As stated in the account of Whaplode Church (1253-1281), Ralph Mershe, the Abbot of Croyland, at great expense and after long suits at law, gained the _manor_ of Gedney and the church at Whaplode, but it does not follow he had, at the time, the advowson of Gedney—on the contrary, the following pedigrees from the Plea Roll of 7 Edw. III. and 8 Edw. III. clearly show he had not:— PLEA ROLLS (_De Banco_, Easter, 7 Edw. III.). Lincoln— James de Ros sues the Abbot of Croyland for the advowson of the Church of Gedeneye (Gedney). Falk de Oyry, _temp._ Henry III. | Emecina. | Giles de Gousille, 35 Henry III. | Peter. | Ralph. | Ralph. | Margaret = Philip le Despenser. In the following year, in the suit in _Coram Rege_, Hilary, 8 Edw. III.:— Lincoln— The King sues James de Roos for the next presentation to the Church of Gedeneye, which he claimed as guardian of Ralph de Goushill. Fulk D’Oyry, _temp._ Henry III. | Emytine. | Giles de Goushill, 35 Henry III. | Peter. | Ralph. | Ralph under age in charge of the King. There is in the Lincoln Will Registry the will of a Philip Goushill of Gedney, dated in the year 1401. Eleanor de Clare, who was the granddaughter of Edward I. by his wife Eleanor of Castile, married Ralph le Despenser, who was hung in 1326, and their fourth son Philip, who died in 1313, married Margaret, daughter and heiress of Ralph le Goushill; and when Colonel Holles visited Gedney Church about 1640 he found the arms and monuments to the families of Despensers, Roos, Clare, D’Oyry, Goushill, Welbys, and others. Doubtless Stukeley is correct in stating the Curvilinear church of Gedney was built under the direction and influence of Croyland, aided by the laity; but one should be disposed to consider the earlier churches were not built by the monks of Croyland. However, it is too long a subject to discuss in this article. SUTTON ST. MARY We have, in our accounts of the churches of Moulton, Whaplode, and Weston, frequently referred to the fabric of the Church of Sutton St. Mary and to the interesting Transitional work it contains. The origin of the church is clearly shown by a charter, given at the close of the twelfth century (about 1180), by which the site was conveyed to the monastery of Castle Acre in Norfolk.