There is precious little information about any of the Rectors or "Clerk Parsons" perhaps with the exception of Thomas Waterman (1576-1624), but it is at least fortunate that some of their wills have been preserved in the Probate records of the Norwich Diocese. These, together with documents located in the National Archives, British Library and the Norfolk Record Office help to bring substance to a fascinating but otherwise lifeless list of names inscribed on the Vestry screen in St Andrew's North Transept.
1543
Roger Overy
NCC administration act book 1558-1560, fo. 79
Overye, Roger, rector of Sloley, Norfolk
1554
William Stertweyte
buried at St Andrew's February 8th 1558/9
The will of William Stertweight, Incumbent from 1554-1559 is catalogued as NCC will register Veysye 122 in the Norfolk Record Office from whose microfilm this has been transcribed. With the exception of the small abreviation after his name at the head of the will and at the end, the contents give no clue whatsoever to the beliefs he held with regard to serving the Church through the reign of Catholic Queen Mary l. The will, which could otherwise have been made by any gentleman of the age, might lead one to speculate that he was unmarried, widowed or not particularly old when he died? He would seem to have held a great respect for Thomas Buttes who was possibly, as is said in modern parlance, "watching his back": Buttes in 1558 on behalf of Queen Mary was required to make the following loan:
By the Queene..............So our pleasure is you shall cause the said some of Tenne
Poundes to be furthered uppon the survynt hereof payed unto our use to our trusty and well beloved
Richard Fulmerston Esquier whome we have appointed to recyve the some at your hand
under our pryvey seale at our Manor of St James
Thomas Buttes however, in his evidence for the suit in chancery with Thomas Waterman circa 1582, states the following: that he has in his custody "certen acquitannces w[hi]ch warre deliv[er]ed him by the wife of one Wm Startwite sometime p[ar]son of greate Ryburgh whose executor he was" We may now speculate that "Startwite" was widowed at somepoint between 1554 and 1558, although there is no burial record for his wife at St Andrew's during this period, or indeed before or after.
The other persons mentioned, possibly all family names, do not appear in the Church registers and his mother Agnes Bonnuey (a name I keep revisiting to check my transcription) possibly was of French or Low Counties origin. His brothers, William and Henry's surname was Halle or Halles and his sister is named only as Johan /Joan. A magazine article reproduced on the Mattishall village website concerning Wool Broggers shows a trading link with Ryburgh in 1558 as a wool producer to the worsted-weaving trade at this time and amongst the Mattishall "Brogger" families named are the Halls, so there may be a further connection there.
The other surnames are both Rightup, Katherine and Thomas of Mattishall whether siblings or married is yet to be dicovered but there is an existing will of Thomas Rightup of Matteshall from 1566 that might shed more light?
William Stertweight willed that he be buried in the Chancel of St Andrew's. There is no obvious evidence that his burial took place in the Chancel or where it might have been, since all floors have been excavated at times since and nothing, if ever recorded as to his placement, survives.
As any further information comes to light, it will be added to this page.
I William Stertweight
cleri
In the name of god so be yt The xxixth
daye of December in the yere of our Lorde
god A thousande five hundreth fiftie and 29th December 1558
eight And in the firste yere of the Reign
of our Sovrign lady Elizabeth by the grace
of god Quene of Englande France and
Irelande defender of the fayeth &c I
Will[ia]m Stertweight Clerke parson of
greate Riburgh being holle in mynde and
of p[er]fyct Remembrannce praysed be
god considering the state of the worlde
to be a pilgrymage and uncerteyn jerny
and th’ende though unknowne I therefore
make this my last will and testament
in Maner and f[o]rme Followinge First
I bequeathe my Soule to god by the
merightes of whose passyon and fayeth
therin I trust to be saved and my bodie to
be buryed within the Channcell of great
Riburgh also I give and bequeathe unto
The poore Inhabytanntes dwellinge
within great Riburgh but only poore
howseholdes there xijd Item I will to be given
unto the poore people at the day of my
buryall xxs to refreshe them withall Item
I give unto my mother Agnes Bonnuey of
Magdalen briyges xxs Item I give unto my Nr. Acle?
