GREAT SNORING.
The Conqueror, on the ejection of Ketel, took possession of this
lordship, consisting of 3 carucates of land, one villain, and 22 borderers, 9 servi, 3 carucates in demean, with 3 carucates of the tenants,
paunage for 8 swine, 8 acres of meadow, a mill, and 180 sheep: (fn. 1)
Godric took care of it for the King, and was steward of it. Thurseford
was a beruite to it, and was measured together with it, as I shall shew
there. It stands by a little stream or rivulet, called probably in the
Saxon age, the Nar or Snar, as Little Snoring does on another, both
which streams are soon after united.
How long this lordship continued in the Crown does not appear;
that it was in the family of De Burgiloun, in the 41st of Henry III.
we find by a pleading, when William de Burgiloun, was plaintiff
against Alexander le Sergeant, &c. for disseising him of his common
posture in Snoring; and before this, in the 16th of Henry III. Richard,
son of Geffrey de Esnaringes owed 40 marks for 2 knights fees, which
Robert de Burguillon disseized him of, Robert granting to Geffrey 18
of them.
In the 3d of Edward I. William de Berguillon was found to hold
this town and Thursford, of the Lord Bardolf, valued at 30l. per ann.
by the service of 20s. with half a fee in Hindringham, the fourth part
of one in Felbrig, and the third part of one in Kerdeston; and Walter
was his son and heir, under age. And in the 14th of that King, Robert
de Burgolyon claimed the assise of bread and beer, and died about the
20th of that King, then a knight.
This Sir Robert had by Sarah his wife, a son Robert, against whom,
Walter, prior of Binham, brought his action about right of common,
in the 24th of Edward I. Sir Robert Burgolyon was lord in the 15th
of Edward II. and dying then possessed of a moiety of this lordship,
Sarah his mother held the other moiety as part of her dower; and
Hugh was his son and heir, aged 12 years. And in the following year
on the death of Sarah his grandmother, he had the whole manor.
In 1322, the Lady Joan de Burgolyon presented to the rectory of
this church. Sir Ralph Shelton of Shelton in Norfolk, was his cousin
and heir, and presented to this church, as lord, in 1353, was at the
battle of Cressy, &c. and buried in the church of Shelton, in 1375.
Sir Ralph, his son, was lord in the reign of Richard II. and William
Shelton and Catharine his wife, (fn. 2) daughter of Simon Barret, presented
in 1420. This William was brother to Sir Ralph. In 1432, the King
presented, on the minority of Ralph, son and heir, of John Shelton,
Esq. and the said Ralph presented in 1459; he married Margaret,
daughter of Robert Clere of Ormesby, by whom he had Sir John
Shelton, his son and heir, who died lord of this town and of Thursford, in 1539; by Anne his wife, daughter of Sir William Boleyn of
Blickling; he had Sir John his successour, who by Margaret his wife,
daughter of Henry Parker Lord Morley, left Sir Ralph Shelton, who
had livery of this lordship, with those of Thurston, Shelton, &c.
Thomas Shelton, Esq. was son and heir of Sir Ralph, by Mary his
wife, daughter of Sir William Woodhouse of Waxham; he was gentleman porter of the Tower of London, and married Elizabeth, daughter
of Edward Flowerdew, a baron of the Exchequer, and was succeeded
in the inheritance by his brother, Sir Ralph Shelton, who married
Dorothy, daughter of Sir Robert Jermyn, of Rushbrook in Suffolk: he
was killed at the isle of Rhé in France, in 1628, and died s. p.
This Sir Ralph sold this lordship, with that of Thursford, about the
year 1611, to Thomas Richardson, Esq. serjeant at law, afterwards
lord chief justice of the King's Bench.
This sale gave rise to a joke or pun, that is said to be made by Sir
Ralph, which was, "That he could sleep without Snoring."
Sir Thomas Richardson, son of the lord justice, enjoyed it.
In 1695, James Ward, Gent. of Hindringham, was lord, who gave
it with Thursford-Schelton's, to Mr. Nun of Thorpland, who held it in
1715.
The tenths were 5l. Deducted 13s. 4d.
The Church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and is a rectory,
anciently valued at 40 marks, and paid Peter-pence, 16d. ob. The
present valor is 24l. in the King's books, and pays first fruits and tenths.
Rectors.
William de Calthorp was rector about the reign of Edward I.
Michael le Brett, occurs rector about 1292.
1307, William de Barsham instituted, presented by the Lady Joan
de Burgolioun.
1353, John Kentford, by Sir Ralph de Shelton.
1354, Thomas Rous, by the King, who recovered it from Sir Ralph.
1369, John de Freton, (he was archdeacon of Norfolk, &c.) by Sir
Ralph Shelton, junior.
1375, John Granew, by Sir Edmund de Thorp, &c.
1413, John Tolle, by Sir Thomas Erpingham, &c.
1420, Mr. Simon Barret, LL. B. by William Schelton, Esq. and
Catherine his wife.
1432, Stephen Multon, by Catherine, relict of William Schelton, Esq.
1432, Mr. Thomas Frynge, by the King, on the minority of the heir
of John Schelton, Esq. rector also of Winterton.
1444, Mr. Richard Appulby, LL.B. by the King.
1444, Thomas Brigg, by the King.
1459, John Fowler, by Ralph Shelton.
1467, Thomas Smith. Ditto.
1484, Mr. Symon Driver, decretor, doctor, by the feoffees of Ralph
Shelton.
1517, Mr. Richard Schelton, by Sir John Shelton.
