added to, and became a part of, Pakenham's manor, and was always held of the Earls of Arundell at half a fee, as of their hundred of Shropham, and is that part of Shropham which joins to the river by Sneterton.
The vicarage is valued in the King's Books at 8l. 13s. 9d. and being sworn of the clear yearly value of 30l. 2s. 6d. it is discharged of first fruits and tenths, and is capable of augmentation; it pays 2s. synodals, being endowed with the rectory-house and all the glebe land, except an acre and half, and all the great and small tithes of BrecclesParva, and all other tithes in Bradcar and Shropham, except the tithes of corn and grain, which belong to the impropriation. It is in Norfolk archdeaconry, and deanery of Rockland, and in 1603 had 120 communicants, and now [1737] there are about 250 inhabitants. It paid 7l. 13s. 4d. to the tenths, and is now assessed at 610l. 5s. There were three gilds kept in the church of St. Peter and Paul at Shropham; the first was the gild of St. Peter and Paul, the second of St. John Baptist, and the third of our Lady, and there was another gild in St. Andrew's church, held in honour of that Apostle.
The Prior of the monks at Thetford had divers small pieces of land here, which were taxed at 2s.
The Abbot of Bury, at the Conquest, had a freeman, who held 30 acres of him; this was afterwards appropriated to the use of the infirmary of that monastery, and the keeper of the infirmary received the profits till the Dissolution, and was taxed at 5s. and so paid 6d. every tenth.
The temporalities of Bec abbey, and Okebourne priory were taxed 8s. 9d. ob.
The Prior of Bukenham was taxed at 6s. ob. for his temporalities, which were small rents issuing out of divers lands in this town, paid to the priory manor of Bukenham, of which they were held.
Rectors and Vicars
- 1284, Will. de Hengham, rector.
- 1332, 4 kal. July, Ralph de Coggeshale, clerk, was instituted to the rectory of the church of St. Peter at Shropham, with the chapel of St. Andrew lately annexed to the same, at the presentation of John, son of Sir John de Coggishalis, Knt.
- 1358, 10 Dec. Walter de Elveden, priest, at Ralph's resignation. John de Cokefield, Knt.; he exchanged his precentorship in Hereford cathedral, for this rectory.
- 1360, 7 May, Walter Le-Pestour, priest. Sir John de CoggesHales, Knt.
- 1371, 29 Octob. Tho. de Berton, priest. Sir Henry de Coggeshale, Knt.
- 1396, 6 Jan. Sir Thomas, son of Lawrence of Horstede, John Methelwold. This
