Manor & Lordship
- Manor / site
- Unknown
- Associated lordship
- Lordship of Great Ellingham Associated
- Lordship status
- Unknown
The supplied historical account expressly calls Great Ellingham a lordship and refers repeatedly to its lords and a sale of the lordship.
Location: Norfolk
Places / associated places: Norfolk
Listed in Domesday Book: Yes
About the Manor
THIS MANOR belonged to Turketel, the Dane, in the Confessor’s days and to Warbold in the reign of William the Conqueror, who held it of Hermer de Ferrers, the ancestor of the first Earls Ferrers.
By 1100, it had become the Lordship of Earl Warrenne and was held under this family by the Wirmegges for most of the 12th century. William de Wirmegge granted it to William, son of Ralph de Ellingham, in about 1200 and we know from records in London that Ralph was the son of Walter de Ellingham who was living in 1194. The descent of the de Ellinghams as far as this has been pieced together is as follows (see digital catalogue).
This Alexander sold the Lordship in 1369 to Sir Robert Mortimer, although in 1372 Sir Robert sold it back to Alexander de Ellingham and his wife, Amy. Nevertheless, Sir Robert Mortimer was Lord again in 1381 and in 1388 we find Margery, Lady Mortimer, by then a widow, settling Great Ellingham on Sir George Felbrigg.
Sir George released his rights in the Manor in 1399 and in 1401 Constantine Mortimer was the Lord. Constantine was succeeded by his son, Sir Thomas of Attleburgh, or Attleborough, one of whose daughters and heiress married John FitzRalph. John was succeeded by Maud who married Sir Robert Conyers. Various disputes over this Manor are found in the magnificent Paston Letters, which are housed at the British Library, but which are available in printed form from Oxford University Press.
Sir Robert Conyer’s son John, dying without issue in 1472 left Great Ellingham to his niece, Anne, wife of Thomas Spelman. In 1524 the Manor passed into the hands of the de Greys of Merton. Where we note (supra) Margery, Lady Mortimer’s settlement of 1388, we find on the grant her seal which illustrates one of the earliest known coats of arms held by a woman: viz a chevron, between three lions rampant, impaled with, and placed before, those of her husband.
The Lordship lies 3 miles north-west of Attleborough and covers approximately 2756 acres.
Rights, customs and incidents
Sir George released his rights in the Manor in 1399 and in 1401 Constantine Mortimer was the Lord.
Associated manorial documents / archive references
- Exten Temp Edward IV PRO
- Survey Undated Bodleian
- Records 1782-1875 Norfolk RO
- Field Books 1556,1578,1614
- Surveys post 1631
- Court Rolls 1556-1628
- Court Book 1605-1755
- Rentals C16th-C17th Norfolk RO
Ownership / Holder Account
The manor was held by Turketel in the Confessor's days and by Warbold under Hermer de Ferrers after the Conquest. By about 1100 it was a lordship of the Warenne family and was held by the Wirmegges during much of the twelfth century. It passed to the de Ellingham family around 1200. Alexander de Ellingham sold the lordship to Sir Robert Mortimer in 1369, but Mortimer conveyed it back to Alexander and Amy in 1372. Mortimer was again lord in 1381. Margery, Lady Mortimer, settled it on Sir George Felbrigg in 1388; Felbrigg released his rights in 1399. Constantine Mortimer was lord in 1401, followed by his son Sir Thomas of Attleborough. The subsequent descent included John FitzRalph, Maud and Sir Robert Conyers, and Anne, wife of Thomas Spelman, after John Conyers died without issue in 1472. The manor passed to the de Greys of Merton in 1524.
Manorial Rights & Privileges
Historic manorial rights / privileges (2)
Lordship rights in Great Ellingham
Provisional
The historical account expressly refers to the lordship and records Sir George Felbrigg releasing his rights in the manor in 1399.
Manorial court and rental administration
Provisional
The supplied record identifies court rolls from 1556–1628, a court book from 1605–1755, and sixteenth- and seventeenth-century rentals, evidencing historical manorial administration.
Conveyance & Descent
First holder to present holder: blood proximity & distance travelled
First recorded holder: Sir Robert Mortimer
Present holder:
Recorded title journey: 15 holder entries in this manor's saved Conveyance & Descent history.
No recorded holder currently has a usable saved direct-blood or collateral-blood relationship path from which to calculate proximity percentages.
