Crown Public House in the centre with Cottage & shop(s) adjoining on the right
Courtesy Attleborough Heritage Group
Part I
Part I looks at the history of the cottage adjoining the Crown Public House from around 1749 to 1819.
In this blog, we take the history forward from William Rose’s purchase in 1819 to his wife Amelia’s death in 1868, when the property was sold.
William Rose
On the 31st December, 1819, shopkeeper William Rose purchased the cottage for £149 from Benjamin Dennis.
Given that I believe William Rose owned other properties in the village, I cannot be certain that William Rose also occupied the cottage.
Grocer
However as the cottage comprised at least one shop when William Rose’s executors dealt with a sale of the property in 1868, it is possible that William Rose ran his grocer’s shop from the premises.
White’s Directory of 1836 list William Rose and Richard Wilemer as grocers in Great Ellingham. I believe Wilemer’s shop was part of the nearby property which, much later, became known as Ye Olde Thatche Shoppe.
Married Man
William Rose was a married man. He married Amelia Mitchell in St James’s Church on the 27th July, 1802. At the time of their marriage, both William and Amelia lived in Great Ellingham.
Indeed, Amelia was a daughter of local shopkeeper Mary Mitchell, whose shop was also in Church Street, but near to the junction with Chequers Lane.
Junction of Long Street, Chequers Lane and Long Street. Mary Mitchell’s shop was within the row of cottages on the left
Author’s collection
Death of William Rose
William Rose died on the 6th June 1841. His demise came just hours before the national census was undertaken that night. At the time of his death, William Rose had retired.
Amongst other things, William left all his property in trust for his wife Amelia. The cottage remained in the ownership of the Rose family until after the death of Amelia Rose in 1868.
However even if William and Amelia Rose lived at the cottage whilst William was alive, Amelia certainly let the property following her husband’s death.
Occupier Robert Twidney
The Tithe Map for Great Ellingham (prepared between 1836 and 1844) and the associated schedule show that this cottage was owned by Amelia Rose. It was, however, occupied by Robert Twidney. He later occupied another property owned by Amelia Rose.
Amelia Rose also owned cottages in Church Street. These cottage were once owned by her mother, Mary Mitchell. Amelia lived in one of these cottages and let the others to tenants.
Occupier Thomas Wilkins
It is possible that at the time of the national head-count in 1861, the premises was occupied by 51 year old widower and butcher Thomas Wilkins and his sons James 20 and 17 year old William. (William would again later occupy the property.
37 year old Martha Carter is with the Wilkins’ household. She is working as a general servant to Thomas Wilkins. Martha’s 13 year old son, Robert, is also with the household along with 61 year old visitor, Mary Norton.
However, it appears that Thomas Wilkins moved out of the premises well before 1868.
Death of Amelia Rose
Amelia Rose died on the 24th June 1868.
The Norfolk Chronicle of Saturday 11th July 1868 published notice of her death:
ROSE – On the 24th ult., at Great Ellingham, in her 88th year, Amelia, relict of the late Wm. Rose, many years grocer and draper, of that parish.
The properties which once belonged to William and Amelia Rose (including the cottage adjoining The Crown), were then sold.
Auction of Rose’s Properties
The edition of the Norwich Mercury for Saturday 8th August 1868, contains the following Notice:
To be Sold by Auction by
Messrs Standley and Sons
At the Crown Inn, Attleburgh, on Thursday the 18th day of August, 1868
At Five for Six o’clock in the Afternoon
The following DESIRABLE PROPERTY in GREAT ELLINGHAM and ATTLEBURGH
In the following Lots:-
IN GREAT ELLINGHAM
Lot 1 – FOUR FREEHOLD COTTAGES with Stables, Gig House, Slaughter House, and excellent Gardens in the several occupations of William Mallowes, Robert Davies [Dawes], ____ Lebbell, and another, adjoining the road to Attleburgh and Hingham
Lot 2 – A FREEHOLD COTTAGE and Shop, Stable, Hay Loft, and other Buildings and Garden, in the occupation of James Dye, adjoining the Crown Inn,
and the public road leading to Deopham and Rockland
Lot 3 – A FREEHOLD MESSUAGE and SHOP, with Warehouses, Stable and walled-in Garden, in the occupation of Mr Wm. King
Lot 4 – A FREEHOLD DOUBLE COTTAGE and Buildings, in the occupation of Edward Houchen and Robert Twidney, adjoining Lot 1 and the public road
[Lot 5 comprised a double cottage and land in Attleburgh]
Lot 1
Postcard courtesy Carol Ewin
Comprises the cottages shown in the above postcard, which are at the corner of Church Street with Chequers Lane and Long Street. These cottages were once owned by Amelia Rose’s mother, Mary Mitchell. I also believe that Amelia Rose lived in one of the cottages at the time of her death.
Lot 2
The Crown with the property once owned by William Rose adjoining on the right. Date unknown
Postcard courtesy Carol Ewin
This lot comprise the cottage and shop adjoining The Crown, which William Rose purchased in 1819 from Benjamin Dennis. At the time of the auction, the premises were occupied by James Dye.
Lot 3
I believe Lot 3 is the house with the adjoining shop (which much later became Neave’s shop) in Church Street, not far from the junction with Attleborough Road. I know that in 1800, this property was owned by the Rose family.
Lot 4
Postcard courtesy Carol Ewin
This lot comprise the double cottage and buildings which adjoin the cottages described in Lot 1. This double cottage is shown on the right of the row of cottages in the above postcard.
Successful Bidder for Lot 2
The Crown Public House, Church Street, Attleborough
Postcard courtesy E. Simpson
At the auction held on the 13th August, 1868, at The Crown Public House in Attleborough, East Dereham draper Joseph Warren successfully bid £95 for the premises in Lot 2. Although living in East Dereham, Joseph Warren was born in Great Ellingham.
We continue the history of the cottage adjacent to The Crown Public House, coming up in Part III.
Sources:
Private Deeds Collection. Sue Simpson
Great Ellingham Parish Registers. Norfolk Record Office. PD609. Also available at www.familysearch.org
Tithe Apportionments, 1836-1929 [database online]. TheGenealogist.co.uk 2023. Original data: “IR29 Tithe Commission and successors: Tithe Apportionments” The National Archives
11 July 1868. Norfolk Chronicle.
8th August 1868. Norwich Mercury
Newspapers viewed via The British Newspaper Archive