Buckenham Tofts (or Buckenham Parva; Little Buckenham) is a former civil parish, now in the parish of Stanford, in the Breckland district of Norfolk, England. On 1 April 1935, the parish was abolished and merged with Stanford.
It was situated about one mile south of the small village of Langford, with its Church of St Andrew, and about one mile west of Stanford, with its All Saints' Church and one mile north of West Tofts, with its Church of St Mary, all deserted and demolished villages. None of these settlements (except West Tofts) are shown on modern maps but are simply replaced by "Danger Area" in red capital letters.Great Britain A-Z Road Atlas, 1994 In 1931, the parish had a population of 60.
History
It is situated within Breckland heath, a large area of dry sandy soil unsuited to agriculture. The parish church of Buckenham Tofts, dedicated to St Andrew, was demolished centuries ago and stood to the immediate north of Buckenham Tofts Hall, the now-demolished manor house, as is evidenced by a graveyard which was discovered in that location."The Church (St. Andrew) was desecrated many years ago, and the rectory, valued in the King's Book at £3, is a small sinecure, belonging to the Rev. T. Newman. The ruins were cleared away about 22 years since, and the churchyard now forms part of the pleasure grounds near the hall." (William White, History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk (1845)) The parishioners, few as they were, used nearby St Mary's Church, West Tofts, one mile to the south, where survive 18th-century monuments to the Partridge family of Buckenham Tofts. In 1738 the Norfolk historian Blomefield stated of Buckenham Tofts "there is nothing remaining of this old village, but the Hall, and the miller's house".Francis Blomefield, An Essay Towards A Topographical History of the County of Norfolk: Volume 2, London, 1805 edition (first published 1738), pp. 266-271, Hundred of Grimeshou: Bukenham-Parva, or Little-Bukenham' The ancient manor house was rebuilt in 1803 by the Petre family in the Georgian style and on a grand scale, was sold with the large estate in 1904 and was finally demolished by the army in 1946, having suffered major damage from military training exercises and shelling. In the early 21st century the remains of the manor house were described as follows: "a grassy platform of raised ground and beside a short line of dilapidated stone steps. The raised ground made a sort of elevated lawn, large enough for a tennis court or two, and the steps went to the top of the platform, and then went nowhere."
Descent (Buckenham Tofts) The Domesday Book of 1086 records two manors at this location, one held by Hugh de Montfort and the other by Roger, son of Renard.Blomefield
Early holders This lordship was held of the Montforts soon after the Conquest, by the de Bukenham family which took its name from the manor. William de Bukenham, son of Sir Ralph de Bukenham, had a charter for free-warren here, in Ellingham, and Illington, 38th Henry III and before this, in the 4th of King John, a fine was levied between William de Bukenham tenant, and Petronilla de Mortimer, petent, of the advowson of the church of Bukenham-Parva, and the moiety of a mill. In the 3rd year of King Edward I's reign Simon de Nevyle was lord, and had the assize of bread and beer of his tenants, and was patron of the church. In 1300, Hubert Hacon held it, and presented; after this, Margery, relict of Roger Cosyn of Elyngham-Magna, presented in 1313, as lady of the manor; and in 1323, John Polys of Wilton; but in 1337, Sir Simon de Hederset, Knt. was lord and patron, and 20th year of Edward III's reign. Sir John de Hederset, Edm. Le-Warde, and Edm. LeHall, held here and in Stanford half a quarter of a fee of Richard de Belhouse, as of his manor of Bodney, which Richard held it of the King. In the years 1349 and 1357, William de Hedersete was lord and patron, but soon after, it was in the hands of Richard Gegge of Saham Toney, who presented to the church in 1367. In 3rd Henry IV, Richard Gegge and Edmund de Hall held here, and in Stanford, half a quarter of a fee of John Reymes, as of his manor of Bodney, and in this family of Gegge it continued till about the reign of Edward IV, when it came to John Austeyn, Esq. by the marriage of Margaret Gegge, one of the daughters and coheirs of Rich. Gegge, Esq. After this, in Easter term, 17th Henry VII. a fine was levied between Thomas Spring, and others, querents, and Margaret Austeyn widow, defendant, of this manor, with lands in Stanford and Linford; and in Michaelmas term, in the 23d of the said King, another fine was levied between Thomas Spring and others, querents, and Hugh Coo, and Ann his wife, defendants, which Ann was daughter of John Austeyn, and Margaret his wife.
