Showing 671 results

DN/EST 1-14: Records of St Benet's Abbey

DN/EST 1-6: Records of St Benet's among the Diocesan Archives

DN/EST 1. Bailiff's Account Rolls

DN/EST 2. Manor Court Rolls

DN/EST 3. Obedientiary Rolls

DN/EST 4. Rentals, Surveys, Extents

DN/EST 5. Miscellaneous

DN/EST 6. Papal Bulls

DN/EST 7-13: Records restored to the Diocesan Archives in 1962

DN/EST 7. Title Deeds

DN/EST 8. Manor Court Rolls, Thurne and Ashby

DN/EST 9. Bailiff's Accounts, Flegg

DN/EST 10. Bailiff's Accounts, North Walsham

DN/EST 11. Bailiff's Accounts, Heigham, Potter Heigham, Scottow and Shotesham

DN/EST 12. Obedientiary Rolls

DN/EST 13. Miscellaneous

DN/EST 14: Records restored to the Diocesan Archives in 1981

DN/EST 15: Records relating to the Bishop's estates before the exchange with St Benet's

DN/EST 16-99: Records relating to the Bishop's estates after the exchange with St Benet's

DN/EST 100: St Benet's Obedientiary Rolls restored to the Diocesan Archives in 1999

Records of the estates of St Benet's passed into the diocesan archives and are listed here as DN/EST 1-6.

Few estate records of the bishop of Norwich before the exchange survive: these are listed here as DN/EST 15.

Records of the bishop's estates after 1535 are listed here as DN/EST 16 onwards: little in fact survives earlier than 1641.

In the Middle Ages, the bishop of Norwich held estates in about 50 parishes in Norfolk, 30 parishes in Suffolk and a small number elsewhere. These are listed in Blomefield's 'History of Norfolk', vol. 4, pp 530-539. In 1535, almost all of these estates were granted to the king and the bishop received in exchange the estates of St Benet's abbey, mainly in the north and east of Norfolk (listed in Blomefield's 'History of Norfolk', vol. 4, pp 539-542).

The main series of archives of St Benet's passed to the diocesan archives with the exchange of 1535. These included bailiffs' accounts; manor court rolls; obedientiary rolls; rentals; surveys and extents; papal bulls. They are listed as DN/EST 1-6.

Other records have turned up elsewhere, some among the Norwich Cathedral archives, others in private hands: for example two account rolls were found among the manuscript collections of John L'Estrange by Walter Rye. These records were restored to the diocesan archives in 1962. They included title deeds; manor court rolls; bailiffs' accounts; obedientiary rolls. They are listed as DN/EST 7-13. A further collection was returned from the Cathedral archives in 1981. These are listed as DN/EST 14.

It is not clear when the rolls listed in DN/EST 100 strayed from the diocesan archives. A transcript of DN/EST 100/2 was found among the papers of John L'Estrange by Walter Rye together with the original rolls already mentioned. At least one of the rolls was seen by Frederick Johnson: it has his signature in pencil with the date.

South Walsham, Shotesham, Thurgarton, Bastwick, Horning, Neatishead, Ashby, Thurne, Hoveton, Ludham, Heigham, North Walsham, Swanton [Abbot], Easton. [Easton is probably within Scottow parish (so West in Norfolk Record Society volumes II and III). St Benet's did have property in Easton parish (Blomefield vol. II p. 395): the phraseology associates the Easton property with the Swanton property.] Cut sections of account roll, most with the headings cut off but still present, and loosely placed between the leaves of a paper gathering. At page 14, the heading only survives. 24 Henry [1240].

5 abbot William.

Heading lost. Dated at foot, 6 abbot William.

14 abbot William.

7 abbot William de Methwold [1372]. St Petronilla 2 abbot William de Methwold-Michaelmas following.

7 abbot William [de Methwold].

Heading lost. 16 abbot William de Methwold.

Heading partly lost. 23 abbot William de Methwold.

Michaelmas 25 abbot William for full year.

30 abbot William.

Heading partly lost. ? 9 abbot Simon.

North Walsham, Swanton [Abbot], Easton, Heigham, Ludham, Ashby, Shotesham. 29 and 30 Henry I [1245-1246]. [Easton is probably within Scottow parish (so West in N.R.S. vols. II and III). St Benet's did have property in Easton parish (Blomefield vol. II p. 395): the phraseology associates the Easton property with the Swanton property.]