brothers Willm and Henry Halles children
xxs Item I give unto my Sister Johan hir
children xxs Item I give unto Katherinye
Rightup xls Item I freelye give and
bequeathe unto my mother Agnes Bonnuey
of Magdalen Bryges aforesayed all suche Nr. Acle?
my freeholde londes as I am entyteled unto
lyinge and beinge in Runton Holme Item I
give and bequeathe unto Katherinye Rightup
of Matteshalle aforesayed all my beddinge
my greate coffer and my best gowne Item
I give unto my brother Willm Halle my
short gowne Item I give unto Johan my Sister
my mantell furred gowne Item I give
unto my mother my frese furred gowne
Item I give unto Thomas Ryghtup of
Matteshalle my Mantell frese gowne & "frese" is a woolen cloth with frizzy nap
my frese Jackett The Resydewe of all
my goodes not afore givnn or bequeathed I
frely give and bequeathe unto myn Execu-
ter whome I d’ordeyn and make myn espe-
cyall good Mr Thomas Buttes of great
Riburgh aforesayed Esquier unto whenne
be his paynes takinge therin I do give xxs
Item I give unto Elizabeth Lease iijs iiijd
and also I give unto Anne Sheringham
iijs iiijd Per me William Stertweight
Clericum Wytnessed herof Willm
Browne Stephen Cooper Magnus Heyward
Thomas Whitred Richarde Gardyner
Christofer Meers Robert Peers and
others
Other Persons
(chiefly local witnesses to the will)
identified from the St Andrew’s Registers:
William Stertweight:
buried 8 February 1558/9
Elizabeth Lease:
23 May 1563 Elizabeth Leedes married Magnus Heyward
Willm Browne :
buried 12 June 1560
Magnus Heyward:
buried 5 July1567
Richarde Gardyner:
Johan Gardiner wife of Richard Gardiner buried 26 May 1571: John Gardiner son of Richard Gardiner buried 26 May 1571:
Baptised on 8 August 1574 Richard Egmer: Richard Gardiner his father and Alice [Egmer?]servant of Richard Gardiner his mother. Thereafter we have Grizell Gardiner daughter of Richard baptised 23 March 1577/8 :Robart son of Richard baptised 21 January1579/80: John son of Richard and Alice baptised 23 September 1582: Augustine son of Richard and Alice baptised 19 March 1585/6
Christofer Meers:
Elizabeth Tompson married Christofer Meers 21 July 1559: Winefrade Meeres daughter of Christofer Meers buried 19th Oct 1565 :Elizabeth Meeres wife of Christofer Meers buried 3 May 1567
Robert Peers:
Maut Manfeeld alias Peers wife of Robart buried 16 Jan 1577/8: Robart Manfeeld alias Peers buried 22 Dec 1579
Anne Sheringham: Not present
Stephen Cooper: Not present
Thomas Whitred: Not present
**************
1559
William Seton
William Seton was the second of Thomas Buttes’ appointments to the Ryburgh living and the first in the reign of the new Queen Elizabeth. It is very possible that Seyton’s brother John, a significant beneficiary of his will, was none other than the chaplain to Archbishop Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester and Lord Chancellor of England during the reign of Mary Tudor. In Volume lV of Oxford Alumni published 1888-1892 we find the following entry for John Seton:
It was Stephen Gardiner who placed the Crown of England on Mary’s head at the coronation and sat in judgement on the soon to be Protestant Martyr, Bishop John Hooper. Whether or not this was a factor in the subsequent appointment of Richard Harris by Queen Elizabeth I can not at this point ascertain, but if they were brothers, the appointment of William Seton was probably not the best way to ingratiate oneself with the new monarch. John Seton died in at the English College in Rome in July 1567.
