LETHERINGSET,
Called in Domesday Book Leringaseta, as seated in some meadow
lands, on a river probably called the Ler, was the lordship of Walter
Giffard Earl of Bucks, granted to him by the Conqueror, on the
ejection of Oslac, a freeman, lord of it in King Edward's time, who
had one carucate of land, 7 borderers, one carucate and an half in
demean, with a carucate and 2 acres of meadow among his tenants,
or men, a mill, &c. 80 sheep, 2 skeps of bees, and a socman with one
acre valued then at 20s. and 25s. at the survey, was 8 furlongs long,
and 5 broad, and paid 12d. whoever held it. (fn. 1)
Under the Earl it was held about the time of the survey by Grimbald, who built a church here, and gave it to his third son, Edmund.
This lord was founder of the family of De Leringset, alias De Bacon.
Ranulph was his eldest son, who, as the register of Binham priory sets
forth, was dangerously wounded at the fairs in this town, and gave to
Ralph his brother a moiety of his inheritance. Gilbert de Laringseta
was son of Ranulph, and had Jordan de Laringseta, who married
Isabel, by whom he had Adam, wrote sometimes Adam Fitz-Jordan,
and father of Peter, who granted to the priory of Binham lands
abutting on those of Roger le Veyle with a moiety of the advowson
of the church, about the 20th of Henry III. and by another deed, the
other moiety.
In an action brought by the prior against Hugoline, widow of
Peter, she released her right therein. In a writ of enquiry to the
Bishop of Norwich, to put the prior in possession of the moiety
which he had recovered, dated 1274, the jury say that the prior had
had a right.
This Peter, styled de Letheringset, held the eighth part of a fee in
the 52d of Henry III. of the Earl of Clare, into which family Earl
Giffard's estate came by marriage, and was found to have no right
of receiving knighthood, having only 100s. rent per ann. To this Peter
and Agnes his wife, Thomas de Ormesby, parson of Stodey, conveyed
lands here, in Holt, Sharnton, &c.
Soon after this Peter seems to die s. p. and the elder branch of
that family being extinct, it is proper to observe that Ralph, second
son of Grimbald, who had also an interest here, had a son, Roger,
father of Robert, who assumed the name of Bacon, and is sometimes
called Robert Fitz Roger, a person of great power, and cousin of Jeff.
Ridel Bishop of Ely; he was father of Reginald Bacon, who confirmed to Simon Fitz Simon the homage of Richard. At church, the
of Laringsete, his sons and heirs, 12 acres of land and 3s. rent, in the
27th of Henry III. and held the eighth part of a fee of the Earl of
Clare, and presented to a moiety of this church. The pedigree of
the Bacons says he was father of Richard Bacon, who by Alice,
daughter of Conan, son of Elias de Moulton had 5 sons; 1st Sir
Robert Bacon, 2d Roger, called Doctor Mirabilis, 3d Sir Stephen, 4th
Bartholomew, a justice in Eyre, and the 5th Sir Henry Bacon of
Letheringset, justice itinerant; to some of their descedants, Peter de
Letheringsete's part, most likely came. In the 21st of Edward I.
John de Cave recovered a mediety against Henry Bacon, and the
8th of Enward II. the heirs of Thomas Bacon were found to hold this
lordship.
In the 22d of Richard II. Thomas Jordan possessed it, and in the
3d of Henry VI. Thomas Jordan was found to die seized of it; one of
the same name was lord in the 38th of that King.
In 1458, John Heydon, Gent. was lord, and presented to both the
moieties: from the Heydons it came to Sir Henry Sidney, and after
to John Jermy, Esq. who presented in 1626, and Robert Jermy, Esq.
in 1674.
Hammond Ward, Gent. lord, conveyed it to Thomas Girdlestone.
