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Brampton or Bamtuna
The family of Duke derive their descent from Roger Duke, who was Sheriff of
London in the time of King Richard I.; whose son, Peter Duke, served the same
office in the 10th of King John. This Peter was father of Roger Duke, who was
Sheriff of London in the 11th of King Henry III., and Mayor the next, and three
successive years.
Walter Duke, his son, resided in this parish in the time of King Edward III.,
and held the manor of Hale's Hall here. In the 2nd of the following reign, he
did homage at Framlingham Castle, for his lands in Shadingfield, holden of the
said manor by one Knight's fee.
John Duke, of this parish, son and heir of Robert, son of Roger, son of the said
Walter, married Joan, daughter and heir of Park, of Aslacton, in Norfolk, and of
Ilketshall, in this county. Thomas, his son, succeeded, and William was his
heir, by a second marriage with Margaret, daughter and heir of Henry Banyard,
Esq., of Speckshall, in Suffolk.
This William Duke, Esq., in the 23rd of King Henry VIII., paid twenty shillings
aid to the lord of Framlingham manor. He married Thomasine, daughter of Sir
Edmund Jenney, of Knottishall, in this county; and was succeeded by his son,
George Duke, Esq. (for whose marriage and descent see Benhall, in the preceding
hundred.)
Their family estate in this parish became afterwards vested in the Wood family,
of Loudham; and in 1764, William Chapman, Esq., was owner thereof.
John Townsend, Esq., resided chiefly in this parish, and was probably owner of
the lordship here. He was second son of Sir Roger Townsend, Knt., by Anne his
wife, daughter and co-heiress of Sir William de Brews, of Wenham Parva, in this
county. Sir Roger was a lawyer of great eminence in the reign of King Edward
IV., and M.P. for Calne, in Wiltshire. In the 1st of Edward V., he was
constituted King's Serjeant-at-Law, and the following year was appointed a
Justice of the Courts of Common Pleas.
Mr. Townsend married Eleanor, daughter of Sir John Heydon, K.B., of Baconsthorp,
in Norfolk; he died in 1540, before his elder brother, Sir Roger Townsend, of
Raineham, in Norfolk, Knt., who died without issue.
Richard, eldest son of the said John Townsend, and Eleanor his wife, succeeded;
and continued to reside at Brampton. He married Catherine, third daughter and
co-heiress of Sir Humphrey Brown, Knt., of Ridley, in Chester, one of the
Justices of the Court of Common Pleas; and died in 1552.
Sir Roger Townsend, Knt., his eldest son and heir, succeeded; and was
constituted by the above Sir Roger Townsend, his great uncle, heir to his
estates. He was progenitor of the present noble representative of this house.
ARMS. Townsend: azure; a chevron, ermine, between three escallops,
argent.
CHARITIES. There are, in this parish, a house let in four tenements, to
poor persons, at £4 a year; and three acres
of land, or thereabouts, producing about £10
a year; which is distributed among poor persons belonging to the parish. There
are also twelve acres of meadow, called the "Town Fenn," the present rent about
£40; which is applied to the repairs of the
church, and in defraying all other charges of the churchwardens' office. The
acquisition of this property is unknown. Mary Leman, in 1805, bequeathed by
will, £600, clear of all deductions, upon
trust, to invest the same in the purchase of 3 per cent. Consols; the dividends
to be applied for establishing and supporting a Sunday school in each of the
parishes of Brampton, Redisham, and Cratfield; for instructing poor children
belonging to, or residing within those parishes, to read: an equal share to be
appropriated to each of the three schools.
This lady resided at Bury St. Edmund's for many years, and deceased there
February 7, 1807. She was only daughter, and sole heir of Robert Leman, Esq., of
Wickham Market; who served the office of High Sheriff of this county in 1744.
Mrs. Leman bequeathed the bulk of her fortune, which was very considerable, to
Naunton Thomas Orgill, Clerk, M.A., rector of this parish, and of Worlingham, in
this county.
This reverend gentleman was son of William Orgill, late of Beccles, Esq., by
Sarah his wife, third daughter and co-heir of William Leman, formerly of
Beccles, Esq., and of Sarah his wife, daughter of Thomas Leman, of this parish,
Esq.; and January 23, 1808, the King granted him license, that he and his issue
might assume and take the surname, and bear the arms of Leman, out of grateful
respect to the memory of his cousin, Mary Leman, of Bury St. Edmunds, spinster,
deceased; daughter, and at length sole heir of Robert Leman, brother of the
above-mentioned Sarah Leman, the grandmother of the said Rev. Naunton Thomas
Orgill, the petitioner.
This gentleman was lord of this manor, and patron of the living; he resided in a
commodious house, erected by him in 1794, in this parish. The Rev. George Orgill
Leman is now lord and patron, and the Rev. Thomas Orgill Leman, incumbent.
County
of Suffolk
Topographical and Genealogical, The County of Suffolk, 1844, Augustine Page |
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