OKEHAM, (Rutland) the shire-T. in the Vale of Catmos, 67 cm. 96 mm. from London, is a manor that was computed in domesday- book, at 3 m. in length and 1 m. 2-thirds in breadth. It bel. anciently to the Newburghs Es. of Warwick, and the Ferrers Es. of Derby; one of whom built the castle here. It bel. afterwards to the Ldr. of Tateshal; but this is only said by Camden. In the R. of Hen. III. it was granted by the crown to Richard E. of Cornwall, K. John's younger son. Edw. II. granted the castle and manor of Okeham to his 2d brother, Edmund E. of Kent; and Edw. III. to Will. Bohun, E. of Northampton, and his heirs male. It reverting again to the crown, for want of such issue, Rich. II. granted it to Robert Vere, Earl of Oxford; but it was revoked long before his death, and given to Thomas of Woodstock, D. of Glocester, and afterwards to Edmund of Langley, D. of York, 5th son of K. Edw. III. In the R. of Hen. VI. it bel. jointly with his Duchess, to Humph. Stafford, D. of Bucks; by the forfeiture of whose son, Henry, it reverted to the crown, and was granted by Rich. III. to Henry Ld. Grey of Codnor, and his heirs male; and after his death, without lawful issue, Edw. Stafford, the last D. or Buckingham of the family, enjoyed this estate, till his attainder; when it reverted again to the crown, and Hen. VIII. granted it to Thomas Ld. Cromwell, with the title of Baron of Okeham; whose descendant, Edward Ld. Cromwell, conveyed it in the R. of Q. Eliz. to Sir John, afterwards Ld. Harrington; and it was not long after passed to Geo.Villers, D. of Buckingham; but the E. of Winchelsea is now Ld. both of the castle and manor. K. Hen. III. granted it Mts. on M. and S. and Fairs May 23 and August 29; but the Mt. on M. and Fair in May, were afterwards disused; and its Fairs now are April 27. and Sept. 4. In the R. of Rich. II. a hos. was founded here, by Will. Dalby of Exton, for 12 poor men and 2 chaplains, to pray for the good estate of the K. and his Q. and after their death for their souls; and in like manner for the founder and his wife, whose daughter and heiress was married to Roger Flore, or Flower, whose family had a seat,and a freehold estate here of above 100 acres of land. This hos. is still in being, but extremely decayed and impoverished, and different from its first institution. About 1584 Mr. Johnson, parson of North-Luffenham, by his charitable collections, and especially by the help of concealed lands, which he begged of Q. Eliz. built and endowed that, called Christ's-Hos. here, and a fr. sc. The Bps. of London and Peterborough, the deans of Westminster and Peterborough, the archdeacon of Northampton, and the masters of Trinity and St.John's-Coll. Cambridge, are perpetual governors of the hos. That called Dane-Weed grows every spring, about the ruins of the old castle wall, and dies in the fall. The first time any peer of the realm comes within the precincts of this Lp. he forfeits a shoe, from the horse he rides on, to the Ld. of the castle and manor, unless he commute for it with money; and several horse-shoes, some gilded and of curious workmanship, are nailed on the castle hall-door; some of them stamped with the names of the donors, and made very large and gilt, in proportion to the sum given by way of fine. This custom is derived from the arms of its ancient Lds. the Ferrers, which are 3 horse- shoes, fixed on the gates, and in the hall. To the Lds. court here, the Ts. of Bramston, Belton, and Wardley in this Co. and Twiforde and Thorpe-Sackvile in Leicestershire, owe suit and service. In the year 1619 the famous dwarf, Jeff. Hudson, was born here, who, when above 7 years old, and scarce 18 inches in stature, was taken as a rarity into the family of the D. of Buckingham at Burleigh on the Hill; and the court being then on a progress there, was served up to the table as a cold pye; after which he was taken to be dwarf to K. Charles the First's Q. who sent him over to France, to fetch her midwife; and in the civil wars he was made a captain of horse in the K's. service, and went with his mistress to France; where, for killing Mr. Crofts (brother to Ld. Crofts) in a combat on horseback, he was expelled the court. He was afterwards taken at sea by a Turkish pirate, and was many years a slave in Barbary; but being redeemed, came to England, where he lived on pensions from the D. of Buckingham, and others of the nobility. He did not advance much in his stature, till he was past 30, and then he shot up soon to be 3 foot, 9 inches. The people of these parts formerly used to go in pilgrimage to a spring in this p. still called Our Lady's-Well, where offerings were made to the Virgin Mary and St. Michael the Archangel. The assizes, &c. are held in the shire-hall in the castle. Here is a ch. sc.