Snape

The Parish of Snape is situated on the river Alde some four miles inland from Aldeburgh in the hundred of Plomsgate and in the eastern division of the County. Whilst being a predominantly rural part of Suffolk, the area has been settled since ancient times and is known for its Roman and Saxon historic sites.

In Saxon times, the Manor of Snape was held by Edric of Laxfield and consisted of four carucates of land, eight villians, sixteen bordars, five plough teams in demesne and eight belonging to the men, woodland sufficient to support six hogs, six acres of meadow, a mill, two rouncies, six beasts, twenty four hogs and one hundred and sixty sheep valued at six pounds. The manor was three leagues in length and four in breadth and paid in gelt, forty pence. By the time of the Domesday Survey 1086, Walter held this manor of Robert Malet, the having soc. The plough teams in demesne had disappeared, those belonging to the men were reduced to four with two rouncies, the beasts reduced to two and the hogs and sheep were not mentioned. Robert Malet also had here an estate, formerly belonging to twenty five freemen under commendation to Edric, which consisted of one hundred and eight acres and six plough teams (reduced to four in 1086) and the value formerly twenty-six shillings had fallen to twenty shillings.

By 1099 the manor had passed to William Martel and Albreda, his wife, who gave the manor, with the benefit of wrecks of the Sea from Thorpe to Orfordness to the Abbot and Convent of St John at Colchester. The purpose was for the founding in the Parish of Snape, a priory which should be a cell of Colchester Abbey and copy of this grant is still preserved among the ancient deeds at the Public Record Office. The endowment also included the Manor of Aldeburgh and the Grant states that the Abbott and Chapter of Colchester shall place at Snape a Prior and monks who should be paid half a mark yearly to say two masses weekly for the grantors. The Abbot of Colchester was also to visit the Priory twice yearly with twelve horses and the witnesses were William Bishop of Norwich, Walchelin the Archdeacon, Edward the Dean, Osbern Martel and others.

It appears from the deed that the grantor intended to have his wishes immediately carried into execution, though the monks of Colchester delayed until 1155 when a Prior and some Benedictine monks of Colchester settled in Snape. Isobel, Countess of Southbrook, Patroness of this Priory in her time made complaint to Pope Boniface IX, stating that the Abbott and Convent of Colchester did not maintain a sufficient number of religious services here according to the intention of the founders and in response the Priory was made conventual and exempt from Colchester in 1286. In 1366 however, we find the King confirming the Priory to the Abbot of Colchester and on the patent rolls in 1400 we find an order for the arrest of John Mersey of St Johns, Colchester for scheming to separate Snape Priory from Colchester. In 1504 the Manor was again in the hands of the Prior of Snape, but in that year it was taken again into the Kings hands' and on the Memoranda Rolls we find an order referring to the Prior being charged for the issues.

In 1508, Henry VII regranted the Manor to the Prior of Butley, but withdrew the grant in 1509 and in 1524 it was again with the Crown and granted to Cardinal Wolsey to assist in his great educational scheme. A terrier of the suppressed monastery of Snape is found amongst the State Papers in 1525, including a rental of the Snape lands of Wolsey's college and inquisitions upon the suppressed monastery at Snape are found also in the State papers for 1527.

Cardinal Wolsey regranted the manor in 1525 to the Dean of Cardinal College, Oxford, who in turn in 1529 granted it to the Dean of Cardinal College, Ipswich, in the form of a bull confirmed by the King. On Wolsey's fall, Henry VIII took back the Manor of Snape and in 1530 granted a lease to Thomas Rush and Thomas Alverd for a term of thirty years. However, in 1533 the manor was re-granted to Thomas Duke of Norfolk, confirmed in the Originalia Rolls and State Papers of that year. The Duke was attainted in 1546 when his honours and estates were forfeit though he was restored and in 1553 installed as a Knight of the Garter. He died 1554 and was succeeded by his grandson Thomas, fourth Duke and the son of the gifted Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. Thomas settled the manors of Snape Scots and Tastards and shortly afterwards was attainted for high treason for communication with Mary Queen of Scots and beheaded in 1572. However, his only son Philip seems to have inherited non-withstanding the forfeitures and was subsequently summoned to Parliament as Earl of Arundel. In 1588 there was an action by Philip at Aldeburgh and Orford Haven against Reginald Highgate. However, being attainted in 1589, he died a prisoner in the tower in 1595 leaving his wife Anne and an only son Thomas, who was restored on the accession of James I in 1604 and created Earl of Norfolk, 1644. In due time, the manor passed to the fifth and sixth and seventh Dukes of Norfolk, though on the death of the latter, 1701, it was acquired by Sir Henry Johnson Knight of Bradenham and Doddington, MP for Aldeburgh and a ship builder of Poplar.

