Howard, Knt. Will. Plaiters, Bart. &c. trustees to the Norfolk family.
- 1681, 2 May, Samuel Slipper, A. M. chaplain to the Duke of Norfolk on Salmon's death. John Meek and John Jay, patrons for this turn.
- 1713, 11 June, the Rev. Mr. Robert Hall, A. M. on Slipper's death, presented by Thomas Duke of Norfolk, who some time after sold the patronage to Dr. Hill, who hath obliged his heirs for ever, to present a fellow of St. John's College in Cambridge. Sir Rowland Hill is now [1736] patron, and Mr. Hall aforesaid is incumbent, who hath published a volume of Sermons, and another of Catechistical Lectures, in 8vo. and a Sermon on the Peace.
This town is remarkable among the country people for the three Wonders; (as they call them;) the first is, the Selfgrown Stile, being a tree grown in such a manner, that it forms a regular stile, and serves for such in a common footpath. The second is, the Ox-Foot Stone, which lies in a meadow so called; it is a large stone of the pebble kind; on which is the fair impression of an ox's foot, which seems to be natural; the fable of it is, that in a great dearth (nobody knows when) there came a cow constantly to that place, which suffered herself to be milked (as long as the dearth lasted) by the poor people; but when that decreased, she struck her foot against that stone, which made the impression, and immediately disappeared. The third is called Lopham Ford, at which place the Ouse and Waveney (those disagreeing brethren, as Spelman calls them) have their rise, and though there is no greater division than nine feet of ground, yet the former goes west by Thetford to Lynn, and the latter in a direct contrary course, by Diss, and so to Yarmouth, including this whole county; Leland calls it Lopham Market, (without any authority,) and says that it belonged to Richmond fee, being led into that errour, I suppose, by its being the place where the gaol of the Duke of Norfolk's liberty was kept, of which Swaffham is the head town in this county, where the coroner for the liberty generally resided, and that town belonging to Richmond fee, might possibly lead him into this mistake; and as this liberty is of large extent in the county, it will not be amiss to give you an account of its rise and privileges in this place, because it hath been generally reputed to be, as it were, annexed to this manor.
King Edward IV. by letters patent under the broad seal of England, dated at Westminster the 7th of December, in the 8th year of his reign, and in the year of our Lord 1468, granted to John Duke of Norfolk, and Elizabeth his wife, and their heirs, for ever, the return of all writs whatsoever, and of all bills, summons, precepts, and mandates of the King, and of all acting under him, within the liberty, manors, and hundreds following, viz. within the manors and demeans of Forncet, Framlingham - Parva, Ditchingham - Parva, Ditchingham, Loddon, Syseland, Halvergate, Southwalsham, Cantley, Strumpshaw, Castre, Winterton, Dickleburgh, Boyton, and Bayfield, in the county
