HICKLING.

At the survey Guihumar held this lordship of Alan Earl of Richmond, Godwine, a freeman of Edric de Laxfield, who held it in the Confessor's reign, being deprived of it, to which there belonged 3 carucates and an half of land, 9 villains, 11 borderers and 3 servi; there were 2 carucates in demean, with 2 and a half among the tenants, &c. a church endowed with 20 acres, valued at 20d. paunage for 60 swine, 24 acres of meadow, one runcus, and 5 breeding mares, 4 cows, &c. 100 sheep, 2 skeps of bees, and 9 socmen had a carucate of land, &c. and a carucate and a half of meadow. (fn. 1)

Overhall Manor, &c.

Geffrey de Hickling held it of Eustace de Vesci in the 13th of King John, by one knight's fee, as Brian, father of Geffrey, did of William, father of Eustace, who held it of the Lord Robert de Valoines, and he of the honour of Richmond.

Thomas de Hickeling claimed view of frank pledge, &c. in the 14th of Edward I. and Brian de Ikeling and Elizabeth his wife, in the 29th of that King; and in the 2d of Edward II. William de Valoines settled it on his own decease, on Sir Robert de Ufford, of Suffolk, and Cecilia his wife. Thomas de Hickling and Dionysia his wife, held it of Cecilia by one fee, and the service of 10s. per ann. to Richmond castle, it being valued at 4l. 18s. 3d. per ann.

Brian was found their son and heir, aged 3 years; Dionysia had dower herein, and paid 10l. for license to remarry.

This part, thus held by de Hickling, was the lordship of Netherhall; the lordship of Overhall, in this parish, being held by Valoins, and now by the Earl of Suffolk.

In the 19th of Edward III. Sir Edmund de Ufford, le Frere, (that is brother to the Earl,) settled it as a trustee, on William, son of Robert Earl of Suffolk. William Earl of Suffolk died seized of Overhall manor in the 5th of Richard II. and it was after held by Isabel his wife, on whose death, in the 4th of Henry V. it came to the Lord Scales, who, with the Lord Willoughby, and Lord Ferrers of Groby, were heirs to William, late Earl of Suffolk.

Robert Lord Scales dying in the 7th of Henry V. Thomas, his brother, succeeded, who was lord in the 35th of Henry VI. and held it of the honour of Richmond; and Elizabeth, his daughter and heir, brought it by marriage to Anthony Woodvile Lord Scales; and on the death of that lady, in the 13th of Edward IV. it was held by that lord, and granted with the lordship of Middleton in Norfolk, &c. (on his being beheaded) to Thomas Duke of Norfolk, by King Richard III.; but on the accession of Henry VII. Sir William Tyndale (being found to be one of the heirs of Elizabeth Lady Scales) had, on a division of the estate, this lordship of Overhall assigned to him; and Sir Thomas Tyndale was lord in the reign of Henry VIII. and Queen Mary.

After this it was in the Throgmortons, and was forfeited to the Crown by John Throgmorton, in the reign of King James, probably one concerned in the powder plot, or in Queen Elizabeth's reign, by plotting against her.

Thomas Cross, Esq. paid a rent of 10s. per ann. for this lordship here, to the lord of Swaffham, as Richmond fee.

In 1630, Sir Charles le Gross held it by lease (as I take it) of the Crown, and kept a court and a lete; and in 1638, John Row petitioned the King to have a lease of Overhall manor for 31 years.

Afterwards it was in the Calthorps, lords of Netherhall; also in this town, in 1694, Martin Calthorp, Esq. on his marriage with Elizabeth, daughter of William Wilks of London, Gent. settled Overhall and Netherhall, &c. upon her.

This Martin spent his estate, and was reduced to great poverty; his lordships here were mortgaged to Wortley Montague, Esq. who entered on them, and turned him out, about 1717.

After this it was bought by the Walpoles: in 1740, Robert Lord Walpole, possessed it, and his son, the Earl of Orford, is lord.

Netherhall Manor.

