manors and rectory to Sir John Cheke, Knt. and his heirs, who, in 1552, let them for 20 years to George Alyngton of Stoke by Clare in Suffolk, Gent. who had married his sister. In 1557, Sir Rich. Fulmerston, had the manor late the college's: in 1570, the Earl of Surrey had the manor late Fulmerston's; in 1600, the rectory and site of the college, &c. was granted to Lord Howard of Walden, who had license, in 1601, to sell it to Rob. Buxton, on whom the whole was settled by fine, and at this time it continues in his family, Rob. Buxton, Esq. being now owner of both the manors and impropriation (of whose family I shall treat under Tibbenham.)
There are a rank of ten or eleven tumuli, or mounts of earth, in the field between Rushford, Euston, Barnham, and Thetford, where (I verily believe) was fought that dreadful battle between King Edmund and the Danes, in the year 871.
This indeed seems very true, for in the Abbreviation of the Life of King Edmund, in Register Curteys, fol. 211, we find this account: In the 15th year of King Edmund's reign, the Danes came again to East England, to revenge themselves further of the King at which time they burnt the monasteries of Croiland, Thorney, Peterburgh, Ramsey, Seham, and Ely, with most of the religious in them, and from thence passed through the country from west to north, seizing and spoiling all they could, Ubba staying to guard their spoils, and what they had taken, at or near Ely: Ingwar with his army entered East England, and went to a city of King Edmund's, called Theodford, where he encamped, and entered soon after, and burnt it, killing old and young, and ravishing both virgins and matrons; King Edmund, who was then at Eglesden, received a message from Ingwar, that if he would renounce Christianity, and worship his idols, then they would divide the treasure with him, together with his kingdom; as soon as King Edmund received this message, he marched with his army against the enemies, and engaged not far off from Theodford, where they fought sharply from morning until evening, a great number being slain on both sides, for which King Edmund was much grieved, as well for the pagans deaths, as for those martyrs of his army, who died there in defence of their Faith; on the morrow the Danes departed, and the King, with what remained of his army, returned to Eglesdune, resolving never more to fight against the pagans, but if it was necessary, to yield up himself a sacrifice for the people, and for the Faith of Christ. Ingwar, much vexed for the loss of his men, went again to Theodford, where Ubba came to him with 10,000 men, and joining forces, went to Eglesdune, and there martyred the King, in the year of our lord 871, of his age 29, and of his reign 15.
At this time, without doubt, was that large mount and ramparts, called Thetford Hill, raised by the Danes, in which they encamped; for its being round is a plain demonstration it is a Danish work, raised to that height, in all appearance, to command the opposite hill, on which King Edmund's army then lay, on the extremity of which, some of these tumuli are placed. The most remarkable one is called Tut Hill, under these the bodies of the slain were buried, it being usual, in those days, to heap the slain upon the earth, and raise
