1790-1909 Extract from 1906 Ordnance Survey Map. Second Edition. Surveyed in 1881. Revised 1904 From 1790 until 1909 Rookery Farm on the Watton Road to Rocklands, was owned by the Norton family. At the turn of the 18th century, the farm comprised two farms – one of some 50 acres and the other 114 acres….
Category: Lebbell
House built on Robert Utting’s Land in Long Street
Deeds are a very useful resource when trying to find the history of a house. Not least that, sometimes, deeds can provide a clue as to when a particular house was built. When Robert Utting mortgaged his Long Street land in 1861, the description of the property recited in the Mortgage Deed specifically says “……together…
‘Sparrows Nest’ at the southern end of Long Street
Save for some of the larger farms and houses, very few of the dwellings in Great Ellingham were named (or even numbered) until at least the 21st century. Added to this, the various census schedules for each household in the village from 1841 to 1911, do not always follow the order as they appear along…
Lily fulfil’s her dream to be a Nurse
Poplar Farm, Long Street. Courtesy of Susan Fay Born at Poplar Farm Lily Mary Louise Lebbell was born on February 6th, 1914, in the southern annex of Poplar Farm in Long Street. She was the fourth of the five children of William Robert Lebbell and his wife Lily née Wigby. Lily was also her parents’…
The Creation of Great Ellingham Parish Council
Parish Administration Prior to 1894 Prior to the establishment of Parish Councils, the responsibility for the day to day administration of the parish fell to the rector and some of the more affluent landowners – particularly those who could read, write and keep accounts. In Great Ellingham, the parish ‘officers’ such as the churchwardens, the…
A Timely Passing through the Village
The Clock on the tower of St James’s Church, Great Ellingham. Photograph taken February 2023 ‘Smith of Derby’ writes to the Reverend Lavender Towards the end of November, 1968, the Reverend A R A Lavender received a letter from the Managing Director of the prestigious Clock Manufacturers ‘Smith of Derby’. J E Howard Smith informed…
Recollections of a Home Guard
Local Defence Volunteers to Home Guards Some of us will remember the sit-com ‘Dad’s Army‘ which was based on the Home Guard in World War 2. Dad’s Army was broadcast by the BBC from 1968 through to 1977. The Home Guard consisted of local volunteers (usually men) who were generally above or below the age…
Letter concerning Ann Saunders’ Burial in 1884
12 September 1908 Letter from G. Saunders regarding Ann Saunders. Courtesy Roger Banks Letter amongst a Bundle of Deeds The above letter was written over a century ago. It was amongst a bundle of deeds relating to Holly Croft Farm in Bow Street. The letter confirms the burial of Ann Saunders on June 18th, 1884,…
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…
Ownership of Land in the same Family for Generations
On the 5th June, 1837, Edward Wilkins purchased the former ‘Town House’ in Long Street. Since the erection of the Wayland Union Workhouse in nearby Rocklands, the ‘Town House’ was no longer needed to house the poor of Great Ellingham. Accordingly, it became surplus to requirements. I believe this property – or at least the…