Photograph taken December 2023
Great Ellingham is fortunate to have a wealth of historical houses. Many of these may have narrowly escaped the fate of demolition, as happened to so many of the village’s old cottages.
Glenfield House and Glenfield Cottage comprise the characterful thatched house standing along the Attleborough Road, near to the junction with Deopham Road and Church Street. Glenfield House takes in the tiled roofed building together with a larger part of the thatched building. Glenfield Cottage is the far western part of the thatched building.
However for ease of reference, I will refer to the whole building as ‘Glenfield’
Early History
Norfolk Heritage Explorer describes the property as ‘an early 18th century partly timber framed house with rendered clay lump infill and a thatched roof.’
The earlier history of ‘Glenfield’ is covered in Part I. From at least 1762, ‘Glenfield’ was owned by grocer John Turner and his wife Mary. In 1764, Turner sold the property to grocer Samuel Cubitt of Norwich. In 1795, Cubitt sold the property to William Rose.
This is where we pick up the story.
Purchase by William Rose
On the 4th April, 1795, Samuel Cubitt completed his sale of the following premises to William Rose, shopkeeper, of Great Ellingham. Rose paid Cubitt the sum of £250 for:
All that Messuage or Dwellinghouse and also all those two cottages late of John Turner and Mary his wife or one of them and by them conveyed unto James Burrow and John Whinard their heirs and assigns situate standing and being in Great Ellingham aforesaid with the Houses Outhouses Barns Stables Yards Gardens Orchards Lands and Grounds to the said Messuage or Cottages or any of them belonging or therewith used occupied or enjoyed as the same Messuage Dwellinghouse Cottages Tenements and Premises were heretofore in the use possession or occupation of the said John Turner and of Daniel Lister and Mary Cowles widow and are now in the use possession or occupation of the said William Rose, Samuel Barnard and others …
This description includes both ‘Glenfield’ and the house and shop in Church Street. This shop and house (the grounds of which back onto ‘Glenfield’), later became known as ‘The Supply Stores’.
I have no doubt that William Rose occupied the shop and house in Church Street. I think it likely that he was a tenant of Samuel Cubitt before his purchase.
Extract from 1802 Map of Great Ellingham. Russell James Colman Plans. Norfolk Record Office Cat. Ref. C/Ca 1/84.
All rights reserved Norfolk Record Office. With kind permission of NRO
The green arrow on the above extract from the Great Ellingham Inclosure Map of 1802 shows the position of ‘Glenfield’. The blue arrow shows the position of the other house and shop. Cubitt sold both properties to William Rose.
Carpenter Samuel Barnard occupied ‘Glenfield’ at this time.
Death of William Rose
William Rose died in February, 1799. His death may well have occurred within days of him signing his last will and testament, which is dated 12th February, 1799. William was buried in the churchyard at Besthorpe.
Unfortunately I know very little about William Rose. However, an extract from his will contained within copies of various deeds referring to ‘Glenfield’ and other property, reveal that William’s brother was ‘James Rose of Besthorpe’.
William appointed his brother James along with friends ‘James Rose of Attleburgh’ and William Colman (also of Attleburgh), as the executors and trustees of his will. He instructed his executors to sell all of his property in Great Ellingham and Besthorpe.
Rose’s Executors sell to John Warren
By Indentures of Lease and Release dated the 18th and 19th November, 1802, William Rose’s executors sold the following property to Great Ellingham farmer, John Warren at the price of £225.
All that messuage or tenement situate in Great Ellingham wherein Samuel Barnard then resided with the Barn, Outbuildings and Yards thereto belonging and adjoins bounded by the King's Highway leading from Watton to Attleburgh towards the north east by the church yard of Great Ellingham towards the south and by the premises late of Jno. Steel toward the west and north west
I believe Samuel Barnard continued to occupy ‘Glenfield’ following John Warren’s purchase.
Warren also purchased an acre of land as well as an allotment upon Pennell Common.
However, the purchase did not include the shop and house in Church Street once occupied by William Rose. By 1817, this property was owned and occupied by John Rose.
John Warren
Tanyard Farm, Great Ellingham. Photograph Lucinda Bell-Tye
John Warren was a local man. He was also a tanner, and lived at Tanyard Farm.
He married Elizabeth Wright in Hockham (Great Hockham) on the 25th March, 1779. The couple had eight known children in Great Ellingham, including Samuel who would later inherit Tanyard Farm, and Jeoffrey, who later inherited ‘Glenfield’.
I do not believe that John Warren ever occupied ‘Glenfield’.
