1610, King James I. granted it to Sir Henry Hobart, Knt. Thomas bought the entire manor of Leeche’s to Sir James Bulleyn, Knt. In 1637 Sir Edmund Sawyer and Anne his spouse, sold it to Sir John Hobart, Knt. In 1302 he and John de Wesenham have been commissioned to put an embargo on all ships from the mouth of the Thames northward, and to supply them with men and arms to resist the French, then making an invasion. 1368, Robert de Causton died, and half a tenement in Stanford, part of the manor of Causton, of the manor of Wormegeye, with rents in Breydeston, and left two daughters, Margery 7 years previous, and Mary 4: in 1506 John Curson, alderman of Norwich, buried at Letheringset, gave all his property in Cawston, Boton, Hevingham, Heverland, and Branteston, with the court docket-leets and warren, to Thomas his son, to sing for him 5 years, and then to go to John his son, &c. In 1543 William Knightly of Norwich, Gent. III, to have seizen of all his father’s lands; in 1274, part of this manor which laid in Stanho, in Smithdon hundred, was now parted from this, and held by John King and Joan his spouse, who, with William May, held the whole serjeanty of conserving a large looking-hound for the King.
Though he chanced to have been born in Oxford, he was much more of a foreigner than his father; his soul was that of a south French baron, not that of an English king. The unique of Leche’s manor, was by a grant made by John de Burgh, of part of the lands and rents of the good manor, to Baldwyn son of John de Cankewelle, in 1274, with fifty two acres of land, throughout the hedge of Causton Park, the mentioned Baldwin being to have all royalties in his half or manor, paying yearly to the stated John and his heirs a bearded arrow; and from that time, the lord of this manor all the time had an iron bearded arrow carried earlier than him or his steward, every time a court docket was held; right now there is a mace carried at each courtroom, having a bearded arrow at high, in token of the tenure, and to shew that it holds of the chief manor by it, and so is consequently held of that, as of the dutchy of Lancaster, in free-soccage.
And Edward I. granted a fair, which is kept right here on St. Agnes’s day, 21 January, and morrow, it being the dedication day of the church; and there is a sheep-shew, or fair for sheep, at the Woodrow-house on August 14; and formerly the church-wardens had been obliged to pay an annual sum to make a crown for the principal picture of St. Agnes, standing on the north side of the altar, at the east end of the chancel, and to adorn it. Tuesday, and a fair on St. Remigius’s day (October 1) and morrow. Augustine Earle, Esq. being now lord and patron, for which household see underneath Heydon. In 1460 Agnes Bacon, late spouse of William Leche, and Nicholas son and heir of John Cannon, and Alice his spouse, daughter and heiress of the stated William and Agnes, sold it to John Heydon. In 1255, William son of William le May, paid a relief of 10l. to King Hen. Was parcel of the nice manor, granted off by Henry I. and King John; in 1201, William son of Robert le Mey, had 20s. lands formerly the King’s demean, and William son of Arnold, 40s. worth; and in 1231, William conveyed other lands right here, to Jeffry de Causton; this William, in 1249, had other lands, rents, &c.
In 1276 William le Mey, as a tenant in capite, was summoned to attend Edward I. in his expedition into Wales: in 1285 Johanna or Joan le Mey was lady, and the serjeanty is thus expressed (per serjantiam custodiendi unum burtelettum ad voluntatem sumptibus suis proprijs.) In 1308 Robert Bedingfield and Joan his wife held Mey’s manor, of the inheritance of the stated Joan, in Causton and Stanhowe, by preserving a hound for the King, every time the King sends one for that goal, and Katherine and Elizabeth had been their daughters and heirs; and in 1316, Joan le May of Cawston, wife of Robert de Bedingfield, infeoffed it in William son of Bartholomew de Stanhowe, and Walter March, and the heirs of Walter in it; and now it was found, that if the King sent the hound, he was to pay 14d. per week for his or her conserving it, and that no tenants of the lands held by this serjeanty ever served on juries, or appeared on any recognizances, by motive of the tenure.