Iron Hall

(Identical histories provided for lots 8 & 9 of this auction - those being the Manors of Wereham Hall and Kavenham-Stoke-Wereham respectively.)

Although these three Manors are and always have been quite separate for the purpose of administration and the holding of courts, the y are geographically very much intermixed. They lie in the three Parishes of Wereham, Stoke-Ferry, and Wretton which are contiguous and lie in the North of the River Wissey on the main road from Thetford to Kings Lynn in the Hundred of Clackclose.

In Domesday Book the following is the description of Wereham (alias Wigreham) and Stoke-Ferry (Stockes):

2 Ploughlands was held by Toli, a Freeman,

T.R.E. then (there were) 15 villeins afterwards, and now 11;

There are now 8 Bordars.

Then (there were) 6 serfs, now 4 and 20 acres of meadow.

Wood (land) for 12 swine.

Then as now (there were) 2 plush on the Demesne.

Then 1 1/2 Ploughs belonging to them now 1;

Then as now half a mill and 1 Fishery,

then as now *there was) 1 Rouncey and 28 Mares (eque) and 25 foals (pulli) and 2 beasts.

Then (there were) 15 swine, now 7. Then 90 sheep, now 260.

And it is worth 100 shillings, but it rendered 8 pounds for (ad) all custom.

To this Manor belong 4 Freemen *with) 12 acres.

In Stokes (Stoke Ferry) (there are) 4 Freemen by commendation and all custom, with (d) 12 acres and 1 Freeman with (2) 2 acres.

There also Rogers and Hugh held 2 sokemen with (de) 74 acres.

Then as now (there were) 1 1/2 (ploughs) and 10 acres of meadow.

All this is worth 20 shillings.

The whole of Wigreham (Wereham) is half a league by length and (the same) in breadth and renders 6 1/2 pence in (every) 20 shillings of the King's Gled.

Blomefield, writing of Wereham, says that it takes its name from a stream or run of water, issuing out of a pond in the midst of the town. There is in fact a largish pond with seven weeping-willow trees lying close to the Church and Wereham Hall, the Manor House.

King William granted the Manor of Wereham Hall to Rainold, son of Ivo, one of the Norman adventurers. His great possessions later came to the Earls of Clare, who were the capital Lords of the town. Jeffrey Fitz-Piers Earl of Essex held the Manor of Cavenham (Kavenham) in the reign of King John of the Earl of Clare, and on his founding the Priory of Shouldham gave a moiety of the town to the said Priory. In the thirty-third year of the reign of Henry III the Prior had a charter for free warren, free bull and boar, the amercements of Brewers and Bakers in hi s homage, and owed once a years suit of court at Clare. "In three Edw. I the Prior was found to have the leet a gallows, etc." After the Dissolution it was granted to Sir Edmund Bedingfield of Oxburgh by the name of Manor and Grange of Cavenham. According to Blomfield Cavenham Grange lay about a mile North-East of the town of Wereham and in the same Parish. In 1570 the rent of assize of the free tenants was four pounds four and ten pence. In 1718 Sir Henry Bedingfield conveyed the Manor to Sir Edward Nightingale of Kneesworth in Cambridgeshire. It remained in this family until about 1816 when it passed to G. R. Eyres. He was soon followed by Charles Sanders. The Stewards during the Nightingale ownership were members of the Micklefield family, during the earlier years, and later Charles Sanders and John Houchen. In 1826 J. B. S. Bradfield was Lord and R. B. Sanders was Steward. Mr. Bradfield remained Lord until 1874 and was followed by the Rev. Sanders Etheridge and Edward Etheridge. By 1878 the Manor had been acquired by Henry Edwards Paine and Richard Brettell of Chertsey and two years later Mr. Paine acquired Mr. Brettell's half-share of the Manor. Hie remained Lord until 1917 when he died and the Manor was thereafter vested in the devisees under his will and their Trustees until recently sold y them to the present Vendor. During the early part of Mr. Paine's ownership, Mr. H. B. D. Mason acted as his Steward, but later on the Stewardship was taken over by George Frederick Beaumont of Coggeshall, Essex.

The Manor of Wereham Hall was, according to Blomfield, held in 1235 by Robert Bardolf and Thomas Rede of the Earl of Gloucester and Clare. During the reign of Edwards I it came to Sir Ingelram Belet K.B., through his marriage to Bardolf's daughter, and his son Robert succeeded on his death. Subsequent owners were members of the Belet , Benstead, de Wesenham, de Hinton, Walkfare, de Fransham and Tooth families. Later Lords were Roger Davy, Sir Lewis Orrell, Sir Thomas Lovell, K.G., Sir Francis Lovell, Sir Thomas Derham (1615), Stephen Edgar, 1652, Benjamin Dethick, 1683. During these years it would seem that the Manor House descended together with the Lordship of the Manor, but in 1751 John Dethick, son of Benjamin, conveyed the Lordship o the Manor and demesne without the Hall to John Heaton of London. Blomfield gives a pedigree of the Dethick family which comes from Dethick Hall in Derbyshrire.

