Charles Parkin

“ The Church of South Pickenham is dedicated to All the Saints, and is a single building, having only one isle or nave of flint, &c. in length about 42 feet, and in breadth about 16, with a roof of oak, covered with lead; in a south window is a shield of the Earl Warren; over the arch of a window is a stone pedestal with an angel carved thereon, and here it is likely the Virgin had her station, and an altar dedicated to her; the roof of this nave is much flatter than when first erected, lower than that of the chancel, which makes a very disagreeable prospect ”

“ I find one John Tudenham, chantry priest of the chantry of Curteys in the church of Necton, on its dissolution, to have a pension of 6l. per annum; but I question whether Necton there mentioned is not Nacton in Suffolk. This parish has an estate belonging to it, let at 65l. per annum, and one let for 5l. 10s. per annum, and several almhouses near the church, the profits of which are principally to repair and adorn the parish church, and what annually remains overplus, to be applied towards the maintenance of the poor, highways, and other common benefits of the parish. ”

“ His magnificence to the noble arched roof of the cathedral church was such, that his arms were there carved among the principal benefactors; the ancient house in Loddon, called Hales-hall, in which he lived, was great part of it built by him, and continued the place of his country residence to his death, though he had two city-houses, one in London and another in Norwich. ”

“ Near to the communion table, on the north side, is the altar monument of John Botwright, D.D. rector of the church when it was rebuilt; on the body of the tomb are four shields, two to represent his priesthood, bearing the sacramental cups, and the triangular emblem of the Trinity, and two to represent his name, bearing boats and wimbles, instruments essential to any wright or worker in wood, an anigma or rebus full as obscure, as chapman, under the figure of a pedlar. ”

“ The Church is a noble free-stone pile, having a fine square tower 40 yards high, and 6 bells and a clock in it, a nave, 2 isles, 2 transept chapels, a north chancel chapel, and north vestry and south porch, all leaded. This noble fabric, except the north isle, was built by Michael de la Poole Earl of Suffolk, lord here, and Catherine his wife, daughter of Hugh Earl of Stafford, son of Michael de la Pole Earl of Suffolk, and Catherine daughter and heiress of Sir John Wingfield, his wife ”

“ An humble Cell hides underneath this stone, Two (whilst they lived) by God and Love, made one, Death try'd to separate them, but in vaine, For Love caused Death to join them here again; Living they join'd in race for Heav'nly prise, And dead are join'd in rest, and hope to rise. ”

“ The whole village now belongs to Sir Andrew Fountaine, Knt. of whose family I shall take occasion to speak here; that learned and worthy knight having his residence in a seat of his own erecting, at this place, called Narford-hall, which for elegance is truly curious; the valuable library of books, excellent collection of pictures, coins, and many other rare pieces of antiquity, the whole furniture and ornaments herein, are sufficient to excite the curiosity of the learned, and preserve the memory of their judicious owner. ”

“ He resided as much at Saxlingham as at Baconsthorp, and in the chancel of Saxlingham, buried his first lady Mirabel, daughter and coheiress of Sir Thomas Rivet, Knt. merchant of London, over whom he erected a most curious and sumptuous monument, which takes up almost the whole area, inclosed with iron rails, there being just space enough left to go round the monument, which is raised in form of an Egyptian pyramid, of marble and stone, supported by pillars, and reaching almost to the top of the chancel, having an urn on the summit ”

“ SAXTHORP Was the lordship of Godwin, in the reign of the Confessor, when two carucates of land belonged to it, 10 villains, 10 bordarers, and 2 slaves, 3 carucates of land appertained to the freemen, there was paunage for 60 swine, a mill, and afterwards two, in the Conqueror's time, when there were 50 swine, 50 goats, 15 socmen, and a right in part of another, who held 40 acres of land, and 3 carucates, and 2 acres of meadow, also one freeman who had 30 acres, and one acre of meadow. ”

“ Dorothy Daughter of William and Dorothy Sparrow, Aug. 24, 1642.
On a mural monument in the churchyard, against the south church wall,
About six Foot from this Wall, resteth in Hopes of a joyful Resurrection, the Bodies of Robert and John Scales, Father and Son late of Hauteboys parva, of the same Occupation, as was their blessed Saviour and Redeemer; Robert departed this Life the 12 of November 1727, Aged 79 Years, and John died the 28th of January 1727, in the 40th Year of his Age.
As in a Moment we are gone, And whilst our Time doth fly, Let us always prepared be For blest Eternity. ”

“ The lete of this town is in the lord of the manor.
The Church of Swaffham is built in the form of a cathedral, having a nave, north and south isles, a chancel, and two transept chapels, making it in the shape of a cross. It is a lofty magnificent Gothick pile, of a very venerable aspect, being the largest and most beautiful parish church in the neighbourhood; the whole is covered with lead, and built for the most part with flint, freestone, brick, &c.; the upper part of the nave is coped and embattled with free-stone. ”

“ Let us always Fear and Love, Serve and Obey the Lord our God during our short Life hereupon Earth, and he will hereafter, thro Jesus Christ, abundantly Reward us with Life Eternal, among the blessed Saints and Angels in the Kingdom of Heaven. ”

“ By an inquisition in 1274, William de Narford was found to be lord, and to have free-warren, not only in his domain lands, but in those of other men in this town, which were held of the honour of Richmond, and the bailiffs of the Earl of Richmond kept the lete; and in 1277, the aforesaid William, then a knight, and Joldewin or Geldewin, son of Eudo de Narford, held one knight's fee here, and paid to the ward of Richmond castle 10s. per annum. ”

