of correction is proper to be preserved in the hand of the Magistrate, and is never better applied than for the punishment of wickedness and vice, and for the maintenance of true religion and virtue. It is a lamentable fact, that in conjunction with all the helps that are at present afforded, great numbers continue ignorant to a degree hardly to be imagined." If this ignorance were suffered to prevail, there would be no expansion of time sufficient for the duties of the Magistrates; but under all their discouragements, and the great difficulty of holding the balance even, they have the hope that reformation is better understood in these days than formerly. "Necessity is a great temptation to fraud, and idle and dissolute boys commonly prove loose and vicious young men, and often fall a sacrifice to the severity of the laws before they become old ones." Ibid. 392.

The situation of all such persons, when discharged from prison, calls aloud and with piercing cries of repentant sorrow for some protection against their return to the miseries of evil! Here the shield of protection with moderate comfort will give effect to moral instruction, and by this means every culprit may be saved!

The Lord Lieutenant and Gentry of the County of Surrey have lately organized a Society for this purpose, "to furnish temporary assistance to those who in their discharge from the prisons of that County, are destitute of the means of subsistence, and from want of friends are unable to procure employment; and to promote the reformation of the juvenile offenders discharged from those prisons." It is remarked, that the first week of their liberation commonly finds them relapsing into those habits of vice and dissipation, which the restraint and regularity of the prison had gone far towards subduing. To remedy this evil, by supplying them with employment till they have time to look around them and find means of obtaining an honest livelihood, thereby giving them an opportunity of acting up to such good resolutions as they may have formed, is a work of real charity and public utility. The formation of such a Society was also recommended by the venerable Judge Sir J. A. Park, who presided at the last Assizes at Kingston,

[July,

in his Charge to the Grand Jury, and it has the prospect of being espoused by every person who commiserates the wounds of despair!

Hitherto some of these objects have been received at the Refuge in Hackney Road upon a contract of 7s. per week, but it has been filled to such excess, that these objects could no longer be admitted, and the difficulty has been fairly met by an agreement with Mr. Hey of Rockingham House for the erection, at his own expence, of a building in the New Kent Road, which will be opened in October next, and for which he is to receive a rent of 100l. per annum from this new Society.

It is expected that, upon the lowest calculation, the charge of conducting this plan will amount to 800l. per annum; but it has already, during the past year, effected so much good, that as its means expand its greater benefits may be anticipated. Fifty discharged prisoners were effectually relieved; of which number from 15 to 20 were furnished with employment, and 30 sent to the Refuge for the Destitute; 3 women are now in respectable situations as domestic servants; 3 boys have been apprenticed, and 2 men are supporting themselves in a creditable manner. It is therefore hoped that these have been rescued from a life of infamy and wretchedness, and by thus thinning the ranks of the depraved and dangerous members of the community, the best interests of society at large have been well consulted and regarded.

In the List of Vice-Presidents we read the name of the Bishop of Winchester; and in that of the Committee of Thirty, we find that of Mr. Justice Park, Henry Drummond, esq. the Treasurer, and Rev. John Buit, the Honorary Secretary; and it seems to be their design to call Meetings in different parts of the County in support of the Society. A. H.

1825.1

Mr. URBAN,

9

tune, is situated in Norfolk, on the turnpike-road from Watton to Thetford, two miles South of the former, and eight miles North of the latter place, and about twenty-two miles South-west from Norwich. It is in the hundred of Wayland, and deanery of Breccles, bounded on the North by Watton and Threxton, on the East by Watton and Thompson, on the South by Thompson, and on the West by Tottington and Threxton. Merton most probably took its name from the Saxon words Mepe and ton, or the town by the mere or lake. There is a small sheet of water on the South side of the Church, but I cannot take upon me to determine that this was the original mere. Several of the parishes in the neighbourhood are ornamented by these lakes, viz. Hingham, Scoulton, Saham [or Sæham], Tottington, Wretham, and Stow.

.

From Domesday it appears that dur, ing the Confessor's reign Meretuna belonged to Ailid, who then held it at 3 carucates and virgate; there were then 17 vilians, 3 bordars and 6 servants, but at the survey only 6 villans, 1 bordar and no servant. There was wood enough to maintain 240 hogs; 36 acres of meadow, of which 3 carucates were in demesne, but in the Confessor's time 4 were in demesne. Four men to plough the land, after wards 2, but at the survey none. Five cart horses, and 118 heads of cattle; at the survey only 4 of the former, and 22 of the latter. 24 hogs, and 150 sheep, afterwards only 90 sheep. There were then 29 tenants or socmen, who held 2 carucates of land among them, and did their annual suit and service to the manor for the lands they held of it. One socman held 20 acres of land belonging to the manor, which laid in Grestuna, or Gristou. The whole manor was worth 51., afterwards rose to 6., and in the Conqueror's time was worth 87. a year. The whole parish was 2 miles long, and a mile broad, and was taxed at 15d. to the geld.

