Historical Background of the Parish Church of
Old Hunstanton
The Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin is situated a little to
the south of Old Hunstanton village, just outside the main entrance to the park of
Hunstanton Hall. This was the seat of the le Strange family, which for many
generations, exerted a great influence over the church and indeed the whole district.
Hunstanton has been 9inhabited since the Stone Age. The
pre-Roman Ichnield Way, which crossed England from the west ended here. Peddars Way
from Thetford terminated in nearby Holme from where a ferry crossed The Wash once linking
this to Lincoln. Artefacts unearthed locally indicate that a small Romano-British
settlement existed sometime later.
By 500 AD an Anglo Saxon settlement existed here. A cemetery
and the type of ornament found, indicate the inhabitants were probably from North Jutland.
Hunstanton is an early English name and no doubt the people were pagan.
However, about 631 AD, it is claimed that Bishop Felix from Burgundy landed at nearly
Babingley and built there the first church in East Anglia. He established a
missionary base at Dunwich and soon converted the whole kingdom of East Anglia to
Christianity.
In 854 AD the boy Edmund with Anglo Saxon connections, was reputed
to have landed at Hunstanton from Germany. He inherited the throne of East Anglia
which comprised Norfolk and Suffolk. Edmund was crowned at Bures in Suffolk by
Bishop Humbert of Elmham. Later, when defending his kingdom from the Danish
invaders, his army was overwhelmed in battle near Thetford. He was captured at Hoxne,
bound to a tree and died in a fusillade of arrows.
Edmund became the first patron saint of England, before St. George.
His shrine was raised in what is now known as Bury St. Edmunds - hence the name.
The monks of Bury in the later Norman period, erected a chapel to his memory on the
cliffs at Hunstanton near the place where he was reputed to have landed. This fell
into disuse in the 16th century but the ruins are still extant, recently converted to a
garden in remembrance of certain famous Norfolk personalities. It is marked on maps
as St. Edmunds Head or Point.
The first church on the present site was built on land left by
Aelfric III, Bishop of Elmham in 1038. This land he acquired under King Canute, and
held lawfully under King Harold at Hunstanes tune by Esten broke (i.e., the River Hun),
willing the land to St. Edmunds Abbey at Bury. It is believed that monks from Bury
erected a church here as one existed in the reign on Edward the Confessor. The
Domesday Book entry describes it as "a church on the land of St. John, nephew of
Waleran".
This original church must have lasted for several centuries,
probably with alterations and additions. It would have been a roughly built
structure of early Norman style. All that remains of it are the font, still in use,
a stone piscina now in the vestry. A carved stone coffin at the east end of the
north aisle dates back to the 11/12th century. This must have contained the body of
someone of importance.
The le Strange family has been associated with St. Mary's for
nearly a thousand years. Although the direct line has been broken on several
occasions, interest in the church by the family has been maintained.
~There is a Domesday Book entry stating that Ralph, son of Herluin
held a square league of land of Roger Bigood, Earl of Norfolk. His daughter and
heiress married Rhiwallon (or Roland) le Strange. Both came from the town of Dol in
Brittany. Through this marriage Roland le Strange acquired land at Hunstanton and
the family have continued in the same manner to the present day. The history of the
le Strange family over the centuries has been well researched in a number of books on the
history of Norfolk and its titled families. These can be inspected at most local
public library reference sections.
The Assize role of 1286 records the punishment for theft by
beheading, Christina Gamot and Nicholas, son of Mariota Bagge of Hunstanton. They
both escaped and Christina took refuge in the church. She acknowledged herself a
thief and fled abroad. Nicholas followed her but later returned and burgled the
house of John Norman of Hunstanton. He was pursued, caught and beheaded. In
the same year, the Vicar, William Dunny and several of his staff assaulted the local
smith. They were found guilty and fined, the Vicar paying half a mark.
In the same reign (of Edward I) William, Chaplain of Hunstanton was
accused of murdering a Chaplain at Barsham. He was found guilty and handed over to
the Ecclesiastical Courts.
Over the centuries it seems the clergy did not lead blameless
lives, and several references are made to the behaviour of the Revd. Christopher Crotch
(Victor 1582-1590) who was anything but a good example to his flock. He was accused
of an indecent affair with one Mistress Jolles which was witnessed by her husband.
There is the possibility that Richard Jolles' statement was exaggerated but the
fact that Crotch allowed himself to be in a situation with another man's wife which could
be misconstrued, raised serious doubts as to his moral position. Crotch was
apparently still in office in 1604 which seems to indicate he was not unfrocked as a
result of this indiscretion.
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