First recorded holder → present holder
A usable saved blood relationship path between the first recorded holder and the present holder has not yet been recorded, so that first-to-present genealogical distance cannot be calculated.
Transfer: Alexander de Ellingham sold the lordship to Sir Robert Mortimer.
Previous holder: Alexander de Ellingham
Source: Offline model knowledge; source verification required
Alexander de Ellingham and Amy
Transfer: Sir Robert Mortimer sold the lordship back to Alexander de Ellingham and his wife Amy.
Holding arrangement: Joint
Previous holder: Sir Robert Mortimer, Knight, lord of Great Ellingham
Source: Offline model knowledge; source verification required
Transfer: Margery, Lady Mortimer, settled Great Ellingham on Sir George Felbrigg.
Previous holder: Margery, Lady Mortimer
Sir George released his rights in the manor in 1399.
Source: Offline model knowledge; source verification required
Thomas Spelman and Anne
Transfer: After John Conyers died without issue, Great Ellingham passed to his niece Anne, wife of Thomas Spelman.
Holding arrangement: Joint
Previous holder: John Conyers, Knight
Source: Offline model knowledge; source verification required
de Greys of Merton
Transfer: The manor passed into the hands of the de Greys of Merton.
Previous holder: Thomas Spelman and Anne
Source: Offline model knowledge; source verification required
Turketel
Transfer: The manor belonged to Turketel in the days of Edward the Confessor and was held by Warbold after the Conquest.
Pre-Conquest holder of Great Ellingham.
Warbold
Transfer: After the Conquest, Warbold held Great Ellingham of Hermer de Ferrers.
Previous holder: Turketel
Post-Conquest holder under Hermer de Ferrers.
Earl Warrenne
Transfer: By about 1100 Great Ellingham had become a lordship of the Warenne family.
Previous holder: Warbold
The lordship was associated with the Warenne earldom from about 1100.
Transfer: William de Wirmegge granted Great Ellingham to William, son of Ralph de Ellingham.
Previous holder: William de Wirmegge
Grant marking the transfer to the de Ellingham family.
Transfer: Sir Robert Mortimer was again lord of Great Ellingham in 1381.
Previous holder: Alexander de Ellingham and Amy
A later period of Mortimer lordship, distinct from the 1369–1372 transaction already recorded.
Constantine Mortimer
Transfer: Constantine Mortimer was lord of Great Ellingham in 1401 after Sir George Felbrigg released his rights in 1399.
Previous holder: Sir George Felbrigg, Knight, holder of Great Ellingham
Holder recorded in 1401; the exact intervening legal sequence is not supplied.
Sir Thomas Mortimer of Attleborough
Transfer: Constantine Mortimer was succeeded by his son, Sir Thomas of Attleborough.
Previous holder: Constantine Mortimer
Succession from Constantine Mortimer to his son Sir Thomas.
Transfer: One of Sir Thomas's daughters and heiresses married John FitzRalph, through whom the descent continued.
Previous holder: Sir Thomas Mortimer of Attleborough
The supplied record identifies John FitzRalph as the successor through marriage to a daughter and heiress of Sir Thomas.
Maud and Sir Robert Conyers
Transfer: John FitzRalph was succeeded by Maud, who married Sir Robert Conyers.
Holding arrangement: Joint
Previous holder: John FitzRalph
Succession associated with Maud and her husband Sir Robert Conyers.
John Conyers, Knight
Transfer: Sir Robert Conyers's son John held the manor and died without issue in 1472.
Previous holder: Maud and Sir Robert Conyers
John Conyers was the immediate holder before the succession to his niece Anne.
Lordship / Title Associations
Associations are recorded by period so changes in estate composition do not imply that every manor remained attached to the same title indefinitely.
Associated · about 1100 · Provisional
Source: Offline model knowledge; source verification required
The supplied historical account expressly calls Great Ellingham a lordship and refers repeatedly to its lords and a sale of the lordship.
Research Status / Wanted Evidence
Wanted evidence: Source-backed evidence resolving this point
Offline backfill could not securely resolve this without source research.
Wanted evidence: Source-backed evidence resolving this point
Offline backfill could not securely resolve this without source research.
Wanted evidence: Source-backed evidence resolving this point
Offline backfill could not securely resolve this without source research.
Corrections / Challenges
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JSON API
Machine-readable published manor data, including public images, mapped land areas, notes, rights, conveyances, relationships, records, source/document-library entries and public file links.
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