CHAPTER 5: HAPPING IN THE EARLY MEDIEVAL ERA

The Abbey of St Benet at Holme near Ludham was founded by Wulfric around 960 AD (1) although Viking raiding resumed in 980 AD when it was probably destroyed (2). In 1019 AD King Cnut re-founded the Abbey for 26 monks (3). The first Abbot was Aelfige, followed by Alfweald (who was entrusted with the defense of the East Anglian coast by King Harold) and who fled to Denmark after the battle of Hastings but returned to the Abbey to die in 1089 AD (4). There are two Anglo-Saxon charters that (possibly) relate to Happing. Ingham marshes are noted in a will dated circa 1007 and land at Hickling is noted between 978 & 1016 (S.1493). A charter of Edward the Confessor dated between 1044 & 1047 notes lands in Calthorpe, Ludham, Stalham, Waxham and Heigham given to St Benet's Abbey (S.1055). Tradition says that due to the position of the Abbey, it held out against the Normans until it was betrayed by one of the monks (5).

From the Domesday Book of 1088 AD (6);

Brumstead - was held by Roger Bigot after the Conquest, originally held by Eadric de Laxfield and was an annex of Sutton manor. There were 2 villagers, 6 smallholders & 18 freemen. A church with 9 acres, 5 ploughs & a mill. Around 16 acres of wood & 10 acres of meadow. 1 head of cattle, 10 pigs, 40 sheep & 30 goats.

Catfield - was held by Roger Bigot (and Count Alan) after the Conquest and was an annex of Sutton manor. There were 39 freemen & 2 smallholders. A church with 20 acres & 8 ploughs. 32.5 acres of meadow & 10 acres of wood.

Eccles - was held by St Benet's Abbey (and the King). There were 5 freemen & 0.5 ploughs. Happisburgh - as held by the King (and Count Alan) after the Conquest, originally held be Eadric de Laxfield. There were 29 villagers, 34.5 smallholders, 24 freemen and 4 slaves. 27 ploughs, 10 acres of meadow & 16 acres of wood. 4 head of cattle and 200 sheep.

Heigham (Potter) - was held by 2 freemen.

Hempstead - was held by the King after the Conquest. There were 10 smallholders & 52 freemen. 15 ploughs, 29 acres of meadow. 2 head of cattle, 13 pigs & 160 pigs.

Hickling - was held by Count Alan after the Conquest, originally held by Godric, a man of Eadric de Laxfield. There were 9 villagers, 11 smallholders, 3 slaves & 9 freemen. A church with 20 acres, 7 ploughs & 2 beehives. Around 60 acres of wood, 26 acres of meadow, 6 horses, 4 head of cattle, 24 pigs & 200 sheep (originally 1000 sheep). Rye states that Wulfrun was Lady of Hickling in 970 (7).

Horsey - was held by Roger Bigot after the Conquest and was originally held by Eadric de Laxfield. There were 8 freemen & 6 smallholders. 2 ploughs & 15 acres of meadow.

Ingham - was held by Count Alan (and St Benet's Abbey) after the Conquest, originally held by a man of Eadric de Laxfield. There were 20 freemen, 12 villagers, 22 smallholders & 11 slaves. Around 66 acres of wood, 8 ploughs & 29 acres of meadow. 9 horses, 6 head of cattle, 19 pigs, 44 goats & 350 sheep.

Lessingham - was held by the King after the Conquest, originally held by Earl Godwin (farther of King Harold). There were 15 villagers, 16 smallholders, 6 slaves & 8 freemen. 14 acres of meadow, 7 ploughs & 10 acres of wood. 2 horses, 3 head of cattle, 7 pigs & 20 sheep.

Ludham - was held by St Benet's Abbey (and Count Alan) after the Conquest. There were 21 smallholder, 143 freemen, 15 villagers & 2 slaves. 127 acres of meadow, 19 ploughs & around 16 acres of wood. 3 horses, 16 pigs & 3 beehives.

Palling - was held by the King, Roger Bigot and Count Alan after the Conquest, originally held by Earl Godwin. There were 9 villagers, 14 smallholders & 5 freemen. 44 acres of meadow & 5 ploughs. 16 horses, 23 pigs and 71 sheep.

Ruston - was held by Ralph Baynard after the Conquest. There was a mill. 51 freemen, 45 villagers, 11 slaves & 2 smallholders. Around 12 acres of wood, 18 ploughs & 17 acres of meadow. 5 horses, 10 head of cattle, 40 pigs, 26 sheep & 51 goats.

Stalham - was held by St Benet's Abbey, Count Alan & Roger Bigot after the Conquest and was originally held by St Benet's Abbey. There were 48 freemen, 3 smallholders & 2 villagers. 12 acres of meadow, 8 ploughs & around 3 acres of wood. 1 horse & 6 pigs. Rye states that Odulph (a Saxon or Dane) was a lord of Stalham before Edward the Confessor and that Bonde was a large landowner in Stalham during the reign of Edward the Confessor (8).

Sutton - was held by Roger Bigot after the Conquest, originally held by Eadric de Laxfield. There was church with 10 acres, half a salt house and 4 beehives. There were 12 freemen, 6 villagers & 17 smallholders. 48 acres of meadow, 7 ploughs & around 60 acres of wood. 25 horses, 22 head of cattle, 23 pigs & 180 sheep.

Walcott - was held by Ranulf after the Conquest, originally held by Eadric (de Laxfield?). There was a church with 20 acres, a mill & 4 beehives. 8 villagers, 16 smallholders & 14 freemen. 8 acres of meadow & 9 ploughs. 2 horses, 16 head of cattle, 24 pigs & 80 sheep.

Waxham (Magna & Parva) - was held by Count Alan, Roger Bigot and St Benet's Abbey after the Conquest, originally held by a man of Eadric de Laxfield. There were 2 churches (1 with 20 acres and 1 with 18 acres). 13 ploughs. 46 freemen & 8 smallholders. 99 acres of meadow. 12 pigs, 2 horses, 2 head of cattle & 108 sheep. Rye states that Gelham Hall was given to St Benet's Abbey by Wulfric, a Saxon (9).

Whimpwell - was held by St Benet's of Holme before and after the Conquest. There were 5 villagers, 2 smallholders & 2 freemen. 1 plough in lordship; 1 men's plough; meadow, 4 acres; 1 cob; 4 pigs.

As only men were recorded in the survey, and assuming each man had a wife and 2.4 children, the approximate population of Happing in 1088 was around 4200. Whilst St Benet's Abbey held a large amount of land in Happing, the major landowner before the Conquest was Eadric de Laxfield. Eadric was a major Thane (noble) at that time, based at Eye in Suffolk, with numerous manors and lands in Norfolk, Suffolk and Wiltshire. Happing appears to have been his 'Norfolk retreat' based in Sutton. Whilst some historians consider him to have been Danish, as depicted on the village sign at Happisburgh, all (admittedly slender) evidence relating to his origin suggests that he was English. By assigning areas to the Domesday Survey of Happing and ensuring that the sum does not exceed the total area (at that time), it is noted that the parishes in the north of Happing were significantly larger than modern parishes and the parishes in the south were significantly smaller. These differences cannot be accounted for by variations in parish boundaries, but only by a major difference from the modern layout of Happing. This is possibly due to the northern parishes (or parishes from outside Happing) owning areas of peat extraction within the south, similar to the Fens.

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