NORFOLK SWAN MARKS. 103 



On the same authority, also (Hist. Nor., 8vo., vol ii., p. 

 389), we learn that in 1532, 



" The hospital (St. Giles') leased the site of their manor of 

 Eckels in Trowse with the dove-house, &c., and a faldcourse in 

 Trowse and Bixley, and three hills of bruery called Blake-hills, with 

 Blake's swan-mark thereto belonging.'^ 



To which statement is appended the following important 

 note : — 



"The city have three swan-marks on the narrow fresh water 

 streams in Norfolk, one called Blake's mark, belonging to the 

 manor of Rokele's in Trowse, another called Paston's, or the 

 Hospital mark, which belonged to Margaret, widow of John Paston, 

 Esq., daughter and heiress of John Mautby, Esq., which she gave 

 to Edmund, her second son,* and it was then called Dawbeney's 

 mark, and was late Robert Cutler's, clerk ; and in 1503, Geffery 

 Sty ward settled it on Cecily his wife, for life, and then on his 

 eldest son, who gave it to the city. The third is called the city 

 mark, and formerly the King's mark, and was conferred on the 

 city by Sir John Hobard in the grand rebellion ; in 1672 they had 

 72 swans belonging to the three marks, and the city always 

 appointed a swanner to look after them, and paid an annual stipend 

 to him for so doing. 



of this Act), addressing an urgent request to his " right trusty 

 friend and servant, Sir Thomas (Howys), parson of Castlecombe; 

 and John Becking, at Prince's Inn, in Norwich, or at Beccles," to 

 attend the " Oyer and terminer," about to be held at Beccles, to 

 prefer an indictment against " Sr John Bukk, prson of Stratford, 

 and one John Cole, for having (to use the knight's own words) 

 " by force, this yere and othyr yeers, taken out off my waters, at 

 Dedham, to the nobre of xxiiij Swanny's & Signetts, & I pray you 

 this be not forgeted." 



* Mr, J. H. Gurney has kindly directed my attention to the 

 will of the above Margaret Paston (communicated to "Norfolk 

 Archseology," vol. iii., p. 160, by the late Mr. Dawson Turner), 

 from which it appears that Blomefield is not quite correct on this 

 point, since, as shown by the following extract, this lady bequeathed 

 her swans to her grandson Robert, the son of her youngest son 

 Edmund Paston. 



" It. I geve and gaute to Robt., son of the seid Edmund, all my 

 Swannes, merken with a merke called Dawbeney's merk, and with 



