OLTON,
Or the old town, hath its church dedicated to St. Peter and Paul;
its tower is square and hath three bells; the nave and two transept
chapels are leaded, and the chancel is tiled. On three brasses on a
stone in the nave;
1, Here laye Edmund Bell, and Katherine his wife,
Whoe thirty Six years, did live Man and Wife,
They had three Sons, and Daughters three,
Farewell! our Friends all, in Heav'n we hope to See. (1636.)
2, Here lye Katteren the Wyfe of Edmund Bell,
For her Vertues many Thousand she did excell,
And now with God, in Heaven she dwell. (17 Sept. 1617.)
3. Thomas son of Edmund Bell Dec. - - Aged 80 years and
8 Months.
A black marble for Anne wife of Thomas Bell, 22 July 1730, 47,
with this,
Non mortis Ictû maxima Pars tui
Deleta, Recti mens sibi conscia
Rogis et Urnæ insultat, Altum
Quod coluit petitura Cœlum;
At flebit Almo pauperies frequens
Lenita Dono, Te Pietas tuis
Ornata Votis, Te Sagacis
Ingenij memores Camenæ.
In the north chapel, which is dedicated to St. James, are Croft's
arms in a window, and on a black marble there are the crest of
Smith, a buck couchant, and that of Crofts, a bull's head cabossed,
and
Smith of Lincolnshire, barry wavy of six arg. and sab. in chief,
three pair of barnacles of the 2d, impaling
Crofts of Suffolk, or, three bulls heads coopè sab. (See p. 325.)
Here lyeth the Body of Sir Owen Smith of Ermingland, Knt.
who lived in great Reputation 43 Years and 16 Days, he married Alice the eight Daughter of Sir John Crofts of Saxham,
in Suffolk, Knt. she in remembrance of 8 Years perfect conjugal
Love passed together, hath placed this Stone, he died in the
Lord the 28th day of March, 1637.
On another by the former,
Here lieth the body of Alice relict of Sir Owen Smith of
Ermingland, Knt. the eight Daughter of Sir John Crofts of Saxham in Suffolk, who lived a Virgin 20, a Wife 8, a Widow 41
Years 6 Months; beloved of the Poor, honoured of the Rich,
and favoured of God; she left this Life Oct. 7, 1678, and left
Executrix the Right Honourable the Ladie Anne, Relict of
John Lord Lovelace, Baron of Hurley in Berks, and Daughter
to the Right Honourable Thomas Lord Wentworth, Earl of
Cleveland, and Baron of Netlestead, and Anne his
Countess, eldest Daughter of Sir John Crofts, and Sister to
the interred; In Memory whereof she hath laid this Stone, and
with the Deceased, thro' the Merits of Christ, expects a
Resurrection.
In this chapel are two brass plates thus inscribed,
Orate pro anima Johannis Pykton, qui obiit A. D. Mo Uviii.
ruius anime Tc.
Orate pro anima Sysilie Pyhotn, que obiit A. D. Mo U rir.
cuius anime, Tc.
The church belonged to the manor, till Hubert de Burgh Earl
of Kent, for his own soul and that of Alice his wife, gave it with
the church of Bedingham, to Walsingham priory, and the canons
there, and King Edward I. confirmed it in 1280. (fn. 1) The Register of
this priory, in the Cotton Library, informs us, that it was soon
after appropriated to that house, and a vicarage endowed, which the
Bishop of Norwich was always to nominate to, and the prior present
at his nomination; the vicar was to have all the offerings and small
tithes (see vol. v. p. 123, 33) of the whole town, and the great tithes of
all the lands, except those belonging to, or held of the manors of Saxlingham's and Leeche's in this town, and all the great tithes belonging to them,
were to be the canons, who were to repair the chancel at all times; and
it appears that the brook between Olton and Irming and parted those
villages; Thomasde Blumville Bishop of Norwich consented to the impropriation of it about 1285. The vicars that I have met with follow.
1337, John le Marshall, priest nominated by the Bishop, and presented by the prior of Walsyngham, as all the vicars were till the
Dissolution.
1349, John de Estfield; he resigned in
1352 to Thomas de Buxton.
1377, Thomas James.
1405 John.
1500, Thomas Seaman.
1579, Clement Palfryman died, and Nicholas Bell, and Edmund
Buck, gave it to
William Crosdell, and it was afterwards enjoyed by Charles Hallifax,
Andrew Haliburton, and Edward Appleyard, and by
The Rev. Mr. Timothy Bullimere, senior, late vicar.
The town is in the dutchy of Lancaster, and there were formerly
three gilds here, of the Holy Trinity, the Blessed Virgin, and St.
John Baptist. The vicarage is discharged of first fruits and tenths,
and is capable of augmentation, it standing thus in the King's Books,
8l. 5s.—Owlton vicarage,—clear yearly value.