Jeoffrey Warren
Born in Great Ellingham c.1785, Jeoffrey Warren was the fifth child of John and Elizabeth Warren. He was baptised in St James’s Church on the 18th June, 1786. [NB. ‘Jeoffrey’ is found written in various forms in documents but, for ease of reference, I will keep to ‘Jeoffrey’]
He married widow Elizabeth Nurse (nèe Hoy) in Hockham on the 29th September, 1808.
Following the marriage, the couple probably lived in Great Ellingham. I believe they had only one child, a daughter, Elizabeth, who was born c.1812 in Great Ellingham.
Elizabeth’s baptism entry of the 10th January, 1813, in St James’s Church Parish Registers, shows that Jeoffrey Warren was then working as a tanner. However by 1817-1819, Jeoffrey Warren is a baker.
1817-1819
A Valuation of Great Ellingham dated 1817-1819 shows Jeoffrey Warren as the owner of the ‘Houses, Carpenter’s Shop and Yard’ along the Attleborough Road. By then, Samuel Barnard had moved out and ‘Glenfield’ was occupied by James Warren and William Warren. They may well be Jeoffrey’s brothers.
However, the deeds reveal that Jeoffrey’s father, John Warren, still legally owned ‘Glenfield’. It may be the case that John Warren passed the day to day management of ‘Glenfield’ over to his son Jeoffrey, as it may always have been his intention to leave him this property in his will.
Nevertheless, Jeoffrey Warren owned other property and land in Great Ellingham. The same Valuation of 1817-1819 shows Jeoffrey Warren as the owner of a house, outbuildings, baking office, yard and garden in Church Street, not far from the junction with the roads we know today as Chequers Lane and Long Street.
Church Street Cottages owned and occupied by Jeoffrey Warren (and his tenant) 1817-1819. Photograph taken December 2023
This property was divided into at least two tenements. Jeoffrey Warren lived in one part, and he let the other to William Brooke (Brookes). At this time, James Warren and William Warren continued to occupy ‘Glenfield’.
Death of John Warren
In the June of 1834, John Warren died at the age of 87. He was laid to rest in the churchyard at Great Ellingham.
John Warren appointed his youngest son, Samuel Warren, and Theophilus Smith, a farmer, of Attleborough, as the executors of his will.
Amongst other provisions in the will, John Warren bequeathed Tanyard Farm to his son, Samuel Warren. Jeoffrey Warren inherited ‘Glenfield’ which is described in the will as:
... all my messuage or tenement with the land ..... situate and being in Great Ellingham which I purchased of James Rose deceased as the same premises are now in the respective occupations of Isaac Mann, Samuel Leggett & Richard Margetson, _______ Lister, the said Jeoffrey Warren and Perry Yeomans
However, this legacy was subject to Jeoffrey making a payment of £100 to his father’s executors. This sum was paid, and on the 28th September, 1835, a receipt for £100 was issued to Jeoffrey Warren.
Subsequently, Jeoffrey Warren became the legal owner of ‘Glenfield’.
Move to Hockham
White’s Directory of 1836 lists Jeoffrey Warren as a baker in Great Ellingham. This concurs with him living in part of his cottage (with baking house) in Church Street.
However by 1841, Jeoffrey and his wife Elizabeth moved to (Great) Hockham.
The 1841 census captures Jeoffrey and Elizabeth (Jeoffrey being around 56 and Elizabeth 67), with (or next door to) their daughter Elizabeth and her husband, William Nurse, in Hockham.
William and Elizabeth Nurse have five children with them along with William’s brothers, John, James and Philip.
1843 Mortgage to Emily Cole
On the 24th March, 1843, Jeoffrey Warren mortgages his Great Ellingham properties to widow, Emily Cole of Thorpe next Norwich.
Emily Cole
The census of 1851 captures 61 year old Emily Cole as a visitor at the home of 60 year old Ann Cole in Thorpe Road, Norwich. Ann Cole is described as a ‘Proprietor of Estates’ and Emily an ‘Annuitant’. Both women are said to be ‘unmarried’. However, the next census describes them as ‘widows’.
According to the censuses, Emily Cole was either born in Brome or Eye, Suffolk.
Borrowing
Jeoffrey Warren borrowed the sum of £400 plus interest. This loan was secured against his following properties in Great Ellingham:
All those five messuages or tenements situate and being in Great Ellingham with the outbuildings, grounds and yards thereto belonging and adjoining as the same premises are bounded by the Queen's Highway leading from Watton to Attleborough towards the north east, by the churchyard of Great Ellingham towards the south and by premises late of John Steel and then of Roger Yeomans towards the west and north west as the same were then in the respective occupations of William Leeder, Mary Lister widow, Robert Houchen __________ Thompson widow, and __________ Gould which premises were formerly the estate of William Rose late of Great Ellingham shopkeeper deceased and then consisted of
One Messuage or tenement since converted into two messuages and a barn and outbuildings since also converted into three tenements
Given the statement that the property was once one messuage but then converted to two, and that the barn and outbuildings had been converted to three tenements, I have no doubt that the entire description relates to ‘Glenfield’. However at that time, there were the additional three tenements from the barn and outbuilding conversion. Accordingly, I am unable to say who exactly occupied ‘Glenfield’ itself.
