In Saxon times Godwin, Alfer's son, held with soc 2 carucates of land as a manor. There was a church living with 5 acres of free land and i villein, 3 bordars, 4 slaves, 2 plough- teams in demesne and among the men, 5 acres of meadow, 3 hogs and 80 sheep. This manor was at the time of the Domesday Survey held by Walter son of Aubrey of Robert Malet with very slight difference of detail ; 3 of the slaves had disappeared and there were but half the number of sheep.

Three freemen held in the time of the Confessor, under Godwin, by commendation and soc, 40 acres of land and i acre of meadow with one ploughteam amongst the lot ; and these freemen were valued at 12 shillings, but their value by the time of the Norman Survey had come down to 7 shillings. At the same time the manor itself which was formerly valued at 20 shillings had gone up to 40 shillings.

It was 4 quarentenes long and 3 broad and paid in a gelt $d. whoever held the same.'

The Domesday tenant in chief was the son of William Malet one of the Conqueror's companions to whom the body of Harold was committed for burial after the battle of Hastings. William was appointed governor of York Castle built by William the ist in 1068. Robert Malet was the son of this William by Heselia his wife and was also present at the battle of Hastings and he is depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry seated on one side of Duke William who has his brother Odo the bishop on the other. He was the founder of the Benedictine priory at Eye, and Blomefield says "this Robert was Great Chamberlain of England under King Henry I. ; but in the second year of that King was banished and deprived of his possessions for adhering to Robert Curtois, that King's eldest brother Duke of Normandy."*

Chilton has been generally considered a hamlet of Great Waldingfield and the rector of that parish received a certain portion of the tithes of Chilton, but it is now a separate parish in Sudbury union. The lordship of Chilton in the time of Hen. II. belonged to William Carbonel who died leaving an infant heir and a widow Alice who remarried Richard Aguilon. There is a deed still in existence amongst the Bodleian Charters being a grant by William de Huntingfield to this Richard Aguilon or Agelliun and Alice his wife of the custody of the lands and heir of William Carbunel " formerly husband of the said Alice," also of the Manor of Chilton in dower for the term of the life of the said Alice. 5

There is in the same collection a charter of earlier date, c. 1180 (but ?) being a grant by Roger son of William de Huntingfield to Gilbert Carbonel of land in Chilton, Bures and Wendeshalam. 4 At the end of the i2th century we meet with a grant by this Gilbert ' Karbunel ' to Geoffrey his son of the whole of his land in Chilton with two men of Middletune pertaining to the same land for his service and homage and his money, viz., gold and silver, which he gave to them with covenants for an exchange under certain conditions. 1

And we find a grant made about the same time or a little later by Sampson Abbot of St. Edmund to William Carbonel of a certain liberty which was called Infangenethef in Chilton which was of the liberty of Eye at an annual rent of lib. of white incense. 2 In 1244 Sir Geoffrey Carbonel held a knight's fee here, and in 1276 Robert Carbunel brought an action against Nicholas le Ram and others touching a fosse destroyed here, 3 and the following year Richard Carbonel had a grant of free warren. 4 John de Carbonel was lord about 1278 and died in 1303 being succeeded by his son and heir Thomas who died in 1312 when the manor passed to his widow Elizabeth who lived till 1325. John de Carbonel son of Thomas succeeded and died in I333 5 leaving a daughter Alice married to Ralph Boteler or Butler who left a daughter Margaret married to Thomas Boteler.

Margaret Boteler had a grant of free warren in I393 6 and had a son Sir Andrew Boteler who had seisin in 1413. His will is dated 1429 and he died the following year leaving his widow Katherine who was a dau. of Sir William Philip surviving. Margery daughter and heir of Sir Andrew Boteler married William Crane of Stonham and thus carried this manor into that ancient and knightly family. William Crane took for his 2nd wife Anne d. of William Forrecy (Ferrers) and was succeeded by his son and heir Robert Crane of Chilton and Stonham. The feoffment of the manor to Robert Crane was from John Clopton and others in 1439 and will be found amongst the Bodleian Charters. 7 He married ist Agnes d. of Thomas Singleton of Stonham Jernegan and 2ndly Agnes d. of Tho. Greene of Creting. On his death the manor passed to his s. and h. Robert Crane who married ist Isabell d. of Robert Darcy of Maiden Essex.