1539, William Rawling. Ditto.
1546, Mr. John Willoughby, M.D. by Anne, relict of Sir John Shelton, and Sir John Shelton.
1554, Hugh Swyfte. Ditto.
1554, Robert Pyerson. Ditto.
1572, Richard Gawton, by the Bishop, a lapse.
1577, Richard West, by Thomas Dalymond, hac vice.
1610, Robert Pearson S.T.P. (he was archdeacon of Suffolk) by Sir
Ralph Shelton.
1639, Edward Debbs; he was sequestered, and was forced to fly to
the King's army, and
David Anderson, an usurper, was in possession in 1655.
Thomas Chapman occurs rector in 1662.
Thomas Verdon, S.T.B. by Samuel Verdon, Gent.
About this time Robert Heblethwayte is said to be rector.
1690, Nathaniel Rothwell, by Sir Christopher Hatton, Bart.
1710, Thomas Langford, S.T.B. by the master and fellows of St.
John's college, Cambridge.
1734, Robert Leake, presented by St. John's college, Cambridge.
1762, Andrew Alvis. Ditto.
The Lord Richardson sold the advowson to Samuel Verdon, Gent.
who gave it to his half brother, the Reverend Thomas Verdon, fellow
of St. John's college, and rector of this church, who sold it to the said
society, and there is a manor belonging to the rectory.
The church has a nave with a south isle, and chancel covered with
lead; at the west end is a square tower, with a spire, covered with lead,
and one bell, with a saint's bell.
In the chancel, north of the communion table, lies a gray marble,
with the portraitures of a knight and his lady in brass, and in his coat
armour; at his feet, a lion couchant, at her's a dog; on the upper
part of the stone the arms of Shelton, azure, a cross, or, impaling Burgolyon. quarterly, or and gules, in the 2d and 3d quarter, three annulets, argent; also Shelton impaling argent, a cross moline, gules,
Uvedale, over all a bend, sable; at their feet, Burgolyon, impaling per
pale, or and gules, a lion passant, Plaiz; argent Burgolyon and Shelton.
The legend round the verge
Orate p.a'i'ab; Radulfi Shelton, militis, et Domine Alicie uxoris ejus,
filie Thome de Uvedal, militis, qui quidem Radulfus, obt. xxv die Apr.
Ao. m. cccc. xxiiii.
Here also was an altar tomb, with a marble stone thereon, and the
portraitures of Sir John Heveningham and his lady, Alice, daughter of
Sir Ralph Shelton; under him were 3 sons, and under her two daughters, all which are reaved and obliterated.
Against the north wall, a neat marble monument, thereon a man
and his wife kneeling at a foldstool, in their ruffs.
Memoriœ sacrum—Hic jacet Robs. West, S.T.P. (et Margareta uxor ejus) qui natus fwt apud Louthe in comitat. Lincolniœ, qui
rector fuit hujus ecclesie annos 30, et rector eccles. de Fakenham 33 annos, obt. 24 die Jnnij Ao. D'ni. 1610, annoq; œtatis 74.
Against the south wall, a mural monument ornamented with books,
lamps, festoons, arms, &c.
Hicjacet sepullus Edwardus Fenn de Houghton, ecclesiœ Christi presbiter, et aliquot annis hujusce curatus, With. et Mariœ generosi filiusAnnis hunc florentibus abstulit alropos, et alter fit libitinœ triumphus,
cujus prada jacet, antea duobus brevi fratribus ademptis eodem pharetrœ telo: variolis nempe undrq; hunc grassantibus; omnium festina funera, hen miraq; strages invidœ mortis huic fatalis domo Hic familiœ
perquam crescens gloria, cui fuit spes ingens et decus: fortums fortunatus quas brevi reliquit, hunc imminente fato locum sepullurœ designavit. Ipse perquam diligens, multamq; parochianis dilectus, munere
sacro, sive pastoris officio fuerat perfunctus: cœlebs hinc adibat beator.
scdes. Obt. 21 Feb. 1710, œtat. 33.
On a monument, and on a stone near it on the pavement, are his
arms; argent on a fess, azure, three escallops of the first, within a
bordure engrailed of the 2d;—crest, a plume of three ostrich's
feathers, argent.
In a south window of the chancel, were Kerdeston's arms, impaling
Burgolyon, Shelton impaling Barret, argent, a fess between three mullets, sable; and Loudham, argent, three escotcheons, sable.
In many windows about the church were the arms of Sir Ralph
Shelton, impaling Uvedale, who were probably the builders of or benefactors to the present church, in the reign of Henry VI.
In the window was also the effigies of Sir Thomas Erpingham in
armour, with his arms, and crest, a plume of ostrich's feathers, argent,
issuing out of a coronet, gules, with his motto, Pinche, or Pinke; and
in the steeple window, those of Elmham, Calthorp, Uvedale, &c.
Here were the guilds of All-Saints, St. Margaret, St. Jahn Baptist,
and the chapel of All-Saints
Sir Stephen de Hales, &c. aliened to the prior of Walsingham, lands
and tenements in this town, Warham, Walsingham, &c. in the 8th of
Richard II. and their temporalities in 1428, were 6s. 10d.
In this town was also a little lordship called Snoring's, held by a family of that name. In the 13th of Edward IV. a fine was levied
between Edmund Beding field, Esq. and Robert Clere, Esq. querents,
John Snoring and Juliana his wife, deforciants, of the manor called
Jeffrey Snoring's manor, and lands in Snoring Magna and Parva, &c.
conveyed to Robert Clere from the heirs of Juliana.