shield of arms, as before, in his other, is appendant, to an original deed of his in the Cotton Library, without date, by which he granted to John de Bernham, chaplain, son of Henry de Estegate, a messuage in Estgate in Bernham, which is now called Bernham Broom.
The next that I find here was Sir Robert Mortimer, Knt. who lived in the time of King Henry II. In Somner's Antiquities of Canterbury we read, that in 1181, in a procession at Christ's church in Canterbury, Sir Robert Mortimer, who was under excommunication for his contumacy, because he would not obey the law, being questioned for a wrong done to the church of Canterbury, in taking from the manor of Deepham in this county a certain parcel of land belonging to the monks, intruded himself into the company, Prior Alan espying him there, informed the Archbishop (who was then present) of it, and that a second time, because the Archbishop would have connived at it; but when the whole company was come into the church, Sir Robert with them, and mass begun, the Prior requires the convent to cease, who obeyed, and so the excommunicate, to his shame, was by a strong hand thrown out of the church, and then they proceeded in their devotions.
He was succeeded by William, his son and heir, and he by
Sir Robert, his son and heir, who, in the year 1194, was forced to find sureties to King Richard the First, because he had presumed to hold a tournament without royal license; but upon Roger Bigod Earl of Norfolk, Jeffry de Sai, and William Earl Warren, becoming sureties for him, the King ordered the sheriff to give him seizin of his lands again. In 1195, a fine was levied to the said Sir Robert Mortimer of Atleburgh and John Le Strange of five knights fees, in Hunestantun, (or Hunstanton,) Totington, Ringestede and Snitertun, all which Robert acknowledged to belong to John and his heirs, who gave to Sir Robert all his land which he had in Totingtun, with the appurtenances to be held of him, by homage and the service of a whole knight's fee, except a twentieth part, excepting also out of the appurtenances, the church of Totington, which the said John gave in pure alms to the church of St. Mary at Caumpes in Suffolk, with the consent of the said Robert, who was to warrant to the said John and his heirs four knights fees in Hunstanton, Ringstede, and Snitterton. This Sir Robert, and William his son, were both against King John in his baron's wars, in the year 1205; and in 1215, Sir Robert being then also in arms with the rebellious barons, forfeited his lands in Lincolnshire.
In 1218, Sir William de Mortimer held one knight's fee here, and in Bernham, (Broom,) Little Elingham, and Tofts, and half a fee in
