Illustration by Christine Fuller
The Norwich Mercury dated 29th August 1874, contained a notice of a sale of property by Public Auction. The auction lots would include cottages in Bow Street, Great Ellingham.
The Auction would be held at the New Inn (now the Royal Hotel) in Attleborough, at four o’clock sharp, on the 3rd September, 1874.
Lot 9 consisted of two freehold cottages with good gardens. These cottages were occupied by William Howe and Samuel Chaplin.
Lot 10 consisted of a double cottage, again with good gardens, occupied by William Beales and his under tenant.
Who were the Occupiers of the Dwellings?
Samuel Chaplin
The 1871 census shows Samuel Chaplin aged 55, a labourer, living with his wife Rebecca (aged 54) and grandchildren Aban (Alban) and Adeline Bass (aged 8 and 5 respectively) in Great Ellingham.
Howe Household
Nearby is the household of Mary Howe, a widow aged 69, along with her son and daughter in law, William and Elizabeth Howe. William is described as a 44 year old labourer.
Beales Family
30 year old widower Henry Beales, also a labourer, is living nearby with his widowed mother, Mary Beales, aged 62, and his brother, William aged 21 (also described as a labourer).
Bow Street Families
Although the census does not specifically state that the households were in Bow Street, from looking at the census ten years later, I believe these families were in Bow Street in 1871, and they are the families referred to in the Auction notice of 29th August 1874.
Sources:
1871 census RG10/1841/80
1881 census RG11/1974/84
Norwich Mercury 29th August 1874 – page 4
Updated September 2020