Headstone for Frances & John Flegg in Great Ellingham Churchyard
Who were John & Frances Flegg?
Corresponding burials for John Flegg and his wife Frances appear in the Great Ellingham Burial Registers.
Frances Flegg was buried on June 15th, 1848 aged 77 years and John Flegg nearly two years later on April 8th, 1850 aged 83 (or 85?).
The only census on which John and Frances Flegg appear is the census of 1841 which finds the couple living in Great Ellingham.
John is a farmer aged 75 and Frances 65. However working back from the ages given for John and Frances on the headstone, John Flegg would indeed have been around 75 but Frances would have been around 69 in 1841.
The enumerators for the 1841 census were instructed to round down the ages for adults to a lower multiple of 5. Accordingly the age for Frances was rounded down from 69 to 65.
With the couple is Anne Flegg, aged 20, Hannah Fisher aged 25 and another Anne Flegg aged 13.
The 1841 census does not provide the place of birth – only whether the person was born in the county (in which the census was taken). Further, no relationship to the head of the household is provided.
Accordingly, it is not possible to say what relationship (if any) the two Anne Fleggs and Hannah Fisher are to John and Frances Flegg. However, I would think that at least the two Anne Fleggs are related to John and Frances Flegg.
Auction Sale of ‘Desirable Property’ in the occupation of Mr Flegg
The Norfolk Chronicle & Norwich Gazette of January 7th, 1832 included notice of an Auction being held on 12th January 1832 at the Crown Inn, Attleburgh (Attleborough) of a desirable property at Great Ellingham in the occupation of Mr Flegg.
The “desirable property” comprised a Farmhouse with barn, stables and other outbuildings and about 17 acres of land, an inclosure of land called Bramble Close and an inclosure of land which was formerly part of the Commons in Great Ellingham. The property to be sold in three lots.
Given that the name Flegg is unusual to Great Ellingham, the Farmhouse the subject of the 1832 Auction is likely to have been occupied by John and Frances Flegg who were buried in the churchyard.
Indeed, further investigations have proved that the Fleggs lived at a farm in Town Green. I believe John Flegg was a tenant of the Dennis family and later of Robert Boyce when he purchased the farm. The property was purchased by Ellis Carter in 1884.
Updated November 2021
Sources:
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
1841 census HO107/781/8
Norfolk Chronicle & Norwich Gazette 7th January 1832