Page:History of Norfolk 1.djvu/197

 Edmund, Nicholas, Richard, and William; he died in 1285, leaving Gissing to Emeline'' his wife, for life, as her dower. It was this Nicholas that in 1249 granted by fine to the Prior of Penteney, a messuage and two carves of land in Gayton-Thorp, and East-winch, to be for ever held of his manor of Gissing by one knight's fee and a pair of gilt spurs, or 7d. a year at Easter. This was afterwards confirmed by Hugh de Hastyngs, his son; and in 1382, there were 100s. due for a relief for the fee, to the lord of this manor, by reason of the resignation of Peter Byshop, late Prior of Penteney, for the manors of Gayton-Thorp, and East-winch. He sealed with a maunch, and a label of three for difference.

Hugh de Hastyngs, eldest son of the said Nicholas, succeeded; he married a wife named Beatrice, and died before 1301, when she impleaded Emeline, her mother-in-law, for the third part of this manor, as her dower, to which it was answered, that Hugh her husband, after his father's death, assigned this manor to his mother for her dower, upon which Emeline was dismissed. In 1299,

Nicholas, son and heir of Hugh, came to it; he released to Nicholas his uncle, and his heirs, all his right and claim to those lands in Gissing, which Nicholas de Hastyngs his grandfather gave to William his son, and in case that Nicholas his uncle should die without issue, he granted that Richard de Hastyngs, and the heirs of his body, should enjoy them, with a remainder to his own right heirs. This Nicholas, in 1276, being then a knight, was retained by Ralph Lord Greystoke, (according to the custom of those times,) by covenants dated at Hilderskelf in Yorkshire, to serve him both in peace and war, for the term of their lives; viz. in time of war, with two yeomen well mounted and arrayed, and in time of peace, with two yeomen and four grooms; in consideration of which, he was to be furnished with all accoutrements for his own body, as also with one saddle, according to the dignity of a knight; and in case he should lose any great horse in the war, he was to have recompense according to the estimation of two men. Furthermore, wherever the Lord Greystoke resided, so that it was in Yorkshire, he should repair to him upon notice, having allowance for his reasonable service in war and peace. On account of this retainder, Sir Nicholas had the manor of Thorp-Basset, in Yorkshire, from this Lord, paying a fee-farm rent of 8l. a year. I could not omit taking notice of this, to shew the custom of that age, abundance of the knights then being retained in the same manner. This Sir Nicholas left two sons, Ralf and William, between whom this manor was divided, one part being henceforward called Gissing only, and the other Hastyngs in Gissing.

William, the youngest, had GISSING assigned to him, which he left to his son (as I take it) Phillip de Hastyngs, whose daughter Isabell, in 1324, married Alan Kemp of Weston, in Suffolk, Esq. to whose son John the said Phillip granted the manor called Gissing, and to his heirs for ever, from which time it hath continued in that family.

Sir Ralph, the eldest, had HASTINGS'S manor in Gissing; and in 1328, he renewed his charter of free-warren