Quoits that once belonged to Jacob Beales (1874-1952), the landlord of the Chequers Public House. Photograph courtesy of Graham Beales, great grandson of Jacob Beales In setting out the game of Quoits, Pear’s Cyclopaedia of May 1928 describes the Quoits themselves as ‘flattened rings, convex on the upper side, 8¼ inches to 9½ inches in…
Stock, Trade Materials & Effects to James Reeder
Amongst the legacies mentioned in wheelwright William Lebbell’s will of the 17th July, 1897, was the gift of all his stock, trade materials and effects to carpenter, James Reeder who was said to be in William’s service. Further, the will states that William Lebbell had already conveyed his dwellinghouse, premises and land to James Reeder….
William Rose dies within hours of the 1841 census
Death of Retired Shopkeeper Retired shopkeeper, 65 year old William Rose, died in Great Ellingham on the 6th June 1841. He may well have died just a few hours before the National Census which was undertaken that very night. 1841 Census William’s name does not appear on the census. His 60 year old widow, Amelia,…
James Rose, Grocer & Postmaster
St James Great Ellingham. Postcard courtesy Attleborough Heritage Group James son of William & Amelia Rose The son of a shopkeeper, James Rose was baptised in the Church of St James, Great Ellingham on the 18th April, 1809. He was one of at least six children of William and Amelia Rose. His parents had married…
Scholarships for Great Ellingham Pupils
School Examinations Norfolk Junior Scholarship Examinations took place on Saturday the 2nd November, 1907. 240 candidates were examined, of which 117 were boys and 123 girls. Pupils from Great Ellingham School were amongst the 16 candidates from the rural districts. Six weeks later, confirmation of those pupils gaining scholarships was published in the Norfolk Chronicle…
Pursuit from London to Great Ellingham
Was Great Ellingham baker, Charles Thilthorpe, surprised to find his son John and his daughter in law on his door-step in Great Ellingham on a Saturday late in October, 1803? Perhaps John Thilthorpe told his father that the visit was long over-due and he thought it time he and his wife paid him a visit….
Tenants Served with Notices to Quit
Notice to Quit addressed to Mrs Mary Howe dated 31st March 1874. Courtesy of Wymondham Town Archive The Notices When Mary Howe and Samuel Chaplin received Notice to Quit their respective homes in Bow Street in the April of 1874, were they expecting the Notice or did it come ‘out of the blue’? The Notice…
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…
Sentence of Seven Years Transportation in 1823
Thomas Tompson (or Thompson) appeared at the County Sessions at Wymondham in the January of 1823. Tompson was charged with embezzling the sum of £15 12s 12d belonging to his employer, a higgler, at Great Ellingham. Tompson was convicted and sentenced to seven years transportation. The report of the case appearing in the Bury &…
Widow Stebbins occupying ‘one messuage & 26 acres of land’
Today, Great Ellingham has two farms in Penhill Road which include ‘Penhill’ in the farm name – Penhill Farm and Penhill Farm West. As the name suggests, Penhill Farm West is situated near to the western boundary of the village with Rocklands. Penhill Farm lies nearer to the village along the same road. Penhill Farm…