Return to History                                      Related Link:- Cawston College
                                                                 Related Web Site Link:-Water Tower

History:-Cawston Manor to 2003:-

This is a "Brief History" of the Royal Manor, Manor House, Cawston College to 2003.
The accuracy of the contents is not confirmed, but will as other pages on this web site be amended and updated as information becomes available.
For more information see link:- web sites & books containing Cawston History.

Well into the 14th century a manorial system was already well established, the Royal Manor at Cawston was at various times granted by the King to his relations and supporters for faithful service who had the income from the property, they took little or no interest in it for the Royal Manor had no Mansion House or Residence except for sub manors.

From time to time between the dates the Manor was granted it would usually revert to the Crown.
 
The Domesday book which is the survey ordered by Duke William and completed in 1089 contains history of our village and The Royal Manor and that Harold became King after the death of  Edward the Confessor (5th January1066) Harold came into the possession of Cawston Royal Manor in the same year the Normans led by Duke William defeated the English at Hastings, Duke William became King. (William the Conqueror) and the Lord of the Manor.
The Royal Manor is described as a very large manor with extensive wood sufficient to food for1500 hogs, 2 mills,
(See Related Link:-Sygate-Plough-Watermills) 60 sheep,50 Goats,  5 hives and 10 socman who rented land from the Lord of the Manor.

During the early part of Henry 11 William the Kings brother farmed it.
King John granted it to Hubert de Burgh.
1246 Margaret, widow of Hubert de Burgh, released it to John de Burgh who had
         a charter from Henry111 for a weekly market and a fair.(See related link Fairs)
1285 the King assigned it to Queen Eleanor and later the "Borough" of Cawston was
         granted to Roger Bigod, Earl of Norfolk.
1314 the King granted it to David de Strabolgi, Earl of Athol.
         Who was responsible for felling the 6 great oaks which sheltered the market
         place and also destroyed the fish ponds.
1327 the King gave it to Queen Isabella for her life.
1332 Edward 111 in the 5th year of his reign granted it to Sir Robert de Ufferd.
1386 Richard 11 granted it to Michael de la Pole, 2nd Earl of Suffolk and the Kings
         chancellor who built St. Agnes Church, (See Related Link:- (St. Agnes' Church)
         he died at seige of Harfleur, France in 1415, his son and heir Michael died at
         the battle of  Agincourt not long after his fathers death, Margaret de la Pole
         held it to 1516.                      
!539 Henry V111 granted it to Sir James Bulleyn a relative of Anne Boleyn and
         Elizabeth his wife and the survivor of them.
1572 the Queen granted it for a term to Sir Gresham Knight.
1610 James 1 sold it to Sir Henry Hobart, his attorney general and in
1619 it passed to his son Sir Heney Hobart.
1672 His son Sir John Hobart sold it to Erasmus Earle, Serjeant-at- law and succeeded
          to Augustine Earle and passed by the marriage of his heiress to the Bulwers
1896 General Bulwer sold it to:-George Cawston
         of London who built the Manor House in Tudor style including the stable
        block and the water tower to the north of the Aylsham road from Cawston  much of the materials were collected from Cawston railway station and delivered to the site by Marshall Howard the Cawston Builder.
In 1897 Mrs Cawston gave medals to the children for Queens Diamond Jubilee, gave parties and entertained the whole village for the departure of their son Cecil Cawston to South Africa.
                                         Related Links:-Village Hall
                                                                Stained Glass Window
                                   Return to:- George Cawston Family History
    
   George Cawston died 27th December1918 there is a modest memorial
      South Side Cawston Manor House          in Cawston Cemetery, Mrs Cawston (Mary Ellen) died in September 1924
.      The Water Tower is being converted into a private residence (2005)   
       The name Cawston and Cawston village is coincidental.                              
       Mr George Cawston sold to:-
Mr James Cheetham, a Manchester cotton spinner.
        The Manor was used during the first world as a hospital for convalescent soldiers.
                                                                          Related Link:- War Times Index

                                    
                                                        
        A gymkhana was held at the Manor each year followed by dancing on the lawn in the
        evening. On Empire Day the children received an Empire Medal from Mrs Cheetham
       Who sold in:-
1927 to Hon J.J. Stourton who by damming the Mermaid stream made the lake to the
        east of the manor.
        Who sold to:-
1931 to Mr and Mrs Bell and sold in:-
1934 to Lt Colonel Herbert McDougall who in 1936 had the Japanese-style boathouse
        built by the inspiration of the distinguished Norfolk architect Cecil Upcher and built by
         the Cawston Builder Norman Howard, bricks used were made at his own kiln.In
        1986 the boathouse was burnt down, Mr Richard Howard after viewing the
         fire damage discovered during a search of his late fathers files an envelope pencil-
         marked "Manor Boat House 1936"  finding correspondence relating to its construction, then turned to the Norfolk Records Office, repository of Upcher's papers and located the original plans, With the help of insurance money, Cawston College governors authorised the re-building, sufficient bricks of the same type were available to replace/repair those damaged made at the same kiln in 1948, the same year as the kiln was closed under the clean air act.
The boathouse was rebuilt as the original  by Mr Howard and a team of four  carpenters and joiners of deal and pine with oak joists and then thatched by Farmans
of Salhouse, it was completed in about April 1987 at the cost of £23.500, the cost    in 1936 was £231 16s  2d and thatched by W.W.Woodcock of St Faiths for
               The Boat House               £24. 4s.10d, it is perhap the only detail which distinguishes them.
                                
                                                                                                                Related Link:- M D Howard Brick
       The Manor House was used during the second world war for disabled children from homes near the coast.
                                                                                                                Related Link:- War Times Index
        Lt Colonel Herbert McDougall sold in:-
1963 to the Woodard Foundation for a boys College.                              ( See Related Link Cawston College)
1999 Cawston College closed and then sold to:-
         IFISH who are a foundation in service to the public good through the study,
         promotion and practice of psychic science and spiritual healing and sold in-
2003 to Chancillor Care Ltd,  a Specialist Psychiatric Hospital,


                                               
                                                                North view of Cawston Manor House