HALES, or LODDEN-HALES,
Bigot's Manor.
By some accounted to be in Loddon-hundred. There were at the
survey several lordships in this town: Roger Bigot, ancestor to the
Earls of Nofolk, had a grant of one, which Alestan (a thane of King
Harold) was deprived of; to this there belonged one carucate of land,
and 40 acres with 9 bordarers, and 2 carucates in demean, one among
the tenants, and 5 acres of meadow, paunage for 3 swine, one runcus,
one cow, &c. and 10 sheep. There were also 13 freemen belonging
to the lord's fold, and under his commendation with 40 acres of land,
valued at 20s. but at the survey at 40s. this Alestan put himself under
the commendation of Alwin de Tedford, in the reign of King William,
and was seised of it at the time when the Conqueror gave it to Roger
Bigot. But the hundred never saw any writ or livery, whereby it was
granted to Alwin. All Hales was fifteen furlongs long, and 12 perches
and six furlongs broad; and pays 8d. gelt. (fn. 1)
This lordship extended into Loddon, and was held by the Bigots
Earls of Norfolk, and by the grant of Roger Bigot Earl of Norfolk,
who died s. p. it came to King Edward I. and was given by King
Edward II. to his brother, Thomas de Brotherton Earl of Norfolk, and
so came to the Lord Segrave, the Mowbrays, and the Howards Dukes
of Norfolk.
On the attainder of Thomas Duke of Norfolk, in the reign of Queen
Elizabeth, it was in the Crown, and King James I. on June 17, ao. 1,
bestowed it on Thomas Lord Howard, of Walden, and Henry Howard,
afterwards Earl of Northampton, from whom it passed to Thomas
Howard Earl of Surry, who in the 21 of the said King, April 1, had
license to alien it to Anthony Hobart, Esq. and his heirs; Anthony
conveyed it in the same year to James Hobart, his son and heir, who,
by deed, dated Sep. 12, ao. 12 of Charles I. sold it to Henry Humberston
Esq. son of William Humberston, of Loddon by Joan, his wife, daughter of John Smith, of Lanham in Suffolk, which William was son of
John Humberston of Loddon.
Henry had 2 wives: by Mary, daughter of Henry Yaxley of Beauthorp, Esq. his 2d wife, he had no issue; by his first wife Anne,
daughter of Giles Bladwell, Esq. of Thorlow Magna, in Suffolk, was
father of William Humberstone, Esq. who married Mildred, daughter of
Charles Walgrave of Stanninghall in Norfolk, Esq. who conveyed
this manor to Francis Gardiner, Esq. mayor of Norwich in 1685, (son
of Francis Gardiner D. D. vicar of Kendal,) and burgess in parliament
for that city, in 1695. Stephen Gardiner, Esq. his son, was recorder
of Norwich, and died in 1727. Gardiner, bore, gules a chevron, between
three griffins heads erased, or.
Ralph Lord Baynard was rewarded with a lordship, of which Toke,
a freeman (of Stigand, the Archbishop of Canterbury) of French extraction, was deprived; consisting of 30 acres of land, 3 villains, with
a carucate and 3 acres of meadow, &c. and 60 sheep; there were 12
freemen under his protection, and of his fold who held 41 acres of
land, with a carucate and a half, and 3 acres of meadow: there were
also 2 freemen under his protection only, with 18 acres, of land and
half a carucate, also one freeman with 30 acres one, borderer and
one carucate, and one acre of meadow; the whole valued at 17s.
but at the survey at 30s. (fn. 2)
A family who took their name from this town, was early enfeoffed
of it, and held it under the Lord Baynard. Roger de Hales and
William, his son, were living in the reign of Henry II.—Walter de
Hales, in the time of King John; and Sir Roger, son of Walter, in
the 34 of Henry III. John, son of Sir Roger, in the 22 of Edward I.
which Sir Roger, by deed, sans date, confirmed the exchange of lands
(between 2 persons) that were held of his fee in Hales; which shows
that it was the custom for lords of manors to confirm the purchases,
before the statute of Quia Emplores, &c. and sealed with barry of 12,
azure and or, on a canton, gules, a lion passant. Sir John de Hales
was living, ao. 20 Edward III. and by Catherine, (after married to Roger
de Wellesham,) was father of John de Hales, who died s. p. ao. 43
Edward III. and held this lordship of the barony of Fitz-Walter.
