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Sibton
Sibetuna, Sybetone or Sibbetuna
Walter, a younger brother of William de Malet, a Norman Baron, held this
lordship, and was progenitor of the ancient and illustrious house of Peyton. His
second son, Reginald de Peyton, being the personage who first assumed the name,
is considered the founder of that family.
This Walter de Cadomo was enfeoffed in the Barony of Horseford, in Norfolk, to
be held of the honor of Eye, where he built a castle, and had a large park and
chase surrounding it, in ancient deeds termed the "Forest of Horseford." Robert
his son, married Sybilla, daughter and heiress of Ralph de Cheyney, and is often
called Robert Fitz Walter; by her he had issue three sons, who assumed the name
of De Cheyney. William, the youngest, was lord of Horseford, and living in the
2nd of King Henry I.; he was sometimes styled William de Norwich.
He was founder of the Cistertian Abbey of White Monks, in this parish, in the
year 1149; and endowed it extensively with manors. lands, and possessions, in
this diocese. He gave Friers manor, in Shelfhanger, in Norfolk, formerly the
possession of Edric the falconer, his great grandsire; with which Robert Lord
Malet, enfeoffed his brother, Walter de Cadomo. At that period this lordship was
very small, but soon after became augmented by divers other grants. The revenues
of this Monastery received considerable additions from the pious contributions
of the lady Margaret de Cressy, the founder's eldest daughter and co-heiress;
and various other benefactors: all which donations were confirmed by charters of
King Henry II. and Henry III.
Clementia and Sara, the other daughters and co-heirs of William de Cheyney, were
also benefactors to this house; the former married to Jordan de Sackvile, and
the latter to Richard de Engaine. The ancient family of De Wyndesore, who
subsequently assumed the name of De Senges (or Seething), were also liberal
benefactors to this Monastery.
In the 52nd of King Henry III., a fine was levied between Whiter de Wyndesore,
querent, and Richard, Abbot of Sibton, deforciant; that whereas
the Abbot was obliged to find two monks to celebrate divine service for the
soul's health of Hugh de Wyndesore, and Christian his wife, and of the ancestors
and successors of the said Walter, in the chapel of Senges; and to find for
Walter a convenient chamber in the Abbey for himself and a boy, with necessary
diet and clothing, and competent provender for one horse, which the Abbot had
denied him; the Abbot hereby grants to Walter, that he would perform the said
covenants, of finding two chaplains to say a mass of St. Mary, and another De
Defunctis every day, in the said chapel, for the health of Hugh de Wyndesore
and Christian his wife, ancestors of Walter; and to pay Walter, eight marks per
annum, and two boots of the price of 18d., or that sum in money: and Walter
released all the rest.
In 1536, two years prior to the Act for dissolving the greater Monasteries, the
Abbot and Convent sold to Thomas, Duke of Norfolk, the site and all the estates
belonging to this Monastery; which grant was confirmed to the Duke by statute of
the 31st of King Henry VIII.
Sibton Abbey was granted, at the dissolution, to Thomas God-salve, Esq., by
Thomas, Duke of Norfolk. His son, Sir Thomas Godsalve, died seized of it, in the
time of Philip and Mary. He was a person of great note; and at the Coronation of
Edward VI., wag created Knight of the Carpet, and was afterwards Comptroller of
the Mint.1
The Earl of Suffolk afterwards held this property; and, in the 8th of James I.,
it was purchased by John Scrivener, Esq., who built a commodious house, and
resided here, in 1655. He was son of Ralph Scrivener, of Belstead, Esq., Portman
of Ipswich, Councilor at Law, and sometime Justice of Peace. His son Thomas
Scrivener, Gent., married Mary, only daughter and heir of William Bedingfield,
of Fressingfield, Gent.
In 1764, Charles Scrivener, Esq., was owner thereof; whose sister and heiress,
Anne Scrivener, married the Rev. Thomas Freston, LL.E., vicar of Cratfield; and
this manor and estate passed to John Freston, their son and heir, who took the
name of Scrivener: and from him, to his only daughter and heir, Dorothea Fisher,
wife of the late Bishop of Salisbury, lately deceased. John Frederick Pike,
Esq., who married the eldest daughter of the Bishop, by Dorothea Scrivener,
lately assumed the surname of Scrivener; and is the present owner of this
property. The house is pulled down.
In the time of King Charles I., Edmund Barker resided, and was owner of a good
estate, in this parish. He was son of Edmund, son of John Chapman (alias
Barker), of Sibton, Gent. It continued in the Barker family five or six
generations, and was since in Mileson Edgar, Esq., as heir to a Mr. Bloss,
stationer, in London; who purchased it of the heiress of the Barker family. It
was since purchased by Mr. Clayton; and is now the property, by purchase, of
Robert Sayer, Esq., who has erected a handsome modern mansion, on another site,
in Sibton Park.
Engravings of some singular tiles dug up in the ruins of Sibton Abbey, appeared
in the "Gentleman's Magazine," for 1806, p. 17; and views of the remains of the
Abbey, in "Excursions through Suffolk," also in "Davy's Architectural
Antiquities." An Hospital, founded probably by the Abbot and Convent, was placed
at the Abbey-gate: and for the better support of the same, Simon de Walton,
Bishop of Norwich, appropriated the church of St. Peter, at Cransford, in
Plomesgate hundred. It went with the Abbey at the dissolution. No traces are now
remaining.
Valuations in Tax. Eccles. 1291: Suffolk, in 40 parishes,
£113 14s. l½d.;
Norfolk, in 16 ditto, £29 7s. 5½d.;
Cambridge, £8 8s.: total,
£151 9s. 7d. Lib. Val. and Val. Eccles.,
gross value, £279 2s. lid. M.S. Val., in the
Bishop's Registry, £200 15s. 7d.
Henry Jermyn, Esq., Barrister at Law, whose large collections, illustrative of
the topography and antiquities of Suffolk, were previously noticed in the
introduction to this work, resided in this parish. He deceased Nov. 27, 1820; in
the 53rd year of his age.
CHARITIES. This property is under the management of the churchwardens,
and consists of the following particulars: a house called the Town House, with a
small garden, let in four tenements, at rents amounting together to
£12 a year; apiece of land, 1 A. 1R. 7p.,
adjoining the glebe, let at l 15s. a year; three pieces of land in Huntingfield,
containing together 11A. 1R. 30p., these let at £17
a year; a house, and three pieces of land, containing together, 3A. 3R. 24p., in
Badingham, let at £7 per annum. As to this
property, £2 12s. a year is applied in the
purchase of bread, according to a bequest of Edmund Cutting, in 1639; and the
residue is applied to the general purposes of repairing the church, and
defraying other expenses incidental to the office of the churchwardens. By deed,
dated March 17, 1719, John Scrivener, and Dorothea Scrivener his sister, settled
an estate in Sibton and Peasenhall to the following uses: viz., that one half of
the rents should be paid to the vicar of this parish, to read morning service in
the church every Wednesday, Friday, and holy-day in the year; and that the other
moiety should be employed for erecting a school room in the parish of Sibton,
for teaching poor children, whose parents dwelt within the same, and were not
able to bear the charge thereof, in the English tongue, writing, and arithmetic;
and in the principles of the church of England, and for putting out apprentices.
The property comprises a building used as a schoolroom, and 32A. 0R. 32p. of
land, which lets at £55 a year: one half of
the rent is paid to the vicar, and the other half applied for the support of a
school.
1. A portrait of him was engraved by Clamp, from
a miniature in the Bodleian Library, at Oxford.
County
of Suffolk
Topographical and Genealogical, The County of Suffolk, 1844, Augustine Page |
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