TUNSTEDE HUNDRED.
King Canute, on his foundation of the abbey of St. Bennet at
Holm, gave the lordship of this hundred to it, or rather granted by
Edward the Confessor, on his confirmation of their possessions. (fn. 1) .
In the 12th of King John, Peter de Hobois recovered seisin of it,
with the manors of Thurgarton, and Antingham, and the stewardship
of the abbey, for the fine of 20 marks, and one palfrey, paid to the
King, which he claimed against the abbot.
In the 23d of Henry III. Sir Peter de Hobois, released to the abbot
all his right herein, and in the 34th of that King, it was valued at 6
marks per ann.
Sir William de Redham, by deed sans date, released to the abbot, all
his right in the fishery of the water between Weybridge, and the abbey,
and Alexander, son of Alexander de Wroxham, all his right in the fishery
of the water, between Wroxham and Grabbard's ferry.
In the 15th of Edward I. the jury present the abbot to be lord,
and that he paid to the King 28s. in a quitrent (de alba firma) for
it, and was said to be worth 9 marks per ann.
The jury in the 38th of Edward III. present, that whereas the commonalty of Norfolk ought to have the fishery of the river running
from Weybridge, to Fretenham mouth, and so on to Bastwick bridge;
the abbot had appropriated it to himself, und likewise the water from
Weybridge, to Horning ferry; the abbot pleads that King Edward
III. being willing to know to whom the water of the river to Wroxham-Brigg belonged, directed his writ to Sir John Howard, eschaetor
of Norfolk, and to Robert Clere, and by their inquisition it was found
that Edward the Confessor confirmed to the abbot, the manor of
Horning, of which the water from Weybrigg to Wroxham Brigg, is
parcel, (except only that the Earl of Norfolk as lord of South Walsham,
ought to have between Weybrigg and Grubbard's Ferry, two nets,
called seyns, to fish in the said river) and that the abbot had enjoyed
it. After which the King confirmed it, May 18, in his 19th year; and
as to Fretenham Mouth, to Bastwick Brigg, the abbot pleads that he
is lord of the manor of Thirne, on one side, and of Horning on the
other, which extend from Thirn-Ferry towards Bastwick Brigg, and
that he had the sole fishery thereof by prescription, and for the rest
of the water from Thirn Ferry, to Bastwick Brigg, the Countess of
Huntington hath parcel thereof, and for the rest John Fastolf hath it.
At the dissolution of abbies it came to the Crown, and on the exchange of lands between King Henry VIII. and the Bishop of Norwich, was granted to that see, and was valued with the hundred court
at 2l. per ann.
This hundred made up, with that of Happing, the deanery of Waxham.
In 1326, Jeff. de Boudone was collated to it by the Bishop, and in
1335, John de Bermere; in 1352, William de Brandon.