James Sadd Buys White House Farm James Sadd was already farming and living at White House Farm in Long Street, Great Ellingham, when he completed the purchase of the farm. On the 29th September, 1920, he bought the freehold farm for the sum of £750 from spinster Mary Fortune, of Poplar Grove, Scremerston, Berwick-on-Tweed. The…
Category: Long
Church Farmhouse and Nearby Cottages
Accordingly to Historic England, Church Farmhouse, a Grade II Listed Building) was built in the early 17th century. However, the present owners believe it was built or evolved much earlier, as there are parts of the building which may date from the 14th or 15th century. Farmhouse owned and occupied by Benjamin Turner At the…
Poplar Farmhouse – an Ancient Timber Framed Building
Poplar Farm, Long Street. Courtesy of Susan Fay In the informative booklet, A Little History of Great Ellingham, the authors describe ‘Poplar Farm’ as “an ancient timber framed building purporting to be made from reclaimed ship’s timber”. “This house has a long corridor down one side’”. The booklet also mentions that there is a spring…
‘Mass Emigration’ from Great Ellingham in 1836
Illustration by Christine Fuller Borrowing to Fund the Emigration of the Poor Persons of the Parish One of the provisions of the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, was the legislation which enabled the rate payers of a parish to set up a fund to pay for the ‘emigration of the poor persons settled in the…
Grocer & Draper in Church Street
Illustration by Christine Fuller The 1851 census finds single man, 23 year old Charles Hannant as a grocer and draper in Church Street, Great Ellingham. Charles’s father, 51 year old William Hannant, is visiting his son. Although his present home was in Stepney (an area in the East End of London), jeweller William Hannant was…
The Miller Family’s Emigration to Australia
Whether William Miller saw an advertisement in the local newspaper offering a new and better life in Australia, or he knew of a family who had taken (or was about to take) such a journey, 39 year old William Miller with his wife and children emigrated from Great Ellingham to Australia in 1852. Born in…
WANTED: Respectable Housekeeper
Advertisement for Housekeeper An advertisement for a ‘housekeeper to a working man’ appeared in the ‘Wanted’ section of the Norwich Mercury of 25th February, 1905. It was stated that the housekeeper should be around the age of 30, respectable and preference would be given to applicant’s with small dairy experience. I wonder how many applications…
The Erection of the British School in 1855
Before the nineteenth century, there was no national system for education. Opportunities for formal education were generally only available to those who could afford to pay. The schools that did exist relied on the generosity of local benefactors or people trying to make a living. Very few children received any schooling. The former British School…
The Inhabitants of Chequers Lane – 1861 to 1911
Postcard of Chequers Lane. Courtesy of Carol Ewin Although the Chequers Inn is mentioned in the census returns of 1841 and 1851, it is not until the census of 1861 that the name Chequers (or Chequer) Lane appears. It is therefore difficult to establish how many households were living in what we know today as…
James Long’s Cottage, Garden & Allotment
Extract from 18th Century Map. Town Green, Hyrne and Broad Commons in Great Ellingham held at Norfolk Record Office. Cat. Ref. MC2213/113, 941X7. With kind permission of NRO. The above extract from an 18th century map of Great Ellingham shows the position of the two parcels of land owned by James Long (at the top…