‘Elizabeth Asty’s House’ in Long Street. Photograph taken November 2024
Earlier History
This delightful ‘old cottage’ in ‘Chapel Yard’, Long Street was once owned by Elizabeth Asty. She died in or about 1724. Elizabeth was the eldest daughter of George and Elizabeth Asty.
The cottage had belonged to Elizabeth’s mother before her marriage. However when George Asty died around 1680, he left this cottage, a stable with bakehouse and various pieces of land, to Elizabeth.
During her lifetime, the Great Ellingham Baptist Church (formed in 1699), met in a barn (possibly the former stables and bakehouse) near to the cottage. When she died, Elizabeth bequeathed the cottage, land, stables and bakehouse to the Trustees of the Baptist Church.
Occupiers of the Cottage
The last Baptist Minister to occupy the cottage was the Reverend James Cragg. He was instrumental in having a new dwelling built to house the Baptist Minister, the Manse.
I do not know when the cottage was first occupied by a Baptist Minister and, by whom. However, the Reverend John Ewing lived in the cottage during the period of his pastorate 1790-1803.
Further at least by the 19th century, there is more than one dwelling in Chapel Yard. Was this additional dwelling once part of Elizabeth Asty’s house, or, was it built (or converted from another building – perhaps the former Meeting House), at a later date?
We look at the residents of the cottage from the occupation of John Ewing.
| Approximate Date | Occupier |
|---|---|
| 1790-1803 | John Ewing and his wife Elizabeth came from Worsted to Great Ellingham in 1790. Not long after, their son Nehemiah was born on the 24th January, 1791. A daughter, Rebecca, was born on the 23rd October, 1792. Sadly Rebecca died on the 9th December. The children may well have been born in the cottage. Nehemiah died in London in 1823 at the age of 33. Elizabeth Ewing was buried in the Baptist Church Burying Ground in the village on the 16th September, 1839. |
| 1806-1842 | Suffolk born Charles Hatcher moved to Great Ellingham in 1805. The 1841 census captures 63 year old Baptist Minister Charles Hatcher with his wife Ann and 30 year old unmarried daughter Elizabeth living in Great Ellingham. Charles employs local girl 15 year old Mary Grice as the family’s servant. Almost certainly the Hatcher family occupied at least part of the cottage formerly owned by Elizabeth Asty. 75 year old Ann Hatcher was buried in the Burial Ground on the 27th May 1842. It was also around this time that Charles Hatcher resigned the pastorate through ill health and he moved to Aylsham. Nevertheless, he returned to Great Ellingham with his daughter Elizabeth by the time of the 1851 census. The 1851 census finds widower Charles Hatcher living with his daughter Charlotte in Town Green. In January 1854, Elizabeth Hatcher married local builder, William Lebbell, at the Baptist Church. Lebbell built the property in Long Street known today as ‘Roselands’. Not long after his daughter’s marriage, Charles Hatcher died on the 4th March, 1854 aged 76. |
| 1844-1847 | Alfred Powell came to Great Ellingham from Salhouse. The 1841 census captures Dissenting Minister Alfred Powell with his wife Caroline and their children Caroline 7, Alfred 5, Henry 3 and Clarissa six months living in Salhouse. The couple were in their early 30s when they came to the village. After three years, the Powell family left Great Ellingham. |
| 1847-1852 | The next Pastor was James Cragg. The 1851 census captures 34 year old Devon born Baptist Minister James Cragg living in Long Street along with his 37 year old wife Eliza and his sister in law, Mary Ann Ager. As the ‘new house for the Minister’ was not built until the following year, James Cragg will have occupied the cottage – or, at least, part of it. It was James Cragg who put forward a proposal to the Baptist Trustees for a more suitable house to be provided for the Minister. An entry in the Baptist Church Minute Book mentions ‘cottage prayer meetings’. The minutes also mention that ‘those cottages were those occupied by our Brethren Hatcher, Skipper, W. Rider & Mrs Locke”. Indeed in a further entry in the Minute Book, Pastor James Cragg mentions that the congregation frequently assembled “for public worship in the cottage on the premises, in preference to the Chapel from the smallness of their numbers.” The 1851 census lists Charles Hatcher living in Town Green. However, 50 year old Robert Skipper with his wife Rebecca and their sons Mayse 19, Walter 12 and 15 year old daughter Amy are possibly living near to the Reverend James Cragg. Robert and his sons are all working as farm labourers. Also living nearby is 20 year old William Ryder and his wife Elizabeth. With the couple is 4 year old Susanna Brown who is listed as a sister to William Ryder. 