Page:History of Norfolk 1.djvu/442

 or Stukey, in Norfolk, his youngest son, who kept court here, from about 1572 to 1595; he settled a moiety of it on Elizabeth, his second daughter and coheir, upon her marrying Sir ''Tho. Knevet'', junior, Knt. son of Sir ''Tho. Knevet of Ashwellthorp, Knt.; and in 1631, this moiety was settled by Dame Elizabeth Knevet aforesaid, on Muriell, wife of Sir Charles Le-Grosse'', Knt. of Crostweyt, and her heirs, Sir Roger Townshend, Sir Robert Gawdy, and others, being then concerned as coheirs of the estate of Sir Nathaniel Bacon, who had settled the other moiety on Sir Owen Smith in remainder, after the death of Dorothy, his second wife, eldest daughter of Sir Arthur Hopton, Knight of the Bath, at the coronation of King James, son of Sir Owen Hopton, Knt. which Dorothy was relict of William Smith of Burgh castle in Suffolk; and thus it continued in moieties for some time.

In 1622, Dame Dorothy Bacon, widow of Sir Nathaniel Bacon, kept court here; in 1629, Charles Le-Grosse, and Thomas Smith held a court. In 1638, Sir Thomas Hopton, Knt. and Arthur Hopton, Esq. held their first court for one moiety, and the year following Sir Ralf Hopton, Knt. held his first court for the same moiety. In 1640, Alice Smith, widow, and Sir Charles Le-Grosse, Knt. held their first court for the other moiety. In 1642, Sir Charles Le-Gros, Knt. and Fitz-Nunn Lambe, Esq. held their first court, the Hoptons having sold their moiety (as I suppose) to the Lambs, who after became possessed of the whole, in whose family it continued till about 1712, and then Mr. Edmund Lamb sold it to Mr. William Green of Stafford, whose son, William Green, Esq. became lord, but is lately dead, and Mrs. Mary Green of Eccles, his widow, is now [1737] lady.

The Customs of this manor are, that the fine is at the lord's will, the tenants cannot waste their copyhold without license; the eldest son is heir; there is no leet fec or common fine, and it gives no dower.

The Commons belonging to this town are these, the Wroo, Rowse Hill, the Great Fen, the Little Fen, South Moore, North Moor, West Ling, or the further Heath, containing in all about 180 acres, on all which the lord hath no right of commonage, but it solely belongs to the tenants, who can common horses, cows, and all other cattle, and cut and carry away furze at all times from Rouse Hill, and the further Heath, and flags and turf from the fens,

There is a hamlet called Overey, which had a church formerly, for I meet with one Bartholomew, rector of Overey; but it never had any institution, which makes me think it always belonged to Eccles, and was served by that rector, because in the beginning of Henry VIII. Overey is said to belong to Eccles, as it now doth.

The Church is dedicated to St. Mary. It hath a round tower and three bells; the nave is leaded, the chancel and north porch tiled;