In Domesday Book, is known as Oxenburgh, taking its name from its site on the Ouse or Wissey, a river navigable from therefore to Cambridge, Lynn, &c.; thus Oxford, from a ford over the Ouse; and this name it very well solutions, as being a peninsula, surrounded by this and two or three other rivulets, besides within the north-east level. The adjunct word burgh bespeaks its eminence, exhibiting it to have been some fortified town, and place of strength; and in addition to its natural site above observed, about half a mile from the town, to the north west, on a place called the Warren-Hill, may be noticed a very deep vallum or trench adjoining. Eyre, view of frankpledge, assize of bread and beer, gallows, pillory, tumbrell, weyf and stray, the aforesaid three fairs in the year, and the weekly mercate; all which bespeak this city to have been in that age a place of consequence, capable of nice reception; and it seems from many old ruins and foundations, to have been in size (from the closes nigh to Goodestone-frequent, where the old highway laid to the city, to the entrance of the low floor by Oxburgh-Hithe) above a mile and an half; about 30 houses and cottages having been pulled down, &c.
Ralph de Wygornia, or Worcester; who in 1252, had a patent dated at Winchester, for a weekly mercate here, on Tuesday, and a good every year, for 2 days, on the Vigil, and on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin. The aforesaid Turchill held this lordship in the Confessor’s time, but when William I. became King, he gave it to Ralph de Limesio a Norman Baron, his sister’s son, on whom he bestowed 41 manors in several counties, with the lands of Christina, one of many sisters of Prince Edgar, grandson of King Edmund Ironside, who was brother to King Edward the Confessor. 100s. and a type of freemen, Ralph de Tony laid claim to, his ancestour having the soc and sac, as the hundred testified. In 1327, the mentioned Sir William, on an inquisition, was discovered to die seized of this manor held of the heirs of Burnel, by the service of 1 knight’s charge, and of certain tenements in Shipeden and Hempsted, which have been members of the stated manor, and the mentioned heirs held the same, of the heirs of John de Limesi, by the aforesaid service; and the premises were of the yearly worth of 15l. 6s. 5d. and Robert was son of Sir William.
Subtus positæ sunt Reliquiæ Thomæ Durrant Generosi, Thomæ Durrant nuper de Scottowe Armigeri, natû minoris, Cælebs obijt eleven Die Novem’ A. D. 1723, Æt. Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer, by whom he had 16 kids; in 1595 he was chosen steward of town of Norwich, and the following 12 months was elected one of the governours of his personal yr inn; and the same year was returned burgess in parliament for Yarmouth, as also within the yr 1600; and in 1603 was called to the degree of serjeant at legislation. Within the time of the Danes it was, (and doubtless before,) in royal hands, and Cnute their King having made Turchill or Turketel, a Dane, and one in every of their chief leaders, Earl of the EastAngles, he became governour and lord of the city, as he was of Attleburgh, the cities of Thetford, and Norwich, as locations of energy and eminence; so that the lciani, a Roman station, could be with some show of purpose and justice presumed to have been right here, somewhat than at Ickborough, (if it was within the neighbourhood,) where Talbot in his notes of Antoninus’s Itinerary has mounted it, for this place bears additionally the same distance as Ickburgh to Villa Faustini and Camborito, as is assigned by him.
Within the 3d of Edward I. Nicholas de Weyland was found to be lord, and to carry it of Robert Burnel, and he of Odingsels, the capital lord; this Nicholas married Julian, daughter and heir of the mentioned Robert, and had the manor of Garboldesham in Norfolk of 10l. per annum given him by Robert Burnel, and doubtless this additionally; the lord had then the lete, a toll here, and different privileges belonging to this lordship, as part of the barony of Limesi. Sir Edmund Weyland his son and heir, who married Alianore, daughter of Sir John Wesenham, and dying without problem, in regards to the 43d of Edward III. Gerard de Limesi (nice grandson of Ralph,) had difficulty John de Limesi whose son Hugh dying younger and sans challenge, the barony of Limesi (of which this town was half) was divided between Hugh de Odingsels, knight, grandson of Hugh, a Fleming, who married Basilia, and David de Lindsey, a Scot, who married Alianore the daughters of Gerard, and sisters and coheirs of John de Limesi aforesaid. This David and his brothers dying with out challenge, his moiety in this lordship got here to Sir Henry de Pinkeny, Knt.