Jeoffrey Warren also mortgaged his copyhold property in Church Street, and this is described as ‘one messuage late of the tenement Brampstone lying in Church Gate ….. formerly in the occupation of Charles Thilthorpe and William Reeve, late in the several occupations of William Brooks and James Fox, and then in the occupation of William Warren and William Brooks.’
In addition, Warren mortgaged his enclosure of arable land which once belonged to William Rose.
Occupants
It is possible to pinpoint some of the occupants from the 1841 census.
Mary Lister
Mary Lister is a school mistress and aged about 75. I say ‘about’ as the enumerators of the 1841 census were told to ’round down’ the ages of adults to the nearest multiple of 5. Accordingly, Mary Lister may have been more than 75.
With Mary Lister are agricultural labourers, 65 year Edward Rose and 20 year old William Yeomans.
William Leeder
Nearby is 80 year old farrier, William Leeder with his wife Maria and children Hannah 20, Maria 15, Charlotte 13, Thomas 14 and John 15.
I wonder if 14 year old Thomas Leeder ever imagined that he would eventually own ‘Glenfield’ and the cottage also in Church Street (once owned by Jeoffrey Warren) AND the ‘Supply Stores’ in Church Street!
Robert Houchin
The census gives shoemaker Robert Houchin’s age as 60 and his wife Sarah’s 35. They are with their children Robert 8, Edward 3 and one year old Albert.
Some eight years earlier, widower Robert Houchin married spinster Sarah Fox in nearby St James’s Church on the 10th May, 1833. The couple had a further son, George, in 1843.
Farming in Hockham
Jeoffrey Warren continued to live in Hockham and rent out his properties in Great Ellingham.
The censuses of 1851 and 1861 show him living in Hockham with his wife Elizabeth. Together with his son-in-law, William Nurse, Jeoffrey Warren is leasing and occupying a farm in Hockham.
In 1851, Jeoffrey Warren and William Nurse employ some 7 labourers on their 232 acre farm. By 1861, they employ 4 labourers and 3 boys and they are farming 220 acres. Both census returns mention that Jeoffrey Warren is blind.
Deaths of Jeoffrey & Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth Warren, the wife of Jeoffrey and the former widow of James Nurse nèe Hoy, died in Hockham in November, 1861. She was 87.
Jeoffrey Warren outlived his wife by around three years. He died (again in Hockham), in February 1865.
They are both buried in the churchyard at Great Hockham.
At the time of Jeoffrey Warren’s death, the mortgage to Emily Cole remained outstanding.
‘Glenfield’ after the death of Jeoffrey Warren
On hearing of the death of their landlord Jeoffrey Warren, the tenants of ‘Glenfield’ and Jeoffrey Warren’s other properties may have wondered whether they would have to leave their homes.
It was, of course, a time when the majority rented their homes from the few landowners. Further, many of these landowners did not live in the village.
I have no doubt that it was an uncertain time for the tenants of Warren’s properties. We can but wonder if the tenants knew that Warren’s mortgage debt to Emily Cole of 1843 was outstanding and, in consequence of Warren’s death, most likely to be ‘called in’.
We continue with the story of ‘Glenfield’ in Part III.
Sources:
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
Great Ellingham Tithe Map 1843. Tithe Apportionments, 1836-1929 [database online]. TheGenealogist.co.uk 2023. Original data: “IR29 Tithe Commission and successors: Tithe Apportionments” The National Archives
Great Ellingham Parish Registers. Norfolk Record Office. PD609. Also available via www.familysearch.org and www.ancestry.co.uk
Private Deeds Collection. Adrian & Sue Carlton
Private Deeds Collection. Christine Fuller
Private Deeds Collection. Shirley Caston
Title Deeds and papers relating to Great Ellingham. 1795-1871 Norfolk Record Office. Ref: MC 2868/1/6.
Hockham, Great and Little. Archdeacon’s & Bishop’s Transcripts. Norfolk Record Office PD 486. Viewed via www.ancestry.co.uk
Transcript of Hockham, Burials 1721-1870. Norfolk Family History Society. Kirby Hall, 70 St Giles Street, Norwich NR2 1LS
1836 White’s Directory. Norfolk Record Office
1841 census HO107/781/10, HO107/781/8
1851 census HO107/1813/393, HO107/1823/218
1861 census RG9/1213/140, RG9/1238/83