In the 17 of Richard II. William, son of Edmund de Redesham of
Kirkby Caam, conveyed by fine, to Sir Robert de Willoughby, Sir Miles
Stapleton, John, son of Sir John de Norwich, &c. the manor of HalesHall in Loddon, one messuage, 4 carucates of land, 24 acres of meadow, 2 of wood, 20 of marsh, and 100s. rent, in Hales, Loddon, Kirkeby,
with the advowson of Hales-Hall chapel, purchased by John de Norwich in reversion; Sir George Felbrigg of Tottington, holding two parts
of the manor and lands, in right (as I take it) of the widow of Edmund
de Reedisham, then his wife, and Joan, widow of John de Hales, holding a 3d part in dower. (fn. 3)
Sir Simon Felbrigg, in the 12th of Henry IV. recovered the manor of
Hales-Hall by writ of Novel Disseisin, against John Hotot, and held
his first court on Tuesday next after the assumption of the blessed
Virgin, and it was after settled on his two feoffees, Sir John Howard,
and Sir John de Ingaldesthorp, &c.
In the 19th of Henry VI. Nicholas Waleys and John Pewk, were
querents in a fine, and Henry Walpole, and Margaret his wife, deforciants of 10l. rent, per ann. in Loddon-Hales manor, conveyed to
Pewk; and in the 30th of that King, Hugh Croke, vicar of Hale, was
a trustee of Thomas Cleymonds, Esq. deceased, late lord.
After this, it was possessed by Sir James Hobart, attorney-general,
and of the privy council to King Henry VII. of whom, and his ancestors, see in Plumstede Parva, in Blofield hundred. His benefactions
and good works, testify his charity and generosity; he resided in his
manor-house here, which he built for the most part, (and died here,)
with the elegant parish church of the Holy Trinity, at Loddon; also a
fair bridge over the Waveney river, between Norfolk and Suffolk, called
St. Olaves, or Tooley's bridge, with a good causeway to it; (fn. 4) contributed
to the rebuilding of the council chamber in the Guild-Hall of the city
of Norwich, and to the noble arched stone roof of the cathedral church
of Norwich. Sir Walter Hobart was his son and heir, and lord of this
manor; sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk, ao. 1, Henry VIII. in the 20
of that King, he settled this lordship, with that of Chatgrave, Lille
ford's, Tilney in Norfolk, and others in Suffolk, as may be seen in
Chatgrave, Loddon hundred, on Walter Hobart, Esq. his son and heir.
A pedigree of the eldest branch of the family I have here annexed.
Hobart's pedigree.
James Hobart, Esq. sold it in the 12 of Charles I. to Henry Humberstone, Esq. (as is mentioned in Bigot's manor above,) whose son
William, is said to have conveyed part of it to Francis Gardiner, Esq.
and part to the Lady Dionysia Williamson, relict of Sir Thomas Williamson, Baronet, of Markham Magna in Nottinghamshire, daughter
and heir of William Hales, Esq. son of Richard Hales, Esq. who was
lady of this manor of Hales-Hall, in 1666, and resided here; she gave
4000l. to the rebuilding the church of St. Dunstan in the East, of
London; to the rebuilding of St. Paul's cathedral, 2001l. and was a
benefactress to the rebuilding of the church of St. Mary Le Bow, in
London, giving 2000l. and at her death, left Hales-Hall to John
Hoskins, Esq. her nephew, (who was lord in 1687,) with the impropriated rectory of Loddon.
The abbot of St. Edmund of Bury, had a lordship which Frodo held
of them at the survey; 9 men, 2 of them were socmen, and 7 more,
belonged to the abbot's lordship, and were under his protection only,
held 64 acres in King Edward's reign, when there were 2 borderers and
5 freemen, with 6 acres; this was valued with Loddon. (fn. 5)
Frodo, also, held of the abbot one acre, of which 2 freemen were
deprived; valued at 4d. (fn. 6) Of this Frodo, &c. see in Loddon, which
manor extended also into this town.
