Raineham (or Reineham, as it is wrote in the Book of Doomsday)

Takes its name from being seated near a running stream of water, or river; Rye or Rey, signifying as much in the saxon tongue; thus we find a town in Essex, in the hundred of Chafford, Rainham, on a river near its falling into the Thames and thus Braintree in Essex, occurs in Domesday, by the name of Raine, being by a river.

Raineham

Bigots or Sherbourn's Manor

Roger bigot had also at the survey a small lordship here, which one free-man held in King Edward's time of the fee of Stigand, the Arch Bishop of Canterbury consisting of one carucate of land, and Edwin held it under Bigot, there belonged to it 4 ferui with one carucate 2 acres of meadow, valued in King Edwards time at 10s at the surveyat 5s per ann and in South Reinham, one free-man held 20 acres of land, held by Aitard, and one bordarer, and half a carucate always belonging to it, with one acre of meadow, valued before at 5s now at 3s.

This Roger Bigot was a principal commander under King William 1 and attended him in his expedition into England, and was ancestor to the earls of Norfolk of that name; but on the marriage of his daughter Maud, with william de Albiney, the kings cheif butler, ancestor to the earls of Arundel, it came to the said William, and seems to be held of the Albineys, by the ancient family of Reinham, who took their name from this town; of this family was william, son of Bartholomew de Reynham, who in 1232 was summond to make answer to the prior of Castleacre, in a plea of a certain debt of 69s in arrea, for an annual rent of 3s due to him which Godrey le Pover, of Reynham Magna, by his deed granted to the said prior out of a tenement which Roger Goo, and Thomas le Carpenter held there, of the said Godfrey, and into whatever hands the said tenements should hereafter fall; and the said William, for 23 years then last past, being possessed thereof, had detained the same; the prior on producing Godfreys deed, and proving possession to be in William, recovered the said debt.

In 1249, Bartholomew de Reynham gave lands here to Geffrey, his son; and about the said time, Reginald and Hugh de Sprouton, were found to hold lands, and tenements here, and in Kypton by the service of a Knights fee, of Robert de Tateshale, who was one of the heirs of the earl of Arundel; and in 1268, Peter son of Roger de Reinham had lands here, conveyed to him by fine, from Elfrid, of South Reynham.

Oliva, late wife of Thomas, son of Giles de Reynham. St Margaret, sued Roger de Vaux, for the third part of a messuage, 18 acres of land, 3 of meadow, and 10s rent, with the appertenances of that parish for her dower; and in the said year, 1291, an assize was brought to know if Alan, son of John de Reinham, uncle of Elias de Havile, was seized of land, and rents in the 3 Reinhams of which Thomas, son of Richard de Snetterton, William, son of Bartholomew de Reinham, Thomas de Ingaldesthorp and Robert de Scales, held parcels (John Fitz Richard, brother of Alan being heir to Alan) before William de Giselham, and H de Cressingham, the kings justices at Norwich.

And by fines levied in 1306, it was agreed that Robert de Reinham should hold certain tenements. and lands in Reinham St Margaret, of richard de Gemeston, and alice his wife, by the rent of 20d per ann for all services.

Edmund de Reynham, Kt. was living in 1379. (Sir Edmund de Reynham purchased by fine the manor of Gellham. 1394.)

After this I find no mention of the family of Reinham, in this town.

In 1345, Thomas Neel, and Catherine his mother ( who probably might be of that family) were found to hold lands and tenements here, and in Kypton, by the service of half a fee, of the heirs of Robert de Tateshale, which Hugh de Sprouton formerly held; and in 1407, Henry Scoggan held a messuage, called Reynham-Wards, with land here; and Robert his son, in 1409, held a messuage, formerly Edmund de Reinhams.

But the Manor of Rainham, was before this, in the family of Sherborne, who gave their name to it;

Henry, son and heir of John Sherborne conveyed it by fine, in 1495, to thomas Gygges, and thomas Curson, with the manors of Hedenham, and Kelling. In the reign of Henry VI it came as (I take it) in the family of Townsend, Sir John Townsend held it in Queen Elizabeths time, and was found to die seized of it in 1603; it being called in the inquisition, post mortem, the manor of Sherborne, in West Rainham; held of the manor of Ingaldesthorpe, in foccage, and paying 3s4d rent per ann - and it remains united with the other manors of the said family.

Curtesy of Jane McCallan