Rookery Farm is a substantial property approached by a short drive from the Watton Road, near to the border with Rocklands. Indeed a very small portion of the land belonging to the farm once crossed the parish boundary into Rocklands. Perhaps this is still the case today. Extract from 1906 Ordnance Survey Map. Second Edition….
Category: Beales
William Wretham of Norwich buys Bow Street Property at Auction
As a consequence of the end of a life interest, the late Reverend William Lobb’s house and land in Bow Street was sold in 1845. The Location of the Property Extract from 1802 Map of Great Ellingham. Russell James Colman Plans. All rights reserved Norfolk Record Office Cat. Ref. C/Ca 1/84. With kind permission of…
Warren’s Cottage with Yard & Garden occupied by Wretham & Halls
At the turn of the 19th Century, Jeffery Warren owned several dwellings in Great Ellingham. Save for the cottage he lived in, the remainder were let out to tenants. Although Warren died in the March of 1800, his properties continued to be let by his executors. One such property was the cottage, yard and garden…
Villagers in Contravention of World War II Blackout Regulations
Emergency Powers Just days before the outbreak of the Second World War, the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939 came into effect. This new legislation gave the government “special powers to take almost any action necessary to carry out the war successfully.” The new powers controlled many aspects of everyday life during the war – including…
Thomas Margetson’s Cottage in Watton Road
We are fortunate that the Norfolk Record Office holds an abundance of documentation relating to Great Ellingham. This includes paperwork from the ‘Great Ellingham Inclosures’ c.1799 and a map dated 1802. According to the Great Ellingham Inclosure Statement of Claims, Thomas Beales claimed: – One Cottage and Garden occupied by Thomas Margetson – One Barn…
Council Housing for Great Ellingham following the ‘Addison’ Act
The Housing, Town Planning, &c Act of 1919 (often referred to as the ‘Addison Act’) promised government subsidies to help finance the build of 500,000 houses in Britain within three years. The Act also made housing a national responsibility, with local authorities being charged with developing new housing and rental accommodation to satisfy the need…
A Mother’s Plea not to send her Son to ‘the Front’
Chequers Lane, Great Ellingham. Robert Beales and his family lived in one of the houses shown in the postcard. Courtesy of Carol Ewin Shoemaker Robert Beales & his Family in Chequers Lane Just over three years before the start of the Great War in 1914, shoemaker Robert Beales, his wife Ellen and seven of their…
Cornelius Carter in Financial Difficulties
On Saturday, 7th May, 1791, the Norfolk Chronicle published the following notice concerning the affairs of Cornelius Carter. May 3, 1791 WHEREAS CORNELIUS CARTER of Great Ellingham, in the County of Norfolk, Farmer, having put his affairs into the hands of James Boyce, of the city of Norwich, Attorney at Law, and William Peed, of…
Chelsea Pensioner’s Wife convicted of a Violent Assault
In the August of 1852, Rhoda Carter of Great Ellingham appeared before a special sitting of the Petty Sessions at Attleborough. She was charged with violently assaulting Elizabeth Fame of Hingham. However, the report in the Norfolk News of the 28th August, 1852, did not provide specific details of the offence. Was this just a…
Frances Kerrison’s Claim to the Commissioners for the Inclosures
At No.23 of the Statement of Claims to the Commissioners for the Great Ellingham Inclosures c.1799, is a claim by Frances Kerrison. Frances, the wife of Richard Kerrison, claimed one Messuage and 8 Acres of Land, occupied by Richard Kerrison. Of the whole property, one acre and two roods were copyhold of Bury Hall. Along…