John late Lord Fitz-Walter. They remained in the Crown till Henry VIII. restored them to
Robert Ratcliff, son of the said John, who was in so great favour with that king, that he not only restored him in blood and estate, but made him knight of the garter, Lord Fitz-Walter, Egremond, and Burnel, and afterwards, on the 16th of June, 1523, created him Viscount Fitz-Walter, and on the 8th of December, 1529, Earl of Sussex: he had three wives; by Elizabeth daughter of Henry Stafford Duke of Buckingham, he had Henry Lord Fitz-Walter, who succeeded him; he died at Chelsey the 28th of November, 1542, and is buried in the church of Boreham, in London diocese, with two other earls, his son and grandson, under a sumptuous monument, as appears by their inscriptions in Mr. Weaver's Funeral Monuments, fol. 635.
Henry Ratcliff Earl of Sussex, Viscount Fitz-Walter, Lord Egremond and Burnel, held his first court in 1342; he was in great favour with Queen Mary, and of her privy council; and by her grant, dated November 2, in the first year of her reign, had "liberty licens and pardon to were his cappe, coyf or night cappe or twoo of them at his pleasor as well in our presens as in the presens of any other person or persons within this our relme or any other place of our dominion during his life." He died at Westminster, 17 Feb. 1556, leaving issue by Elizabeth his wife, daughter of Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk, Thomas the third earl of Sussex, and Henry the fourth earl.
Thomas the third earl, in 1557, was seized of Diss, Attleburgh, and Hemenhale, Dockyng, Southmere, Warners, Billingford, Rushton. Skerning, Shedestrond, and Sturston, in Norfolk; he had two wives, Elizabeth daughter of Thomas Wriothesley, by whom he had Henry and Robert, who both died young, and Frances daughter of Sir William Sidney, by whom he had no issue, who died June 9, 1583, leaving
Frances his widow this manor, and great part of the estate, for life; and at her death, to Robert Lord Fitz-Walter, his son, who died before her, so that it came to
Henry Ratcliff, his brother, who died seized the 14th of Dec. 1593, when it descended to
Robert Ratcliff, his son, who in 1621 sold it to
Frances Shute, widow, and her heirs, who held a court in 1622; in 1635 it was in
John Duke, Esq. of Worlingham, in Suffolk, who about 1649 left it to
Parnell and Anne Duke, his daughters, who kept their first court in 1656: this John sold the advowson from the manor.
Parnell married
Roger Pepys of Impington, Esq. who afterwards had Anne's part also, and at his death left it to
Talbot Pepys, his son, who married Hannah daughter of John Man, alderman of Norwich; she outlived him, and held the manor and hundred till 1694, when she died, and left it to
Roger Pepys,
