Page:History of Norfolk 1.djvu/507

 WROTHAM-THORP, or LITTLE WROTHAM, NOW THORP-HOUSE===

The third was called anciently Little Wrotham, or Wrotham-Thorp, and now Thorp-House, there being only one farm remaining at this time; it never had any church, but was an hamlet to West Wrotham, which took the name of Little Wrotham after this was joined to it: it was a separate village at the Conquest, and so continued to the latter end of Edward II. though the manor always was, and now is, distinct from the other Wrothams, by the name of Thorp Hall. It was held by the Tonys, who had all the three at first, and passed as West Wrotham did, till that was given to the Abbot of Conches, by Roger de Tony, who died seized of this, and left it to Ralph his son, who, in 1279, held Wrotham-Thorp, as part of his barony, the manor having then liberty of view of frankpledge, assize of bread and ale, and weyf; he left it to Robert, his son and heir, after the decease of William Martin, and Loveday his wife, who held it for life by Ralph's grant; but in 1309, he was in possession, and died seized, leaving it to Alice, widow of ''Tho. Leybourne, his sister and heir, at that time 26 years old, who married Guy de Beauchamp Earl of Warwick, who, soon after his marriage, sold the manor, with 30s''. 11d. rent, a messuage, and 100 acres of land in Stanford, held by the tenth part of a fee, to Thomas de Nethergate, chaplain of Stanford, to be held of the Earl by the annual payment of a chaplet of roses; and this Thomas gave the manor to the Prior of Cokesford and his successours in 1315, reserving the Stanford parts to himself. In 1343, it was settled by Peter de Weston Taillur, and Alice his wife, on Sir John de Norwich, Knt. at which time it contained two carucates, for which John gave them 100 marks; how it came from Coxford, whether by exchange or no, I do not find. In 1350, John de Herlyng granted to Sir John de Norwich, Knt. all the lands in the Wrothams and Illington, which he purchased of John de Wrotham, with the fold-courses, homages, and services, thereto belonging; and in 1354, John de Bruseyerd of Shadenfield, his feoffee, released his right; in 1374, it descended to Katherine de Brewse, cousin and heir of Sir John Norwich, junior, who settled it on John Daventre, parson of Brom, Walter Barkly, vicar of Kymberle, John Cranhouse, Edmund Lakyngheth, and Richard Nooth, for her life, and a year after her decease, remainder to the King and his heirs, Sir John Plaiz, Sir Robert Howard and others being feoffees; and in 1384, King Richard II. gave the reversion to the prioress and nuns of Dartford in Kent; in 1405, William Barret of Dicleburgh, and Joan his wife, settled divers lands