Chepenhall

Chepenhall

A hamlet in the parish of Fressingfield, Chepenhall has at various times been called and spelled: Chepenhale, Chevenall, Chippenhall, Cibbenhala, Cybenhalla and Cipbenhala. It is situated just a few miles south of the village of Fressingfield.

From Domesday Book: Cebbenhala / Cibbe- / Cipben- / hala / Cybenhalla: Robert Malet's mother and Walter, Humphrey and Walter son of Grip from her; Abbot of St. Edmund's before and after 1066; Hervey de Bourges. 1½ churches.

In the 1200's it belonged to a monastery. In 1296 the manor was held of Wm. de Chepenhale and Edward de Chepenhale. It was later owned by Robert de Ufford, Thomas Ufford and John Ufford (who died in 1393).

In 1545 it was owned by Anthony Rouse and then by his son, Thomas who in 1559 sold it to George White. He had licence to alien the manor to Nicholas Barber and his heirs. In the 10th year of Elizabeth 1st Nicholas was succeeded by his son Francis (died 1597) and the manor passed to his son, Nicholas (who died in 1640). He was married to Anne Robson (or Messenger?) and when he died his son Nicholas received the manor. This Nicholas died in 1690 and the manor passed to his son William (born in 1664), and from him to his son, the Rev. Wm. Barber. In 1695 William Barber sold Chepenhall to Francis Sancroft, the father of Archbishop Sancroft.

Chepenhall is now a Guest House.

Ancient Chepenhall Land Transfers

FILE - Volume of original charters and other documents relating to the Cistercian Abbey of St Mary, Sibton and the Benedictine Priory of St Mary, Bungay - ref. HD 1538/345/1 - date: c.1200-1558
item: Agreement indented - ref. HD 1538/345/1/32 - date: 10 Nov 1454
|_ [from Scope and Content] Reciting licence of (1) to John Heuenyngham, esq., John Vlueston, esq., Robert Banyard of Spectishale [Spexhall], Henry Fyn' of Huntyngfeld [Huntingfield] and Henry Smyth of Cratfeld [Cratfield], to release to (2), manor of Chepenhale [Chepenhall] alias Vffordes in Fresyngfeld [Fressingfield] which they hold immediately of (1) as of her manor of Benhale [Benhall] for payment of ½ of 1 knight's fee and service of 2s.6d. towards castleguard of Eye every 2 years (10d. at each of 3 terms), and land (40a.) belonging to said manor in Fresyngfeld and Stradbrook [Stradbroke] which they hold immediately of (1) as of her manor of Stradbrook in socage for fealty, 9s.8d. annual rent to be paid at 4 usual terms, and suit of court at Stradbrook every 3 weeks and at Brundyssh [Brundish] once a year: now (2) agree that after death of John Fyn' of Cratfeld and wife Alice, every time a vacancy occurs in Abbacy, every newly-elected Abbot shall pay to (1) and heirs 50s. relief for manor of Chepenhale and 9s.8d. relief for said 40a. Proviso for distraint in case of arrears. Given 10 Nov. 33 Hen.VI.

FRESSINGFIELD

FILE - Evidences of title - ref. HD 1538/230/1-40 - date: Early 13c.-1613
item: Feoffment - ref. HD 1538/230/8 - date: 8 Jun 1340
|_ [from Scope and Content] (1) to (2), 9 pieces of arable land and 1 piece of meadow in Fresingfeld; of which 1st piece of land lies between free land of Fresingfeld church on E. and land of Alexander de Chepenhale on W., abutting S. on highway and N. on pasture of said church; 2nd piece between land of John Erburg' on E. and land of (1)'s sister Joan on W., abutting S. on Smaleweye and N. on highway; 3rd piece between lands of A.C. on both sides, abutting S. on land formerly of John Edward and N. on Fallendepol'; 4th piece between free land of said church on both sides, abutting E. on common way and W. on free land of said church; 5th piece between land of (1)'s sister Matilda on S. and common way on N., abutting E. on free land of said church and W. on highway; 6th piece between land of Robert Rosissone on both sides, abutting E. on free land of said church and W. on land of John Barbourg' (Barber?); 7th piece between land of A.C. on E. and free land of said church on W., abutting S. on land of Hugh Dany and N. on land of John Herburg'; 8th piece between land of J.H. on E. and (2)'s land on W., abutting S. on free land of said church and N. on highway; 9th piece between highway on E. and land of Athelesia Scharp on W., abutting S. on free land of said church and N. on land which was Henry, (1)'s father's; and piece of meadow lies between pasture of Robert de Schelton, kt on S. and meadow of A.C. on N., abutting E. on land of A.C. and W. on land of R.S.; to hold of chief lords of fees for accustomed services. Warranty clause. Witnesses: Alexander de Chepenhal, Nicholas Launce, John Barbourg', Alexander Baxstere, John Theyeman and others. Given at Fresingfeld, Thursday the feast of SS Medardus and Gildardus, 14 Edw.III.

Chepenhall Green

From Site: http://papayne.rootsweb.com/private/d0026/f0000080.html

The first member of the Wynter family to achieve a position of any note in East Anglia was William Wynter, John's father, who twice served as sheriff of the joint bailiwick of Norfolk and Suffolk. From his father, John inherited in 1398 the manor and advowson of ‘Toun’ Barningham, where they lived, together with lands close to the same parish in north Norfolk in Aldborough, Matlask, Wickmere, Plumstead, Baconsthorpe and Bessingham, and probably also the manors of Egmere and Wighton which his father had purchased. It was apparently he himself who acquired their manor in Bodham.4 Through two of his marriages Wynter extended the family holdings beyond the borders of the county.

The manor of Chepenhall near Fressingfield in Suffolk, which he came to possess, was apparently the inheritance of his second wife's mother, Eva Hethersett; while his third wife, Eleanor, held as jointure from her previous union with Ivo Harleston manors in Bumpstead, Wimbish and Roydon (in Essex) as well as another in St. Clement's parish in Cambridge. The Harleston estates were to be assessed in 1412 for the purposes of taxation at £37 a year, but this was probably an underestimation. Wynter enjoyed an income from them for the last eight years of his life, after which they reverted to his stepson, John Harleston† . From the 1370s the Wynters had also had an interest in the manor of ‘Loundhall’ in Saxthorpe (Norfolk), principally as trustees on behalf of John Gurney and his father, and in 1409 our MP purchased it from Gurney's widow.

William Winter's son John was MP for Norfolk in 1409, presented to the church in 1412 and held the manor by 3 parts of a fee from the earl of Norfolk. His daughter Elizabeth (by his second marriage) released her rights to the manor of Chebenhale in 12 Henry IV (1411) to Simon de Felbrigge and also her lands in Fressingfield, Suffolk formerly belonging to Sir Walkeline de Herteshale.

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