Earl of Kent, their son, who by suffering a recovery, settled it on King Henry VII. for payment of a great debt, with a remainder to himself and his heirs. After this, it was settled on Catherine, his second wife, who enjoyed it for her life; and then it went to
Richard Grey Earl of Kent, who died in 1523, having greatly wasted his estate. This and Heywood was part of the jointure of Elizabeth his wife; but in 1505, with her and her trustees consent, he sold them to
Robert Le'Strange, and his heirs, and a fine was levied accordingly, viz. of 2800 acres of land, 30l. rent in Winfarthing, Diss, Shelfhanger, Titshall, and Bokenham castle; and thus it passed from that family; this Robert Le'Strange dying seized, and left it to
John Le'Strange, his executor, to sell, of whom it was purchased by
Thomas Duke of Norfolk, from which time it went with that family, till Thomas Earl of Arundel and Surry sold this and Heywood, about 1643, to
Sir John Marsham of Cuckstone in Kent, Bart. who died seized in 1692, leaving it to his son,
Sir John Marsham, Bart. who died under age, and unmarried, in 1694, so that it came to
Sir Robert Marsham, Bart. in 1697; he was one of the six clerks in Chancery, and uncle to Sir John; he was succeeded by
Sir Robert Marsham, his son, who, by letters patent, was created Baron of Romney in Kent, and, in 1720, obtained an Act of Parliament to sell this estate, and to settle another in Kent already purchased, to the same uses; upon which it was vested in
Sir Thomas Daeth, Bart. and Edmund Probyn, serjeant at law, who, in 1724, conveyed it to
Humphry South of London, merchant, to the use of Mrs. Elizabeth Gray of London, (only child of John Gray, late of the island of Barbadoes, Esq.) who, by virtue of that purchase, is now [1736] patroness and lady of both Winfarthing and Heywood, which is called Winfarthing Outsoken manor.
In Queen Elizabeth's time there was a great suit for these manors, between the Earl of Surrey, who recovered, and the Earl of Kent, at which time Heywood manor was 26l. and Winfarthing 14l. per annum.
The leet belonged to the court-baron, and the courts of the insoken and outsoken of this manor extended into Brisingham, Kenninghall, &c.
Here were two parks, viz. the old and new park, and the rector had the herbage of both, for the composition of which 29s. 4d. was paid him; the rent of Hulver Wood was 6d. To this manor belongs Banham Heath, a great part of which lies in Diss hundred, which is divided by the Mere called the Hundred Mere, which divides the hundreds of Diss, Shropham, and Giltcross; and the drift of it, as far as that Mere belongs to Winfarthing, and is in the bounds of that parish; and according to ancient custom, the tenants of Winfarthing always drive their part the last day of April, and impound all weyfs and strays, in a ground called the Hall-Yards, in Winfarthing great park, in which the manor-house did heretofore stand. In 1604, this park was full of deer, and Sir Bassingbourn Gawdy of West Herling, Knt. had every year a fee doe and buck, and liberty of hunting them in that park, which was then my Lord of Arundell's.
This parish hath lands belonging to it, now [1736] let at 16l. per annum, of the gift of divers persons, out of which 2l. 11s. (called Lowndes' and Alden's gifts) is annually at Easter to be divided among such poor as are not collectioners, by the rector and churchwardens; the rest was given to repair the church. They have also three town-houses, one hath an acre of land adjoining to it, and another was the old Gildhall, the lands of which gild, were seized by the Crown, and were given by Queen Elizabeth, in the 27th year of her reign, to the Hallyats.
In 1600, there were 189 communicants,
