Bury Hall
Bury Hall, Great Ellingham. Courtesy of Emma Wilson
Bury (or Bury’s) Hall is one of the oldest properties in Great Ellingham.
Members of the Barnard family have lived at Bury Hall since at least 1780, but possibly much earlier. There are entries for the Barnard family in the Great Ellingham Parish Registers from at least 1683.
1833 Death of Mrs Barnard the Widow of Mr James Barnard of Bury-Hall
The Norfolk Chronicle and Norwich Gazette of May 11th, 1833 reported the death of “Mrs Barnard widow of the late Mr James Barnard of Bury-Hall, Great Ellingham“. She was stated to be at an advanced age. No first name is given for Mrs Barnard.
1830 James Barnard dies at Great Ellingham
Nearly two years earlier, the edition of the Norwich Mercury of September 4th, 1830 included a brief mention of the death “at Great Ellingham Mr James Barnard”. No further information was provided.
I cannot find corresponding burials for James Barnard and his wife in the Great Ellingham Parish Registers. It is possible that the couple were non-conformists.
1800 James Barnard at Bury Hall
A Particulars and Valuation of 1800, refers to James Barnard at Bury Hall. This valuation was undertaken by the Commissioners for the purposes of the Inclosures.
James Barnard occupied Bury Hall (with outbuildings, barns, stables, yards, garden and orchard) and a fair amount of land. Barnard leased Bury Hall and the land from Lord Walsingham. The Lord of the Manor of Bury Hall, Walsingham was also a significant land owner.
This James Barnard is most likely the James Barnard who died in 1830.
1780 ‘Fall Out with Jacob Carter
The Norfolk Chronicle of June 3rd, 1780 contained a notice inserted at the instruction and expense of Jacob Carter, farmer, of Great Ellingham.
In the notice, Jacob Carter acknowledges that he had on or about the 8th May 1780, in public, spoke “several false and malicious words tending to injure the character and reputation of Mr James Barnard Jnr of Bury-Hall, Great Ellingham”.
Jacob Carter also stated that the words were untrue and thanked Mr Barnard for his leniency and kindness in not commencing actions at law against him. Local man Daniel Lister witnessed Jacob Carter’s signature to the notice.
Again, this James Barnard is the James Barnard who died in 1830.
The next Generation – James & Sarah Barnard of Bury Hall
The census returns confirm that the James Barnard mentioned on the above headstone (with wife Sarah) was James Barnard born at Roughton in North Norfolk around the year 1788. The census returns also reveal that Sarah Barnard was born in Great Ellingham.
Marriage
A marriage took place in Great Ellingham Parish Church on December 7th, 1817 between James Barnard of Costessey and Sarah Rose of Great Ellingham. Both James and Sarah were single and both signed the church register. The marriage was witnessed by James Barnard Senior and James Rose.
Sarah Rose daughter of William & Phillis Rose
Working back from the age for Sarah inscribed on the headstone, Sarah was born in Great Ellingham around 1794. There is a baptism for a Sarah Rose daughter of William Rose and his wife Phillis (late Phillis Hannant) in the Great Ellingham Parish Register for June 8th, 1794.
Census Returns – James & Sarah Barnard
The census of 1841 shows James and Sarah Barnard with children living at Bury Hall.
The family are still living there in 1851. James Barnard is described as a 62 year old farmer of 251 acres and an employer of 11 men and 6 boys.
With James is his wife Sarah aged 57 and children Maria Ann aged 29 (born in Costessey), 20 year old Sarah and William aged 15. Sarah and William were born in Great Ellingham. The family have a house servant, 21 year old Maria Barnard born Little Melton.
James Barnard and his wife Sarah (née Rose) are still at Bury Hall in 1861. Son William (26) described as a farmer’s son is with his parents. 16 year old local girl Charlotte Carter is the domestic servant.
Headstone in memory of James Barnard and his wife Sarah in Great Ellingham Churchyard
By 1871, James Barnard is widowed. His wife Sarah having died on the 19th January, 1868. The census shows James’s son William Barnard as the head of the household at Bury Hall.
William Barnard, Farmer at Bury Hall
The 1871 cenus shows William Barnard as a farmer of 236 acres employing 10 labourers and 2 boys. 82 year old James Barnard is living with his son. They have a housekeeper, 30 year old single woman Esther Hill born Besthorpe. James Barnard died two years later on July 28th, 1873.
William Barnard & Harriet Clarke
William Barnard continued to live at Bury Hall. He married Harriet Clarke in 1879. A marriage was registered in the 2nd Quarter of 1879 in the Norwich District between William Barnard and Harriet Clarke.
The 1881 census finds William and Harriet at Burys Hall Farm with sons James H aged 1 and three month old George William. The family have a servant, 13 year old Sarah Jane Reynolds.
1891 New Occupiers of Bury Hall
The Barnard family moved out of Bury Hall before 1891. The census of that year shows the Rushbrooke family in residence at Bury Hall.
By 1901, Bury Hall was occupied by another family – William and Annie Downes with their nine children. The Downes family were still at Bury Hall in 1911.
Sources:
1841 census HO107/781/8
1851 census HO107/1823/133
1861 census RG9/1237/98
1871 census RG10/1841/95
1881 census RG11/1974/94
1891 census RG12/1549/80
1901 census RG13/1867/80
1911 census RG14/11473/138
Norwich Mercury September 4th, 1830
Norfolk Chronicle & Norwich Gazette May 11th, 1833
Norfolk Chronicle June 3rd, 1780
1800 Inclosure Commissioner’s Particulars and Valuation held at Norfolk Record Office Catalogue Ref: MC 2213/119, 941X7
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 – Free BMD website http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=6pjDLljwG4XSQPy%2B1Ykeqg&scan=1 accessed 23.05.2019