Baniard deceased, and Maud his spouse, and their heirs; and in 1312, Sir Robert and Maud held it, and resided right here, and now constructed the manor-home, referred to as Hautbois Castle; so known as, little doubt, as a result of he had a royal license to embattle it after the style of a Castle; in 1313 he added much to the manor, by buying right here and in Scothowe, of John Peverel and Joan his wife. 1309, Sir William Bowet and Joan his spouse settled it with Horseford; in 1427, Sir Thomas Dacre, junior, Knt. Eresby, and Joan his wife, all her proper in the sixth part of this manor, held for all times, by Maud widow of Sir Robert Baniard, and in all of the manors and estates descended to her, as one of many six sisters and coheirs of Sir Thomas Rosceline, Knt. Sir Thomas Rosceline, Knt. Rosceline, and the opposite half of the said Joan, who was then dwelling, and had the other half, of her own inheritance. I suppose he died without problem, for Walter son of Richard, who was son of Thomas de alto Bosco, son of Sir Peter, was found to be his heir, after the death of John, vicar of Tutington, who was brother of Peter, who at first of Edward the first’s time was lord right here, and is commonly called de Calthorp, as well as de Hautbois; he left no challenge, so that Maud, Margery, and Eufresia, his three sisters, inherited, and all of them jointly with Hamon, son of Nicholas de Sibton, husband to Eufresia, released all their proper to the abbot of St. Bennet’s, in all the estates late of John son of Peter de Hautbois in Great and Little Hautbois, Colteshall, Tutington, Banningham, Calthorp, Thugarton and Erpingham, and so this manor vested in the convent; and in 1315 the Abbot of St. Bennet was returned lord of it.
1345 Margery de Champain, widow of John, released to Sir John Willoughby, Knt. Sir Peter de alto Bosco, or Hautbois, who was a knight, and paid at the speed of a quarter of a fee for his manor here, to the Earl Warren, his chief lord, of whom he held it; he seems to be very outdated in 1234, and died about 1239, for in 1238 he released by a number of deeds to the Abbot of St. Bennet’s all his right in the manors of Thugarton, Thwait, Antingham, and Shipden, and in the hundred of Tunsted, and in the offices of the stewardship and procuratorship to the monastery, for 17l. a yr, to be paid him for life, for his higher help in his extremity of age; he was founding father of the Mason Dieu here, and gave the advowson to Coxford priory. The manor continued within the Hackfords and Seckfords, and in 1401 was found to be within the Dutchy of Lancaster, and the advowson was sold to the master and brethren of St. Giles hospital in Norwich, about 1450, and the manor and advowson was afterwards sold to trustees for using King’s school in Cambridge; however by cause of the prior conveyance of the advowson, that faculty, though they tried for it, could not for a very long time recover it, however did afterwards acquire it, and have introduced to it ever since, the college being now sole lords and patrons.
King’s justices, sheriffs, bailiffs, or different officers no matter; this is dated at Westminster, 21 December, 1407, and King Henry the Sixth, with the recommendation and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal in his 1st paliament held at Westminster, within the 3d year of his reign, by letters patent, dated October 5, confirmed the mentioned Charters, and afterwards, conveyed all his rights on this city to his school (referred to as King’s College in Cambridge), to which this village now belongs. This manumission or charter of freedom to the natives of this village was a really nice favour and privilege in these days; there have been few then born freemen, half of most villages have been either customary tenants, and so sure to carry out all their customary services to their lords, or else Villains, I could say in plain English slaves, to their several lords, who had so absolute a power, that they may grant them, their wives and youngsters born, or ever hereafter to be born of them, together with all their household goods, cattle and chattels whatever, to whomever they happy; and certainly nothing is more frequent in antiquity, than to fulfill with grants of this nature from one lord to another, or to whomever he would; nay so absolute was the lord’s jurisdiction over them, that they couldn’t dwell out of the precincts of the manor without their lord’s go away, nor marry their kids to a different lord’s tenant, without their own lord’s license; but in all ages men were naturally desirous of liberty, for these villains frequently endeavoured to procure their freedom, either by pleasing their lord so much as to acquire a manumission, or by getting some pal or relation to purchase it for them; now this grant without delay manumised all of the natives of Colteshall and all their posterity, male and female, and that in so ample a manner, that contrary to other freemen (who have been obliged to do suit at court docket and serve the workplaces of the manor, as collectorships, reeveships, &c.) they were not to be put into any workplace without their very own consent, and though they removed into every other lord’s fee or manor, yet they and their posterity ought to stay free.