Amongst the Bodleian Rolls will be found the record of a suit in 1470 between this Robert Crane and Isabell his wife against Ralph West and Katherine his wife concerning a toft and 7 acres of land in Chilton. 8 Robert Crane married 2ndly Anne daughter of Sir Andrew Egard or Ogard of Buck- enham Knt. and died the 23rd or 24th Oct. 1500,' and there is or was a monu- ment in the Chilton Church to the two, and also to George Crane their son who died without issue in 1491 . The arms of the Cranes were : Ar. a fesse between three crosses bottonee fitchee, gu. Robert Crane was succeeded by his brother and heir John Crane who married Agnes d. of Sir John Calthorp Knt. and died in 1505 when he was succeeded by his son and heir Robert. There is amongst the Bodleian Charters an Indenture made the 14 April 24 Hen. VII. [1509] by which this Robert Crane demised to John Coole of Sudbury, mercer, a croft of arable land, &c., in Chilton for 20 years at an annual rent of 2os. gd.' There is also in the same collection a grant in 1526 by Isabella widow of Robert Siday of Great Waldingfield and Ralph Parcar to this Robert Crane and others of a tenement with a croft of land in Chilton," and a lease by him dated the 4 Sept. 19 Hen. VIII. to William Jervis of Sudbury of a close containing 7 acres in Chilton for 30 years at an annual rent of 10s." also a lease the 4 March 24 Hen. VIII. [1532] by this

Robert Crane to John Coole of a field of 14 acres lying in Chilton for 20 years at a rent of 205.' I n 1534 a fine was levied of the manor by William Wytouse and others against the said Robert Crane, 1 and in 1542 against him by John Branston and others. 1

Robert Crane married ist Elizabeth d. of Richard Southwell of Wood Rising in Norf. and 2ndly Jane d. of Edward White of Essex and his will is dated the 27 Feb. 1551. He died shortly afterwards 4 and was succeeded by his son and heir Robert Crane who married 3 times, ist Ursula, 2nd Elizabeth and 3rd Bridget d. of Sir Thomas Jermyn Knt. of Rushbrooke. His will is dated 7th Oct. 1589. He died in 1591. Amongst the Chancery Proceedings of Q. Elizabeth we find an action by Dudley Fortescue, Executor of Robert Crane against Thomas Appleton to protect plaintiff in execution of his trust respecting the manor and the advowson of the Church, the free warren there and the view of frankpledge and other lands in Chilton and elsewhere late the estate of Robert Crane and devised by his will. 5

Robert Crane had with other issue a son Henry Crane who married ist Anne d. of Thomas Goodwin from whom he was divorced, and 2ndly Catherine d. of John Jernegan of Somerley by Catherine his wife d. of George Brook Lord Cobham. He died the ist Aug. 1586 in the lifetime of his father on whose death the manor passed to his grandson (son of the said Henry) Sir Robert Crane, who the 12 May 1625 was appointed by Thomas Earl of Suffolk then Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk and Cambridge a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Suffolk 6 and was created a Baronet the n May 1627. He became High Sheriff of the County in 1632 and was elected Knight of the Shire in several Parliaments. By his first wife Dorothy daughter of Sir Henry Hobart Bart. Lord Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas, who was buried at Chilton the 13 April 1624, he had no issue. She is buried in Chilton Church with the following inscription :

D.O.M.S. Here lieth the Bodie of Dorothy first wife of Sir Robert Crane of Chilton, Kt., daughter of S' Henry Hobart of Blyckling in the County of Norff., Kt. and Baronet, sometyme Lord Cheefe Justice of the Common Pleas, who lived with her said Husband in great Love and Amity 17 yeares, and willingly yeelded up this Life in expectation of a better the nth day of Aprill, 1624. Reader, listen and give eare : Wonder not at what I say : Vertue lies interred here Rather weepe and hast away, Under me : I hide it Then Least that thou a statue be Seek it nowhere amongst men : With amazement, like to me. From the Female it is gone, If thou readest with eies dry, Now that all are dead in one. Thou a marble art, not I.