The family of de Hickling abovementioned held this lordship under the Lord Valoyns: but in the 42d of Edward III. Reginald de Eccles and Richard de Waterden released to Sir Edward de Berkley and his heirs, all his right in the 3d part of Netherhall manor, and in Rishangles manor, in Suffolk; and the said Sir Edward, in the 45th of that King, granted to Aubrey de Vere Earl of Oxford, &c. his right in two parts of Netherhall, which he held in right of Jane his late wife, by the courtesy of England.

John de Eccles, &c aliened, in the 4th of Richard II. the 3d part of this manor to the priory of Hickling.

Nicholas Spark, alias Chamberlain, released to Ralph Brunkele, cousin and heir of Robert Essex of Runham, all his right in the manors, lands, &c. of Hikeling, Stalham, &c. in the 5th of Henry IV.

After this, it was united to Overhall manor, and was held by the Earls of Orford.

Hickling Priory.

Theobald de Valoins, son of Rob. Lord Valoins, was the founder of this priory in 1185, dedicated to St. Mary, St. Austin, and All-Saints, for canons of the order of St. Austine, and endowed with the churches of Hickling, and the churches of Parham and Haketon, or Hasketon, in Suffolk, and lands at Arlum. Theobald and Avice his wife gave also the church of All-Saints of Ditton in Cambridgeshire.

William Lord Montchensy gave all his and at Kessingland in Suffolk, with 4 acres of common of pasture there; Mr. Robert de Waxstonesham, or Waxham, a moiety of the advowson of that church, and Henry de Fleg the advowson of the other moiety, which was confirmed by King John in his fifth year, when he granted them a charter for a weekly mercate on Friday, in this town.

King Henry III. in his eleventh year, gave license to hold a fair for three days, on the vigil, day, and the morrow of the feast of AllSaints.

In the 2d of Edward II. Nicholas de Bosio aliened 24 acres and 15s. rent; and in the 7th of the said King, the prior had license to purchase 2 acres of meadow of William, parson of Eccles, and in the 25th of Edward III. to purchase tenements in Horsey and Palling, and to appropriate the church of Palling, as they had in the 29th of that King for the church of Shipden.

John de Eccles, in the 4th of Richard II. and Geffrey de Somerset, convey the 3d part of Netherhall manor, which Sir William Latimer of Danby, Sir Richard Sturry, Sir Lewis Clifford, Hugh Fastolf, &c. held for the life of Sir Edward de Berkley, to find a lamp perpetually burning in the priory church.

In the said year, William de Kirdeston aliened a third part of Netherhall manor to the prioress of Redingfeld in Suffolk, who, in the 8th of that King, conveyed it with the lordship of Boyland-Hall in North Walsham, to this priory.

The prior, in the 3d of Henry IV. held here, in Catfield, and Heigham-Potter, 3 parts of a fee of the manor of Sutton, and this lordship, of Isabel Countess of Suffolk, of her manor of Overhall, of the honour of Richmond.

The temporalities here, in 1428, were 9s. 4d.

William Clifford, Esq. by deed, reciting that Sir Lewis Clifford, his uncle, whose heir he is, granted to John Styward, &c. all his part of the manor of Netherhall, late Sir Edward de Berkeleys, and whereas the prior of Hickling gave to the said Lewis and his heirs, an annuity of 20l. per ann. to be paid out of their manors of Hickling and Palling.

William hereby assigns the said annuity to Henry Barton, citizen of London, and his heirs, in the 7th of Henry V. and in the 7th of Henry VI. Barton assigned it to Sir John Fastolf.

Adam de Scakilthorp, rector of Causton, gave to this priory, organs, in 1370, and 20s. rent.

At the Dissolution it came to the Crown, and was granted (as I take it) to Sir William Wodehouse of Hickling, who was lord of it in the 30th of Henry VIII. and 2d of Edward VI.

By an inquisition taken at East Derham, April 18, in the 8th of Elizabeth, he was found to die seized of it, Nov. 15, in the 7th of that Queen, with the site and lands of the priory, and appropriated rectory, the manors of Palling, Boyland's in North Walsham, Wyld's and Lynford's manors in Stalham, Houchin's in Edingthorp, Shipdam and the park.