As regards Wretton, Blomfield informs us that there are no capital Lordship in the Parish and it was not therefore mentioned in the Domesday Book. He refers for an account of it to his remark under the other Manors in this group. He does however, make an interesting reference to proceedings taken in 1240 by the Prior of Shouldham, whose Manor of Kavenham extended into Wretton, in which he claimed "merchettam" from William de la Ferte, who was acquitted because he proved that he was a Freeman and no villein. Blomfield gives this explanation of Merchetta: "This was the Fine paid to be free from a savage custom which used to exist i many Manors, by which exemption was obtained by the bride of a tenant from lying the last night with the Lord of the Manor." This would seem to be the same custom or practice which is usually referred to as "Droit de Seigneur" or "Jus primae noctis" but it differs in that the right was apparently exercised on the last night before the marriage instead of the first night of the the marriage.

The Courts of this group of Manors were held from Wereham Hall, when the Estate and Lordship of the Manor were in the same ownership, at the Manor House itself, but when they became separated most of the Courts were held at the Crow Hotel, Stoke Ferry. On on e occasion the Duke's Head in Stoke Ferry was chosen.

With regard to the Manor of Iron (alias Wyrun) Hall which extended into all three Parishes, according to Blomefield it was held in 1231 by Stephen de Stokes and his wife Basilea. The Capital Lord was Earl of Gloucester and Clare. In the reign of Henry III, John de Stokes held it of Peter de Narford, and in 1321 Robert de Sale had an interest. Later Lords were Nicholas Gamage, and his wife Alianore; Guy St. Clare and his wife Margery; John Flynn (1346) who paid a sum towards making Edward III's son a knight: John Bray (1350); John de Wessenham; John de Denham; Richard Tooth; Roger Davy and John Heaton. In 1839 Abraham Sewell was Lord and in in 1857 the Manor was purchased by H.B.B. Mason, whose Steward was Richard Scarle.

The customs in all o these Manors were the same. On testacy copyhold properties descended to the oldest sons s at Common Law, while the Fines on Death or Alienation were "arbitrary," i.e. based upon two years' annual value, instead of "certain," i.e. fixed sum of a sum all amount. The Lords had the usual right to take a third of the proceeds of the sale of any timber felled on copyhold properties.

The following are a few extracts of interesting entries to be found in the Court Boos of the manor of Kavenham-Stoke-Wereham:

Court Baron held 5th December 1743

Thomas Rumball appointed Guardian "as well to take care of the body of the said Ann Harvey as to receive the rents and profits of the said premises during her minority...rendering account thereof."

Court Baron held 24th October, 1757

Lord: Geoffrey Nightingale

Steward: Roger Micklefield

And the said Homage presented all Persons that owe suit and service at this Court and have this day made default in their appearance and amerce the m six pence apiece and refer their names to the suit rolls.

General or Customary Court, held 12th November, 1824

Lord: Charles Sanders

Steward: John Houchen

Also at this Court the Homage present that John Sparrow Springfield hath encroached upon the Rights of the Lord of this Manor by also and also by building upon a certain part of the Waste Lands adjoining the Estate of James Bradfield Sanders Bradfield Esquire int he occupation of Charles Sanders Esquire Lord of this Manor.

General Court Baron held 27th October, 1762

At a court held on this date at the Crown Inn, Stoke Ferry, by Jeffrey Nightingale the Byelaws for the Manor of Kavenham-Stoek-Wereham were recorded in the form of the Verdict of the Homage. These are too long to be set out, but are most interesting. Amongst the various subjects dealt with are the method of assessing Fines, the felling of Timber, the keeping of Sheep in the Common Drove or Waste Ground, impounding by the Pindar, letting Beasts stray into fields growing cord and grass, digging of Turf, etc.

At a later Court held on 9th November 1773, the Verdict was substantially the same as at the previous Court with the addition of three more clauses, one of them dealing with the powers of Fen Reeves and the division of penalties for offences between the Lord of the Manor and the Poor of the three respective Parishes wherein such penalties or forfeiture might from time to time happen.

The following is a cutting from the Provincial Paper, which will be handed over with the Records of Lot 9, as a showing that the Lords of the Manor in 1877 were alive to the value of the Sporting Rights over the Wastes of the Manor.

