Many written accounts of ‘everyday histories’ focus on prominent figures and major events. However, it is the documenting of the working class which preserves the lived experiences of ordinary people. We are indebted to Great Ellingham man Harry Rix. In 2001, 80 year old Harry decided to record some of his boyhood memories of the…
Category: Lincoln
Harry Rix’s Early Boyhood Recollections of Great Ellingham – Church Street
Many of us will have memories of our childhood. For example, recollections about our family, where we lived and went to school, the names of our friends and neighbours, and who else lived in our street. The recording of our memories ensures a long lasting legacy for the next generations. Similarly, the recording of local…
Occupiers of the Cottages in Watton Road 1891-1942
The three pairs of semi-detached cottages with the former Prince of Wales Inn to the right along the Watton to Attleborough Road. March 2026. Courtesy Alison Crowter The above photograph shows the former Prince of Wales Inn (on the far right) and the three pairs of semi-detached cottages. These may have been built at a…
Harry Rix’s Early Boyhood Recollections of Great Ellingham – Attleborough Road
The recording of everyday histories is of vital importance. Written accounts often focus on prominent figures and major events. Documenting daily life preserves the lived experiences of ordinary people. Great Ellingham is particularly indebted to two Great Ellingham inhabitants who recorded some of the history and life in the village: William Robert Lebbell (1884-1965) and…
First Occupants of the Hingham Road ‘Council Houses’
The first known ‘council houses’ or ‘houses for the working class’ were built in Mill Lane. Around 1928, Wayland Rural District Council (Wayland RDC) commissioned a terrace of four houses in Mill Lane. The Council also built a pair of semi-detached houses near to the terrace, which were either built at the same time or within…
Gilbert Lincoln buys Cemetery Farm
Extract from 1906 Ordnance Survey Map. Second Edition. Surveyed in 1881. Revised 1904 ‘Home Farm’ is one of Great Ellingham’s most delightful historical houses. Located in Long Street, its origins go back several centuries. However, I do not know when it was built. Having said that, I know that it was in existence in 1734…
Fete held in the Grounds of Hall Farm
Illustration Christine Fuller The following report was published in the Yarmouth Independent on Saturday 28th June 1930: FINE PARISH EFFORTFor the Recreation Ground at Great EllinghamThe grounds at the Hall Farm, Great Ellingham, lent by Mr T.F. Palmer, provided a charming setting on Wednesday for a fete for a recreation ground. The event was organised…
The History of Swamp Lane Cottages – Part III
It is not until the 1901 census that I find the name ‘Swamp Lane’ recorded on the census returns. However, earlier electoral registers going back to at least 1878, refer to the area as ‘The Swamp’ or ‘Swamp’. Nevertheless, some of the census returns prior to 1901 refer to the few cottages along the lane…
The History of the Double Cottage built on Pennell Common – Part II
Double Cottage at Penhill Road Photograph courtesy of the McDouall family This double cottage has stood along Penhill Road since at least 1811. Like many other historical houses in the village, the cottage has undergone many changes over the years. Furthermore, it will have seen the comings and goings of many occupants. We left Part…
George & Louisa Edwards both die from Phthisis
According to Simon Willis in his book ‘How our Ancestors Died‘, at least one in six people died of tuberculosis during the Victorian period. Tuberculosis was also known as phthisis as well as consumption. My own family (as well as those families living in Great Ellingham), were no exception in being affected by this disease….