The Cottage formerly known as Hillside and now Owl Cottage at Stalland CommonCourtesy A. M. Like many of the village’s historical houses, ‘Owl Cottage’ at Stalland Common was built as a double cottage. It is only in modern times that the house became one dwelling. In Part I, we looked at some of the owners…
Category: Thurston
Charles W Gladden’s Fatal Drive through Great Ellingham
On Saturday 23rd July 1910, the Norfolk News published an article about the death of farmer Charles Warren Gladden. The article also tells us that Charles Gladden died whilst driving his horse and cart through Great Ellingham. Family Connections Although born in Stratton Strawless, Charles Warren Gladden has family connections with Great Ellingham. His maternal…
Henry Norton’s Messuages along the main road to Rocklands
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….
A Series of Indentures conveying Cemetery Farm to John Wiggett
It is always satisfying to come across documentation which either backs up or disproves my earlier research. In this case, deeds from 1801 confirm my belief that John Morphew sold his farmhouse in Long Street (later known as the Cemetery Farm) to John Wiggett. But do the legal documents tell us anything else? Conveyancing Documents…
Messuage built upon the tenement Greenhouse – Part V
On the left is a fine thatched house (formerly a copyhold messuage) with a pair of cottages built onto the eastern wall (to the right) on the corner of Church Street (the Street) Chequers Lane & Long Street. Postcard courtesy Carol Ewin The Story of the Owners and Occupiers In Parts I, II, III and…
A ‘very desirable small farm’ – The Cemetery Farm
Appearing in the edition of the Eastern Daily Press of the 7th September, 1948, was the notice of a forthcoming Auction of a ‘very desirable small farm’ in Great Ellingham. ‘The Cemetery Farm’ was said to comprise of a comfortable farmhouse which had two sitting rooms and five bedrooms. It also had a substantial range…
Cromwell & the Destruction of St Andrew’s Church, Rocklands
The remains of the Parish Church of Saint Andrew, Rocklands. Photograph taken December 2019 Norfolk Heritage Explorer describes what remains of St Andrew’s Church, Rocklands as “the ruins of a 14th century church to the southeast of All Saints’ Church”. Ruins of Rockland St Andrew. Photograph taken December 2019 In his Essay Towards A Topographical…
Sixth Footpath called ‘Church Path’ discontinued in the early c18th
The Inclosures Map for Great Ellingham of 1802 shows four connecting footways weaving their way through various inclosures of land between Long Street and the road leading to the town of Attleborough. However, these four footpaths (together with ten others), were ‘put by and discontinued ‘ by the Inclosure (Great Ellingham) Act of 1799. Extract…
What’s In a Name?
Frank Newby with three of his children at Watton Road, Great Ellingham . Photograph courtesy of Sue Gent When researching family history, it is not unusual to find the name by which an individual is known differing between census returns and other documentation, such as registrations of birth, marriages and deaths. In other blogs, I…
Six Weddings and Several Funerals
Tombstone of Ann Margetson in the Churchyard at Great Ellingham An elaborate tombstone for Ann Margetson lies in Great Ellingham churchyard. The inscription on the tomb states that Ann Margetson was the widow of Abraham Downes of Attleborough. It also states that Ann was born on March 4th, 1828 and died on August 30th, 1919….