64 year old widow Lydia Lock is also living nearby. Lydia is receiving parish relief. I wonder whether any of these households are actually living in a dwelling in the Chapel Yard. By December 1852, James Cragg moved from the cottage to the newly built Manse. Unfortunately, I do not know who occupied the cottage (or cottages) in the Chapel Yard immediately after James Cragg moved to the Manse. Nonetheless, it is clear that in 1868 the Trustees of the Baptist Church let two cottages in addition to the double cottage built near to the Baptist Burying Ground. I feel sure that these were both in the Chapel Yard and included the cottage formerly owned by Elizabeth Asty. Entries in the Minute Book for 1868 and 1871, show that the annual rent for one of the cottages was £4 and the other (presumably smaller) £2 10s 0d. The same entries show the annual rent from the cottage at the Burying Ground to be £6. With the earlier census returns just listing households as being in ‘Long Street’, it is challenging to pinpoint exactly who lived where. However at the time of the 1881 census, I believe the cottages were occupied by the Mitson family and Julia Kerrison. |
| 1881 | The nearby Manse appears to be unoccupied at the time of the 1881 census. Nearby is 74 year old Attleborough born Julia Kerrison. She is living alone and is living on her own means. 53 year old John Mitson is with his 61 year old wife Louisa and three grown up children – sons Benjamin 29 and John 23 and daughter Eliza 19. John Snr and Benjamin are working as agricultural labourers. John Jnr is a bricklayer and Eliza is employed as a domestic servant. Earlier in 1870, John Mitson had been appointed sexton for the Baptist Cemetery. Louisa Mitson died in 1889 at the age of 73. By 1891, Julia Kerrison had moved out. However, the Mitson family remained living there until at least 1891. |
| 1891 | The 1891 census captures widower 64 year old John Mitson with his 39 year old son Benjamin and daughter Eliza 29 living in a four-roomed dwelling in Chapel Yard. With them is John Mitson’s 8 year old grandson Alfred. Eliza is keeping house for the family. The Mitson family were still in the Chapel Yard in 1894. The Reverend Sparham’s entry in the Baptist Minute Book of 27th June, 1894, records “Mr Benjamin Mitson’s sad case took place this morning in the cottage adjoining the Manse. I was first to attend him but he lives”. The 1891 census finds 21 year old blacksmith William Colden occupying a three-roomed dwelling in Chapel Yard. With William is his 21 year old wife Elizabeth and one year old son Stephen. William had previously been living with his grandparents in Church Street. As Herbert William Colden, he married Elizabeth Sutton in St James’s Church on the 24th December, 1889. |
| 1895 | In 1891, 59 year old agricultural labourer John Fox occupied a dwelling in Long Street with his wife Sarah Ann. Previously the couple lived with their children at the cottage adjacent the Baptist Burying Ground. John Fox didn’t always see ‘eye to eye’ with the Baptist Church. This may have been in relation to his behaviour or for not attending chapel – or both. However he was re-admitted to the church in November 1870. The following is an entry from the Baptist Church Minute Book for the 23rd July, 1895: “Mrs John Fox who is living in the Chapel Yard cottage has consented to take care of the chapel at the rate which has been paid before vis 10/- per quarter for the chapel and 1/- extra to keep the path clean and in good order”. |
| 1901 | The couple may still be living there at the time of the 1901 census. The ‘other cottage’ in Chapel Yard appear to be unoccupied at this time. |
| 1911 | In 1911, single woman 70 year old Rachel Baker is recorded as occupying a two-roomed dwelling in Chapel Yard. The other cottage is still unoccupied. Rachel is the daughter of James & Matilda Baker and spent her early life in Shropham. |
