estate; in 1506, he had special livery of all the lands his father died seized of, was made Earl-Marshal of England by Henry VIII. in the second year of his reign, and afterwards Duke of Norfolk; he died in 1524, leaving Thomas his son, heir to his estate and honour.
In 1537, the quitrents were 33l. 3s. 11d. a year; the farm of the hundred 6l. 13s. 4d. the agistments of the park, and perquisites of the fair, 5l. besides the warren, windmill, and fishery. This Thomas being attainted, his estate was seized, and settled on the Lady Mary, who resided here; but it was restored to him again, upon her coming to the Crown, and he came and died here in 1547, leaving Thomas, his grandchild, his heir, who resided here with Margaret, daughter of Thomas Audeley Baron Audeley, his second wife, in 1560; he was beheaded in 1572, from which time it passed as Fersfield manor, the Duke of Norfolk being now lord.
In 1610, the quitrents were 47l. 7s. 6d. the farm of the hundred 6l. 13s. 4d. the profits of the fair 5l. the keeper of the palace's wages per annum 3l. 10d. the park-keeper's wages 3l. 0s. 10d. the gardener 4l. per annum, the whole park within the pale contained 700 acres. There was a rent paid out of the New Park, which was due to the late priory of Thetford, with which it came to the Duke, and then ceased. In this year the townsmen purchased the sheeps-walk of the lord, and so made their lands whole-year lands: at this time also the inhabitants paid a small sum to the lord, as an acknowledgment, or freerent, for their new entrenched grounds, they having by consent enclosed their common, called the Park Common, and appropriated the several parts to divers uses; but this remained but a small time, for the commoners disagreeing among themselves, they were all laid common as at first, though the banks and trenches are still visible [1736.]
The Customs of this Manor and the Rectory Manor are the same, viz. the copyhold descends to the youngest son; the fine is certain, at 6d. an acre; they give dower, and the tenants can waste their copyhold-houses, fell timber, plant, and cut down wood and timber on the waste against their own lands, without license.
The Rectory Manor
Went with the rectory till its appropriation, and then became part of the possessions of Bokenham priory, till its dissolution, and was then granted, with the impropriation, to the Norfolk family, forfeited at the Duke's attainder in Queen Elizabeth's time to the Crown, and by her, with the impropriation, given to the Bishoprick of Ely, from which it was seized in the Rebellion, and the manor only, in 1554,
