son of Sir Nicholas Bacon of Redgrave, Bart. by Anne, daughter and heir of Edmund Butts, was lord, and at his death left it to Bacquevile Bacon, his eldest son, who died a minor in 1641, aged 17 years, and Henry his brother inherited, being then 15 years old. He died the 13th of March, 1641, and was buried here leaving his three sisters his coheiresses; Mary, the eldest, married Judge Baldock; Philipa, the second, married Robert Kedington, who lived and died here; Anne, the third, married Nicholas Rookwood of Euston, Esq. and sold their third part to Robert Kedington, who afterwards purchased Baldock's part, and so became sole lord, and at his death left it to Philipa his wife, who kept her first court Oct. 15, 1667; and at her death, Henry Kedington of Hockham, Esq. became lord, and kept his first court 9 Oct. 1685; and in 1702, Philip Ryley, Esq. serjeant at arms to the lord treasurer, surveyor of the Queen's woods and forests on the south side of Trent, and one of the commissioners of the excise, who was afterwards knighted, purchased the manor, impropriation, and advowson, of Henry Kedington, Gent. and built a neat brick house here, which is now [1737] the seat of Philip Reginald Ryley, Esq. his grandson and heir.
The ancient Customs and privileges within the manor of Great Hocham, as appears by the examined evidences of the said manor.
The lord hath the goods of felons de se, within the manor. (Court Roll 11 H. 7.) No tenant can waste his copyhold; women are dowable for a moiety of the copyhold, of which their husbands are seized, during the coverture.
A man, by the custom of this manor, is tenant by the courtesy of England, of lands and tenements of this manor, of which his wives are seized, and have issue between them. (Roll 12 E. 3.)
No tenants of the lord's, inhabiting in Great Hocham, ought to be cited to the consistory or spiritual courts, because it is against the custom of that village or town, and to the prejudice of the lord, as appears by the prior of the monks at Thetford, A° 1 H. 4.
Hocham Meare, alias Cranberry Fen, is a separate water of the lords of this manor; (Rolls 7. 10 H. 7. 13. 22 H. 8. 16 Eliz.) it contains fourteen score acres, and is in circuit 708 perches, every perch containing 18 feet, and the lord hath a fish-house there.
The lord of the manor is lord of the common of pasture in Great Hockham, and of all waste in the bounds of the village.
The tenants give for a fine for their copyhold lands and tenements; upon every alienation, whether by death or surrender, according to the ancient custom of this manor, 12d. out of every mark of the value and price of their lands and tenements by them taken up, and such fine is called mark shilling.
One copyhold tenant can take a surrender, and another witness it.
The lands descend to the eldest son, and the manor extends into Breccles, Illington, Tottington, and Thomson.
In 1384, Sir Stephen de Hales, Knt. aliened divers lands here and in other towns, to the Prior of Walsyngham. In 1654, the township of Hocham held divers lands of this manor.
