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 and Palmer offered for sale at the Wayland Hall [Watton] a small freehold farm, well situated in the parish of Great Ellingham, and comprising a newly-built farmhouse, with well-built and ample farm premises, together with a four-roomed cottage and nine enclosures of mixed soil arable and pasture land, containing in all about 78a 3r 17p. The property is known as the “Wylands Farm”, and is now in the occupation of Mrs Leeder, under whose instructions, as executrix of the late Mr James Leeder, the property was sold. Vacant possession will be given at Michaelmas next. The farm was purchased by Mr Walter Kerridge of Hockham for £1,500. Messrs Houchen, Greenland and Co., of Attleborough, were the solicitors concerned
The notice provides some useful information. Not only does it tell us the names of the seller and buyer, but it tells us that the farmhouse is ‘newly-built’. It further confirms that there is also a four-roomed cottage.
A Valuation of Great Ellingham 1817-1819, shows that there was a cottage with barn, yard and garden on the site of ‘Wylands’ at that time.
As there is no evidence of the cottage on the Great Ellingham Inclosure Map of 1802, we can be certain that the cottage was built between 1802 and 1819.
James & Alice Leeder
The 1911 census captures 59 year old farmer James Leeder with his 46 year old wife Alice Matilda living in a 7-roomed property in Bow Street. The couple had completed 23 years of marriage. Their 18 year old daughter, Mabel Martha, is living with them. Mabel is carrying out dairy work for her father.
The Leeder family came to Great Ellingham some time after the 1901 census, which finds James and Alice with Mabel (then aged 8) in Mill Lane, Stratton St Michael, the birthplace of both James and his daughter. Alice Leeder was born in Tharston.
Home in Bow Street
Electoral Registers between 1908 and 1915 show James Leeder occupying land and a tenement in Bow Street. There is no mention of Long Street or indeed Wylands. However, it is not uncommon to find a farmer occupying one property and owning another, which was usually let.
Death of James Leeder
Headstone in memory of James Leeder and his wife Alice Matilda
Great Ellingham St James churchyard
On the 30th September, 1915, 62 year old James Leeder died in Great Ellingham. His burial took place in the churchyard of St James a week later.
Connection to Rookery Farm
Following her husband’s death, I believe that Alice continued to live in Great Ellingham.
The 1921 census finds 56 year old widow Alice as a visitor at the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Mabel and Alec Bush at Rookery Farm Cottages. Alec’s father, William Arthur Bush, purchased Rookery Farm in 1911.
Death of Alice Leeder
The 1939 Register lists Alice Leeder as a retired farmer living alone in Long Street. She is also listed in the Great Ellingham Invasion Committee Record of 1942. At 76, Alice has been assigned general utility duties as part of the ‘war effort’.
Alice died on the 9th February, 1949. She was also buried in the churchyard of St James.
Buyer Walter Kerridge
In September, 1916, farmer Walter Kerridge of (Great) Hockham paid £1,500 for Wylands Farm. This, of course, included the newly-built farmhouse as well as the four-roomed cottage.
I have no doubt that on completion of his purchase, Walter moved into Wylands with his wife and at least two of their sons.
Suffolk Born
The 1921 census captures 75 year old Walter Kerridge with his 68 year old wife Elizabeth Mary and sons, Arthur Edgar 33 and John Sidney 31 at Wylands Farm. Although the Kerridge family came to Great Ellingham from Hockham, Walter Kerridge was a Suffolk man having been born in Cockfield. Elizabeth Kerridge was also Suffolk born. However at least 8 of their children (including sons Arthur and John), were born in Stow Bedon.
Death of Elizabeth Kerridge
Married to Walter for nearly 52 years, Elizabeth died in the early part 1924. Walter remained living at Wylands Farm.
Connection to High View
By the following year, Walter’s son John is living at ‘High View’ with his wife Henrietta. Arthur continued to live nearby with his father at Wylands Farm.
Death of Walter Kerridge
Just two years after the death of his wife, Walter Kerridge died at Wylands Farm on the 5th January 1926. He had been in poor health for some time. The funeral took place at Hockham.
The Lynn Advertiser of the 15th January, 1926 published a report of Walter’s funeral. The article tells us that Walter had formerly lived at North Farm, Hockham before moving to Wylands Farm ‘eight years ago’ (around 1918). It also mentions that two of Walter’s sons – referred to only as ‘Messrs G A & C Kerridge’ were too ill to attend their father’s funeral.
‘Horseman on Farm’
Following his father’s death (and with his brother John still at nearby High View), Arthur Kerridge continued to live at Wylands Farm.
The 1939 Register captures 54 year old Arthur E Kerridge at the farm along with his widowed sister, 66 year old Louisa L Kittle. Louisa Kerridge had married Rockland born Arthur Kittle in 1895. There is one other person at Wylands Farm. However, details of this person have been redacted from the Register. This usually means that the person is still alive (or living) when the 1939 Register was released into the public domain.
