Page:History of Norfolk 5.djvu/26

 or Hereford's Manor===

Belonged very early to Roger de Melton Parva, and Muriel his wife, about 1180, and after to Roger his son, and Roger his grandson, who sold to Master Vincent de Bek, all his lay fee and freehold, which he and his father held of Will. son of Jeffry of Great Melton, in order to enable him to go in pilgrimage to the Holy-Land, having settled on Emma his wife the land late ''Rob. de Melton's, his kinsman, near the land of William the parson of Little Melton''. In 1228, ''Will. de Bek held it at half a quarter of a fee of the heirs of Montchensy, who held it of Sir Robert de Tateshall, who held it of the honour of Peverell; in 1280, William de Hereford (from whom it took its name) owned it; in 1318, Emma de Bek had it; and in 1323, Will. de Hertford held it at the 8th part of a fee, of the Earl of Pembrook, and John Dames'' had it soon after. In 1338, by the name of Burfield's manor, an 8th part of it was settled on John Skilman and Margaret his wife, and John their son; and in 1345, it was found that the heirs of ''Will. de Bek'' held it. In 1371, the feoffees of Margaret widow of Ralf de Bocking, released it to John Dunnyng and his heirs; in 1401, Thomas de Blickling, son of Thomas, son of William de Blickling, and Julian, daughter of William Spynk of Norwich, his wife, held it; but he being a minor, it was in the King's hands; in 1408, ''Rog. Blickling had it; in 1418, it was sold by John Swan and Ric. Monesle, to John Briston, Esq. Henry Lesingham, and Robert Harrington and Eliz''. his wife; in 1459, Robert Allen, senior of Erlham, and Henry Spelman, mortgaged it to Simon Thornham, &c. for 110 marks; and in 1501, ''Tho. Batchecroft of Melton Parva gave it to Christian his wife, by will, for life, and then to be sold; in 1574, Rich. Calle of Melton'', Gent. and Edith his wife, and Tho Calle, Gent and Catherine his wife, sold it to Nichoals Sotherton, junr. of Norwich, Gent. and his heirs, in whose family it afterwards became joined to Melton-Parva manor,

GREAT-MELTON
Or Middle-ton, had two churches standing very near one another in the same churchyard; that dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin is now standing, and in use; it belonged to the manor of Hacon's or Hakun's in this town, and when Norwich Domesday was made, ''Ric. Hakun was patron of it; the rector had a house and four acres of land; it was first valued at 9, and after at 12 marks; it paid 13d''. synodals, 6s. 8d. procurations to. the Archdeacon of Norfolk, 12d. Peter-pence, and 2d. ob. carvage. The tower was built in 1440, and hath three bells in it; the church hath only one isle, which is thatched, as is the south porch; the chancel is tiled. The rectory remains undischarged, being valued in the King's Books at 6l. 13s. 4d. and so pays 13s. 4d. yearly tenths, but no first fruits. It paid to the ancient tenths 3l. 16s.