To their information, there never was any manor-home, but many acres of demesne lands, and Edward Heye, and Christopher Watson, had been farmers thereof; there is one other manor called Haspals and Whitsands, which was granted by King Edward VI. Berwick, amongst other things, all and singular the lands and demesnes of the lordship or manor of Swaffham, and the warren of coneys known as Spinney-Park, &c.: and to Sir Henry Bedingfeld, the lordship and manor of Swaffham, except courts baron and letes of the said manor; the Queen, therefore, on the surrender of that lease, demiseth to Robert Chabenor, and Anne his spouse, and Payne their son, all the premises aforesaid, which are parcel of the honour of Richmond, and of Richmond-charge by the name of the manor of Swaffham, (besides as earlier than excepted,) to carry to them and their heirs successively, paying for the warren and land known as Spinney-Park, 6l. 10s. per annum, and for the demesne lands and premises, 7l. 10s. and the very best beast for an heriot. 1526. The upper clergy have been greater than ever immersed in affairs of state, “Caesarean” as Wycliffe would have called them. He gave also 5l. to be placed in a chest in the church, out of which, 5s. may be borrowed by any poor person of this city on pledges, however nobody to have more than 5s. at a time: he offers an alms-home for four poor individuals, and to Trinity gild right here 10 ewes and 5 sheep; a cup of silver gilt, to the church of Swaffham, previously Mr. John Botewright’s, rector of that church; to Margaret Heigham of Marham (the abbess) 4s. per annum out of an in depth in Holm-Hale, and after the demise of the mentioned Margaret to be settled on the mentioned nuns for their clothes; to each priest at Swaffham 12d.; to each clerk 6d.; to the boys of the choir 3d.; to every priest in the tons of of South-Greenhoe and Clackclose 4d.; for the obit of Edmund Blake late of Hale 40d. per annum.
William Robyn and his partners held right here in Holm-Hale, &c. In 1345, John de Dodyngton, John Revech, and their parceners, held right here, in Holm-Hale, and Pykenham, half a fee of Stephen de Tetleshall, and he of Robert son of Roger, and he of the Earl of Richmond, which Olive de Aula formerly held. In 1456, Edmund of Hadham Earl of Richmond, the King’s half brother, died seized of two elements of this lordship and advowson, held in capite, by him and the heirs males of his body, and also of a sure liberty of return of writs, and other mandates of the King, as parcel of the castle and honour of Richmond, with the reversion of the third half, after the demise of Jaquetta Dutchess of Bedford, relict of John Duke of Bedford and Earl of Richmond. 1400, till of late, that some a part of the demesnes, about 80 acres, have been ploughed, and 1400 sheep stored, to the damage of the tenants: there are two city-homes, parcel of the manor of Aspalls and Whitsands, one for the relief of the poor, the opposite for the clerk of the parish to live in: that the King’s Majesty was these days proprietor of the manor, but now the Prince.
The customized of the manor is to the eldest son. In 1338, John Lovel of Barton Bendish, and Olive his spouse conveyed it by positive to John de Dodyngton and Mary his wife, the quitrents being 24s. per annum, and soon after Henry Atte-Cross died seized of it; and in the following yr, Walter Del-Gate, and Margaret his spouse, held it of Henry Atte-Cross, and William son of Agatha Dick of Castleacre. In 1425, Ralph Nevile Earl of Westmorland died seized of this manor and advowson, and the honour of Richmond, (which he had given him by King Henry IV. Thomas Styward of Swaffham-Market, son and heir of Thomas Styward of the identical, deceased, granted to John Walpole, clerk, vicar of Swaffham, Thomas Beaupre of Well, John Heylet, chaplain, Osbert Mundford of Hokewold, Adam Mundford of Feltwell, and John Spelman of Stow-Bydon, and their heirs, his manor of Haspale in Swaffham Market, with liberty of a freefold, along with 50 acres of land in a single piece at Shortlyng, referred to as Estgate-brech, and liberty of driving the sheep to the moor of Cootys to water.
Blake’s chantry priest, and his chantry was the south transept chapel of the church of Swaffham, where he lies buried below a marble stone close to the altar of Our Lady of Pity; and the said altar to be called the altar of the chantry of Simon Blake, the priest to have eight marks per annum, to be paid on the 4 quarter days, by equal funds; a brand new chantry priest is to be chosen on the death of the outdated one, by the vicar of Swaffham for the time being, the churchwardens, and 5 a minimum of of his 16 feoffees; and on their neglect to choose in the house of 8 weeks from the voidance, then the nomination and election to be within the grasp of St. Martin’s-College at Thompson in Norfolk; and when his sixteen feoffees are reduced by demise to six, they are to renew the feoffment to themselves and 10 more; the vicar and churchwardens are at all times to receive the earnings and manage the estates, pay the priest, &c. After this, it was held by Hugh Fenne, and by his daughter and heir Cecily, it came to Thomas Ludford of Westminster, scrivener; and in 1473, was on the loss of life of Ludford, conveyed by William Alburgh citizen and mercer of London, (on whom it was settled in trust) to Henry Spelman, Simon Blake, &c.; however in the next year, Anthony Woodvill Earl of Rivers, and Lord Scales, &c.