. a year, to be paid him for life, for his better
support in his extremity of age; he was founder of the Mason Dieu
here, and gave the advowson to Coxford priory.
He sealed with barry, an orle of holly leaves proper, circumscribed,
SIGILLUM. PETRI. DE. ALTO. BOSCO. (fn. 8)
He left Peter, Thomas, and John, who was vicar of Tutington.
Peter de alto Bosco, in 1242, paid the King 25s. relief for his
lands here, which Sir Peter his father held, of the inheritance of the
Earl Warren, that Earl being underage, and the King's ward; this
Peter being seized also of the manors of Calthorp and Erpingham,
which had passed with this manor ever since the Conquest, settled
them on Maud his mother in dower, and during her life, sold them to
Walter de Suffield Bishop of Norwich, and William de Calthorp
and his heirs, and Peter, by fine levied, settled Calthorp advowson on
the Bishop in 1246.
He died about 1247; for in 1248 Samson, son of Isaac, a Jew, at
Norwich, impleaded Robert de Torkesey, then abbot of St. Benet's,
before the justices assigned for the custody of the Jews, for a part of the
lands of Peter, and Samson recovered; and then he and Isaac de
Warwic, by their starr, (fn. 9) released all right in this land to the abbot,
and in the land of Robert de Worstede, with warranty against all Jews.
I suppose he died without issue, for Walter son of Richard, who was son
of Thomas de alto Bosco, son of Sir Peter, was found to be his heir,
after the death of John, vicar of Tutington, who was brother of Peter,
who in the beginning of Edward the First's time was lord here, and is
often called de Calthorp, as well as de Hautbois; he left no issue, so
that Maud, Margery, and Eufresia, his three sisters, (fn. 10) inherited, and
they all jointly with Hamon, son of Nicholas de Sibton, husband to
Eufresia, released all their right to the abbot of St. Bennet's, (fn. 11) in all the
estates late of John son of Peter de Hautbois in Great and Little
Hautbois, Colteshall, Tutington, Banningham, Calthorp, Thugarton
and Erpingham, and so this manor vested in the convent; and in 1315
the Abbot of St. Bennet was returned lord of it.
The other, part which Eudo held of Ralf de Beaufo, he of the
Earl Warren, and he of the Abbot of St. Bennet's, came to the
Baniards, and passed in that family with Merton, which you may
see in vol. ii. p. 299.
Hugh de Milieres had a part under the Baniards, for he
granted to Roger son of Reiner de Hobbosia, land of his fee lying
here, by the land of the fee of Sir Bartholomew de Redham, who held
another part of it, under the Baniards. In 1251 Stephen de Redham
had that part, and in 1275 Bartholomew de Redham impleaded Roger
Baignard, and William his brother, in the Earl Warren's court, at
his castle of Castleacre, by the King's writ, for 1 messuage, 66
acres of ground, 10 acres of marsh, and 10s. rent of assize in Great
Hautbois; and in 1285, the King had the Lete over all Robert
Baniard's tenants; but in 1299, after a long suit, Bartholomew de
Redham recovered the manor against Robert son of Robert Banyard,
who renewed the action the year following, and the sheriff accounted
for 20l. for the profits of this year; and now it appeared that Bartholomew de Redham was diseised by the bailiffs of the Queen Consort,
of a messuage, 120 acres of land, 20 of meadow, and of 5s. rent, which
Bartholomew had just recovered against Rob. Baniard, before Barth.
de Lovetot, and Richard de Tony, justices of assize, at an assize held at
Aylesham; and after the Queen's death it came to the King's hands,
who ordered the sheriff to deliver them to Bartholomew's heirs, who
had now possession, and the same year William de Newton, and
Margaret his wife, the heiress, I suppose, of Redham conveyed it absolutely to the said Robert, son of Robert Baniard and his heirs. It
containing then 9 messuages, 7 cottages, 131 acres of land, 20 of
meadow, 4 of aldercar, a free fishery in the river, 1 acre and half
called Dovehouse-yard, 5s. rent, 2 messuages, 14 acres in Scothow, 15
villeins, and their families, &c.
In 1307, Joan, widow of Robert Baniard of Whetacre, and
John Baniard, settled this manor on Sir Robert, son of the said Rob.
Baniard deceased, and Maud his wife, and their heirs; and in 1312,
Sir Robert and Maud held it, and resided here, and now built the
manor-house, called Hautbois Castle; so called, no doubt, because
he had a royal license to embattle it after the manner of a Castle; in
1313 he added much to the manor, by purchasing here and in
Scothowe, of John Peverel and Joan his wife. In 1315 Sir Robert
and Maud settled the whole on Henry de Stanton, and Alfred de Brok,
for their lives. In 1318 Robert gave to the abbot of Langley 100
acres of land, and 5s. rent in Chatgrave and Whetacre, which he held
of Robert Fitz Walter, as parcel of the manors of Whetacre and
Chatgrave, &c. in 1329 Robert Baniard held the 3d part of a fee
here and in Tutington and Calthorp, and of Earl John de Warren's castle of Acre, and
Thomas Baniard was his son and heir, who sold the revertion
after the death of his mother, Maud, widow of Sir Robert, to
Sir Thomas Rosceline, Knt. in 1345 Margery de Champain,
widow of John, released to Sir John Willoughby, Knt. lord of Eresby,
and Joan his wife, all her right in the sixth part of this manor, held
for life, by Maud widow of Sir Robert Baniard, and in all the manors
and estates descended to her, as one of the six sisters and coheirs of
Sir Thomas Rosceline, Knt. and William son of Robert de Bokenham,
cousin and one of the heirs of Sir Thomas, sold his 6th part to the said
Sir John; and Sir Robert Tiffour, Knt. and Maud his wife, sold their
6th part, and in 1348 Sir John and Joan his wife held the moiety of
Whetacre and Hautbois of John Lord Fitzwalter, and John Willoughby was their son and heir, and the next year it was found that
Maud widow of Sir Robert Baniard held Whetacre, and this manor
for life; one half of Hautbois was held of Sir John Willoughby, Knt.
lately deceased, and of Joan his wife, one of the coheirs of Sir Tho.
Rosceline, and the other half of the said Joan, who was then living,
and had the other half, of her own inheritance.
In 1402, William de Willoughby and his feoffees settled the
moiety of this manor on John le Strange, Knt. and other trustees; in
1309, Sir William Bowet and Joan his wife settled it with Horseford; in 1427, Sir Thomas Dacre, junior, Knt. and Elizabeth his
wife, had it, and settled it with Horseford, in 1447; in 1487, Joan,
widow of Richard Fynes Lord Dacres, Knt. had it, and Thomas Fynes
was her cousin and heir; in 1491 she held it with Horseford, Burgh
St. Margaret, the advowsons of Langley abbey, and the priories of St.
Faith and Petereston, &c. in 1511, Thomas Fynes Lord Dacres died
seized of them all. In 1553 Thomas Fynes Lord Dacres held Hautbois, by knight's service, of the Earl of Arundel, and Georges Fynes
was his son and heir, who in 1570, by the name of George Lord Dacres
settled it on Roger Manwood and other trustees to the use of himself
and Lady Anne his wife for life, and their heirs male; in 1606, Sampson Lennard, Esq. and Margaret his wife had it with Horseford, and
settled it on Sir Walter Covest, Knt. it was afterwards separated from
Horseford, and passing through divers owners, it lately belonged to
the Aides of Horsted-Hall, and at the death of Mr. Thomas Ayde
of Horstead, was sold by his only daughter Susanna, and the Rev.
Mr. Charles Tillet, her husband, to the present Lord Leonard
Batcheller, Esq.