At the Conquest it fell to the Conqueror, who gave it to Ralph Baynard, one of his principal Normans, who

came over with him.

. Sir Robert Baynard, knt, a great GEST. MAG. July, 1825,

tenants, with the advowson of the Church, and the tithes of the corn of his manor.

In the time of Hen. III. Sir Fulk Baynard held in Merton one see, of which John de Gurney held one quarter of him. In 1925 the king granted him a license to have a market at Merton; and in 1274 he had assize of bread and ale, waif, trebuchet, and free warren, and paid 28s. rent for this and Hadeston manor, every 24 weeks, to the guard of Baynard castle.

Fulk Baynard, grandson of the above, in 1327 held 8 fees and an half of Rob. Fitz-Walter, in Hadeston, Mar. ton, Bunwell, Carleton, Tibenham, Tompson, Threkeston and Therston, and left three daughters his co-heiresses, Isabell, Emme, and Maud.

Sir Thomas de Grey, knt. (son of Sir Thomas de Grey, knt. of Cornerth,, in Suffolk) married Isabell the eldest daughter, and had Merton, Bunwell, &c. for her share. He came and settled at Merton, in the antient seat of the Baynards, whose arms he always bore quartered with his own (or Cornerth's), in her right.

The family of De Greys is of great antiquity, and has supplied, from a very early period, both Church and State with many illustrious characters.

Anchitel De Grey, a Norman, surnamed from the place of his residence, came over with the Conqueror, and had large possessions of that prince's gift*. His son, Richard de Grai, was a benefactor to Eynesham Abbey, Oxfordshire, and was succeeded by John de Grey his son and heir, whose 2d brother, John de Grey, was Bishop of Norwich, and his 3d brother, Henry de

Grey, was in great favour with Richard I., John, and Hen. III., from whom he received many valuable grants and privileges. John de Grey, his uncle, was also a great favourite of king John, who, in the first year of his reign, made him Archdeacon of Gloucestert, and the very next year, 1220, Sept. 24, Bishop of Norwich, and afterwards, Chief Justice of England, in all which posts he behaved so well,

The Peerage gives a higher account of this family. † Ex. MS. vol. ix, in Offic. Augment.

that

10

that he was elected Archbishop of Canterbury, but was refused by the Pope. In 1211 he was made Lord Justice of Ireland, where he staid two years; he died as he returned in his embassy froin the Pope, at Picton, Oct. 18, 1214, and was buried in his cathedral at Norwich.

The abovementioned Henry left four sons; viz. 1. Richard, whose principal seat was at Codnovre, in Derbyshire. His descendants were parliamentary Baronst. 2. John, was Justice of Chester, and Progenitor to the noble families of Grey, of Wilton, Ruthyn, Groby, Marquis Dorset, and Viscount Lisle 4. Robert de Grey, of Rotherfield, co: Oxon. §. 3. William de Grey, first of Landford, Notts. then of Sandiacre in Derbyshire, and afterwards of Cavendish in Suffolk. He left two sons, John and Henry.

Sir Thomas de Grey, of Cornerth, Suffolk, knt. son and heir of John de Grey, esq. of Cavendish, married, before 1306, Alice, daughter and sole heiress of Sir Richard de Cornherd or Cornerth, knt. Their son and heir Sir Thomas succeeded, and by marriage with Isabel eldest daughter and coheiress of Fulk Baynard, brought Merton into the family. He left a son, who died a minor, and two daughters, Margaret, afterwards married to Sir Thomas Shardelowe, and Joan, to Thonias Pynchbeke. This manor was then divided into three parts; Thomas Grey, clerk, their uncle, had one third part, which 1388 he settled on Pynchbeke and his wife, and so they had two thirds, and Sir Thomas Shardelowe and his wife the other third, the whole being entailed for want of issue of the nieces on Thomas de Grey their uncle, and his heirs. In 1402 Thomas Grey, clerk, held this manor, and the whole estate of the Greys in Norfolk, and died possessed of it before 1401,

(July,

for in that year Fulk de Grey, esq. son of Fulk de Grey and Margaret his wife, and nephew and heir to Thomas de Grey, clerk, had livery of his estate in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire; he married Eleanor Bernardeston, and was succeeded by William de Grey, of Merton, esq. from whom it hath passed by a series of honourable alliances to the Right Hon. George de Grey, Baron Walsingham, and Privy Councellor, who is the present Lord of the Manor, and patron of the Rectory, of whose illustrious family see more hereafter among the monumental inscriptions in the Church.