William Seton was buried on October 4th 1566 at St Andrew's
The will of William Seton, Incumbent from 1559-156 is catalogued as NCC will register Folklin 222 in the Norfolk Record Office from whose microfilm this has been transcribed. Not untypically punctuation is is virtually entirely absent which can lead to possible ambiguity in places
Fo225v.
Willm. Seton
In the name of god Amen
The xxv daye of September in the yeare of
ower lord god one thousand and ffyve hundred
threskore and syxe and in the eyght yeare September 25th 1566
of the Raigen of ower Soveraigen ladye
Elizabeth &c I William Seton Clarke
the unprofytable servant of god weeke in
bodye and not with standing stronge in
mynd to Allmightye god do willingly and
with a free harte rede render and gyve
agayne into the hande of the Lorde my
god my spryte w[hi]ch he of his fatherlye
goodnes gave unto me when he fashioned
this my bodye in my mothers wombe by
this meanes makinge me a lyvngye
Creatur nothinge doubtinge but that this
my Lorde god for his martyres sake sette
forthe in the precyous blud of his derlye
belovid sonne Christ Jesu my onlye
Savior and Redemer will Redeyme my
Sowle into his glorye and place yt
in the Companye of his heavenly An-
gelles and blessyd Saintes and as con-
cerninge my bodye ever with a good
will and free harte I gyve it ever
Comendinge it unto the earthe agayne
frome whence
fo.226
frome whence it came nothinge doubtinge
but that acordinge to the article of ower
Christian faythe at the greate Daye
of the generall Resurrection when we
shall appeare before the Judgment seate
of Christ I shall retryve it agayne
by the myghtye power of god where with
he is Able to subdue all thinges unto hyme-
selfe not a corruptyble mortall weake and
vyle bodye as this is nowe but as uncorrup-
table mortall stronge parfight and in all
poyntes lyke unto the glorious bodye of my
Lorde and Savior Jesus Christ to whome I
gyve unto the poore mens boxe of great
Riburghe iij s iiij d Item I gyve to my bro-
ther John Seton Clarke my ffloke bedd ffloke = flock ie stuffed with course tufts of cotton & wool
my next best coverlight my best pyllowe
of downe one blanquit that I boughte
of Christofer Meares* one payer of my
best shettes and an other payer of my
seconde shettes Item I gyve to my sayd
Brother my Damaske Chiste w[i]th the Damaske chist = Damascened (decorated steel) chest
Locke and keye there on Item I gyve
to hyme also beste gowne my beste
Clocke my woorstyd Jackett my beste Cloke = cloak
Dublytt my Spanyshe Jerkyn and all my
bookes that are myne one of my newe
Gaytres and a Cuishon my tunell tunell, bottell = funnel, bottle
bottell and my tryndell bedd with the tryndell bedd = bed on wheels or castors
Cordes Item I gyve to my Syster mar-
gerye Barker my Calfe that was of
fo. 226v
The Cowe that I ffearmyd of Goeryde?