The King's manor of Holt extended here. King John, in his
second year, confirmed to Roger le Veile of Fishley, lands here to be
held by the service of keeping the King's hawks; and Roger, son of
Roger le Veyle grants to John his son, lands in this town, and West
Bastwick, in the 4th of Edward I. Roger de Perers, had lands about
that time of the Vaux, and Robert le Pever of Stodey had confirmation of a charter for free warren. In the reign of Richard II. William
Woodrofe died seized of a manor called Harde-Greys, alias La Veyles,
held in capile by knight's service, and Thomasine, Oliva, and Elizabeth
were his daughters and heirs.
Le Vile's interest came to Philip Curson of Letheringset, (son of
Walter) alderman of London, by Agnes his second wife, daughter and
heir of John le Veile: this Philip, by testament dated the 24th of
June, 1502, bequeaths his body to be buried in this church: his son
John left by Frances his wife, daughter of John Wingfeld of Dunham
Magna, Norfolk, a son John, who married Dorothy, daughter of Henry
Walpote, Esq. of Harpley, and died in 1558.
Thomas Fairfax had a prœcipe to render to Thomas Cloudesley,
Gent. and John Fairfax, the manor of La Veyles, in the 12th of
James I. See in Wood Bastwick, in South Walsham hundred.
The Bishop of Norwich's lordship of Saxlingham also extended
here. Thomas de Saxlingham had a messuage, 3 acres of land, 5 of
meadow, 3 and an half of pasture, with a water-mill and the rent of
5s. in the 13th of Richard II. and Margaret, daughter of his brother
Henry, and wife of Thomas Plumbey, was then found to be his heir.
See in Saxlingham.
Sir Henry Sidney afterwards held it, and conveyed it to John Jermy
Esq. and in 1715, Nathiel Burrel was lord and patron, as was John
Burrell in 1759.
The Church is a rectory dedicated to St. Andrew, and consists,
of a nave and 2 isles, a round tower, or steeple, with 3 bells.
The present valor is 12l.
At the east window of the chancel is a mural monument with this
epitaph,
In this chancel resteth the body of Hammond Ward, of Letheringset,
Esq; who married Mary, daughter of Sir James Calthorpe, of Cockthorpe, Kt. and by her had issue twelve sons and four daughters, he
departed this life the 20th of March, 1650; with the arms of Ward,
azure, in a double tressure, flory, or, a buck trippant of the 2d,
impaling Calthorpe.
Another mural monument thus inscribed,
M. S. of Charles Worsley, late rector of Salthouse, descended from
an antient family of the Worsleys of Plat in Lancashire, and son of
Edw. late rector of this church, and Mary Playford of North Repps,
his mother, which said Charles, with Beatrice Claxton of Booton, his
wife, lye interred under these marbles, in hopes of a blessed resurrection,
obt. 24, Dec. 1682, Ao. œt. 29: and these arms, gules, on a chief,
argent, a mural crown, or — Worsley — impaling, gules, on a fess
between three hedgehogs, argent, an escocheon, barry of ten, of the
2d, and azure, a canton ermin—Claxton.
On a grave-stone,
Hic jacet corpus Ric. Fytz, Generosi, nuper unius cursitorum summœ
curiœ cancellariœ Dni Jacob; nuper regis Angliœ qui duxit in uxorem
Barbaram Kempe, filiam Francisci Kempe, armigeri, fratris Thomœ
Kempe, militis, et filij Will. Kempe, militis, qui quidem Ric. ob. 28,
Jan. Ao. 1630, œtat, suœ 74.—Orate p. a'ia, Philippi Curson, Gent.
In the church on a stone,
Memoriœ Gulielmi Donne, Gen. qui defunctus vitœ viiio die mensis
Novem. Ao. 1684, œt. suœ 39, (exuvijs hic positis) beatam in Christo
resurrectionem prœstolatur; and these arms, azure, a wolf salient
argent, impaling - - - - - on a chevron ingrailed, two lioncels rampant,
between as many crescents.
In this church were two medieties, each valued at 15 marks: one
was called Adam's mediety, the other Thomas de Chyvaler's; Peterpence 11d. and Fakenham dam priory had a portion of tithe valued
at 2s.