By Elizabeth his wife, widow of Sir Henry Parker, Knt. he left Henry his son and heir, Thomas, his 2d son, and William, his 3d son; and it was sold to Sir Martin Calthorp of London, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, by Sir Thomas Wodehouse: Martin Calthorp, Esq. son and heir of Sir Martin, obtained in the first of King James's reign, an act of parliament (the estate being entailed) to sell lands to provide for a numerous family, and sold by license, January 12, ao. 2 of that King, the site of the priory, and lands, to James Scambler, senior, Esq. who died possessed of it in 1633, and left it to his nephew, James,' son of his brother, Thomas Scambler, Esq. of Briston, and a great suit in chancery ensued on this sale, between Scambler the nephew, and John Calthorp, Esq.

In this family it remained till about the year 1717, when Wortley Montague, Esq. entered on it, and is now in the Earl of Orford.

Calthorp's Pedigree.

Priors of Hickling.

Ralph occurs prior in the 5th year of King John.

Roger, in the 4th of Henry III.

Alan, in the 41st of Henry III.

And John, in 1308.

In 1319, Richard de Hemesby, admitted prior.

1349, John Grys.

1358, Richard de Hemesby.

1366, William de Wroxham.

1390, John de Tudyngston.

1393, Thomas Haneworth.

1401, John Jenny, occurs prior.

1408, John de Hykelyng.

1424, Richard Norwich.

Roger Okkam occurs in the 11th of Henry VI.

1481, Thomas Thorp.

1485, Thomas Gregg.

Robert Botyld, alias Wymondham, occurs prior in 1503, and was the last prior, and with 3 of the canons, subscribed to the King's supremacy, June 4, 1534.

On the Dissolution, the visitors are said to have found these following guilty of incontinency;—Robert Walsham, Richard Leke, Robert Bastwicke, Robert Allen, John Michael, and Matthew Wood.

This prior, Bottyld, served the office of cellarer, from St. Michael, in the 3d of Henry VIII. to St. Michael, in the 4th of that King, and the 10th year of his being prior, and his account containing some things curious to the state of this priory, I shall here insert them.

In stock bought for the priory, 19l. 10s. 1d.—In stock for the dairies of Netherhall, and Palling granges, 17s. 3d.—In threshing corn at the priory, 36s. 2d.—Ditto at Netherhall, 69s. 6d. and at Palling, 3s. 8d. —In buying necessaries for husbandry, 4l. 7s. 10d.—In necessaries for the priory, 7l. 13s. 7d. ob.—Servants wages at Christmas, 70s. 8d. —At the Annuciation, 76s. 8d.—At Midsumer, 72s. 8d.—At St. Michaelmas, 69s.—In cloth and linen, livery for the officers and servants, 8l. 17s. 6d.—Repairs of the chancels of Hickling, Palling, Horsey, and Hanworth in Norfolk,—Parham and Hacheton in Suffolk, 3s. 8d. —Repairs of the houses of Netherhall, Palling grange, and Horsey, 12s. 3d.—To fresh victuals bought for the priory, 11l. 10s. 2d.—Subsidies, tenths and fifteenths, paid to John, prior of Castleacre, for the first moiety of a subsidy, 60s. and for a 2d, 60s. for Norfolk.—To the abbot of Bury for a subsidy, 26s. 2d. and 30s.—For a fifteenth in Hickling, 10s.—Horsey. 2s.—Palling, 6s.—Waxham, 2s.—To fees paid to Sir John Heydon and William Paston, capital steward and counsellors of the priory, 20s.—To Thomas Fenn, steward and auditor. —To Prior Botyld at Norwich, (jocundant.) in a party of pleasure, expenses, 2s.—To the prior at North Walsham, abutting the lands of Boyland manor, expenses, 2 days, 13s. 4d.—Pensions of the canons at Christmas, and St. John Baptist, &c. to Edmund Norwich, 13s. 4d. —Edmund Sparham, 19s. 4d.—John Hykling, 13s. 4d.—Ralph Salle, 13s. 4d.—Jeffrey Bayham, 13s. 4d.—Robert Aleyn alias Walsham 13s. 4d.—Richard Holte, 13s. 4d.

