ILLINGTON===
Illinketune, Ilsingtune, or as it is now called, Illington, is a small village joining to Rowdham and Lerlingford; the church is dedicated to St. Andrew, and is a rectory in the archdeaconry of Norfolk, and deanery of Rockland. It hath a rectory-house and glebe, and was valued at 6l. 19s. 2d. in the King's Books; it was sworn of the clear yearly value of 37l. 2s. by which means it is discharged of first fruits and tenths, though it pays 1s. synodals, besides the archdeacon's procurations. In 1603, there were 32 communicants in this village, and now [1737] there are about 60 inhabitants; it paid 53s. to the tenths, and is now assessed at 257l. to the land tax; the chief if not the whole of this town, belongs to the Churchmans, whose seat stands about two furlongs. NW. of the church.
The Church and chancel are very small, having a square tower at the west end. There is an altar tomb in the chancel for,
Sir JOHN CHURCHMAN, Knt. sometime patron of this church, who suddenly departed this life, Feb. 24, 1688, Ag. 56.
Moriendo perpetuam Vitam Lucramur.
At the foot of the tomb are two small stones, for,
GORE, son of WILLIAM CHURCHMAN, Esq. and SUSAN his wife, who died Jan. 12, 1692, aged 9 months.
SUSAN their daughter an infant, buried April 23, 1692.
As to what is said concerning the history of this parish in the Atlas, p. 342, there is not one word of it true, as to this town, but part of it may be applied to Islyngton in Mershland.
The Prior of Bukenham had lands here of the gift of the Bukenhams, taxed at 2s. 9d.
The Abbot of Sibeton in Suffolk held the twenty-fifth part of a knight's fee, which was either given or sold to that house by Henry de Esthall, before 1291, for then the Abbot was returned to hold it of the said Henry, who held it of Adam de Cayly, he of the Earl Warren, and he of the King, to whom the Abbot paid his part, to make his eldest son a knight. It was taxed at 11s. 3d. 0b.
Here was a parcel of land given to the abbey of Bury, for which the sacrist of that monastery was taxed at 2s.
Rectors
- 1313, John de Bukenham, rector.
- 1334, 17 kal. Apr. John de Bukenham, priest. Elizabeth de Bukenham.