He married first Anne Smithson, secondly Martha Lovelace, only surviving child and heir of Jon Lovelace, third Baron Lovelace of Harley and successor to Baroness Wentworth of Nettlestead. Sir Henry Johnson's seat was Friston Hall, a short distance away, though following his marriage to Lady Wentworth, he appears to have moved to Bradenham. He left an only daughter, Anne by his first wife who married Thomas Wentworth, third Baron Rabey, second son and heir of Sir William Wentworth of Northgate Head, Wakefield. Thomas attained military distinction under William III in Flanders, accompanying King William after the defeat of his army and in 1698 accompanied him to meet the Duke of Zell at Goor to hunt boar. The manor continued in the Wentworth family through William Wentworth, second Earl of Strafford who died without issue in 1799 when the Earldom became extinct and when by Act of Parliament for the division of his estates, the manor passed first to Henrietta, the cousin who had married Henry Vernon of Hilton, then to her son Leveson Veron, who died 1831 when the manor passed to his nephew Frederick William Thomas Vernon-Wentworth of Wentworth Castle, his older brother and who was High Sheriff in 1841. The Lordship of the Manor of Snape has continued with the Vernon-Wentworth family until the present time.

Associated manorial documents / archive references

• Patent rolls — 1 Henry IV — British Museum
• Patent rolls — 6 Henry IV — British Museum
• State papers — 17 Henry VIII — British Museum
• State papers — 19 Henry VIII — British Museum
• State papers — 22 Henry VIII — British Museum
• State papers and originalis — 24 Henry VIII — British Museum
• Court Rolls — 1391 - 1448, 1487 - 1507, 1602, 1686 - 1687 — British Museum
• Computos rolls — 1279 - 81, 1288 - 89, 1310 - 11, 1421 - 23 — British Museum

Historical holder / succession information

1. William Martel and Albreda
   1099 · passed_to · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: By 1099 the manor had passed to William Martel and Albreda, his wife, who gave the manor, with the benefit of wrecks of the Sea from Thorpe to Orfordness to the Abbot and Convent of St John at Colchester.
2. Thomas Duke of Norfolk, confirmed in the Originalia Rolls and State Papers of that year [source claim requiring identity review]
   1533 · granted_to · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: However, in 1533 the manor was re-granted to Thomas Duke of Norfolk, confirmed in the Originalia Rolls and State Papers of that year.
3. fifth and sixth and seventh Dukes of Norfolk, though [source claim requiring identity review]
   1701 · passed_to · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: In due time, the manor passed to the fifth and sixth and seventh Dukes of Norfolk, though on the death of the latter, 1701, it was acquired by Sir Henry Johnson Knight of Bradenham and Doddington, MP for Aldeburgh and a ship builder of Poplar.
4. his nephew Frederick William Thomas Vernon-Wentworth of Wentworth Castle [source claim requiring identity review]
   1799|1831|1841 · passed_to · historical_holder_or_transferee
   Source wording: The manor continued in the Wentworth family through William Wentworth, second Earl of Strafford who died without issue in 1799 when the Earldom became extinct and when by Act of Parliament for the division of his estates, the manor passed first to Henrietta, the cousin who had married Henry Vernon of Hilton, then to her son Leveson Veron, who died 1831 when the manor passed to his nephew Frederick William Thomas Vernon-Wentworth of Wentworth Castle, his older brother and who was High Sheriff in 1841.