The first account I meet with of this chapel is from an outdated roll, (within the reign of Henry III.) wherein Sir William de Valeyns is said to have the advowson of the church of All-Saints endowed with 108 acres of land, one among pasture, and a freefald, with the chapel of St. Mary, (which he keeps to his own use,) of the present of Sir William Blund, formerly lord of the village. Anne Countess of Warwick, to that King, and remained in the Crown until it was granted on the twenty seventh of June, within the 2d and 3d of Philip, and Mary, as is expressed within the patent, to her beloved and faithful counsellor, Sir Henry Bedingfeld of Oxburgh, being parcel of the possessions known as Warwick Lands, with the wooden called Necton Wood, and Park, the manor of Westacre, in Grimston, and Congham, the manor of Hillington, referred to as the Abbot’s manor, the manor of Uphall, alias Ashill, Collards and Games, with the advowson of the church of Ashill, in consideration of his surrendering a pension of 100l. per annum, granted him by the mentioned Queen for life, for his services at Framlingham, within the late rebellion, and in addition in exchange for the manors of Wald Newton, and Baynton, in Yorkshire, granted as above: on this household it continued, till it was offered to Henry Eyre, Esq.
1262, and left his property to his two sisters and heirs, Agnes, who married Sir William Criketot; and Rohesia, who married Sir Robert de Valeyns; this Sir William Blund bore lozenge or and sable; and Valeyns, bore arg. William Lause served the cure in the 20th of Edward IV. It was appropriated (as has been observed) to the priory of Bokenham, and served by a stipendiary curate. It might not be improper right here to observe that this Sir William descended from Gilbert de Blund or Blount, (who came into England with the Conqueror, and had massive possessions given him in Suffolk, and based at Ixworth, of which he was lord,) a well-known priory for canons common of St. Augustin; this Sir William was killed at the battle of Lewes in Sussex, between King Henry III. Rowell, by Sir Ralph Hare, Bart. 1706, Thomas Rowell, A. M. Sir Henry Bedingfield, Bart. Edward Shene, S. T. B. rector of East Lexham, by a grant from Sir Henry Bedingfeld.
This Ralph de Tony was with the Conqueror at the battle of Hastings, and for his providers had the grant of this lordship, and lots of others on this county, &c.: he was son of Robert de Tony, a great Norman baron, who was normal-bearer of Normandy. Sir Guy de Beauchamp, eldest son of Thomas Earl of Warwick, died possessed of it, and Cressingham-Parva, with the advowsons of the abbeys of Shouldham and Westacre, and the church of Necton; the Lady Philippa, his spouse, a daughter Catherine, aged 7 years, and Elizabeth, aged 1 year, surviving him. 1667, John Doughty. Sir Robert Paston, Bart. 1683, William Constable. John Fincham, Esq. South Pickenham, lately in the tenure of John Dusgate, have been granted by the King to George Heaton, and William Toker, and shortly after, on the tenth of February, within the stated Year, the King gave license to Heaton, &c. Sparham-Hall lordship was an element granted from the capital manor of Necton, by Roger de Tony, father of Ralph, to Roger de Clifford, who gave it to Henry de Burnhill or Burwell, and after the loss of life of the said Henry, it returned to Roger aforesaid, who bought it to John Le Bretun, who held it in the 3d of Edward I.; and in the final yr of that King a fine was levied between Simon le Breton, querent, and the said John, who settled the identical on Simon in tail, remainder to Edmund, brother of Simon, after to Nicholas, remainder to the proper heir of John; and within the ninth of Edward II.
Anthony Cocket, defendant, of this manor, 20 messuages, and lands, in Sparham, Necton, Fransham, Dunham, Hale, Shingham, and Bodney. Robert de Tony held it of the King, however by what companies the jury know not; and within the 48th of the mentioned king, Roger de Tony died seized of it, and of Sparham, a member of it, Godwick, Steer-Hall, in CressinghamMagna, Cressingham-Parva, and Wortham, or Wretham. The Cockets held additionally one other manor right here, which took its name from them, and was in all probability part of that of Sparham, as they each, from this time, have been held by the same lord; the primary mention I find of this family is within the 34th of Henry VIII. Self-complacent and always impudent, deluded by wealth and false prestige, they generally perform sacrifices in identify only without following any rules or laws. Cordeboef for her dower, and Katerin Esturmin; and pleaded, that Sir John Cordeboef, Knt.