Manor of Kavenham, Stoke, Wereham and Wretton,

IN THE COUNTY OF NORFOLK

-----------

WE, the undersigned, Lords of the above Manor,

hereby give notice that we have delegated to

Samuel Henry Winfield, Esq., of Stoke Ferry the

right and power to deal with trespassers in the above

Manor; also the right to shoot over and exercise the

Lord's rights in and upon the waste lands within

the Manor

PAINE & BRETTELL.

Chertsey, 17th September, 1877.

There is an Enclosure Award dated 1818 for the Parishes of Stoke Ferry, Wretton, Wereham and the little Hamlet of Winnold deposited at the office of the Clerk of the County Council, Norwich. The Vendor has a photocopy of this which has been coloured. It is a most interesting Map as it not only shows the bounds of the three Manors but also shows for instance Wereham Church with the Village Pond and Wereham Hall - the Manor House in close proximity. It also shows how intermixed the lands of the three Manors are and it gives the names of many tenants which appear also in the Court Records. The copy of this Map will be available for inspection at 53, Chancery Lane, W. C. 2 prior to the Sale and also at the exhibition on the morning of the Sale (see Remarks and Stipulations). If required, couloured or uncoloured copies could be supplied to interested persons.

Negotiations are being opened with the Telegraph, Telephone and Electricity Authorities for wayleave agreements in respect of poles, stays, kiosks, etc., erected on the wastes of the Manor ant it is expected that further information will be available for giving out at the Auction.

The Records which will be handed over to the Purchaser of each Manor will be as under:

Court Books: 1839-1894; 1894-1920

Minute Book: 1881-1887

Enfranchisement Particulars

Insurance of Records: £100, premium 5/- p.a.

Commencement of Title: 1st October, 1881

Court Books: (all the foregoing include Iron Hall) 1536-1597; 1602-1615; 1615-1633; 1633-1641; 1642-1653; 1674-1686; 1700-1793; 1794-1819; 1819-1841; 1842-1867; 1867-1920 (including a rental)

Minutes and Minute Books: 1664-88; 1720-45; 1745-59; 1799-1814; 1815-1882; 1881-87- 1888-91; 1908; 1932

Rentals: 1887-1900

Particulars: 1813-1914

docket Book: 1697-1806

Index Book: 1801-1819

Print of Enclosure Act: 1815

Insurance of Records: £400, premium £1 p.a.

Commencement of Title: 11th April, 1876

Court Roll: 1387

Court Book: 1839-1900

Insurance of Records: £200, premium 10/- p.a.

The Purchaser of this Lot will receive an acknowledgment of his rights to production of those Court Books to be handed to the purchaser of Lot 9 which relate also to his Manor.

There is an Enclosure Award dated 1818 for the Parishes of Wereham, Stoke-Ferry, and two with a Map attached, a coloured copy of which will be available for inspection and will be displayed at the exhibition.

Rights, customs and incidents

In the thirty-third year of the reign of Henry III the Prior had a charter for free warren, free bull and boar, the amercements of Brewers and Bakers in hi s homage, and owed once a years suit of court at Clare.
Blomfield gives this explanation of Merchetta: "This was the Fine paid to be free from a savage custom which used to exist i many Manors, by which exemption was obtained by the bride of a tenant from lying the last night with the Lord of the Manor." This would seem to be the same custom or practice which is usually referred to as "Droit de Seigneur" or "Jus primae noctis" but it differs in that the right was apparently exercised on the last night before the marriage instead of the first night of the the marriage.
The Lords had the usual right to take a third of the proceeds of the sale of any timber felled on copyhold properties.
Also at this Court the Homage present that John Sparrow Springfield hath encroached upon the Rights of the Lord of this Manor by also and also by building upon a certain part of the Waste Lands adjoining the Estate of James Bradfield Sanders Bradfield Esquire int he occupation of Charles Sanders Esquire Lord of this Manor.
The following is a cutting from the Provincial Paper, which will be handed over with the Records of Lot 9, as a showing that the Lords of the Manor in 1877 were alive to the value of the Sporting Rights over the Wastes of the Manor.
right and power to deal with trespassers in the above
Manor; also the right to shoot over and exercise the
Lord's rights in and upon the waste lands within
The Purchaser of this Lot will receive an acknowledgment of his rights to production of those Court Books to be handed to the purchaser of Lot 9 which relate also to his Manor.

Historical holder / succession information

1. Jeffrey Fitz-Piers Earl of Essex
   held_manor · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: Jeffrey Fitz-Piers Earl of Essex held the Manor of Cavenham (Kavenham) in the reign of King John of the Earl of Clare, and on his founding the Priory of Shouldham gave a moiety of the town to the said Priory.
2. Henry Edwards Paine and Richard Brettell of Chertsey and two years later Mr [source claim requiring identity review]
   1878 · purchased_by · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: By 1878 the Manor had been acquired by Henry Edwards Paine and Richard Brettell of Chertsey and two years later Mr.