Etymology The name
Bayfield devolved from the
Anglo-Saxon language and has the meaning of the
Open Field owned by the ''Bæga's''.
The deserted village The hall stands next to the ruins of the medieval church of Saint Margaret where it is under the name "Baiafelda". In the survey the manor is said to be land owned by the King. The main tenant in chief was
Walter Giffard, and on the land there was a mill. In the Domesday survey, fractions were used to indicate that the entry, in this case a mill, was on an estate that lay within more than one parish. Before the
Norman Conquest of 1066, the manor of Bayfield had been owned by a freeman called
Godric, but after 1066 he was ejected from the land. During the reign of
Edward I, the manor of Bayfield was owned by Sir John de Vaux, He died without issue. Following a court battle over William's will and dubious financial deals between William's wife and his brother in law, Bayfield Hall, and were sold to a Mr Buxton for the sum of £7,600 in 1766. The estate eventually fell into the possession of
Henry Jodrell who was Paul and Elizabeth Jodrell's third and youngest son. Henry Jodrell was a
barrister and he became the member of parliament for
Great Yarmouth in 1796, a position he held until 1802. He then became the member for
Bramber,
Sussex from 1802 to 1812. In the parliamentary
vote of 1807 to abolish slavery Jodrell voted against (b. 1785 d. 1852) who was Henry's nephew. Edward Jodrell in turn passed the estate on to his son who was also Edward Jodrell who was a captain in the
16th Regiment of Foot in 1843. Edward's military career included being placed on garrison duties in Ireland in 1843, remaining there until 1846 when he then moved to
Gibraltar. In the following year he was posted to
Corfu, forming part of the garrison of the
United States of the Ionian Islands, a British
protectorate.
Sir Alfred Jodrell In 1882 the Hall and its estate was inherited by Sir
Alfred Jodrell. Alfred was the youngest son of Captain Edward Jodrell. He gained the title of 4th Baronet Jodrell. He was married to Lady Jane Grimston, daughter of
James Walter Grimston, 2nd Earl of Verulam. Alfred Jodrell is best remembered for his desire to benefit the local community after his good fortune in his inheritance of Bayfield Hall. He is quoted as saying
I intend to leave the estate in better condition than when I inherited it. This philosophy he fulfilled in his tenure of the estate. The nearby hamlet of Glanford village with its decaying cottages, he completely rebuilt, giving his estate workers a very comfortable and healthier living standard. He spent a great deal of money on the village, especially on his project to rebuild the decrepit Saint Martin's church which he began in 1899. The church stands on the crest of a knoll within the village and he dedicated the renovations to his mother Adel Monckton Jodrell. The church took seven years to complete employing a team of workers headed by two wood carvers from Great Yarmouth. He had new stained glass windows installed by Kempe and Bryans the renowned glass makers. Other work on the church included a new hammer-beam roof with carved ends displaying shields, rood screen, choir stalls and marble floors with the stone imported from
Italy. He gave generously to many charities and good causes especially to his locality. His generosity extended to his friends as well. He was known for his hosted dinners where he served the finest food and wine to his guest, although he himself abstained from alcohol. He once hosted King
George V who visited from his Norfolk home at
Sandringham to attend a pheasant shoot on the estate organised by Jodrell. Jodrell was also a keen collector and had collections of teapots and ceramic birds although he is best known for his collection of seashells. He had a museum built next to St Martine's church to house the collection. The museum can still be visited. == References ==