two fees. In 1310, Robert Buttevyline, Knt. and Nicolea his wife, had Cotesbroke manor settled on John de Foxton, their trustee, except the third part, which Agnes widow of Will. de Buteveline held in dower, In 1314, Lady Nicolea was a widow, and had her dower assigned, and Sir William her son and heir inherited; and in 1316, had a charter for free-warren here, and in his manor of Cotesbroke in Northamptonshire, and Hynwycke in Bedfordshire; in 1363, Lady Nicolea was married to Sir Giles de Ardern, Knt. In 1337, Sir William was married to the Lady Julian, and in 1345, they held this and Flixton, of the Earl-Marshall, at two fees. In 1344, Thomas son of William Botevelyn, Knt. sold the manor and advowson of Newton, and Brandon and its advowson, in Essex and Suffolk, to William de Bohun Earl of Northampton, and Elizabeth his wife. In 1348, Sir William settled on Nicholas de Poininges, Knt. his manor of Cotesbroke in reversion, after Lady Nicolea's death; and in 1354, he settled this on Edmund de Caston in trust. In 1383, it belonged to Robert Butevelyn of Flordon, Esq. In 1369, Thomas Gardener of Gissing, Esq. (see vol. i. p. 170,) granted to Robert son of William Botevelyn, Knt. an annuity of 20 marks, on his marrying Katherine his daughter. Their son Robert Butevelyn inherited, whose son William Butevelyn, was an ideot, and was seized in 1447; and at his death, his estate went to John Kemp of Weston, Esq. &c. as at vol. i. p. 177–9, and hath continued in that family with the manor of Gissing, to this day.
The church is dedicated to St. Michael; the rector had a house and 60 acres of glebe, now reduced to 24; it was valued without the portion at 17 marks, and the portion of the monks at Thetford at 13s. 4d.; it paid 2s. 4d. synodals, 12d. Peter-pence, and 5d. carvage, and stands in the King's Books at 6l. 13s. 4d. and is discharged of first fruits and tenths, and being sworn of the clear yearly value of 42l. 19s. 6d. ob. it is capable of augmentation.
The Abbot of Creke had temporals here taxed at 6d. and the Prior of Norwich had rents taxed at 18s. 1d. issuing out of lands in this town, which belonged to Hapton manor, and were given them by Will. Puleis and Margaret his wife, and Roger de Puleis his son, and Agnes his wife, Roger son of Gosceline de Flordon, Walter son of Alveric de Flordon and Wido de Verdon, principal lord of Puleis's fee in Hapton, confirmed them. This village paid clear to each tenth 2l.
The steeple is round and hath three bells, the church is 24 yards long and 6 broad, and hath no isles; the nave and chancel are tiled. There is no memorial of any kind, in the church; but there lies an old stone in the porch, broad at one end and narrow at the other, which shows it to have been laid over some priest by its shape, and accordingly,I find that Roger Northwold, rector here, who died in 1371, is buried under it. There is a very large stone in the churchyard, for Mary daughter of William and Mary Dade, Jan. 3, 1718, 16. Martha, another daughter, 23 March 1718, 4. And Mary their mother, died at Great-Melton June 5, 1721, 45. There are stones for John Hakecon 1722, 2. And Anne wife of Thomas Baxter, 1694.
