Everyday life in Great Ellingham was particularly difficult for many of its inhabitants during the 1830s. James Warren and his family were no exception. James Warren Marriage Postcard of Church Road, Hargham with the Church of All Saints in the centre. Author’s own collection On the 21st January, 1814, James Warren of Great Ellingham married…
Category: Court Hearings
The Case of Hart -v- Wade
Attleborough County Court – August 1861 The Norfolk News of the 10th August, 1861, published a report of a recent case at the Attleborough County Court. The case centred around an action brought by Mark Hart, a higgler, of Great Ellingham against John Wade, an innkeeper, of Little Ellingham. Hart was seeking to recover £8…
The Hall Brothers’ Misdemeanors
1845 Court Hearing In October, 1845, brothers William and Daniel Hall appeared at the County Quarter Sessions in Norwich. They were charged with breaking and entering, and taking items from the home of John Sayer, a miller, of Great Ellingham, on the 20th July. William and Daniel were alleged to have taken seven keys, one…
Denmark & Pitts bring Terror to the Neighbourhood
County Sessions, Norwich, 6th January 1836 On the 6th January, 1836, James Denmark and Goodson Pitts stood before the Chairman of the County Sessions held in Norwich, on a charge of larceny. Shoemaker John Hooke lived near to the Chequers Public House in what we today know as Chequers Lane. Postcard courtesy of Carol Ewin…
Theft of Lead from the Church Roof
Church of St James, Great Ellingham. Postcard courtesy of Attleborough Heritage Group Court Appearance 24 year old Samuel Spencer was amongst the prisoners appearing at the County Sessions in Norwich, on the 6th January, 1836. Spencer stole 26 lbs of lead from the roof of the parish church in Great Ellingham. He was found guilty,…
Robert Oldfield’s Cottage in Church Street
Amongst other things, the provisions of the Housing of the Working Classes Act gave enforcement powers to local authorities, in relation to sanitary conditions and overcrowding in housing. 1901 census Wreningham born William Lane came to Great Ellingham with his wife and two children before the birth of their son William c.1896. The 1901 census…
Assault by Knocking off a Hat!
Great Ellingham farmer, William Robert Wick Green, appeared before the Magistrates at East Harling in the July of 1869. James Tennant, a miller’s clerk of East Harling, charged William Green with assaulting him by knocking off his hat at Attleborough on the 21st June. Green told the court that he “did it as a joke…
A Drunk & Disorderly Shepherd
Herbert Morter, a shepherd, of Great Ellingham appeared before the Magistrates at East Harling at the beginning of October, 1908. Herbert was charged with being drunk and disorderly on the 5th October. He was convicted and fined 10/- (ten shillings) with costs of 4/-, with 10 days imprisonment in default of payment. The 1901 census…
14 Days for Theft of Turnips
Appearance at Norwich Assizes 26 year old Susan Pea appeared at the Norwich Assizes at the beginning of April 1837. She was charged with stealing two bushels of turnips at Great Ellingham, the property of John Turner. Susan was found guilty and sentenced to 14 days imprisonment. Two bushels is approximately eight stone (or nearly…
Marital Disagreement results in a Court Appearance
The report of a court case appearing in the Norfolk News of the 19th November, 1910, provides not only details of the case brought by a husband against his wife, but also information about the individuals involved. The newspaper gave a lengthy account of the case heard at the East Harling Petty Sessions under the…