Page:History of Norfolk 1.djvu/487

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

had it, she first married Thomas Shouldham, and afterwards Henry Spilman, who died seized in 1494, and Thomas Spilman his son inherited, and his son John had it in 1563; in 1567, it belonged to Francis Woodhouse, Esq. who sold it to Thomas Shelton, Esq. at which time the manor was extinct, the whole being purchased in; it had then a fold-course and free fishery, and extended into Shropham, BrecclesMagna, and Hockham; it afterwards came to the Barkers, John Barker, Esq. the present owner, hath built a seat here, which is the only house in this place.

The church was a rectory, given by Roger Bigot, lord here, to the Priory of Thetford, when he founded it, and so it came wholly to that house, to which it was confirmed by Henry II.; but it being a very small place, the monks agreed to take a pension of 8s. a year, from the rector of Shropham, in lieu of all the tithes. It was annexed to Shropham, and the church was demolished before Edward the Third's time, and the parishioners had the parochial chapel of St. Andrew in Shropham, which till that time belonged to Bradcar, assigned them for their parish church, Bradcar being then entirely united to Shropham; and this continued single for some time, though not very long; for before 1332 the rectory and chapel was annexed to St. Peter and Paul's church of Shropham, so that I meet with no institutions to either of them. At the first settling the vicarage, part of the land in Little Breccles, which belonged to Thompson college, was to pay all tithes to the college; but upon the last settlement in 1414, the vicar was to receive all the great and small tithes of Little Breccles, so that the vicar of Shropham is rector of Little Breccles at this time; and in 1514, upon the complaint of the parishioners of Little Breccles in the parish of Shropham, setting forth that since the settlement the vicar had neglected serving the chapel, contrary to the terms of the consolidation, which, notwithstanding the appropriation, was still an entire rectory to him, the Bishop swore Sir Robert Morley, at his institution in 1519, to perform service in it to the parishioners of Little Breccles, as you may see under his institution. This was demolished about Edward the Fourth's time.

Broadcar, or Bradcar

Was included in Shropham at the Conquest, but was independent of it some time after, and had the parochial chapel of St. Andrew for their church, till it was resigned to the parishioners of Little Breccles, when this was united to Shropham; it belonged to Roger Bigot at the Conquest, and to Andrew de Hengham in 1235; it was afterwards