Of Stybbard two payer of nexte beste
shettes and eyther my donge or my lyttell donge = matress
flock bedd and one (^of)my Redd Couvringes
one newe pewter dyshe I gyve to hyr one
combe of wheate one combe of myxlen a seame myx[t]len = mixed rye and wheat ground for flour
of Barlye I gyve to hyr one Swyne shottlinge seame= to 8 bushels
one Cocke and too hennes Item I gyve more to
hyr one stone of hempe Item I gyve to marga-
rett Shefeld my Systers daughter one pewter
Dyshe one combe of Rye and one seame
of Barlye one Swyne shotling and one
payer of Course shettes Item I gyve to
Margerye Sumpter my wyfes daughter one
combe of Rye one seame of barlye one swyne swyne shotlinge =piglet
shotlinge and a payer of Sheattes Item I do
gyve unto Martyn Sumpter my beste clothe
Cote Item I gyve to Beatryx my Wyffe my
brandyd Cowe my ffether bedd with too
ffether pyllowes Item I gyve unto my sayd
Wyffe three Combes of wheat three combes
of myxlyn fyve Combes of barlye one seame
of oates one Seame of peasen and fytches peasen and fytches = peas and vetch
Item I do gyve unto my sayd wyffe my
white Ambling nagge uppon condycon
that she doo gyve and paye unto my bro-
ther John Seyton xx s. within one halfe
yeare next after my decease Item I gyve
to the sayd Beatryx my wyfe all and
singular
fo 227
singular my goodes ungyven and not before beque=
thed bothe movable and unmovable and brasse
pewter bedinge hedstockes lynninge woolen tables
stoles chayers counter cobbard chystes hempe
haye woode and all other thinges that were
myne as swyne fowles or any other thinge of
what name so ever it or they be I gyve them
Clearly to Beatrix my wyfe she to
fineyd it and the some with owt lett or
interuption of myne Executor or anye other
excepte the Resydew of my Corne ungyven
and not before bequethed which I leave to
paye and dyscharge my debtes and lega-
cyes owt of the withe corne I gyve xx s
of currant monye to William Halmonde
and xx s to Wylliam Mydleton providid
that If I lyve and spende of the sayd
Corne so that there be not suffycyant to
paye theyre gyftes of corne before gyven
then I will that yt shalbe qualyfyed and
moderatyd by the good discretion of myne
Executor whome I do make and ordayne
Thomas Buttes of great Ryburghe esquire
onely he requringe hym to take the pay=
nes to se this my last wyll and testament
fullfyllyd and parformyd accordinge to
the trewe meaninge hereof and unto the
prayse and glorye of Allmightye god
amen Item I gyve more unto my fower
godchyldryn iiij s Item I gyve unto my godson
Watson ij s those beinge witnesses Thomas
Buttes esquier John Seyton Clarke.
*Christofer Meers:
Elizabeth Tompson married Christofer Meers 21 July 1559: Winefrade Meeres daughter of Christofer Meers buried 19th Oct 1565 :Elizabeth Meeres wife of Christofer Meers buried 3 May 1567
**************
1566
To date I have been unable to find anything that accounts for the interregnum period. If Buttes was in negotiation with the Crown
over the right of presentation, and caused the delay, he has left no written record that I have come across so far.
In his later accounting of 1577, he refers to a debt of Thomas Waterman:
Also I layed owte for hym unto John Heathe yn
part of payment for servyng ye Cure ----------------------------xx s payde
This could well have been the case during the missing two years and John Heathe being just over the river obliged.
1568
Richard Harris
From whence Richard Harris came to Great Ryburgh, except by appointment of Queen Elizabeth, is otherwise not known.
The new register tells us that he had a wife, a daughter and a son by the following entries:
Anne daughter of Richard Harris parson of Great Ryburgh and Anne his wife xxiiij April 1569
Thomas son of Richard Harris clerici was baptised the second daye of September 1571
All else that is known to us can be gleaned from documents in the accounts of Thomas Buttes Esquire found in B.L. Add. Mss. 39227. Here
we find Harris as a man eager to record every last penny owing to him throughout his incumbency. Some of them sealed with his particular
“en placard” seal as here on fo.30 and dated 1570:
detail of seal found on folio 30 of British Library Add. Mss 39227 reproduced by kind permission.
The full text of these bills can be found HERE.
In B. L. Add. Mss. 39221 however we see another side of the coin and the reason perhaps that the record of Harris'
bills and acquittances remained in Buttes’ files.
A note of suyche debttes as ys well knowen that
Rychard Harrys dothe owe unto dyvers persons
at thys present day beyng the vijth of July A[nno] 1572.