MERTON HALL, (See Plate I.) is a brick edifice, and appears to have been built about the year 1610, on the site of the ancient residence of the Baynards. It faces the North, and has in front a curious gateway, with a clock. The chimney-piece in one of the bed-rooms bears date 1613. Three of the rooms are hung with tapestry in tolerable preservation. A curious oak chest is preserved in the gallery with the initials H. R. surmounted by a crown. It is supposed to have belonged to king Henry the Eighth, who [in 1510] made a pilgrimage to our Lady of Walsingham, barefooted, and carried a rich necklace as a present.

Part of the front of the Hall was modernized about sixty years ago, by Mrs. De Grey, who (as the story goes) during her husband's absence from home, wished to make some improvement and astonish him on his return and as the house looked rather dull and antique, modern windows were substituted for the original fine bow windows of the Elizabethan age. Lucky indeed was it that Mr. De Grey's re turn prevented any further modernization.

There are a few family portraits remaining in the Hall; viz. 1. Thomas

§ Id. 723.

De

12

of which 750 acres are arable, 382 pasture, meadow, and heath, 68 plantations and woods, 131 common, including the green, 18 acres, 2 roods, homesteads, including cottages and gardens.

In 1821 there were 18 houses; viz. Merton Hall, 1 private house, four farm houses, 12 cottages, containing 22 tenements. The number of inhabitants, in the same year, amounted to 162; viz. 78 males, and 84 feniales. Mary Codling, widow, aged 79, was the oldest person in the parish.

1

From an Overseer's account-book, beginning" April the 6th day, 1675," it appears that only one person then received parochial relief, "John Rudnall, 8d. a weeke for 50 weekes," and that the whole poor rates and parish expences amounted to 17. 14s. 6d. I continued my search through the book, and adding together the parochial expences for 33 years, from 1675 to 1707, both inclusive, I found them_amount to 2871. Os. 4d. The Poor Rates of one year, 1822, were 2811. 4s. 6d. (having encreased 741. 4s. 6d. in 22 years, from 1800).

There is a School in the parish for the poor children, supported entirely by the De Grey family.

The Church of Merton (see Plate I.) which is dedicated to St. Peter, stands in the park, a short distance on the right from the turnpike road leading from Watton to Thetford. It was given by Jeffrey Baniard (Baynard), and confirmed by Roger Baniard his son, and Fulk Baniard his grandson, to the monks of St. Pancras at Lewes, in Sussex; viz. the church and parson of Merton with his land, and also the tithes of the demesne lands of the hall, and 80 acres of his gift. The rectory, temp. Edw. I. was valued at 13 marks, the prior of Lewes's portion at 10

(July,

marks, peter pence 19d. The tem porals of the prior of Lewes were taxed at 41s. 3d. It stands in the king's books by the name of Marton, alias Merton, and is valued at 61. Os. 5d. and being sworn of the clear yearly value of 401. 5s. is discharged of first-fruits and tenths, and so is capable of augmentation. It is subject to the Archdeacon of Norwich.

The Church, which is a very pleassing object from every side, consists of a chancel, South aile, nave, North and South porch, and tower. The chancel and South porch are tiled, the other parts are all leaded. The tower is round (a thing not uncommon in this county), and has a small wooden spire surmounted by a vane. There are three bells, thus inscribed:

I. B.

1. ANNO DOMINI 1564.
2. IOHN. DRAPER.MADE.ME. 1629.
3. IOHN. DARBIE. MADE. ME. 1664.
IAMES DE GRAY. EQVES.

The lower part of the tower is lighted by a small round-headed window, to the West, divided into two lights by a stone mullion; the upper part has one round-headed window to each of the cardinal points. The date of the tower may, I think, be safely fixed in the 12th century.

The nave is lofty, and is separated from the tower by a plain circular arch, and from the aile by four sharp pointed arches upon three octagonal pillars. The entrance through the porch, on the North, is by a pointed arch. It is lighted on the North by two long, narrow, lancet-shaped windows, decorated both on the inside and outside with slender shafts, and divided by one plain mullion, finished at the top with a quatrefoil. On the South are three clerestory windows, each one divided into two lights by one mullion, forming a trefoil at the top. They contain,