UNIV. OF Wickhampton: Church ⠀⠀ THE COMMUNICATED BY REV. C. R. MANNING, M.A., Honorary Secretary. THE Parish of Wickhampton is situated in the Hundred of Walsham, and Deanery of Blofield. The Church is about two miles from the Reedham station, and stands at the extremity of the slightly elevated land, looking over a large tract of marshes, towards Yarmouth. It is a building of moderate size, consisting of chancel, nave, tower, and south porch, and of mixed styles-the chancel being chiefly Early English, the nave good Early Decorated, and the tower Perpendicular. The east window of the chancel is now a Perpendicular one of three lights, but it has supplanted an earlier one, apparently of five lancets, traces of the two outermost lancets remaining, both on the inside and outside of the wall. On the south side of the chancel is an Early English window of two lights, the sill forming graduated sedilia; a lancet window, and a blocked doorway of the same Early English date. There is also a low-side window, square-headed, arched internally. The piscina is a plain recess with a small niche over it. On the north side of the chancel is one lancet window towards the east end, and the rest of the wall is occupied by two extremely fine canopied monuments, which give the chief interest to the church, and which I will describe presently. The chancel still retains [VOL. VII.] B some curious old returned stalls, rather debased in style, and partly of deal. They are probably of the time of James I., and have poppyheads somewhat rudely carved with a cross between circles and stars. An inscription in raised letters on the front part of the stalls appears to be "John Wysman," three times repeated. There is an altar stone of small dimensions, 3 ft. 9 in. by 2 ft. 8 in., with four crosses on it, upon the floor. The roof is coved and ceiled. The chancel arch is Perpendicular. At about 18 inches below the capitals are brackets in the form of heads, one on each side, probably to support a rood-beam. The screen is Late Perpendicular, and plain. The lower panels are pierced with two foliated circles. The two windows on the south side of the nave are very good Early Decorated ones, with rich mouldings, and are divided by buttresses. The south doorway is of the same date; its arch is supported by corbel heads, and there is some fine iron-work, of contemporary date, on the door. The north side of the nave has two plain Early Decorated windows, and a doorway. The wall appears to have had mural paintings, of which slight traces are discernible.1 Several sculptured brackets remain, at different levels, on each side of the nave, near the chancel arch, and as high as the spring of it. The roof is a The roof is a plain open one, thatched, and in a bad condition. The font is plain Early Decorated. There is a lofty belfry arch, with flowers on the mouldings, supported on corbels of grotesque heads, one stretching its mouth, the other lolling out the tongue. The tower has its buttresses and battlements panelled. The west window is of three lights, and there is a doorway below it. The door here has a closing ring of the same early date as that on the south door. The sound-holes in the next stage above are filled with tracery. The porch is Late Perpendicular. On the apex of the gable is an interesting and rare 1 The Rev. G. Gillett informs me that among the subjects represented were three kings with as many skeletons, a greyhound in a leash, and a hare. piece of sculpture-a small rood in stone. The crucifix is supported by the figures of St. Mary and St. John, the whole standing on a Calvary, on steps. The back of the stonework is rounded, and it is probable that it was not originally intended for its present situation, but stood in a niche. The It appears, therefore, judging from architectural evidence alone, that this church was originally a plain Early English one, with lancet or two-light windows; and that the south side of the nave was rebuilt towards the close of the thirteenth century, very probably by the lord of the manor and patron, whose fine monument occupies the place of a founder's or benefactor's tomb on the north side of the chancel. lordship of this place, Blomefield tells us, "was granted to the Bigots, Earls of Norfolk, and was held of them by the ancient family of De Gerbridge," Jerbridge, or Gerberge, as it is variously spelt. "They took their name," he also says, "from the bridge at Yarmouth over the Yar, or Ger, and Jer," a derivation which is not supported by Yarmouth antiquaries of the present day. Mr. C. J. Palmer, who has obligingly furnished me with some notes on this family, as connected with Yarmouth, observes that no bridge was built there till 1417, and it is more probable, he thinks, that the termination meant burgh, as the more ancient spelling is berge; and brigge or brig has the same signification to this day in the north of England. The family of Gerbridge flourished in this locality as early as the reign of King John. "William de Jerbridge was living in the 24th of Henry III., and purchased 14s. rent in Yarmouth of Isabel de Castre, by fine. Manship, on the authority of Speed, says, that the Monastery of the Grey Friars at Yarmouth was founded "by Sir William Gerbrigge, who, also, I find to be one of the incorporation, whose commendation we ought not to overpass, but to stir up our minds to maintain his memory 2 Blomefield's Norfolk, xi. 135. 3 Blomefield, ibid. |