Fos.68 and 68v.contain the names of no less than 16 "dyvers persons" to whom Harris owed substantial amounts
including:
Item he doothe owe unto one Margarett Harrys Wyddowe Of Greate Ryburgh -----viij s[hillings]
Was this his mother or another Harris? The register records the burial of Widdow Harris on April 27th 1573 by
Christopher Wilson the next incumbent. It has to be said that Mr Harris managed to rack up an enormous debt
during his 4 years in Ryburgh which according to the Bank of England’s calculations would amount to the better
part of £33,000 today. We have yet to find a given reason for Richard Harris moving on, though his financial
predicament would not have done him any favours in the vicinity, but he did go, though we know not where.
**************
1572
Christopher Wilson
In the Volume lV of Oxford Alumni published 1888-1892 we find the following entry for a Christopher Wilson one time Rector of Hethersett:
Although no other apparently likely candidates have surfaced in searches so far, he was not our Christopher Wilson. The Norfolk Record Office holds the will of Christopher Wilson Clerk of Hethersett dated 1573 which rather rules him out. There are few other sources of information regarding our man save the appearances of his signature and hand writing in the church registers and also his signature and “en placard” seal (a simple letter W possibly with another motif around) appear on a bill witnessing a payment of Ten pounds paid to John Farrowe in 1575 found on folio 41 of B. L. Add, 39227. Also signing as witnesses are Nicholas Gottes of Little Ryburgh, John Catton and Thomas Browne of Great Ryburgh:
What we do have is the record of the date of his burial at Ryburgh found in B.L.Add. Mss. 39221 fo 41:
Christopher Wilson clerk rector of Great Riburgh was buried
the last day of October 1576 in the
eighteenth year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth. “from the dethe
of Seyton to the decease of M[aste]r Wilson x yeres".
Below is the will of Christopher Wilson, Incumbent from 1572-1576 is catalogued as NCC will register Cawston 125 in the Norfolk Record Office from whose microfilm this has been transcribed.
Not untypically, punctuation is is virtually entirely absent and the quality of the microfilm makes some words very difficult to decipher.
I Christopher Wilson
In the name of God Amen
The xviiijth day of Marche in the yeare of our lord
God a thousande fivehundred three score and fourteene and 19th March 1574
in the Seventene yeare of the raygne of our most graci-
ouse sovereygne ladie Elizabethe by the grace of God of
England France and Ireland quene defender of the faythe
I Christopher Wilson Clark p{ar]son of great Riboroughe
within the dioc[ese] of Norw[i]ch being sicke in bodie but in
h{olle a}nd perfect remembrance thankes be to god doe make
this my testamente and laste will in manner and forme
[followin]ge viz firste I bequeathe my soule into the
ha[nds of Almighty] god and my bodie to the earthe Item
I geve to twentie poore of the poreste householders of great
Riboroughe vjs viijd to be equallie devided and to such
of the poreste of them & everie of them a peck of mixtelyn
and a peck of maulte Item I give to Mr Butts my Cow[pers]
dictionarie Item I geve to Mr Heathe vicar of Little
Riboroughe my concordances Item I give to Mr Fenton parson
of Booton my book called opuscula Calvini Item I geve
to John Map*** the sonne of John M**** parson of Br**
son my Englishe grammer Tullies offices withe a c***
Mantuan Horace Juvinall Satires and all Ov[id’s]
workes a latten grammer called Dispantearius a Gre[ek]
gramer Item I geve to my brother Simon Wilson Most likely to be Wilsons own Mss copies of lute repertoire then in circulation as lute
my lute and luten booke and vjs viijd Item I geve music printing in England did not get properly underway untill William Barley in 1596
Henrie Neeve my booke called Skelton The r[esidue]
of all my goodes & chattells moveable and unmoveable [I]
geve them hollie to Catherine Hare my L[awful]
wife whome I doe make my sole executrixe of [my]
testamente & laste will She to see my bodie buried
my laste will performed In witnes hereof I he[reby]
my laste will set my hande and seale the daye
above written per me Christopherus Wy[lson]
Teste me Augustino Ranewe Teste me J[ohn].