Spring (& Wright)
Sir John Spring (d.1547) Sir John Spring (d.1547), knighted by King Henry VIII,Burke died lord of the manor of Buckenham Tofts. He was the son and heir of Thomas Spring (c.1474–1523) "an opulent clothier" and one of the richest men in England, by his wife Anne King. Thomas Spring (d.1523) was the son of Thomas Spring (d.1486) whose monumental brass in Lavenham Church states that he built the vestry.Burke; see image:File:ThomasSpring1486.jpg The will of Thomas Spring (d.1523) makes bequests to "the friars of Thetford and the nuns of Thetford".Transcript of will in Visitation of Suffolk, 1561, ed.1866, vol.1, p.171 Sir John Spring (d.1547) married Dorothy Waldegrave, daughter of William Waldegrave (d.1554) of Smallbridge in Suffolk, by whom he had a son and heir William Spring (d.1599) and two daughters: Frances Spring, who married Edmund Wright (d.1583) of Sutton Hall in the parish of Burnt BradfieldHoward, Joseph Jackson, ed. (1868). The Visitation of Suffolke, made by William Hervey, Clarenceux King of Arms, 1561, with additions from family documents, original wills, Jermyn, Davy, and other MSS, &c.: Vol 2. Lowestoft & London, p.289 ; confirmed existence of manor of Sutton Hall within the parish of Burnt Bradfield see in Suffolk, a Member of Parliament for Steyning in Sussex in 1559 (a seat controlled by the Duke of Norfolk)History of Parliament biography who became seated at Buckenham Tofts,Burke: "Little Buckenham"; History of Parliament biography "Buckenham Tofts" his father-in-law's manor. He was the second son and eventual heir of Robert (or Edmund) Wright of Sutton by his wife Jane Russell, a niece of John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford (1485–1555).Howard (1868), Heraldic Visit Suffolk 1561, p.289 Sutton Hall had been inherited by Jane Russell from her mother Jane Jervace (or Gervas) (wife of Thomas Russell), daughter and heiress of John Jervace of Sutton. The arms of Wright were: Sable, a chevron engrailed between three fleurs-de-lys or on a chief of the last three spear heads azure. Edmund Wright by his wife Frances Spring left daughters and co-heiresses, one of whom was Anne Wright, heiress of Sutton Hall and of Barrett's Hall in Whatfield, who married Sir John Heigham of Barrough Hall. Edmund Wright sold the wardship of his nephew William Spring (1532/4–1599) to Margaret Donnington (Countess of Bath) (see below). Bridget Spring, who married firstly Thomas Fleetwood, and secondly to Sir Robert Wingfield of Letheringham.
William Spring (1532/4–1599)
William Spring (1532/4–1599), son and heir, who was a minor aged 13 at his father's death. One year later in 1548Visitation of Suffolk, 1561, p.191 (or in 1551Fuidge, N.M., biography of "WRIGHT, Edmund (d.c.1583), of Burnt Bradfield and Sutton, Suff. and Little Buckenham, Norf.", published in History of Parliament, House of Commons 1558-1603, ed. P.W. Hasler, 1981 ) King Edward VI granted his wardship and marriage to his uncle Edmund Wright "of Bradfield" and of Buckenham Tofts, who sold his marriage, for the sum of 400 marks, to Margaret Donnington (d.1562), (Countess of Bath), a strong-willed lady who was ambitious for her children. Very recently, on 4 December 1548Peter W. Hammond (Ed.), The Complete Peerage or a History of the House of Lords and All its Members From the Earliest Times, Volume XIV: Addenda & Corrigenda (Stroud, Gloucestershire, U.K.: Sutton Publishing, 1998), page 71 she had married (as her third husband and as his third wife) John Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Bath (1499–1560/61) of Tawstock in Devon. She was the daughter and sole heiress of John Donnington (died 1544) of Stoke Newington, a member of the Worshipful Company of Salters,Rowe, Joy, biog of Kitson family (per. c.1520–c.1660), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography [www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/73910]'Stoke Newington: Other estates', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 8: Islington and Stoke Newington parishes (1985), pp. 178–184. Retrieved 28 April 2013.Welch, Charles, biog. of Kitson, Sir Thomas (1485–1540), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and was the widow successively of Sir Thomas Kitson (died 1540), the builder of Hengrave Hall in Suffolk, and next of Sir Richard Long (died 1546) of Wiltshire, Great Saxham and Shingay, Cambridgeshire, a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber to King Henry VIII. Margaret Donnington insisted that at the same time as her marriage to Bourchier, his son and heir should marry her own daughter Frances Kitson. The double marriage took place at Hengrave on 11 December 1548.Lauder, Rosemary, Devon Families, Tiverton, 2002, pp. 152–3 Her other daughter Anne Kitson she provided for similarly by marrying her to her newly purchased ward, William Spring (1532/4–1599) of Lavenham. William received livery of his estates in 1553 (on reaching his majority and exiting wardship) and was afterwards knighted. His first wife Anne Kitson having died (after having produced his son and heir), he married secondly to Susan Jermyn, a daughter of Sir Ambrose Jermyn.John Burke, Bernard Burke, Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Extinct and Dormant Baronetcies, 2nd edition, London, 1844, p.501 He died seized of the manors of Buckenham Tofts, and in Suffolk of Pakenham, Cockfield-Hall and Whatfield, amongst many others. His son and heir (by Anne Kitson) was:
John Spring (1559–1601) John Spring (1559–1601) who married Mary Trelawny, a daughter of Sir John Trelawny of Trelawny in Cornwall. He died shortly after his father and left a son and heir Sir William Spring (1588–1638) of Pakenham, MP, then aged 12, whose son was Sir William Spring, 1st Baronet (1613–1654), MP, created a baronet in 1641.
Rich
In the reign of King James I it was held by the Rich family and in 1614 Sir Robert Rich (1559–1619) (afterwards Robert Rich, 3rd Baron Rich, 1st Earl of Warwick) presentedBlomfield, as there was seemingly no church standing at the time, it is unclear as to which church he exercised his advowson as lord; His son Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick (1587–1658) "of Buckenham Tofts"Norfolk Lists from the Reformation to the Present Time, compiled by William Creasy Ewing, 1837, p.180 served as "Lieutenant of Norfolk", evidenced by Ewing (1837) by the fact that "upon a small full length print of him, is said to be his Majesty's Lieutenant of Norfolk, Essex, etc. but without the prefix of Lord, his name is considered to be inadmissible on this list (of Lord Lieutenants)".Norfolk Lists from the Reformation to the Present Time, compiled by William Creasy Ewing, 1837, p3 He married Frances Hatton, the daughter of Sir William Hatton, Knight, and grand daughter of Sir Francis Gawdy, Knight, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and became lord of the manor of Barton Bendish and other manors, about 1610.
Crane, Appleton