Grimbald (as I have observed) was founder of the church, and presented his third son, Edmund, to it, who was instituted rector. (fn. 2)
On his death, Hamon, younger son of Gilbert, was admitted, presented by Jordan his brother: Hamon is also said to be rector of the
whole church, and to have ceded in his old age a moiety of it to
Jeffrey Ridel, archdeacon of Ely
I cannot find this Jeffrey was archdeacon of Ely, but of Canterbury; and after Bishop of Ely, in 1174.
On Hamond's death, Adam Fitz Jordan presented Thomas his brother to a moiety. On the death of Thomas, Robert de Beverley was
presented to a moiety by the prior of Binham.
Rectors.
Jeff. Ridel, rector of a moiety.
Thomas Bacon was presented to a mediety by Reginald Bacon
about the 27th of Henry III.
In the 9th of Edward I. a fine was levied between Hugh de Cave
and William, son of John de Rewe of Beverley, who conveyed to
Hugh a moiety of the advowson, and a moiety of an acre of land, and
in the 27th of that King, on an action between Henry Bacon of
Laringset, and John de Cave, it appeared that Robert de Beverley
was seized of the moiety of an acre of land, to which the advowson
belonged in King Henry the Third's reign, who dying sans issue,
William was his cousin and heir.
1308, Robert de Thursford, to a mediety by the prior of Binham.
1318, Robert de Cave, to a mediety, by John Cave of Northburgh.
1330, John de South-Creyk, to a mediety, by prior, &c.
Thomas de Cockley-Cley, rector of a mediety.
1343, Dennis de Eggefeld, by the prior.
1349, Robert de Kilverston. Ditto.
1349, Thomas Fyn, by Thomas son of Richard Noel of Brunham.
1354, John Trendal, by the prior.
1355, Silv. Atte Yates. Ditto.
1365, William Kyrkeman. Ditto.
1383, Nicholas de Markeshale, by John de Quarles, and Thomas
Lyng.
1386, Thomas Aleyn. Ditto.
1387, Roger Cobbe, by the prior.
1387, John Roche, by Edward Lucas, and John Quarles.
1396, Jeff. Chauntrell, by the prior.
1400, John Estker, by Ed. Lucas, and John Quarles.
1412, William Monaud, by the prior.
1412, George Palmer. Ditto.
1422, Thomas Crumme. Ditto.
1430, John Caproun, by Edmund Lucas and Mary his wife, and
Margaret. daughter of Gilbert Neal.
1457, John Tollyn, by Thomas Payn, Esq. and Etheldreda his wife.
1458, Henry Rands, to both medieties, now united, presented by
John Heydon, Gent patron of both.
1465, Nicholas Benet. Ditto.
1488, John Bagley, by Sir Henry Heydon.
1504, Thomas Curson, by John Heydon, Esq.
1515, John Bokenham, by Sir John Heydon.
1553, John Elverich, Sir Christopher Heydon.
1559, Robert Pierson. Ditto.
1576, Richard Lawson. Ditto.
1626, Thomas King, by John Jermy, Esq.
1629, Thomas Lougher. Ditto.
1645, Rowland Thampson, by Fran. Jermy, Esq.
John Cotlove, rector
1661, John Bond, by Robert Jermy, Esq.
1662, Edward Worsley. Ditto.
1674, Nathaniel Palgrave. Ditto.
1705, Nathaniel Burrell, by Mary Cocksedge, widow, and he occurs
rector and patron in 1715.
1741, Henry Briggs, S. T. P. by Sarah Burrell.
1747, Robert Leek, by John Burrell.
1759, John Burrell, by John Burrell.
In this church were the gilds of St. Andrew, and St John Baptist.
The temporalities of Binham priory were 2s. 3d.;—of Walsingham
8d.;—of Waborne 6s. 1d.
The tenths 3l. 12s.—Deducted 12s.