Illustration by Christine Fuller On the last Friday of September, 1894, and in celebration of the end of the Harvest, about fifty people sat down to a ‘repast of good old English fare‘ provided by the landlord of the Queens Head Inn, Charles Allen. The guests were seated at tables which had been set out…
Category: Farmers
The Wigbys of Mill Farm
1965. Mill Farm to the left of the photograph. Courtesy of Angela Crocker Funeral and Burial of Mrs Louisa Wigby Two days after Louisa Wigby was buried in the churchyard at St James, Great Ellingham on January 16th, 1939, a report of the funeral appeared in the Eastern Daily Press. The funeral service, conducted by…
A House Fit for a ‘King’
Great Ellingham is fortunate to have several fine listed buildings, with many of them situate in what today is known as Church Street. British Listed Buildings website describes Mill Farmhouse in Great Ellingham as a Grade II late seventeenth century timber framed farmhouse, on a flint plinth with rendered clay walls. The farmhouse also has…
The Tenant of Bush Green Farm
Property Owner Mary Smith Amongst the claimants referrred to in the Great Ellingham Inclosure Statement of Claims of 1799, was Mary Smith. At No.53 of the Schedule, she claimed: ‘One Messuage and 20A (20 acres) of land, occupied by Mary Steel. Of which 1A 2R (1 acre and two roods) are copyhold of Bury Hall’…
John Rose buys Heasell’s Farm
1820 Auction The Norfolk Chronicle & Norwich Gazette of the 15th July, 1820 included Notice of a forthcoming Auction of a ‘Valuable Estate’ in Great Ellingham. The Auction would take place at the Crown Inn in Great Ellingham on the 27th July, 1820 at four o’clock in the afternoon. The estate comprised ‘a good farmhouse,…
A Fall from Grace leads to Emigration
Bury Hall, Great Ellingham. Courtesy of Emma Wilson Towards the end of 1897, and, having fell into some disgrace, 38 year old Ernest Edwin Rushbrooke packed up the family’s belongings at Bury Hall, Great Ellingham, and headed off with his wife, six children and members of his wife’s family to New Zealand to begin a…
Transportation for ‘Respectable-looking Farmer’
The edition of The Northern Star of March 31st, 1849 reported on the cases heard at the Norwich Assizes on March 27th. One such case was that of William Kiddle Warren, described as a ‘respectable-looking farmer‘, who pleaded guilty to two charges of forgery. Warren had forged two bills of exchange (otherwise known as promissory…
Three Sons-in-law with the name John!
Illustration by Christine Fuller Death of William Downes William Downes died on the 30th August, 1853 at the age of 79. He was buried in the churchyard at the Parish Church of St James a few days later on the 4th September. Just three weeks earlier, William had put his affairs in order. He signed…
William Barnard in Financial Difficulties at Bury Hall
Bury Hall, Great Ellingham. Courtesy of Emma Wilson To be unable to meet the demands of creditors would have been bad enough for William Barnard and his family to endure, but it seems that this Barnard family suffered additional heartache. William Barnard A son of James and Sarah Barnard (née Rose), William Barnard was born…
A Long Marriage of 52 Years
William & Emily Houchen. Photograph taken 1921. Courtesy Pauline Bezant William and Emily Houchen had completed 52 years of marriage when William died in 1934. The couple had lived for many years in Reymerston before retiring to Yaxham. Early Life in Great Ellingham However, both William Houchen and his wife Emily (neé Rivett) were born…