The Register also lists Arthur’s occupation as ‘horseman on farm’. Accordingly, it seems that Arthur is not farming Wylands Farm, but merely employed. Louisa Kittle is housekeeping for her brother.
The 1942 Great Ellingham Invasion Committee Record lists ‘Mrs L Kettle 70′ ‘Mr A Kerridge 57’ and ‘Miss P Edwards 18’. Louisa Kittle is assigned casualty service and general duties. Arthur is assigned general utility duties, and ‘Miss P Edwards’ is a member of the Women’s Voluntary Service.
The Maynard Family come to Wylands Farm
From at least the late 1920s, the Maynard family were at Haw Hill Farm, Great Ellingham.
The 1939 Register captures 44 year old Whalley Maynard with his wife Marjorie 45 and children Thomas 12, Richard 11, Elizabeth 8 and one year old Mary at Haw Hill Farm.
Haw Hill Farm was a substantial farm property located to the north-east of Stalland Common and Bush Green, near to the boundary with Deopham. Despite its long history, the farm was demolished during WWII. The land was needed for Deopham Green Airfield.
However, Whalley Maynard refused to move out of Haw Hill Farm. Nevertheless, with the house being demolished around him, he eventually moved his family to a wooden shed in Deopham Road.
It was after the war that Whalley Maynard moved his family to Wylands Farm. The Maynard family remained at Wylands Farm for many years.
Whalley Maynard died in 1955 aged 60. His wife Marjorie outlived her husband by some 26 years. She died in 1981 aged 87. Majorie Maynard still lived at Wylands Farm at the time of her death.
Demolition
The ‘newly-built’ farmhouse of 1916 was demolished around 1993/1994. It was replaced by a bungalow. Nevertheless, we can say for certain that there has been a dwelling on the site in some shape or form for some 200 years!
Sources:
23 September 1916 Thetford & Watton Times.
15 January 1926 Lynn Advertiser. Both newspapers accessed via The British Newspaper Archive
1802 Russell James Colman Plans. Great Ellingham. Norfolk Record Office. Catalogue Ref. C/Ca 1/84.
1799-1842 F W Horner, Records of the Surveyors to Commissioners for Inclosure in Parishes in Norfolk and Suffolk. Great Ellingham (Act 1799). Norfolk Record Office. Catalogue Ref: NRO, BR 90/2
1800 Inclosure Commissioner’s Particulars and Valuation, Great Ellingham. Norfolk Record Office. Catalogue Ref: NRO, MC 2213/119
1921 census. 1921 census RG15. Registration District 231. Great Ellingham Schedules 12 & 145. Viewed via www.findmypast.co.uk.
1911 census RG14/11473/38
1901 census RG13/1861/95, RG13/1868/25
England, Norfolk Register of Electors, 1832-1915, , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2HTN-8CH : Wed Feb 28 00:15:05 UTC 2024), Entry for James Leeder, 1915.
1912 Kellys Directory
Great Ellingham Parish Registers. Norfolk Record Office PD 609. Also available at www.familysearch.org and www.ancestry.co.uk
1939 England & Wales Register. The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1939 Register; Reference: Rg 101/6590h. Ancestry.com. 1939 England and Wales Register [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2018.
Electoral Registers 1832-1932. Parliamentary County of Norfolk, Southern District. Great Ellingham. The British Library. SPR.Mic.P.18/BL.N.18.
1942 Great Ellingham Invasion Committee Record. Sue Fay
6 March 1926. Probate. London, England. Walter Kerridge. Date of death 5 January 1926. Principal Probate Registry; London, England; Calendar of the Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration made in the Probate Registries of the High Court of Justice in England. Ancestry.com. England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
2 February 1960. Probate. Norwich. Arthur Edgar Kerridge. Death date 28 Dec 1959. Principal Probate Registry; London, England; Calendar of the Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration made in the Probate Registries of the High Court of Justice in England. Ancestry.com. England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
28 January 1956. Probate. Norwich. Whalley Savery Maynard. Date of death 26 Nov 1955. Principal Probate Registry; London, England; Calendar of the Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration made in the Probate Registries of the High Court of Justice in England. Ancestry.com. England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
23 Nov 1981. Probate. Ipswich. Marjorie Elisabeth Maynard. Date of Death 30 Aug 1981. Principal Probate Registry; London, England; Calendar of the Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration made in the Probate Registries of the High Court of Justice in England. Ancestry.com. England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Marriage. Louisa Laura Kerridge & Arthur Kittle. Sept Qtr. 1895. Hampstead District. GRO Index. FreeBMD website. https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=jRtMregm3c19wcQTdSCdJg&scan=1
Thanks to Sarah Gladden for additional information