" In the time of King Edward the Confessor, Seward of Maldon the Thane held 12 carucates of land in Acton as a manor with soc and sac. There were 23 villeins, 38 bordars, 17 slaves, 8 ploughteams in demesne, 20 belonging to the men, 50 acres of meadow, wood for 40 hogs, 2 mills, 8 horses at the Hall, 34 beasts, 200 hogs, 300 sheep, 9 hives of bees and a church living to which were attached 30 acres of free land all valued at 20 pounds.

By the time of the Norman Survey the value had increased to 30 pounds, and there had been various other changes. The 8 ploughteams in demesne had been reduced to 6, and those belonging to the men had come down to 14, one mill had disappeared, but the horses at the Hall had been increased to n. All the other animals, except the sheep, had been reduced in number, the 34 beasts were then 31, the hogs 160, the 9 hives of bees were then 7, but the sheep from 300 had increased to 423. The manor was then held by Ranulph Peverell, and was excep- tionally large, extending into Melford, Sudbury Great and Little Waldingfield, Milding and Edwardston. In Acton, besides what was held as a manor at the time of the Norman Survey, were 4 freemen whom Ranulf received as a holding of 50 acres. Acton was a league long and a league broad and paid 13^. in a gelt. 1 In course of time this huge manor became divided into five Acton Hall, Rokewodes, Clerbeck, Leys and Talemach, the last four being named after families who held the same respectively in early times. Gipps says that the Tollemaches held the Manor of Acton 25 Edw. I., but their holding was, as we shall see, one of the Manors in Acton. The Inquis. quod damnum 4 Edw. II. (59) mentions a Bentley or "Benetteley Manor of" Acton Manor, of which at this time Hugh Talmache was seised, and as early as the 56 and 57 Henry -III. [1271-2] Hugh son of William Tallemache had a third of what is said to be the Manor of Acton claimed from him by Peter de Ryngesale and Margaret his wife. 2 Strangely enough the Tolemaches did at this time hold the Manor of Bentley near Ipswich. This Hugh Tollemache had a considerable amount of land undoubtedly in Acton in the time of Hen. III. in fact, half a fee held of the Honor of Hatfield Peverel 3 , and the family held their land as a distinct manor known as Talemach to which we will shortly refer. The several manors are indiscriminately referred to in the various documents as Acton Manor. The main manor belonged in the time of Rich. I. to the Hodebovilles, and in that King's reign was held by Ralph de Hodeboville. He died in 1190, and Davy says (referring to another manor in Acton) he was succeeded by his son and heir John de Hodeboville who died in 1299, but this is not possible, as the son could not well have died a hundred and nine years after his father. Sir John de Hodeboville had the lordship in 1196." Davy makes the Hodebovile holding of Balisden Manor only, and starts the Manor of Acton practically with Robert de Bures in 1313. He labours under a delusion on this point, apparently not being aware of the Fine levied in the 5th year of Edw 1 1 and the entry on the Close Rolls 6 Edw. III. 1 which show that Robert dr Hurt's and Hillaria his wife in 1311 acquired their interest from Rog r ! Hodeboville. The Red Book of the Exchequer does not mention the manor, but states that Sir John de Hodeboville held one fee in Acton of the Honor of Peverell in 1210-12.* An extent of the manor as held by John de Hodebovile, a son or grandson of the former John will be found in the Inquis. post mortem under his name in 1301.' i de Hodeboville and Matilda were the parents of John, who married Hillary, and they held 2 parts of the manor of the gift of Peter de Debenham and Roger de Hodebovyle. 4 It was John son of John de Hodebovill who had enfeoffed Peter de Debenham and Roger de Hodebovill of the manor. 5 The other part of the manor at this time seems to have belonged to Walter de Hodeboville in right of his wife Elizabeth de Clerbeck.' The manor was vested in Roger de Hodeboville and was acquired from him by Robert de Bores and Hilary his wife in 1311', and between that time and 1331 we meet with the following documents in connection with the manor : Licence to Robert Bures to alienate, no doubt by way of settlement'; Inquisition and Extent, Alicia de Hodeboville 9 ; Fine, Robert de Bures and Hillaria his wife v. James de Bures and John de Bures 10 ; Fine, Robert de Bures and Hillaria his wife v. Edmund le Boteller 1329." Inquis. 1331 Robert de Bures and Hillaria his wife."

" On the north side of the Chancel of Acton Church between two pillars and under a Gothic arch is a very ancient altar monument formerly adorned with a cross fleury, but now robbed of all its brasses except one escutcheon which belongs to the name of Buers. And on a flat stone in the north aisle is or was a portrait of a knight (in brass) 6 feet high, completely armed, cross legged, at his feet a lion ; on his shield the arms of Bures. The inscription was engraved round the verge of the stone, at the upper end of which at the right-hand corner ' Robert de Bures ' is still legible. Ancient portraits as large and complete as this are very uncommon. This Robert de Bures was keeper of forfeited lands in Suffolk. 13

" The manor then passed to Sir Andrew de Bures and Alicia his wife as shown by an Inquis. p.m. in 1360. ' 4 Sir Andrew had died the 12 April, 1360. Gipps says Sir Andrew de Bures left two sons, Sir Robert and another. Sir Robert Bures died about 1393 (Blomefield says he died the 7 Oct., 1361), and left Alice his sole daughter and heir married to Sir Guido de Bryan, but they both died without issue, 3 Hen. V. After them the second son of Sir Andrew was seated at Acton, and the family flourished again for many descents ; but at length Henry de Buers died in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Page agrees that this branch of the family terminated in the male line upon the death of Henry Buers which, he