Heathe cl[er]ico. John Heath was Vicar of All Saints Little Ryburgh 1561-1607
PROBATUM etc
The same day as his burial, Christopher Wilson’s widow Catherine effectively gets her notice to quit. This document (fo 49 of BL Add Mss 39227) is headed:
The Last daye of October 1576
I[mprimis] That Caterine Wilsone Widowe is to paye to Master Thomas
Buttes Esquier at the natevete of Christ next for the fearme
Of iij Accres of Lond. The wiche the forsaide M[aste]r Buttes hath
bowght of Roger Andrewes gent ……xxvj s viij d
Also the saide Catherine shall have the persnedg howssis
Of great Ryborow w[I]th the churche yarde there all the
Homstall clossis (and all the iij accars aforsaid for the
Wiche the fearme is all redy payd) and v accars in
Two severall clossis until the Annonciacion of owr
Ladye next comyng. Payeng then for same xxv s vj d
At this point in the margin Buttes has added:
All this bill is payde
unto M[aste]r T. Waterman
parson of Greate
Ryburgh
And underneath:
W[hi]ch some of xxv s vj d is payed unto my handes & vij sp& vj d for fearme land
Ffarder the saide Caterine shall have xiiij accars & a half
Of areable lond wherof part is sowne with winter coarne
Alredy & part is to be sowne with barlye for the wich
The forsaid Caterine must paye at the annunounciacion of owr Lady
Next coming. Vij s & vj d and also at the feast of St myghthill. St Michael-the-Archangel
The arcangell next folowing this vij s in full contentacion
between the above two lines Buttes adds: W{hic]h I have also preaved
Of the hole yeares fearme for the said areable lond. So the
Hole some of the fearme of the howssis churchyard hom-
Stalles clossis & areable comythe to ……………xl s
Buttes adds: payde to Thomas Waterman clarck parson of Greate Ryburgh
And fferder the said Caterine shall leve the
Howssis and ffencsyes in as suffycient Reparacion
As ytt is at this present w[it]h Locks keays & windows
Doares & gates.
In witnes herof John Scalon
Edward Ffenton & John Heath
Edward Fenton clerk of Booton died c 1610 will and inventory in NRO dated 1610-11
1555, John Skaloon and Clemence Holkam were married the xjth of November at St Andrew's
As we come to see in Thomas Buttes’ papers, he very soon realised that he had made a real mistake in
appointing Thomas Waterman to the Rectory. In 1577 he makes a detailed account of what, as Lord of the Manor
and Patron of St Andrew’s, his financial obligations to the parson of Great Ryburgh are.
This is found as fol.78 of B.L, Add Mss 39221 and reads as follows:
A note what I do owe unto ye parson of Greate Ryburgh
made ys iiij th day of October 1577 & Ao Regin dne
Elizabeth dei gra regine Angl * ** decimo nono.
First I doo owe unto ye said parson for suych thynges
as was leatten to fearme unto the Widdowe Wilson -------------- xl s payde
his preadecessorys Wyffe
Also due by mee at Michaelmas last past for one
whole yere, aswell for the Composition as other such------------xvij s x d payde
dueties as have of olde tyme usually been payed
Also for one whole yeres rent for ye howse by mee
lately sett upp next adioynyng unto ye Church yarde -----------ix s ob payde
Also for the porte of ye same howse & yardes due
for one whole yere at michaelmas last past ----------------------ij s payde
Also for the halfe yeres ffearme of iiij acres of
earabelle lande lyeng yn preastlond furlong ----------------------ij s payde
So I do owe unto hym -----------------------------------------------iij li. ix s. ob. all payde
Now a note what ye said parson dooth owe unto mee.