“ William, who took the sirname of De alto Bosco or Hautbois, was infeoffed in the half of Great Hautbois; which he was to hold of the monastery, at half a fee; he had also all Little-Hautbois, with the Abbot's land at Calthorp, the land of Ulf, and the land of Ralf in Erpingham, to hold at half a fee more, and had the stewardship of the abbot, granted him by Alfwold, abbot there; his son
William was a great man in his days, being very much concerned for the affairs of the monastery all his life time ”

“ If the carved work was designed to perpetuate the memory of his low degree, the affectation of a dress on the glass so much superiour to his station, being of a piece with other benefactors in the windows, men of estate and worth, must be ridiculous to his own times, and frustrate the very end and intent of the carving, by showing posterity that he was a man of figure and fortune. ”

“ At the east end of the nave stands the chancel, the arch here, and at the west end, are very grand and spacious, rising almost to the summit of the roof of the church; it is in length about 15 yards, and 7 in breadth, and the roof is of oak, supported by angels. On the pavement as you ascend, lies a gray marble in memory of some priest, as appears from the incision of the stone where the brass effigies was. ”

“ Sir Henry Bedingfeld, his son and heir, who was one of those gentlemen that appeared in arms at Framlingham in Suffolk, in defence of Queen Mary, and her title to the crown, and brought with him 140 men completely armed; by her he was appointed knightmarshal of her army, captain of her guards, and on the 28th of Oct. 1555, was made governour of the Tower of London, and one of the privy council; in 1557, vice-chamberlain to the Queen, and had a pension of 100l. per annum assigned him for life, and part of the estate of Sir Thomas Wyat, forfeited on his rebellion. ”

“ Whether the Norman nobility brought the use of large seals into England, or found it here, is not very certain; but certain it is, that they used them soon after their arrival; the most usual impresses being an armed man or knight on horseback with a drawn sword, and the bearer's name round him; perhaps the large territories, wherewith the Conqueror rewarded their services, induced them to believe themselves to be advanced to so many principalities, and this conceit might incline them to rival their Sovereign himself, in the grandeur of their publick instruments. ”

“ John Spelman, the eldest, was the first of the family that was lord of Bekerton manor in Stow (see vol. ii. p. 279, &c.) he always wrote himself, of Spelman's Place in Stow. After the death of Alice his first wife, he married a second wife, named Joan, by whom he had one daughter, married to William Kemp, and four sons; he died in 1392; his 2d son was John, his 3d William, whose daughter and heir married to John Aleyn of Earlham; his 4th son, Stephen, who was alderman and sheriff of London, died without issue in 1404, and was buried in St. Michael Queenhith, London. (Stow's Survey of London.) ”

“ These are the insignia of John de Clifton, who flourished in the reign of King Edward III. and was summoned to parliament, as a Baron then and in the beginning of King Richard II. and was no doubt the founder of this church, and died at Rhodes, in that King's reign: the being heirs to the Kaillis or Caleys assumed most likely their arms, using only a bend by way of distinction; and the Caleys, it is probable, being dependants, and near attached to the Earl Warren, assumed his coat; changing only the colours, a practice very frequent in ancient days.
Rectors Thomas de Kaylli, rector. ”

“ Sir William Heydon, son and heir, by engaging in several projects with certain citizens of London, contracted a large debt, and sold much of his paternal estate, was one of the deputy lieutenants of Norfolk, a justice of the peace, admiral of the admiralty jurisdiction, and high sheriff of the county ”

“ Jane his widow died April 27th, 1550, and was buried in the chancel of St. Martin's church, by the Bishop's Palace, in Norwich, under a large marble gravestone, ornamented with brass plates, and an epitaph in verse, and gave a silver cup, and a velvet carpet, adorned with roses and lilies. He had a son, Philip Calthorp, Esq.; his assignees presented to the church of Harpley, in 1541, and 1544, and dying sans issue, his sister Elizabeth succeeded, the only daughter and heir of Sir Philip Calthorp, by Mary his first wife; she was second wife to Sir Henry Parker, who had livery of this manor, &c. ”

“ Sir Thomas Tudenham married Alice, daughter of John Wodehouse, Esq. before he was of age, and in 1436 November 22, on a full hearing of the cause at Lynn, before the chancellor of Norwich, the Prior of Lynn, &c. he was divorced from her, on proof, and her own confession of adultery; she had before this left him, and was at that time a nun professed at Crabhouse in Wigenhale in Norfolk; and he had power to remarry. ”

“ In 1365 Sir John sold the whole of his estate here, and in Aylesham, Erpingham, Blickling, and Olton, to
George Felbrigge, and his feoffees, after his own decease; he was alive in 1372, and died before 1400, for Sir George was dead, and Robert de Felbrigge his son, then a minor, was in the King's wardship, and from that time it passed from the Felbrigges to the Windhams, and now William Windham of Felbrigge, Esq. is lord and patron. ”

“ Somerton bore, or, on a chevron, between three lions heads, erased gules, five bezants; in his will dated on the feast of Corpus Christi, 1419, he desires to be buried in the church of St. Margaret of Paston between the south door and the tomb of Beatrice his wife, gives money for a light to burn before the image of St. Margaret, in the said church, and to the rood loft light: appoints Margery his sister, widow of John Bacton, and his son William his executors, and died the day wherin he made his will. ”

“ Skeyton-Hall Manor In 1287 Maud, widow of Andrew de Brampton, who was tenant to the Abbot, assigned all her right to John, son of Robert de Skeyton, and Sarah his wife, it always enjoyed all the liberties of the abbey, and in 1428 the Abbot was taxed for his manor and demesnes at 5l. 17s. 2d. per annum, at the general Dissolution it was granted with the abbey to the see of Norwich, the Bishop of Norwich being the present lord and patron. ”