The monument is mural. Sir Robert is kneeling between his two wives ; the above inscription is underneath the first. The tablets between himself and second lady are blanks. The three escutcheons which have many quarterings have been much abused. The arms quartered are : i Crane, 2 Mollington, 3 Boteler, 4 Carbonel, 5 Phelips, 6 Erpingham, 7 Jernegan, 8 Harling, 9 Ingoldsthorp, 10 Fitz Osborn, 11 Fitz Rafe, 12 Mortimer, 13 Gonvyle, 14 Kelvedon, 15 Clifton. Sir Robert Crane by his second wife Susan daughter of Sir Giles Alington Knt. of Horseheath co. Cambridge (whom he married on the 2ist Sept. 1624 and who remarried Isaac Appleton of Holbrook Hall in Waldingfield) had five daughters and co-heirs, namely, Mary married to Sir Ralph Hare Bart, of Stow Bardolph Norf., Anne married first to Sir William Airmine Bart, of Osgodby co. Lincoln, and secondly to John Lord Belasyse, Susan married to Sir Edward Walpole K.B. of Houghton co. Norf. by whom he was grandfather to the famous Sir Robert Walpole K.B., Elizabeth married to Sir Edmund Bacon of Redgrave 4th Bart, grandson of Sir Robert Bacon Bart., and Sarah who seems to have died early though mentioned in her father's will which is dated the 13 Feb. 1642. Sir Robert Crane made his will dated 7 Oct. 32 Eliz. and died the I7th Febr. 1642-3 when the Baronetcy expired and his estates became divisible between his four daughters and co-heirs and Chilton appears to have been apportioned to Sir Edmund Bacon Bart. The Agreement for Partition which was made between the Hon. Sir William Armine of the 1st part the Hon. Sir Ralph Hare of the 2nd part, Edmund Bacon of Redgrave of the 3rd part, and Edward Walpole of the 4th part is dated the i5th Dec. 1652.' Sir Edmund had 6 sons and ten daughters all of whom save 4 daughters died before him and this manor appears to have passed in 1685 with the Baronetcy to his cousin Sir Robert Bacon of Redgrave, but of this the writer has no evidence. Sir Robert Bacon died in 1704 and was succeeded by his eldest son Sir Edmund Bacon M.P. for Norfolk who married Mary daughter of Sir Robert Kemp Bart, by whom he had four daughters, the eldest of whom Letitia married Sir Armine Wodehouse Bart, and died in 1759. The manor was then sold to William Wyndham of Felbrigg.

On his death William Wyndham was succeeded by his son and heir, the Right Hon. William Wyndham who died in 1824, and was succeeded by his nephew and heir William Lukin who took the name of Wyndham. He died in 1833 and was succeded by his son and heir William Howe Wynd- ham and in July 1861 the manor was purchased for 660 by Richard Newman of Hadleigh the present lord.

Chilton Hall was formerly an extensive moated building, but it has now degenerated into a farm house. It was visited by the Suffolk Institute in 1886.'

There are Court Rolls of the manor in the Public Record Office as follows : Courts and Halmote 2, 3, 6, 7, 12 to 14, 17 to 20 Edw. II. Court Rolls, 20 Edw. II. i [4], 8 Edw. III. 9 to n Edw. III., 12 to 14 Edw. III., 17 to 19 Edw. III., 22, 23, 29 to 30, 32, 33, 35 to 37 Edw. III., 45 to 48, 50, 51 Edw. III., i Rich. II., 6 to 8, n, 12, 14 to 18, 20 to 22 Rich. II., 22, 23 Rich. II., 4, 5, 14 Hen. IV., i to 5, 7, 8 Hen. V., i, 10, 18, 21, 29 Hen. VI. 3 ; and amongst the Rolls of the British Museum 1342 to 1378 . 4 Suitors of Court 22 Rich. II. will also be found in the Public Record Office. 5 And amongst the Harleian Charters in the British Museum will be found a power to give seisin of the manor and Church in 1413 and 1431. 6 Extract from deeds relating to the manor when in the possession of Sir Robert Crane will be found in the Bodleian [4180! and also amongst the Harleian MSS.

Arms of Wyndham : Az. a chevron between 3 lions' heads erased Or.