was worth 30s. per annum. It was risen to 40s. value at the Conquest, and a lete belonged to it; when Robert son of Corbutio, or FitzCorbun, held it, and infeoffed it in one Hunfrid or Humfry, the ancestor of the family afterwards sirnamed De Straton, lords of the manors here afterwards called Ree's and Welholme's, which last was a part of the former, granted off by the Strattons; and though they extended into the other parts, laid chiefly in Stratton St. Michael's; the church of which, in all probability, was first founded by Hunfrid aforesaid, and the advowson attended the manor.
The third part belonged to the Crown, till the Conqueror gave it to Roger Bigot, who added one small part of it to his manor of Forncet, to which the advowson of Stratton St. Peter always belonged; so that it is likely, this Earl was founder of that church: but the chief part he granted off, and that had the lete of all its tenants, and was afterwards called Saye's, or the manor of Stratton St. Peter.
There was a small part that belonged to the Abbot of Bury's manor of Moringthorp, and another to St. Etheldred's manor of Pulham, which belonged to Ely monastery and see.
The manors called Sturmyn's and Snapehall, were first severed from Stratton-Hall, into which they fell again, and there continue.
And thus having fixed the origin of the several manors and parishes, I shall treat of them in their order; and first of
Stratton-Hall, or Stratton St. Mary's Manor
Belonged to Philip Malherbe, who was succeeded by Bartholomew his son, one of the lords of Tacolneston; and in Richard the First's time, was held by Richard Malherbe at one knight's fee, of the Bishop of Norwich, as of the barony of the see. Rog. Malherbe, who lived at Tacolneston, and was a benefactor to Windham abbey, died seized of it, and it went with one of his daughters and heiresses, to
Gilbert de Bourne, who occurs lord and patron about 1273, and came and settled here; and in 1285, was returned as a gentleman of estate, that was much above age, and ought to have been knighted, but had not yet taken up that honour, for which he was fined; in 1286, this Gilbert had free-warren allowed him, weyf, and view of frankpledge, over all his tenants, with the assise of bread and ale, on condition, that the King's bailiff was always present at the lete, to see that none but the tenants of the manor did suit there; he had also a fair allowed him to be kept once a year on the day of the Assumption of the blessed Virgin Mary, viz. Aug. 15. This fair was first granted by King John, in the year 1207, to Roger de Stratton, who gave that
