At the beginning of the 19th century, Great Ellingham had around 655 inhabitants. These villagers were housed in some 97 dwellings. That’s an average of 6.75 persons per household! However, some dwellings will be occupied by one or two persons, with others accommodating much larger households. Dwellings The main clusters of houses were in Church…
Category: Large
Robert Large allows his Widow to Use a Room
Robert Large came to Great Ellingham in the late 1820s or early 1830s. He died in the village on the 21st September, 1843, having made his last will and testament on the 12th December, 1842. Wills can be a great source of information for both family and local historians. However, some wills can be very…
Increase & Decline in the Population of Great Ellingham in the 19th Century
Increase At the beginning of the 19th century, and over a period of 30 years, the population of Great Ellingham gradually increased from 655 in 1801 to 882 in 1831. Decrease However, save for a small increase in the populace in 1871, there began a steady decline in the population over the next 70 years….
John Wilkins’ Home in Church Street
Whilst we can usually find the names of our ancestors in parish registers and, sometimes, reference to the place where they lived, the registers rarely tell us whereabouts in a town or village our ancestors actually lived. If our ancestors were sufficiently wealthy to own property, we may be fortunate to find surviving deeds and/or…
The Tithe Barn in Long Street
In the Statement of Claims for Great Ellingham Inclosure c.1799, the Reverend Thomas Bond claimed: Tithes A ‘tithe’ or ‘tythe’ was a kind of taxation on a parish. Until the Tithe Commutaton Act of 1836 converted the tithe to a monetary payment, farming parishioners were required to make an annual payment of a tenth part…
‘Copings’ on the Church Wall made at the Brick Kiln, Hingham Road
Part of the church wall at Great Ellingham showing the coping stones According to the author of ‘A Little History of Great Ellingham‘ the coping stones to the northern end of the front wall of the Church of St James, Great Ellingham came from bricks made at Brick Kiln Farm around 1850. It is also…