Illustration by Christine Fuller
Appearance at Court
Alban Bass, a labourer of Great Ellingham, appeared before the Magistrates at the East Harling Petty Sessions in August 1884.
He was charged with being disorderly and failing to quit the Prince of Wales Inn at Great Ellingham when asked to do so by the Landlord, Benjamin Lane. Alban Bass was also charged with assaulting the Benjamin Lane. The offences took place on 29th July.
Alban was convicted of both offences and was fined 16s for the first offence and fined (with costs) a total of £1 5s 6d for the assault.
Prince of Wales
Extract from 1906 Ordnance Survey Map. Second Edition. Surveyed in 1881. Author’s Collection
The Prince of Wales Inn (shown on the above map) was on the road from Great Ellingham to Rocklands, not far from the junction with Bow Street, where Alban Bass may well have been living.
Alban Bass
Baptism
Alban Bass was the son of Benjamin and Charlotte Bass. He was baptised in the Church of St James, Great Ellingham on 7th September 1862. Accordingly, he would have been aged 22 at the time of the court appearance.
Bow Street
The census returns of 1871 and 1881 show Alban and his sister Adeline (Adelina) with their grandparents, Samuel and Rebecca Chaplin, in Bow Street, Great Ellingham.
Little Ellingham
The 1891 census captures 28 year old Alban lodging with Isaac and Martha Skitmore and their family at The Green, Little Ellingham. Alban is working as a labourer.
Marriage
Towards the end of 1892, Alban married Thirza Houchen. Sadly, Thirza died less than three years later at the age of 36. She was buried in the churchyard at Great Ellingham on 27th May 1895.
Hingham Road
By 1901, Alban was living at Brick Kiln Cottages on the Hingham Road in Great Ellingham.
Alban was still living in Great Ellingham at the time of the 1911 census. This census shows that Alban had one child.
Ten years later, the 1921 census captures Alban Bass aged 58 years and 10 months at Brickfield Cottages. He is working as a casual agricultural labourer with no fixed place of work. With Alban is 69 year old Mary Ann Ryder who is listed as a housekeeper.
Burial
Alban Bass died in the summer of 1925. He was also buried in the churchyard of St James on the 23rd July, 1925. He was aged 63 yrs.
[updated January 31, 2023]
Sources:
1871 census RG10/1841/80
1881 census RG11/1974/84
1891 census RG12/1549/87
1901 census RG13/1867/73
1911 census RG14/11473/17
1921 census RG15/26288/60
Great Ellingham Parish Registers Norfolk Record Office PD/609. Also available at FamilySearch.org https://www.familysearch.org/search/image/index?owc=4J8C-CB7%3A29627201%3Fcc%3D1416598
GRO Index – also available at https://www.freebmd.org.uk/