The property once known as Ye Olde Thatche Shoppe in Church Street
Photograph taken February 2012
Norfolk Heritage Explorer describes this delightful building as a much altererd 15th century plastered timber-framed house. It is likely to be a medieval ‘Hall House’ – a house consisting of a public hall with private living accommodation attached.
It is only in the 20th century that the property became known as ‘Ye Olde Thatche Shoppe’. However for ease of reference I will refer to the property as ‘Ye Olde Thatche Shoppe’.
I do not know when the property (or at least part of it) comprised a shop. Nonetheless, there is a shop on the premises from at least 1836. During the early 19th century, a school room existed at the southern end of the property.
I have researched some of the history of the owners of the property from around 1703 to 1910. Medieval Manor House in Church Street – Part I and Part II. These articles also touch on some of the occupiers. It is only in modern times that home ownership became widespread among the general population. Accordingly, the majority of the population of the village rented their homes from private landlords.
From around 1802 until 1911, Ye Olde Thatche Shoppe was a tenanted property. The timeline begins with Richard Wilemer, the first known shopkeeper at the property.
| Approx. Dates | Occupier | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1836-1845 | Richard Wilemer | The 1841 census captures grocer Richard Wilemer in Church Street. With him is his wife Ann and 3 children – Sarah Ann, Elizabeth & Mary Ann. Also with the household is servant John Plumpton. Born in Gt Ellingham in 1797, Richard Wilemer married Ann Fox in St James’s Church in 1822. The couple had four daughters between 1823 & 1831. Sadly the youngest (Maria) died in 1832. At that time, Richard is a tailor. Given that Whites Directory of 1836 lists Richard Wilemer as a grocer, I have no doubt that the Wilemers lived in the house as early as 1836. Richard Wilemer grocer is also listed by White’s Directory in 1845 |
| 1851 | Edmund Fox, John Wade, Jeremiah Warren | I believe some of the next occupants of the property were Edmund Fox, John Wade and Jeremiah Warren. The 1851 census finds 22 year old linen draper Jeremiah Warren as the head of a household in Church Street. With him is his 20 year old brother Joseph and 17 year old sister Elizabeth. They are children of William Kiddle Warren and his wife Elizabeth Whittred. Just two years earlier, William Kiddle Warren had been convicted of fraud and received a sentence of 10 years transportation. Their mother remained living in Long Street with the siblings’ maternal grandmother. The siblings’ paternal grandparents, Thomas & Jane Warren, lived in the house opposite ‘Ye Olde Thatche Shoppe’ Edmund Fox is 44 and a tailor. With him is his 44 year old wife Sarah who is a milliner. Living with the couple is their 14 year old daughter Martha Ann and widower 77 year old Edward Fox. Draper John Wade is 27. He is unmarried. His brother in law and sister in law John & Frances Long are lodging with him along with 75 year old widower George Eke. The census also finds 23 year old grocer & draper Charles Hannant in Church Street. However, I do not know whether Charles Hannant occupied this property. |
| 1854 | Edmund Fox, Jeremiah Warren | Jeremiah Warren and Edmund Fox were probably still at the property in 1854. However by 1861, Jeremiah Warren had moved out of Great Ellingham. |
| 1861-1854 | Henry Kitteringham & Edmund Fox | The 1861 census shows that Charles Hannant is still trading in Church Street. The Post Office is also at his shop. However the deeds to this property do not indicate that the Hannants were at this property – I think it more likely that they occupied the other nearby shop. Nevertheless we do know from the deeds that shopkeeper Henry Kitteringham occupied the property. He married Elizabeth Warren who had earlier occupied the property with her two brothers. Tailor 54 year old Edmund Fox is still at the property together with his wife and daughter Martha Ann, who is now working as a dressmaker. |
| 1871 | James Houchen & Edmund Fox | I believe that 23 year old grocer & draper James Houchen may have occupied part of the premises at the time of the 1871 census. He and his 24 year old wife Annie have an 8 month old son Harry. They also have a servant, 18 year old Sarah Carter. Next to them are Edmund & Sarah Fox. Now aged 64, Edmund is still working as a tailor. He is also the village’s post master. |
| 1870s-1890s | ? | However the deeds are silent as to the following occupiers of the property. Accordingly it is difficult to be certain who lived in the premises, particularly from the 1870s through to the turn of the new century. |
| 1897-1907 | Ernest E Everett | Nevertheless, it was around 1897 that Ernest & Priscilla Everett arrived in Great Ellingham with their two children, Derek & Iris. They rented the shop and premises from Daniel Warren. Three further children were born whilst the Everetts lived at the property – Ruby, Claud and Sheila. However by 1908 the family had moved to East Harling. |
| 1908-1911 | Mary Jane Mallows | The 1911 census captures 53 year old shopkeeper, grocer & draper Mary Jane Mallows at the property. Widowed, Mary Jane is with 2 of her 3 surviving children – Victor 16, who is a shop assistant, and schoolboy Kitchener Mallows 11. Mary’s mother, 81 year old widow Mary Keeble is also at the property. The census confirms that Mary Mallows is occupying two sittings rooms and 5 bedrooms. |
Ye Olde Thatche Shoppe. F W Neeve. Postcard Ewin Family
After being owned by members of the same family for nearly 150 years, and tenanted for most of the 19th century, the property was sold in 1911. The shop and premises became owner occupied for the majority of the following years.