First hee dooth owe me which I lentt unto htm
yn moony owte of my purce ---------------------------------------xx s. payde
Also I layed owte for hym unto John Heathe yn
part of payment for servyng ye Cure ----------------------------xx s payde
Also he dooth owe unto me due at michaelmas
last for a pention baught of the Queene ma tie----------------xl s payde
So hee dooth owe unto mee iiij li. Alles payde
apon wch reckonyng he oweth unto mee dectaro xix s. ij d. ob
for this yere all payde
This document raises a couple of questions in the process of accounting:
That the Rectory was recently "sett upp" i.e. a new building. Materials to build Ryburgh Hall were already in hand when Thomas Buttes
inherited the Manor in 1545. Assuming the Parsonage House was not built before that date does the then 31 years of Buttes tenure as
Lord of the Manor count as being "lately sett upp" or was it more recent with the Wilsons perhaps being just the first or second occupiers?
Does the parsonage house complete with "the porte of ye same howse" suggest a reasonably substantial house with gatehouse/porch,
albeit modest, or does this just refer to a specific parcel of land or premise connected to the parsonage house?
Also suggested is the possibility that Waterman didn't take up his post quite immediately and that John Heathe was "servyng ye Cure" during the
interregnum, being "xx s payde" in part payment, or had it become the obligation of the Great Ryburgh Rector, since Buttes purchased
the Advowson in 1574, and that Buttes took it upon himself to to pay the Vicar of Little Ryburgh during the change over at St Andrew's so that
John Heathe was not out of pocket in the interim?
**************
1561-1607
John Heathe Vicar of Little Ryburgh All Saints
Whilst not being Buttes appointment to St Andrew's it is worth including this long serving priest for the reasons shown below. The following transcription made of BL Add Mss 39227 fos 103-104 showing how and when the churches of Great and Little Ryburgh came to be associated. The text suggests to me a surreptitious acquisition by Buttes of the advowson and the trouble caused to John Heathe by the circuitous route of the living in and out of Crown control. The text would seem to be a copy of a deposition (made by Heathe and one, Edward Ffitzgasses who originally presented Heathe to the advowson,) to the suit against Queen Elizabeth brought under the Common Law of Quare Impedit which applied specifically to disputes regarding advowsons:
fo. 103.
In 3 distinct hands:
1. “A breif remembrannce of the Conveyannce and assurance of the
advowsion and right of Patronage of the Proxye and
Benefice of little Ryburghe in the Countie of Norfk to
Thomas Buttes Esquire and his heires”.
2. “Mem[oran]d[u]m concerning the advowson of Little Ryburgh vc[vicarage?]”
(C18th hand?)
3. “The tytell of little Ryborow in the County i[bi]d and of * Fentyn of Edgefelde”
fo. 103v blank
fo. 104
(In the left hand margin) Norfk
John Heathe Clarcke nowe Incumbent in the parsonage of little Riburgh
in the said Countie was p[re]sented to the same by Edward Ffitzgasses
Esquier, who married the wife of Sir Thomas paston Knighte, at
suche tyme as the right of the p[re]sentacon thereof was in the
Quenes ma[jes]ties handes,
(1561-1607 are the unverified dates of John Heathe’s incumbency of All Saints, Little Ryburgh
as shown on the Vestry Screen at St, Andrew’s Great Ryburgh)
(20th April 1542)
Ffor that yf Sir Thomas Paston in his
life tyme exchannged the said advowsion and gifte of the said
benifice, amongst other mannors and pensions, with Kyng Henrye
the eighte for the Mannor of Bloyfeeld in the sayd Countie,
As maye appeare by an Indenture dated the xx.th daye of Aprill
in the xxxiii.th yere of the Raigne of the sayd Kynge .