Valuation to the land-tax. 308l. 10s.;—country-rate to a 300l. levy,
7s. 3d.;—the old tenth 4l. 10s.;—synodals. 9d;—visitat. procurations
2d. ob. qr.;—Archid. procurations. 7s 7d. ob.;—old val. of living, 8
marks.
The prior of Walsingham was taxed at 10 marks for his impropriate tithes, and the vicar for the vicarage, at 2 marks; (fn. 2) at the Dis
solution, the impropriation remained in the Crown, till King Edward
VI. Ano 1551, granted it with the advowson of the vicarage to John
Dodington, and William his son, and their heirs, and since that, they
belonged in 1573 to Sir Christoper Heydon, afterwards to Edward Holl,
Thomas, Richard, and Nicholas Bell, and now Mr. Bell is impropri
ator and patron.
The prior of Fakenham Dam, alias Hempton, had a mill and
lands here, for which he was taxed at 46s. 8d. as was the prior of
Weyborne for his temporals at 3s. and the prior of Coxford for his
at 6s.
There was an ancient chapel here, demolished in Edward the
First's time; and in 1326 brother John de Ixning, preceptor or
master of Kerbrook hospital, let the plat of ground belonging to his
hospital called the Chapel Yard in Olton, and they had a manor here,
which was purchased of the Crown by Sir Richard Southwell, and
hath passed ever since with Carbrook-Woodhall, as at vol. ii. p. 343,
Sir William Clayton of Blechingley in Surrey being lord of it.
Here is a fine spring, called the Spaw, being a strong mineral,
much frequented formerly, before the Spaw at Aylesham had gained
its reputation.
This whole town (except one freeman and his tenure, which was the
Abbot of Holm's) belonged to the manor of Cawston as a berewic
to it, (see p. 254,) and passed as that did till it was divided by the lords
of Cawston, granting off parts to divers persons. (fn. 3)
Saxlingham's Manor
Was granted from Cawston, by King Richard I. to Robert de
Saxlingham, whose son Roger had it in 1198. It continued in this
family many ages, and in 1208 John de Saxlingham had it, Miles de
Saxlingham, rector of Linford, and Adam de Saxlingham (of whom
in vol. v. p. 502) were his brothers. In 1383 Thomas de Saxlingham
had it; in 1389 Henry his brother, and Margaret daughter of Henry,
were his heirs. In 1478 John Heydon of Baconsthorp died seized
of three of the four manors in this town, viz, Saxlinghams, Olton'shall, and Leeches.
Olton's-Hall Manor
Was granted to Sigar de Olton, (fn. 4) and went to Robert son of Sigar, and
Beatrice his wife, and to Richard their son, who was lord in 1260; in
1290 Roger de Olton had it, and in 1302 Thomas, and Ralf, his sons
had it, and also in 1327, and after, it came to the Heydons, and
was joined to Saxlingham's manor, as was also
Leeche's Manor
Here, for in 1440 John Canon and Alice his wife, daughter and heiress of William Leeche, released to Sir John Tudenham, Knt. and John
Heydon, the reversion of Leeche's manor, after his mother's death;
and in 1353 John Lynacre released all his right, to John Heydon,
as did Agnes Bacon, late wife of William Leeche, (fn. 5) and Nicholas, son
and heir of John Canon and Alice his wife, daughter of the said William Leche and Agnes Bacon, and Sir John Curson, Knt. their
feoffee.
I need mention no more of this manor, it having before this time
passed with Leeche's manor in Cawston, as at p. 260.
Olton's, Saxlingham's, and Leeches, being joined, they have
passed through the Heydons, &c. with Cawston manors, and were sold
by Sir John Hobart, Knt. and lady Frances his wife, to Erasmus
Earle, Esq. and Augustine Earl, Esq. of Heydon is now lord,
(see p. 247.)
The Lete extending over these three manors was purchased of the
Crown in Queen Elizabeth's time, and is to be kept yearly on Lammas
day, with Heydon lete.
Olton's-hall manor is fine certain, at 4s. an acre, and 4d. per
acre quitrent.
Leeche's manor is fine certain, at 2s. an acre, and 2d. per
acre quitrent.
Saxlingham's is fine certain, at 12d. an acre, and 6d. per
acre quitrent.
There were also divers rents, and a manor, belonging to the honour
of Clare, which was also united to these manors; for in 1625, Anthony
Page, Gent. who had all of them of Sir Christopher Heydon, paid 20s.
for a year's rent, for the manor here, which late belonged to the honour
of Clare, and Thomas Page, junior, and John Page, junior, sold them
to the Hobarts.
In 1316, William Howard, late held Clare honour manor
here, and it attended the Howard family, &c. and after came to Henry
VIII. (see vol. ii. p. 410, 11,) and continued in the Crown, till granted
off by Queen Elizabeth.