In the Confessor's time Robert or Rodbert held the main manor with 4 carucates of land with soc. There were 25 villeins, 32 bordars, 8 slaves, 2 ploughteams in demesne, 12 belonging to the men, 25 acres of meadow and wood, and 60 hogs, valued at 10 pounds. Also a church living with 60 acres of free land. By the time of the Norman Survey the value of the manor had risen to twelve pounds, and there had been added to it a ploughteam in demesne, 2 mills, 3 horses, 8 beasts, 20 hogs, 70 sheep and 4 goats, but the villeins had come down to 15, the bordars to 23, the slaves to 6, and the ploughteams of the men to 7. The same Robert had also in this place n freemen by commendation and soc, having i carucate of land among them which they could sell, and I freeman with 12 acres by commendation only (for the soc and sac belonged to the Abbot of St. Edmund) having formerly a ploughteam and a half, but then one team only. The value was 30 shillings and it paid in a gelt 20^. The extent was 8 quarentenes long and 4 broad, and the manor was one of those belonging to Suane of Essex.1

At a later period this manor became divided into seven — Tendring Hall al. Stoke by Nayland, Giffard's Hall, Scotland Hall, Levenhey, Causer's, Peacham's and Shardelowes, and Stoke Rectory Manors. There was indeed an eighth manor separately entered in the Domesday Survey, namely Withermarsh Manor

This the main manor passed on the death of the Domesday tenant to his son Robert de Essex, and at his death to his son Henry who forfeited the same in 1163 as mentioned under Nayland. In 1282 William de Tendring and Beatrice his wife levied a fine against Ralph de Berners respecting the manor,2 and in 1285 the said William de Tendring had a grant of free warren here.3 This William and his wife Beatrice had also a grant of market and fair here in 1303 (footnote 4)

William de Tendring died in 1305 (footnote 5) and the manor passed to his son Sir John Tendring, and on his death before 1347, to Sir William Tendring, for that year Sir William levied a fine of the manor, Ralph de Tendring and Roger parson of Parva Brythe Church being deforciants.6 Sir William died in 1375, leaving a son Sir William Tendring who succeeded to the lordship. He married Catharine Clopton and died about 1421. He was buried in Stoke by Nayland Church and upon the pavement before the high altar is an ancient gravestone, having thereon the figure of a knight in complete armour, resting his head upon his gauntlet, with this inscription according to Weever: " Hie iacent tumulati, dominus Willelmus Tendring miles and Katherina Clapton vxor eiusdem qui obierunt anno domini 1408.

Sir William Tendring left an only daughter and heir Alice who married Sir John Howard, knt. On this marriage Sir John settled on his wife the manor and advowson of Fersfield in Norfolk, with Brokes in Suffolk, the