Montagu, widow of Gerard Montagu, Esq., only son of the late Edward Montagu, Esq., a master in chancery, and the fourth in descent from Henry Montagu, created Earl of Manchester by Charles I., in 1626. Mr. Montagu left issue three sons and three daughters, and his lady afterwards re-married to the Rev. George Lucas, M. Ai Rector of Catfield, and they now reside here. The other house is occupied by Captain Richard Glasspoole, of the East India Company's service, whose collection of Indian and Chinese productions, are choice and valuable, and his urbanity and attention in shewing them to his friends, and those who feel pleasure in seeing them, cannot be exceeded. In this village were four churches and rectories, St. Margaret's, St. Michael's, St. Peter's, and St. Andrew's, and King Henry I. presented to all of them. The united vicarages of Ormesby St. Margaret and St. Michael with Scratby, were consolidated 15th April, 1548. The prior and convent of Norwich had the patronage from 1305, until the dissolution of religious houses, when the dean and chapter succeeded them, who are the present patrons. The Rev. David Price, M. A. father of E. M. Price, D. D. vicar of Runham, held this living for nearly half a century, and was succeeded in it by the Rev. Richard Turner, B. D. of Yarmouth, the present vicar. R The church in Little Ormesby, as before stated, has been long consolidated with that of St. Margaret, in Great Ormesby, and its vicars ever since have been the same. It is dedicated to St. Michael; is a single pile, with a chancel, and a low square tower, with one bell. There are some monuments in it to the families of Upcher and Manning; one, erected to the memory of the late Mrs. Upcher, is by the celebrated sculptor, Bacon. This church is very neatly kept, and in it was the guild of St. Michael. A The present church in Great Ormesby, dedicated to St. Margaret, is also a single pile, with a square tower, chancel, and belfry. The south porch is extremely perfect, and the chamber over it, in which the sexton used to reside, has had its window lately blocked up: the arch over the entrance is very fine, and a perfect specimen of early Saxon architecture. The chancel windows are ancient, except that over the altar, which is square; but the others have all been removed and replaced by lancet-shaped frames, of modern and not very elegant construction. On the south side, in the chancel, are three stone seats, probably used for the priest, the deacon, and the acolyte,* and near them a niche, with a perfect piscina. The font is handsome, and divided into eight compartments, in seven of which are quarterfoils, and the eighth contains the arms of Clere. This church was always considered the principal one, and Elizabeth Clere gave, in 1492, ten pounds towards rebuilding the steeple, and in 1558, * See Clark's dissertation upon these seats in the Archælogia. there were legacies towards casting the great bell. Here were the lights of St. Margaret, St. Mary, St Nicholas, and Holy Cross, with St. Margaret's guild. At the angles of the tower above, in lieu of pinnacles, are the figures of four monks, in sitting postures, with each a book open upon his knees, carved in stone; the architrave immediately under the parapet, is ornamented with quarterfoils, &c. in its centre, and at each of the cardinal points is a dragon, the symbol of St. Margaret. The interior contains several monuments of the Cleres; there are also some brasses, one with the arms of Boleyn inscribed upon it, and on another, Credo quod redemptor meus vivit, &c.; and several slabs, from which the metal has been removed. The monument of Sir Robert Clere has been admirably engraved by Mr. Cotman, in his History of Norfolk Brasses, and a female of the same family; these are still preserved. The altar tomb of Sir Henry Clere, Baronet, remains; at the east end is Clere, with a label of three, impaling Mundeford. His wife was daughter of Sir Edward Mundeford, of Feltwell. John Symonds, son of John Symonds, of Suffield, by Margaret Calthorpe, also married a Mundeford, of Feltwell, viz., Mary, daughter of Francis Mundeford, (great grandfather of this Sir Edward) by Margaret Thoresby, his second wife.* There are several hatchments and memorials of the Symonds's, whose family vault is under the * For the descent of this family, see Blomefield, vol. 1, pages 182-193. altar, in which are interred the bodies of Jonathan Symonds, Esq. and Mary his wife,* the daughter of William Cotton, of Cotton Hall, in Cheshire, fourth son of Sir Thomas Cotton, Baronet, of Connington, in Huntingdonshire, the son of Sir R. Bruce Cotton, Baronet, founder of the Cottonian library, and the proposer to James 1. of the order of Baronets, who on account of his relationship to the blood royal, was usually honoured by his majesty with the appellation of cousin; and he ever after subjoined the name of Bruce to that of Cotton, and caused the royal arms of Scotland to be added to his own.t At the east end of the north wall, is an ancient slab, with the brasses reaved from it; and over the monument, at the meeting of the spandrils, in each of which is a large quarterfoil, with other ornaments, is an heater shield, with the coat of Clere only; this appears as if it had been erected over a founder of, or great benefactor to the church, Under a tomb, near the north window, next to the rood loft, without any inscription or arms, lies buried, Robert Clere, Esq., who married Alice, daughter of Sir John Filby, who is said to have rebuilt this church. In this window were their effigies, with an orate for them. In the church *As authorities for these statements relating to the Cotton and Symonds's families, see Collins's Baronets, vol. 1, page 138, edit. 1745; Blomefield in Locis, Ormrod's Cheshire, Nichols's Leicestershire, and various pedigrees of the family on vellum and paper. + Life of Sir Robert Cotton, prefixed to the Catalogue of the Cottonian Library.-For the quarterings of this illustrious man and his descendants, see Nichols's Leicestershire. [P. 124. THE DESCE COUNTY OF NORFOLK, from Sir Rander of the British Museum. Mary, daughter andhof Henry Fitz-Aley, Arundel; ob. 2co. 1557, buried a Clement's Daners. wife. The Dul ter of John Thomas Cotton, Dorothy,daugh- Thomas Howard, anth, daughter and coheiress wife. Three cestor to the Earliam Brocas, of Theding- daughters. of Suffolk. 2d county of Leicester. son. Margaret Hod sole heiress of Sir John Consta 1st wife. y, county of York. 2d wife. |