This Adam was 2d son to Bishop Scamler, of whom at vol. In 1284, the Bishop had view of frankpledge, assize of bread and ale, a common gallows, free warren, and park, allowed in eire. 1540 parted off the park, by granting it to William Bulleyn, clerk, and his heirs. In 1250 Walter de Suffield Bishop of Norwich obtained a charter of free warren in all his demeans here and in Marsham, into which village this manor prolonged; and he it was that made it one of many nation seats of the bishops, by constructing a palace, making a park, and every thing so convenient, that many of the Bishops resided a lot right here, as being a convenient distance from Norwich, and a pleasing nation; but none so much as Bishop Bek, who lived great part of his time, and died right here, it being his beloved palace, he made each thing handy and grand.
In 1398, Henry, second son of William, was lord here. William Catt of Hevingham, his son; and he by his son, Henry, who died young and without difficulty, leaving his two sisters his heirs, one married to William Thetford, in her right lord of a moiety of Rippeton alias Catts and Criketots in Hevingham, and the other seems to have married a Yaxley, for in 1558, Richard Yaxley held a moiety of the manors, and William was his son and heir, of whom it was purchased by the Thetfords John son of William Thetford, by the coheiress of of Cat, was lord in 1493, and had two wives, Catherine and Thomasine, daughter of John Twaits of Hardingham, who by his last wife had William Thetford, his eldest son, who married Barbara Harwood, and died before his father, leaving Robert his son and heir lord of a moiety at his grandfather’s loss of life in 1556, being then solely three years previous; he was buried here in 1591, and Thomas Thetford his son succeeded whose spouse Alice, was buried in 1603; that they had eight sons and 5 daughters, of which Thomas Thetford, Esq (his two elder brothers being lifeless with out concern) inherited, on the dying of his uncle, Andrew Thetford, Gent.
Thomas Scamler his son and heir, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Marsham, Gent. 1594; this Thomas, in 1628, married Margaret Reppes, widow: he sold the estate to Sir Henry Hobart, attorney basic, and his trustees, in 1608; and it continued in the Hobarts till 1684, and was after offered to the Pastons, and was the estate of the late Earl of Yarmouth. In 1401, the Bishop held it in chief of the King, as part of his barony, and it remained so until Bishop Nix’s exchange of the revenues of the see, and then came to the Crown, and continued there until King Henry VIII. Crown, till granted off by Queen Elizabeth. 5d. ob. so that it contained half the town; it belonged to William Bishop of Thetford, and attended that see, until the Bishop infeoffed Walter Gifford in it, who held it of the see on the Conqueror’s survey, and it was always held of the see of Norwich, as a part of its barony; it seems on the Confessor’s survey, that Herold held it of the bishoprick, that it was then price 30s. and on the conquest 50s. per annum.
COLLATED BY THE BISHOPS OF NORWICH Till THE Exchange. 1354, Walter de Donewico resigned this rectory, to Silvester at Yates, in exchange for Brinton. In 1345 Sir Constantine de Mortimer held it through the life of his spouse, in her proper, she being widow of William Cat, as I take it; and their shield, viz. Rippetun was a separate berewic, and paid as much to the geld or tax as Hevingham did, viz. In 1418 Henry Cat of Hevingham was returned by the justices of peace for the county as a correct particular person to serve King Henry V. in his war in opposition to France, his arms being, gul. Henry VIII. (see vol. In King John’s time Roger le Chat, or Cat, had it, from whom it still bears the name of Cat’s manor; William le Cat owned it in 1275, Henry le Cat in 1285 was lord here, and had joined one half of Criketot’s manor to this, which he held on the 8th a part of a fee of the Earl of Gloucester; after him John Catt had it, and he was succeeded by Henry le Cat, who in 1314 held it of Clare honour, and Norwich see. Jordan, his son, granted to Richard de Lounde, from whom Simon de Criketot, whose identify the manor nonetheless retains, (though corrupted in its spelling and pronunciation,) had it.