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KENNINGHALL.

COMMUNICATED BY

THE REV. C. R. MANNING, M.A.,

HONORARY SECRETARY.

THE Parish of Kenninghall, in which we are now assembled,1 is one that has received more or less notice from all who have written on the history and antiquities of Norfolk. Indeed, from certain conjectures and assumptions of the older topographers, continually repeated in modern compilations, it might be supposed that its associations are with a very early period of habitation in this part of Britain; and that, if properly investigated, matters of much historical interest might be brought out respecting it. For instance, we usually see it stated in the Directories, that "Boadicea held her court here," and that "the Royal Castle" was inhabited by "the East Anglian Kings." Whoever first committed these statements to writing, would seem to be rather unconscious of the four hundred years that intervened between the death of Boadicea and the conquest of Britain by the Saxons. Were there any foundation for either of them, what a field for investigation should we have here for a Norfolk Archæological Society! how much light ought to be thrown upon our early history by an examination of the site of such an important stronghold! A very long search,

This paper was read on the spot.

however, into documentary evidence, and into the local topography would fail, I fear, to produce any result whatever, as far, that is, as relates to Boadicea and the British times; or as regards the residence here of East Anglian Kings: for that it was inhabited as a settled residence by the Saxons, there is good evidence, as I shall presently show; and the reason for this barren result, I fully believe, is that there is nothing of the sort to find out. Neither Spelman, nor Camden, nor Blomefield, make any reference to Boadicea; indeed, the scene of her chief residence would, in any case, be but a matter of conjecture; and Kenninghall was never known by any British name. Were it true, we should have expected to find here one of those lofty circular mounds which are usually believed to be camps of the British period, although that is not altogether a settled question; and British antiquities of all sorts would be abundant, whereas I am not aware that anything of importance, of this kind, has been found here.

I think, however, I can point out from what quarter the idea has arisen. It is all owing to that most valuable but most abused branch of antiquarian pursuits, local etymology. Out of this prolific source of misapprehensions, Camden (or rather others who jumped to conclusions which he did not draw himself) has conjured up the figure of Boadicea holding her court here; and Blomefield, or perhaps some theorist before him, has added to the scene a line of Saxon kings, dwelling here in a palace or castle of which no stone remains. Camden says (I quote from the English edition, by Gibson,) that Kenninghall "seems to have had the name left it by the Iceni."3 He imagined the first syllable 'Ken' to have something to do with the British word Iken or Iceni; and this, as far as I can discover, constitutes the

2 Blomefield mentions some urns near the earthworks, but of what period is unknown.

3 Gibson's Camden, second edit. i. 458.

only ground for attributing a British occupation to the locality. But not a word is said here about kings or queens or courts. Then Blomefield observes that "Kenning" in Saxon signifies a King; "so that Cyning or Kenninghall signifies the King's House, and, according to the etymology, it hath been a seat of the East Anglian kings, who are said to have had a castle here; "4 and this, he says, indeed seems true; and then proceeds to mention the earth-work at Kenninghall Place, which he thinks was the site of it. Thus we have the two ideas broached,-that of British occupation, and the Hall of the Kings; and this, I believe, is the origin of the unsubstantial notions respecting Boadicea and the East Anglian castle.

I need hardly tell the members of our Society that the name of Kenninghall is one of very common formation, and means the "hall" or stone dwelling of the Kennings, a Saxon family of that name. When our forefathers came over from Germany, and took possession of this land, they were not without patronymics; and according as different families settled in different places, the land was called after their own names. There were probably many of the Kenning family who came, or they soon increased: as we have Keningham in Mulbarton parish, Kennington in Surrey, Kent, and Berkshire. No doubt the word Cyning in Saxon is the same with our word King; but this would no more imply that all the family so called were kings than that every person nowadays of the name of King belonged to the Royal Family.

So much, therefore, for the name of the place and its imaginary association with royalty, British or Saxon. Having, I hope, cleared away a little of the obscurity which has hung over the origin of this place, I would now turn to matters of real history, and which we judge of for ourselves. Although we find no support in the name of

Blomefield, i. 215.

Kenninghall for the residence of kings, yet the etymology does imply that in Saxon times there was a substantial dwelling here, as in other Saxon places terminating in "hall." That Saxons lived here in considerable numbers has been recently proved by the discovery of their burying place. The site is a sandy field, sloping to the east and overlooking the present village, about half a mile west from the church. In digging for gravel during the past year, the workmen came upon several graves about two feet from the surface, and various antiquities were found in them. In those of males were the usual iron bosses of shields, swords, and spearheads, and bronze fibula; in those of females, amber and glass beads, fibula, buckles, &c., generally of well-known Saxon types. No urns have been found, so that cremation does not appear to have been the practise of the tribe of Saxons who settled here. Most of the articles obtained were disposed of before the spot was visited by archæologists, and some are now in the possession of Mr. Prigg, of Bury, and others of Mr. A. Marsh, of Diss. It was owing to this discovery that it was thought desirable that our Society should make an excursion in this direction to-day; and by the permission of the occupier of the land, we shall have an opportunity of making some further investigation this afternoon.5

I have already mentioned the earth-works at Kenninghall Place in this parish. They are situated at about a mile and half to the east of the village, and consist of double banks of considerable height, with a ditch between them, and inclosing a space nearly rectangular in shape, of upwards of eight acres. What is very unusual and difficult to account for is, that this space is divided down the middle by another

5 Nothing more was found on this occasion. Several good examples of fibulæ, &c., have been since obtained from the place, and are in Mr. Fitch's collection.

Blomefield says four acres. He seems to have overlooked the portion outside the cross line of banks. The contents in the Tithe Map are 8a. 2r. 32p.

line of banks, with a ditch, not straight, but in the form of a wavy line. Blomefield says there is a mount at each corner, that at the south-east being much the largest. This appears to be a mistake, as there is nothing of the kind to be seen: on the contrary, there is a large pit or pond at the south-east corner, and some enlargement of the ditch at other corners. I am inclined to think that Blomefield must have looked at a map of the place, and, seeing lines representing hollows, took them for mounts; but it is strange that he should not have known this, as his own residence at Fersfield is only about two miles off. There seems to me to be nothing here like the usual British earth-works: it more resembles Roman work in shape. We know, however, that the old manor-house of Kenninghall manor stood within it, and was called "East Hall," from its position to the east of the church and village. The manor, which was in the hands of the Crown in the time of Edward the Confessor and till after the Norman conquest, was granted by the Conqueror to William de Albini, together with the lordship of Buckenham, to be held by the service of being chief butler to the Kings of England on the day of their coronation; and East Hall remained the manor-house "through all its changes," as Blomefield says, until it was pulled down by Thomas, third Duke of Norfolk, when he built a much larger house, afterwards called the Palace, about a quarter of a mile to the north-east; and the old site has ever since been called "The Candle Yard," because the candles for the Duke's household were made there. I am therefore inclined to think that these earth-works are no older than the Norman or post-Norman period; and that they were the defences of a fortified manorhouse of that time. The easternmost half, within the cross line of banks, may have enclosed the keep and principal dwelling rooms; while the other half may have served to protect the outhouses and cattle.

The manor remained in the Albini family about two hun

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