Moneys paid to the King's and the Earl of Oxford's bere-ward, and to the King's players.—Barber's fee for the whole year, 6s. 8d.—To the collector of the Pope's chamber, 7s.—To the priory of monks at Thetford, for Hanworth pension, 43s.—For the prior's part of Hickling lete, 6d.—To Overhall manor, 10s. per ann.—To Ingham priory, 3s.—To Hanworth manor for a pair of gilt spurs, and to Fornset, manor, 1d.

6l. per ann. was paid fee farm rent for this priory, and 8s. 4d. per ann. respite of homage with acquittance, &c.

It was valued at 137l. 1d. ob. q. as Speed; and at 100l. 18s. 7d. ob. as Dugdale.

The whole of their temporalities valued in 1428, at 15l. 12s. 9d. and spiritualities at 31l. 6s. 8d.

Here were a prior and 9 or 10 canons. It was settled by act of parliament, ao. 27th Henry VIII. on the Bishop of Norwich, in part, as an exchange for old lands of that see.

The tenths were 8l. 18s. Deducted 1l. 10s. 4d.

The Church is dedicated to St. Mary, and was a rectory, valued at 30 marks, and appropriated to the priory, and a vicarage was founded, in the reign of Edward I. the vicar is said to have convenient edifices, and valued at 1l. 10s. and on every institution 10s. was paid to the Bishop for first fruits. Peter-pence were 10d.

Vicars.

In 1340, Thomas de Baconthorp, a canon, was instituted, presented by the prior and convent.

1350, John de Hempstede.

1354, Roger de Toftees.

1373, William de Salthouse.

1393, Adam Shene.

1403, Bartholomew de Beyghton.

1434, John Horning.

1459, Richard Walsingham.

1481, Thomas Norwich alias Griggs.

1485, John Norwich.

Robert Clubb occurs vicar in 1503.

1531, Thomas Carter.

1543, Robert Bottild; the Bishop consolidated the vicarage to the priorship, during his life, on condition he took care to serve it by a canon.

James Mason, vicar in 1555.

1587, John Ratclyff, presented by the Queen.

1595, Thomas Wynington.

1595, John Goggs, by Edward Boys of Nonyngton in Kent, and the Lady Ann Calthorp, his wife.

1361, John Booth, by Mart Calthorp, Esq.

Bertram Doyly, vicar.

1625, John Hembling.

1650, Mart. Castleton, by John Calthorp, Esq.

Samuel Bing, vicar.

1681, Nathaniel Hindle, by John Calthorp.

1706, Samuel Bond.

1716, Richard Dodge, by Sir James Montague, baron of the Exchequer.

1728, John Gardiner, resigned in,

1730, and Thomas Deresby, presented by Robert Lord Walpole.

1732, Mr. John Worts. Ditto.

In the church was the guild of St. Ann, St. Mary, and St. Nicholas's lights, and the chapel of St. Mary in the churchyard.

At the east end of the chancel wall, a monument of black and white marble,

In memory of John Calthorp, Esq; of this parish, who married Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Francis Cuddon of Shading field in Suffolk, gent. by whom he had one son, Martin, and 3 daughters, Catharine, Elizabeth, and Margaret; he departed, &c. August 2, 1688, in his 36 year.

A monument In memory of Sir William Woodhouse, without any inscription over his tomb; his achievement quarterly, in first and 4th azure, a leopard's face, or; in the 2d and 3d ermin, his gilt sword, &c.

The present valor of the vicarage is 5l. 3s. 4d.

The tenths of the town were 8l. 18s. Deducted 1l. 13s. 4d. The temporalities of Campsey priory, 20s.

In the 18th of Edward IV. Magdalen college in Oxford had a patent for lands called Essex's, the liberty of a swan-mark, granted by William Barforth, and Andrew Riches, in Hickling, to Thomas Woodhouse of Waxham, in the 2d of Edward VI.

In the 14th of Elizabeth, John Allen held 3 messuages, and lands here, in Catfield and Ingham, of the Queen, of the honour of Richmond.

The manor of Sutton extended into this town, and was held of the Calthorps, in the reign of King Edward II. who had part of it, and came to Sir Miles Stapleton, and so to the prior of Ingham in the reign of Richard II.

Footnotes