William Mann was buried in the churchyard at Great Ellingham on 31st August, 1869 aged 73 years Will & Codicil On reaching his mid-fifties, William Mann may well have thought it time to put his affairs in order. Accordingly he drew up his last Will and Testament (amounting to four pages) and executed this in…
Category: Occupations
Death Announcement of Robert Wilkins in 1878
The announcement of the death of Robert Wilkins on the 15th January 1878 at Great Ellingham, appeared in the Norfolk Chronicle & Norwich Gazette on January 19th. No further details were provided. Who was Robert Wilkins? The 1871 census shows a 71 year old widower Robert Wilkin living alone in Chequers Lane, Great Ellingham. I…
Attleborough Butcher Fined for removing Bullock from Great Ellingham
The Norfolk Chronicle & Norwich Gazette of June 16th, 1866 reported on recent cases heard at the Petty Sessions in East Harling. Amongst the defendants was John Layton, a Butcher from nearby Attleborough. He was charged with ‘removing a fat bullock from Great Ellingham to Attleborough without a license as required by the order of…
Hawhill Farm demolished in the 1940s
Until the Second World War, Hawhill Farm (also known or referred to as Haw Hill Farm and Haugh Farm) was a substantial farm property located to the north-east of Stalland Common and Bush Green near to the boundary with Deopham. Extract from a map annexed to Auction Particulars for Hawhill Farm, Great Ellingham dated September…
A Father’s Promise to the Court to keep his son under Restraint
Court Case A special sitting of the Wymondham Petty Sessions took place on 13th April, 1869 to hear a case of the theft of three pistols at Wymondham on 8th April. Robert James Matthews aged 17 of Great Ellingham was charged with stealing three pistols the property of Wymondham ironmonger, Arthur West. The Court was…
Three Cottages in the street late called Churchgate Street
Long Street with Mill in background. Postcard Carol Ewin 1897 James Houchen Buys Three Cottages By an Indenture (property deed) dated 11th October, 1897 three cottages with gardens and grounds were conveyed to James Houchen of Great Ellingham. An earlier deed of 1874 and a later deed of 1920, described the cottages as being ‘in…
Grocer William Bennett granted Licence to Sell Sweets!
It is possible that Ye Olde Thatche Shoppe to the left or the shop attached to the Crown Public House was the grocer and draper’s shop of William Adam Bennett in 1871. Courtesy of Attleborough Heritage Group Grocer & Draper, William Bennett Chesterfield born William Adam Bennett was one of at least three grocers and…
Postcard Returns to Great Ellingham after 100 years
Postcard sent from Great Ellingham by Lilian Field to Ada Warren in Higham Bury St Edmunds around 1911 I was delighted to be able to purchase this postcard and even more delighted to find that it had been used and that I knew exactly who had written it! A big clue to the identity of…
John Chaplin – Ordered to Maintain his Mother
Court Appearances Drover, John Chaplin of Great Ellingham appeared before the Magistrates at East Harling in June 1873 charged with refusing to obey an order made by the Justices on a previous occasion, for the maintenance of his mother. The Magistrates imposed a penalty and costs of £1 9s. John Chaplin had been before the…
Mill House Partly Destroyed by Fire
Mill House with the Mill behind. Postcard postmarked 1905. Newspaper Report The Norfolk News of Saturday, 6th August 1904, reported on the fire which occurred at the Mill House at Great Ellingham the previous Thursday. The Mill House, built of clay with a thatched roof with a combined bake-office, was partly destroyed before the arrival…