George Saunders’ house & premises is in the centre of this postcard (the house side-ways) in Church Street, Great Ellingham Kelly’s Directories of 1908 and 1912 lists the name ‘George Saunders’ under Great Ellingham. Saunders is described as a carpenter, builder and undertaker, with the added words ‘joinery a speciality‘. Bill of G.Saunders for providing…
Category: Long Street
Marriage at the Baptist Chapel celebrated at The Manse
Illustration Christine Fuller The Downham Market Gazette of Saturday 23 April, 1910, reported the following: GREAT ELLINGHAMThe wedding took place at the Baptist Chapel on Saturday last, of Mr C Higgins and Miss A BurrowsThe bridegroom’s father (the Rev. W Higgins) conducted the service. The bride was attended by Gwendoline Higgins as bridesmaid and Master…
For Sale – Newly built farmhouse known as Wylands Farm
Illustration Christine Fuller Wylands Farm lies to the most southern end of Long Street not far from the village boundary with Attleborough. Extract from O.S. Map c.1945. Courtesy Ray & Maureen Beales The Thetford & Watton Times of the 23rd September, 1916, published the following notice: PROPERTY SALE On Wednesday afternoon Messrs W S Hall…
Magistrates order Nehemiah Carter to contribute towards his Wife’s Care
A Workhouse was intended to provide work and shelter for the most poverty stricken members of society. However, many of the Victorian Workhouses operated with prison-like conditions. Accordingly it was only the desperate who would seek the shelter of the workhouse. Nevertheless by the latter part of the Victorian era, workhouses became more of a…
The Marriage Settlement of Harriet Barnard and Richard Clarke
Historically it was common for aristocratic families, the gentry and those families owning land, to want to control the descent of their property. This could be done by incorporating a trust within a purchase deed or in a Will. However it was also common to do this by Marriage Settlements. Arranged Marriages For centuries, arranged…
Part III – A History of the Cottage adjoining The Crown Public House
The Cottage with adjoining shop to the right of the Crown Public House. Postcard courtesy Carol Ewin Parts I and II of a series of blogs, take the history of the cottage (with an adjoining shop), from around 1749 to 1868. Here, we go forward from 1868 when Joseph Warren purchased the premises at auction….
Joseph & Elizabeth Reeder, with roots firmly in Great Ellingham
Joseph Reeder 1862-1953 Courtesy Betty Reeder Above is a wonderful image of a true Great Ellingham man, Joseph (Joe) Reeder. In 1883, Joe (then 21) married 19 year old Elizabeth Reeder. Joseph and Elizabeth were both great grandchildren of Peter Reeder and his wife Hannah nèe Hewitt. This made them ‘second cousins’. However, this was…
Annie takes over from her Father, William Wilkins
Great Ellingham Village Stores and Post Office. April 2020. The Wilkins family is one of a few families who can trace their ancestors for several generations in Great Ellingham. In fact, the Wilkins family has been in the village far longer than the present Post Office building, where some of the Wilkins family lived and…
A Magpie makes the News!
Great Ellingham Post Office. Photograph taken c.1990 From the Lynn Advertiser of the 13th January, 1976: Storm Bird A TAME MAGPIE arrived at Great Ellingham Post Office during the recent storm and has stayed with the postmaster. He is looking after it until it is claimed. I believe the ‘postmaster’ at the time was Charles…
Private 42179 George R Saunders 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment
Fellow local historian, Cynthia Budd, has meticulously researched the men listed on the Great War Memorials throughout the Shellrock Benefice (Great Ellingham, Little Ellingham, Rockland All Saints, Rockland St Peter and Shropham with Snetterton). She has kindly allowed me to reproduce her tributes to the Great Ellingham men, on the Great Ellingham One-Place Study website….