| Approx Dates | Occupier | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1911-1926 | Frederick William Neeve | Before coming to Great Ellingham, Frederick Neeve was a sub-postmaster, grocer & draper in Honing, Norfolk (a village between Worstead and East Ruston). Frederick Neeve had married Alice Jane Flowerday in the Parish Church of St Nicholas, Great Yarmouth on 23 February, 1892. Alice was the daughter of coal dealer, Joseph Flowerday. Frederick Neeve completed his purchase of the premises in September 1911. He & Alice ran their shop in Church Street until Frederick retired. The premises may have become known as ‘Ye Olde Thatche Shoppe’ during Frederick Neeve’s ownership and occupation. The 1921 census confirms that the Neeves are at ‘Ye Olde Thatche Shoppe’. The name continued for several decades. In 1926, Frederick let the shop and part of the dwelling house to Arthur J Pollard. However, Frederick Neeve retained ownership of the shop premises (including the living accommodation) until his death in 1943. |
| 1926-1952 | Arthur John Pollard | Arthur John Pollard and his wife Bessie (Ann Elizabeth) came to Great Ellingham with their 7 year old daughter Mary and son Cyril in 1926. They rented the shop and adjoining house in Church Street from Frederick Neeve who had just retired. Frederick Neeve and his tenant, Arthur Pollard, were also good friends. When Frederick Neeve died in 1943, he appointed grocer Arthur Pollard as his sole executor. Following the death of Frederick Neeve, the ownership of the shop and the adjoining dwellinghouse was transferred to Arthur Pollard. In 1952, Arthur Pollard retired and sold the house and premises. However he retained a piece of land on which a ‘retirement’ bungalow was built. |
| 1952-1970 | Arthur G Cracknell | The shop was purchased by Arthur George Cracknell in 1952. He ran the general stores with his wife Evelyn, whom he had married in 1924. Their son Colin also worked for his parents and carried out van deliveries in the neighbouring area.The Cracknells sold the property in 1963. |
A shop continued to be run from the premises until it closed around 2001-2002.
Sources:
1841 census HO107/781/8
Whites Directory 1836
Great Ellingham Parish Registers Norfolk Record Office PD609. Also available via family search.org and subscription websites such as ancestry.co.uk
1851 census HO107/1823/131-132
1861 census RG9/1237/90
1871 census RG10/1841/88
1901 census RG13/1867/80
1911 census RG14/11473/132
1921 census RG 15/9790, ED 5, Sch 140; Book: 09790
1939 England & Wales Register The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1939 Register; Reference: RG 101/6590HAncestry.com. 1939 England and Wales Register [database on-line]. Draper, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2018.
Historical Deeds to Messuage, Cottages and Land in Church Street, Great Ellingham. Thanks to Erica Betts
Deeds and related papers to property in Great Ellingham. 1769-1913 1 bundle. Norfolk Record Office. Catalogue Reference MC 16971, 821X7
Please see individual articles for further sources used.