Godric, the King's steward, held one acre and a half, out of which a
freeman was ejected: this was granted to Godric on the forfeiture of
Ralph Earl of Norfolk, who had a moiety (as lord) of this freeman. (fn. 7)
The tenths were 2l. 10s. Deducted 10s. Temporalities of St. Olaves
8d. and of Langley abbey 24s.
The Church of Hales was a rectory, but granted in the 4th of
Henry I. by Ralph de Chedgrave, and Emma his wife, to William,
prior of St. Olaves, probably founder of that priory; and a vicar was
appointed on its appropriation to that convent. It was dedicated to
St. Margaret, and it appears by the register of Langley abbey, that the
prior and convent of St. Olaves at Hering flete in Suffolk were rectors
of Hale, and had the tithe of 235 acres of land in Hale parish belonging to Langley abbey, in exchange for 235 acres of land in Loddon and
Heckingham, belonging to the priory of St. Olaves. (fn. 8)
In the reign of Edward I. the rectory was valued at 11 marks, and
the vicarage at 40s. The vicar had then a manse with 30 acres of land.
Peter-pence 18d. Carvage 12d. 0b.
Vicars.
In 1317, Adam de Blofield was instituted vicar, presented by the
prior of St. Olaves, and nominated by the Bishop of Norwich.
1326, John de Carlethorp. Ditto.
1333, Roger de Petengraunt. Ditto.
1337, Adam de Bergh. Ditto.
1349, John Le Neve. Ditto.
1366, William Warren. Ditto.
1366, John Stalworth. Ditto.
1377, Peter de Wynch. Ditto.
1382, Roger Calf. Ditto.
1382, John Wandeford. Ditto.
1391, Simon Bangot. Ditto.
1391, John Bradock. Ditto.
1395, John Smith. Ditto.
1397, Henry Welden. Ditto.
1397, Thomas Coyte. Ditto.
1398, Richard Bytering. Ditto.
1403, Richard Bangoot. Ditto.
1403, John Ousnell Ditto.
1404, Walter Jakes. Ditto.
1413, William Norwich. Ditto.
1417, Thomas Smith. Ditto.
In 1458, Hugh Croke occurs vicar.
In 1503, I find it served by a stipendiary curate, for 5l. per ann. and
he then returned 45 communicants, John Hill being the impropriator; and in 1742, the heirs of Mr. Peter Lawes.
Here was also a chapel at Hales-Hall, belonging to the manor of the
family of De Hales, dedicated to St. Andrew: this, with the hall,
stood in the parish of Loddon, and in 1287, it is said to stand in the
manor of Wrantishagh, belonging to Sir Roger de Hales, in Loddon
parish, and leave was then granted to him, that he might institute the
chaplains of it, by the concession and grant of the abbot of Langley,
rectors of the church of Loddon, and of John de Feryby, official to
William, Bishop of Norwich, the said Sir Roger and his heirs granting
to the chaplains all the obventions and oblations, with the small tithes
of his court, and that the servant, of him and his heirs having their
habitations in the parish of Loddon, shall pay to the mother church of
Loddon, the oblations accustomed, and shall receive the sacraments
there. (fn. 9) And the chaplains administering in the said chapel, were to
pay yearly to the said mother church, in acknowledgment of subjection, all the oblations and obventions given on Easter-day, and St.
Andrew's day, and two wax candles of a pound of wax, on Trinity
Sunday, and to give security to the vicars of Loddon, for the time being, that they should not say any anniversaries, trentals, or any masses
for any parishioners of Loddon.
In 1331, Sir John de Hales was patron, and in 1349; and John, son
and heir of Sir John, in 1361.
Alexander de Hales, styled Doctor Irrefragabilis, who died in 1245,
was born here. Hales, Halesworth, Halestead, Alesham and Aylesford, so called, as near to some river or water.