The above letter was written by John Nichols, a farmer, living in Northrepps on the 18th July 1858. It was addressed to Benjamin Barnard of The Hall at Great Ellingham. The content of the letter referred to the payment of an annuity due to Mrs Barnard from the ‘Stanfield Estate’. It seems that there had…
Category: Town Green
Auction of Charles Rivett’s Farmhouse
Trustee and Overseer An application to the Charity Comissioners of 1873 by the Trustees of the Great Ellingham Fuel Allotment Charity refers to Charles Rivett as being one of the Trustees of the Charity. Charles Rivett was also one of two Overseers of the Poor for the Parish. James Beatson being the other. Local Man…
Court Appearance for Harriet Leeder, Grocery Dealer
Illustration by Christine Fuller The illustration is creative interpretation and intended for humour only. No offence is intended or implied Great Ellingham born Harriet Leeder was a grocery dealer living in Long Street during the 1860s, with her parents, William and Frances Leeder. Court Appearance In the August of 1864, Harriet Leeder, described as a…
April Fool’s Prank by George Anderson?
Illustration by Christine Fuller The illustration is creative interpretation and intended for humour only. No offence is intended or implied. The Norwich Mercury of April 12th, 1905 reported on the case of the theft of a hen heard recently at the East Harling Petty Sessions. George Anderson of Great Ellingham was charged with stealing a…
John Bartram Bound Over to Keep the Peace for Six Months
Court Case The Norfolk News of 1st April 1876, reported on a case heard at the East Harling Petty Sessions on the previous Tuesday. John Bartram described as a farmer of Great Ellingham was charged with using threatening language to William Myhill. Myhill was also a farmer of Great Ellingham. Bartram was bound over in…
‘A Miller’s Account’
The Norwich Mercury of 26th November, 1902 reported on the case of Underwood -v- Wilkin which was heard at the County Court at Attleborough on the previous Saturday. The newspaper report’s heading was ‘A Miller’s Account‘. The parties in the action were the Plaintiff, James William Underwood, and J. Wilkin junior, the Defendant. James Underwood…
Mary Ann Catling charged with Housebreaking
Illustration by Christine Fuller The illustration is creative interpretation and intended for humour only. No offence is intended or implied. The Offence The Norwich Mercury of 20th December, 1873, reported on a court case concerning Mary Ann Catling. Mary Ann was the wife of drillman, Henry Catling, of Great Ellingham. The magistrates were told that…
Valentine Treats at The Hall
Illustration Christine Fuller The illustration is creative interpretation and intended for humour only. No offence is intended or implied. For many years, Sarah the wife of Benjamin Barnard, of The Hall, Great Ellingham, entertained members of the church choir and friends on or around Valentine’s Day, the 14th February. The Norfolk Chronicle of February 20th,…
Prize given for Recognition of 11 Year’s in the Service of Mr Benjamin Barnard
An Annual Meeting of the Shropham & Guiltcross Agricultural Association was held at East Harling on Friday 25th September, 1841. The edition of the Norfolk Chronicle of October 3rd, reported on the event and remarked that the Association was “the most effective of this kind in the country“. Amongst other things, the Association gave prizes…
Charlotte Fisher convicted of Attempting to Murder her Employers
In 1871, Great Ellingham girl Charlotte Fisher was convicted of attempting to murder her employers. There is no doubt that the misdemeanour will have attracted a lot of attention in the village of Great Ellingham and further afield. Did Charlotte’s family receive sympathy from their neighbours, or did they encounter hostility? I also wonder…