(Apr 20th.1573)
w[hi]ch advowsion
and gifte of the said benifice from the tyme of the sayd exchannge
till the xx.th daie of Aprill in the xv.th yeree of the Raigne of our
Sov[r]eigne Ladie the Queeene her ma[jes]tie that nowe ys, was concealed
and soo certified into theschequer by Mr Lymmerston, and others, by v[er]tue
of a Comyssyon to them directed.
(Feb. 19th.1574)
And afterwardes that ys to saye
the xix.th daie of Ffebruarrie in the xvi.th yere of the Raigne of our
sayd Sovereigne the Queene her ma[jes]tie that nowe ys: Our sayd
Sov[er]eigne Ladye the Queene by her graces l[ett]ers patente amongst
other things, granted the same advowsion and gifte of the benifice
of little Ryburgh aforesaid to Xtopher Ffenton and Barnnard
Gylpin gent and to their heires in Ffee.
(July 20th.1574)
Which sayd Xtopher and
Barnnard by their deede bearing date the xx.th daie of July in the
said xvi.th yere of the Raigne of our Sovereigne Ladie the
QueenesMa[jes]tie that nowe ys did sell and grante (among other things)
the sayd advowsion and gifte of the benifice of Ryburgh P[ar]va to
Thomas Buttes and Nicholas Mynnes Esquires and their heires.
(Sept 20th.1574)
And
afterwardes that ys to saye the xx.th daye of September in the xvi.th
yere of the Raigne of our said Sov[er]eigne Ladie the Queenes Ma[jes]tie
that nowe is: The same Nicholas Mynnes by his deede dyd
release to the same Thomas Buttes and his heires all his right and
interest whatsoev[er] in the sayd advowsion of little Ryburgh
(June 18th.1582)
Our Sov[er]eigne Ladie the Queene by her graces l[ett]ers patente dated
the xviij.th daye of June in the xxiiij.th yere of her maiesties Raigne
did p[re]sent Richard Warde clarcke, to the said benifice who being
called at the humble peticon of the same John Heathe before your
honorable Lordshipp did there resigne and yeeld up suche interest
as he then had in the sayd benifice before his ins[ti]tucon and
induction.
My humble Suyte to your honorable Lordshipp ys to crave at your
Lordshippes handes to have a Clarcke p[re]sented to the sayd Benifyce
of little Ryburgh that the suyte nowe depending by merit of
of Quare impedit at the Common lawe between the Queene
her Ma[ies]tie and the sayd John Heathe and Edward Ffitzgasses
maye prevale.
In B.L. Add Mss 39224 according to the catalogue, there are the following pages covering this period:
ff. 23-25 Little Ryburgh, Norfolk: Notes and deeds rel. to the advowson: 1541-1583.
Unfortunately owing to the recent devastating cyber attack on the British Library's IT infrastrucure, it is not possible to access digital copies of these pages and therefore further investigation of this will have to wait until such times as normal service is resumed or occasion arises to examine them in person.
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1576
Having been in post some 5 years, Thomas Waterman brought a case in Chancery against Thomas Buttes circa 1581/2 and there are multiple copies surviving in B.L. Add Mss 39227 of the complaints and answers of the case which was deferred by Sir Cristofer Wraye and Edmond Anderson to a decision made at a local level. Wraye and Anderson were Lord Chief Justice and Chief Justice of the Common Pleas respectively and responsible for the pivotal legal cases of the Elizabethan era. These sorts of petty domestic squabbles, though far beneath them, clearly consumed quite considerably the passions of the two protagonists. Alongside the 3 copies of the two men’s depositions, there exists a list of “Interrogatoryes for Witnisses to be examined uppon the p[ar]te and behalfe of Thomas Buttes Esquier” …….. put before a number of local men in order to verify his case.
Unfortunately there seems to be no written record of any judgement as made by Wm. Heydon and Wm. Rugge who were appointed to hear the case and so we read of these case notes and Thomas Buttes’ last words on the case HERE.
to be continued