Kirk Hall in Salle Manor; 1189-1925; Salle, Norfolk

(1189-1925)

 

 

According to Blomefield, the manor belonged to St. Peirs de Bassingham of Bassingham, in Norfolk, and came to the family of De Mauteby, on the marriage of Christian, daughter and heir of Sir Peter, with Sir Walter de Mauteby; in the 6th of Edward in the thirteenth century. It was sometimes referred to as Salle Mauteby. There were several messuages and lands here, and in Dalling, were settled by fine, on Sir Walter de Mauteby and Petronilla his wife: in the family aforesaid it remained, till Margaret, daughter and heir of Sir John de Mauteby, . It remained in this family, until it passed by marriage to John Paston in the reign of Henry VI. In 1611, the annual rent was 7l. 18s 1d.

It stayed with the Pastons until 1642 when Sir William Paston sold it to Erasmus Earl, Esq., with the manor of Briston. Augustine Earl, Esq., died lord in 1762 and the manor passed by the marriage of his daughter to William Wigget Bulwer, Esq., of Wood Dalling. W.E.L. Bulwer is given as lord in White's directory (1845) and William Earle Gascoyne Lytton-Bulwer in Kelly's (1900). \r\nColonel William Earle Gascoyne Lytton Bulwer is given as lord of the manor in White's Trade Directory, 1883.

The Manorial Title

Kirk Hall is historically linked to the Manor of Rockland All Saints. In Norfolk, "Hall" signifies that the building was either the Manor House itself or the "capital messuage" (the primary residence) of the estate.

• Primary Title: The Manor of Rockland All Saints (sometimes referred to as Rockland Tofts).

• Sub-Manors: Historically, there were several manors in the Rocklands, including Moynes, Kirkhall, and Carbonels. Your house specifically carries the name of the Manor of Kirkhall.

• Status: While many manorial rights were extinguished by the Law of Property Act 1922, the name "Kirk Hall" persists as a legal and historical marker of that lordship.

Notable Residents and Owners

Because Kirk Hall was the administrative heart of its lands, its residents were typically the Lords of the Manor or high-status "Gentlemen Farmers."

1. The De Rockland and Kirkhall Families (Medieval)

In the 13th and 14th centuries, the manor was held by the eponymous Kirkhall family. Records from the reign of Edward I mention a William de Kirkhall. By the late medieval period, these smaller manors often merged through marriage or sale.

2. The Mortimers and The Howards (15th–16th Century)

The Great Manor of Rockland eventually passed to the Mortimer family (of Attleborough) and later to the Dukes of Norfolk (the Howard family). While the Dukes didn’t live there personally, they appointed "stewards" or leased the Hall to prominent local families to manage the estate.

3. The Webb and Hewyt Families (17th Century)

One of the most colorful periods of ownership involved the Webb family.

• John Webb, Esq. lived in the parish in the mid-1600s.

• His daughter, Ursula Webb, married Sir William Hewyt.

• Historical Note: Ursula is famous in local lore for being buried in an upright posture in the All Saints church chancel (1658) because she "wished to be ready for the Resurrection."

4. The Colmans and The Fielding Families (18th–19th Century)

By the time the current house was built/remodeled (the era the listing mistakenly calls "red brick"), the estate was often held by wealthy Norfolk agriculturalists. In the 19th century, census records show the Fielding family and later the Colmans (distantly related to the mustard family) held significant acreage in Rockland All Saints, centered around the Kirk Hall/Kirkhall Farm complex.

 

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Recent owners:

Roger Harrison

Stephen and Julia Howlett

Tim and Heike Pollard

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