vii] The Tenants and their Land. 1400 — 1575- ^7 



2 messuages and 17 a. 3^ r. inherited from his father, 1487 

 3 



The copyhold that had belonged to Thomas was divided between 

 his sons, Richard and John. About 1557 Richard died seized of 

 86 a. 3 r. of copyhold. His lands went to his sons Thomas, Richard, 

 and Stephen. The Survey of 1565 states the area of freehold as well 

 as the area of copyhold held by these sons. If as large a proportion 

 of their freehold as of their copyhold was inherited from their father, 

 Richard must have held some 250 acres of Forncett. 



In 1565 Thomas, son of Richard, was the largest tenant of 

 Forncett. In right of his wife he held the neighbouring manor of 

 Rainthorp, and he built Rainthorp HalP. 



It has been said that of the 11 families represented by the 14 

 largest tenants, all but two had held of Forncett since the early years 

 of the fifteenth century. The two of whom this cannot be asserted 

 are those of Launcelot Smith and John Sherman, ' gentleman.' 



The Sherman family cannot be traced as tenants further back 

 than the early years of the sixteenth century. As early as 15 15 

 they held land of Moulton manor. A large share of the copyhold 

 that they held of Forncett manor came to the Sherman family 

 through the marriage of John Sherman (father of the John Sherman 

 who held in 1565) to Margaret, daughter of the bondman Roger 

 Hillyng. 



Launcelot Smith acquired his property through a single con- 

 veyance. Nearly all of his land, 66 acres, was obtained in 1559 by 

 surrender from the two tenants who had received it in 1556 from the 

 bondman John Dosy on condition that they pay £120 to the lord of 

 the manor^ 



^ Blomefield's Norfolk, V. 67, 217. In the church of Forncett St Peter are sepulchral 

 brasses in memory of Richard (d. 1485), and of Thomas (d. 1535). Rubbings of these 

 brasses may be found in the British Museum (Add. MSS. 34, 892, folios 76 and 77). The 

 tomb of Thomas (d. 161 r) is in the church of Tasburgh. Blomefield, V. 211. 



2 See below, p. 90, and Appendix XIII. xci. 