| 1921 | At the time of the national head-count of 1921, one of the cottages in Chapel Yard was occupied by evangelist 24 year old Philip Norton. Born in Blofield, the census describes Philip as a ‘visitor’. Also living in Chapel Yard is 41 year old William Fox and his 38 year old wife Mary. The couple have four children – Phyllis 5, Gladys 4, Robert 2 and two month old Martha. William Fox is working for local farmer John Downes at Chestnut Farm. The Fox family remained living in a cottage in Chapel Yard for the next two decades. However, Mary Fox died at 42 in 1924. |
| 1925-1929 | Neighbours to the Fox family were James & Charlotte Bartram. In 1911, Wymondham born James Bartram (then 42) and his wife Charlotte (born Besthorpe) were living in Crownthorpe with their two daughters Doris and Alice. The family moved out of Great Ellingham by 1931. |
| 1931 | In 1921, Ringland born 68 year old Clare Rayner is living in Hargham Road, Attleborough. With Clare is his 50 year old wife Ruth. By 1931, the couple were in Chapel Yard, Great Ellingham near to William Fox. Clare Rayner died at the age of 82 on the 31st May 1935. |
| 1939 | The 1939 Register (providing a snapshot of the civilian population of England & Wales just after the outbreak of the Second World War) shows William Fox and Ruth Rayner still living in Chapel Yard. Born on the 3rd December, 1879, farm labourer William Fox is with his two daughters Phyllis (born 18th February 1916) and Martha (born 15th April 1921). Now widowed, Ruth Rayner (born 21st August 1870) is with widow Anna A Lake (born 15th November 1866). The Fox family and Ruth Rayner were still living in the cottages in Chapel Yard in 1942. |
17th January 1910. Marriage Certificate of William Fox & Mary Lebbell. In 1921, the couple were living in Chapel Yard with their family
Courtesy Hugh Collier & The Baptist Church
Baptist Church correspondence from 1979 refers to there still being two cottages behind the Manse in the Chapel Yard. However, I do not know when the Fox family and Ruth Rayner moved out of the cottages.
At this time (1979), there was also a brick and clay barn as well as an open fronted garage, toilet and coal store near to the Chapel, cottages and the Manse.
Like many other buildings in the village, the buildings in the Chapel Yard (including the cottage once owned by Elizabeth Asty), will have undergone many changes. Indeed at some point in time, the thatched roof to Elizabeth Asty’s cottage was replaced with tiles.
Sources:
Will of Elizabeth Asty. Norfolk Record Office. ANF will register 1721-1726. fo.344 (1724-1726 no.64) Asty, Elizabeth of Great Elingham, 1724-1726. Microfilm MF 225
Will of George Asty. Norfolk Record Office. ANF will register 1681-1683 fo.17. no.5 Asty, George of Ellingham 1681. Microfilm MF 217.
Great Ellingham Parish Registers. Norfolk Record Office PD 609. Also available via www.familysearch.org
Great Ellingham Baptist Church Book 1781, Register of Births etc (Baptist Chapel) Great Ellingham No.2 Book, Baptist Church, Great Ellingham Minute Book September 29th 1849. Baptist Church Book inc. Minutes 1868-1903. Misc. Correspondence & documents. Thanks to Great Ellingham Baptist Church & Hugh Collier
The Story of 300 years of the Baptist Church at Great Ellingham – David Bugden
Nehemiah Ewing. England & Wales Non-conformist & Non-Parochial Registers 1567-1936. The National Archives (United Kingdom); Kew, Surrey, England; Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths surrendered to the Non-parochial Registers Commissions of 1837 and 1857; Class Number: Rg 4; Piece Number: 4353 Ancestry.com. England & Wales, Non-Conformist and Non-Parochial Registers, 1567-1936 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.
1841 census HO107/783/15, HO107/781/8,
1851 census HO107/1823/110, HO107/1823/127, HO107/1823/128, HO107/1823/180
1881 census RG11/1974/89, RG11/1974/92
1891 census RG12/1549/78, RG12/1549/70
1901 census RG13/1867/78
1911 census RG14/11473/87, RG14/11336/1
1921 census RG15/9790, ED5, Sch 115 & 116, Book 09790, RG15/9789 ED1, Sch 11, Book 09789
Poll Books. Polling District of Great Ellingham, Parish of Great Ellingham. 1920-1931
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.
1942 Great Ellingham Invasion Committee Records. Sue Fay