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East Bergholt or Bercolt
"The men of Berkholt, in the county of Suffolk, say, that in the time of King
Henry, grandfather of our Lord the present King (Henry III.), they used to have
this custom; that when they would marry their daughters, they used to give to
the Lord, for license so to do, two ores, which were worth thirty-two-pence.
"Here these ores, which were Saxon coins, are declared to be in value of our
money, sixteen-pence a-piece; but after, by the variation of the standard, they
valued twenty-pence a piece. And this fine for the tenants marrying their
daughters (pro filiabus suis maritandis) was, without doubt, in lieu of
mercheta mulierum, or first night's lodging with the bride, which the
Lord anciently claimed in
some manors." Blount's Tenures.
Mr. Astle is of opinion that this kind of intercourse between the lord and his
female villain never existed; but was a fine paid by a sokeman, or a villain, to
his lord, for a license to marry his daughter, to indemnify him for the loss of
his property; and in process of time, this composition was thrown into the
aggregate sum of quit rents.1
The family of Cardinall long resided in this parish; and the last of the name of
this branch, was slain at the battle of Edge-Hill (being in the Life Guard of
Robert, Earl of Essex), in the defence of the Parliament, in 1042. Anne, his
sister, being the heir general, married to Henry, second son of Sir Calthorpe
Parker, of Erwarton, Knt. This William Cardinall married Anne, one of the
daughters, and co-heirs of James Derehaugh, of Gedgrave, near Orford, Esq.: she
died in 1657.
East Bergholt Lodge was formerly the residence of Sir Richard
Hughes, Bart., Admiral of the White; who died there, Jan. 5, 1812, in the 83rd
year of his age. The great length of service of this gallant and illustrious
veteran, and his family, is remarkable; he was himself, above half a century, in
actual employment.
Admiral Hughes became a Post Captain in 1755, and was promoted to the rank of
Admiral in 1780; was twice Commander-in- Chief on different stations, also
Governor of Halifax, in Novia Scotia; and during his nautical career, in every
quarter of the globe, he had under his command, at separate periods, the gallant
Nelson, Lord Collingwood, and several other of our most distinguished naval
characters.
He was son of Sir Richard Hughes, Bart., so created July 17, 1773, by Joane, his
wife, daughter of William Collyer, Esq, Captain in the Royal Navy; and succeeded
his father, in 1780.
Old Hall, in this parish, late in the Chaplin and Hankey families, passed to
that of Godfrey; and Edward, son and heir of the late Peter Godfrey, Esq., now
resides there. In 1833, he married Susan Elizabeth, Countess of Morton, daughter
of Sir Francis Buller, of Lupton, in Devonshire, Bart., and relict of George,
17th Earl of Morton, who died in July, 1827.
Highlands, in Bergholt, is now the residence of Charles Tyrell Oakes, Esq.; who
married Catherine Anne, the only child of the Rev. William Tufnell, who formerly
resided there.
The Rectory, built by one of the Hankeys, is pleasantly situated, on an
eminence, some distance from the church. The present rector, the Rev. Joshua
Rowley, succeeded the Rev. Durand Rhudde, D.D., in 1819; he was presented to
this valuable benefice by his brother-in-law, Peter Godfrey, Esq.; who married
Arabella, daughter of Sir Joshua Rowley, the first Baronet of that house, and
sister to the above reverend gentleman, and the late Sir William Rowley, Bart.,
of Tendring Hall, in this county.
The delightful situation of this parish, on an eminence commanding beautiful and
extensive prospects, has induced many other genteel families to settle here;
which gives the place an appearance far superior to most other villages in the
county. This was also the residence of that pleasing poet, the Rev. William
Banwhite Clarke, author of "The River Derweut."
In the "Gentleman's Magazine," for 1788, p. 850, is an account of a monument, in
the chancel of this parish church, to the memory of Edward, second son of Thomas
Lambe, of Trimley, in this county, who died in 1617, with the following singular
epitaph, engraved in two columns, each word beginning with the initial of his
name:
| Edwarde |
Lambe |
| Ever |
Lived |
| Envied |
Laudably |
| Evil |
Lord |
| Endured |
Let |
| Extremities |
Like |
| Even |
Life |
| Earnestly |
Learne |
| Expecting |
Ledede |
| Eternal |
Livers |
| Ease |
Lament |
Which a correspondent in the next month's Magazine, thinks may be read thus, by
the alteration of one word, ledede, into he died:
"Edwarde Lambe ever lived envied, laudably evil endured. Lord, let extremities
like even life learn. He died expecting eternal ease. Livers lament.
Mem. Robert Debnam, of this parish, was one of a party of four, who
from pious zeal, travelled from Dedham, in Essex, to Dovercourt, in the same
county, and took from that parish church a famous crucifix, and burnt it. For
this offence he was indicted for felony, convicted, and hung in chains upon
Cattiwade causeway.
CHARITIES. The Town Lands is an estate purchased about 1695, with part of
a fund called the Town Stock, which had arisen from contributions in and before
the time of Queen Elizabeth, for providing victuals to be sold at a cheap rate,
and for other charitable purposes: this consists of cottages, lands, and stock
in the funds, producing an income of about £60 a year; which sum, after
defraying charges for repairs, and necessary outgoings, is laid out in the
purchase of linen for clothing, and given to the poor. Edward Lamb, conveyed by
deed, in 1589, to trustees, a school-house, and piece of land in this parish,
part of the manor of Illarys, to the intent that a free school should be upheld
in East Bergholt; and at the same time Lettice Dykes conveyed certain property
in Langham and Colchester, in Essex, and in this parish, for a similar purpose.
The property held under these endowments is appropriated to the payment of a
salary to the master of East Bergholt school, and £2 a year to a schoolmaster at
Stratford, the same sum to a school-master at Langham, and the surplus in
support of a Sunday-school, and a school of industry, at East Bergholt. Edward
Clarke, in 1720, bequeathed three cottages, and a rent charge of £12 a year, out
of his estate in Tattingstone, for the use of three poor industrious widows of
this parish. Joseph Chaplin, in 1725, devised, by will, an estate in East
Bergholt, to Henry Hankey, and his heirs, to the intent that the rents thereof
might be applied for providing coats and shoes for five poor men, and gowns,
petticoats, and shoes, for as many poor women, in this parish, and such as
receive no alms; to be given to them yearly, but not to the same persons for two
years successively. The charity estate producing an income of 30 a year, which
is more than sufficient to effect the apparent intention of the testator, the
number of its objects have been increased. James Mitchell gave £3 a year to be
distributed in bread to the poor; which property, with an allotment awarded on
an inclosure, lets for £10 a year, and the rents are laid out in bread.
1 Archseologia, v. 12.
County
of Suffolk
Topographical and Genealogical, The County of Suffolk, 1844, Augustine Page |
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