Page:History of Norfolk 1.djvu/97

 Green that extends from the Round Pightle to the road that enters Piddock's-lane and contained about 20 acres, and is now [1736] laid to the Great Green, as is Jay's Green, which is that part lying from the Round Pightle to Fersfield way, on which the tenants of Fersfield'' have an absolute right of intercommonage; but it being with this limitation, that their cattle must have a follower, it is disused, as not being worth the while. On the Fen Commons there are no intercommoners, nor on Derby's Green, which is a small place, of not above 2 acres, and had its name from John de Derby, whose house stood against it in 1379. The Fen Commons are large, one was called Walstrete Common, and the other the Freth; Roydon Green is a small one, and is so called, because Roydon intercommons there, as Fersfield does on Winley Green and Thweyt Green, on both which each parish hath drift.

In this parish lived one Mr. Harrison, who was a curious collector of Roman coins, of gold, silver, and copper, from Pompey the Great to Honorius and Arcadius; his collection was sold by his son, to Sir Symond D'Ewes of Stow Langetot, in Suffolk, Knt. He was a very curious person, and lived in the house in which Robert Kent, senior, now dwells, [1736,] which was adorned in a very odd manner. In the parlour stood the effigies of a man which had a speaking trumpet (put through the wall into the yard) fixed to his mouth, so that upon one's entering the room it used to bid him welcome, by a servant's speaking into the trumpet in the yard: on the parlour door you may read the following distich, in brass capitals, inlaid in the wood:

Recta, patens, felix, iesus, via, janua, vita, Alpha, Docet, Verbum, Ducit, Omega, Beat.

And on the staircase door is a brass plate, with a circle engraved thereon, equally divided by the twenty-four letters, and this distich, in capitals of lead, inlaid in the wood:

Difficilis, celssera, porta, olympi, Fit, facilis, fidel, cardine, clave, manu.

In 1364, John Spilwan held lands here, which family always sealed with a cross flore in a shield, circumscribed Sigillum Johannis Spilwan de Brisingham; they were a family of good account in this country, though I do not find them owners of any manors.

The Boyland family always bore these arms.

Mr. William Piddock of Brisingham bears chequy or and az. on a pale sab. a woman's breast distilling drops of milk proper.

In 1603, it was returned that there were 160 communicants in this parish, which hath now [1736] near 70 dwelling-houses, and about 400 inhabitants. It used to pay 3l. 14s. for every tenth.

Parliament valuations under the associations were 1150l. and 1104l. the present [1736] valuation being 1093l. 10s.

The Leet Fee paid to the lord, was 20s. but the leet being dropt, there is no fee paid.

Having no more to say of this place, I shall procceed to Fersfield.