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Village Information Page| North Elmham |
ELMHAM (NORTH) once a city, and the seat of the Bishops of Norfolk from 673
to 1075, is now a large village and parish, pleasantly situated on the west
bank of the river Wensum, 5 miles N. of East Dereham, and 18 miles N.W. by
W. of Norwich. It contains 1219 inhabitants, and 4401 acres of land. The
Earl of Leicester owns 479A.; Christ's College, Cambridge, about 110A.; and
nearly all the rest is the property of Lord Sondes. The parish is in two
manors, viz. Elmham-Nawer's, of which Lord Sondes is lord, and North Elmham,
of which the Dean and Chapter of Norwich are lords. In the former, the
fines are certain, and in the latter arbitrary. It is supposed that there
was a ROMAN STATION here, in Broom close, where upwards of 100 urns, many
coins, and other Roman antiquities were found in 711. Among the
inscriptions on the coins were, "Vespatianvs Avg.," "Caesar Divi F.
Domitianvs Coss. VIII.," "Diva Favstina," "Lucilla Avgvsta Antonina Avgvsti
Filia," and "G Constantvs Nob. Caesar." Bisus, the fourth Bishop of the
East Angles, about the year 673, divided his diocese into two, when one
bishop was appointed to reside here, where the first cathedral church was a
wooden fabric. After the removal of the see to Thetford, about A.D. 1070,
and finally to Norwich, in 1096, Elmham still continued a favourite
residence of the succeeding bishops. In the 11th of Richard II., the
warlike Bishop Spencer obtained a license to embattle and make a castle of
his manor house at Elmham. this episcopal castle stood on an artificial
mount, on the hill
above the village, surrounded by a broad and deep ditch, encompassing about
five acres. The inner keep was also defended by a deep foss, which enclosed
about two acres. Some traces of the intrenchments and foundations of the
building may still be seen, overgrown with briars and thorns. From the
castle, there was a vault under-ground to the church. The extensive park
which belonged to it, now called the Old or Westfield Park, is still
preserved. It contains 370 acres, and nearly five hundred deer, and is the
property of the Earl of Leicester. Adjoining the east side of this, is the
extensive and well-wooded deer park of Elmham Hall, one of the seats of the
Right Hon. Geo. John Milles, Lord SONDES, who succeeded his brother in the
peerage in 1836. The hall is a large brick mansion, which has undergone
considerable alterations, and stands on an eminence, rising gently from the
margin of a fine sheet of water, which abounds with pike and other fish, and
is supplied by a small brook flowing through the park to the river Wensum.
The CHURCH (Virgin Mary) was built by Bishop Herbert de Losinga, but it
afterwards underwent frequent repairs and alterations. It is a large,
handsome pile, 157 feet by 66, with a square tower and eight bells. The
interior is neat, and has many ancient carved seats, and two handsome marble
monuments, in memory of Richard Warner and Richard Milles, Esqrs., the
former of whom built Elmham Hall, and died in 1757. From the latter, the
Elmham and other estates passed to their present owner (now Lord Sondes,)
who assumed the name of Milles, being brother of the Right Hon. L. R.
Watson, the late Baron Sondes, of Lees Court, Kent. In the church windows,
are several fragments of stained glass. The benefice is a discharged
vicarage, valued in K.B. at £13. 15s. Lord Sondes is the patron and
improriator, and the Rev. Henry Edward Knatchbull is the incumbent. In
1838, the vicarial tithes were commuted for £463. 2s. 6d., and the
rectorial tithes, on those parts of the parish not belonging to the
impropriator, for £291 per annum. There is a small Baptist Chapel in the
village. Petty Sessions are held here on the third Wednesday of every
month; hirings for servants, at Michaelmas; and a large FAIR for cattle,
sheep, and swine, is held yearly, on April 6th, unless that day fall on
Saturday or Sunday, when the fair is held on the following Monday. The FREE
SCHOOL, now conducted on the national system, in two departments for boys
and girls, is attended by about 140 children, and was built by Richard
Milles, Esq., the late lord of the manor, who vested it, in 1813, with a
house for the master, a playground, and 13A. of the common, in trustees. At
the enclosure, in 1831, it received an allotment of 2A. 2R. 15P., which,
with the 13A., yields an annual income of about £20 per annum. The Church
Lands, 74A. 20P., are let for £74 a year. The Fuel Allotment, awarded at
the enclosure, is 50A. 21P., on which the poor cut turf, &c., and let the
herbage for £10 a year. They have also the interest of £100, left by Peter
Johnson, in 1833; £1. 11s. 8d. yearly left by Robt. Shettles and John
Culling; and 36s. a year from Gooch's Charity. (See East Dereham.) There is
a Bowling Green at the George Inn, and a Cricket Ground near the King's
Head, and in the parish are two water-mills for grinding corn. The POST
OFFICE is at Mrs. Dent's, whence letters are despatched to the East Dereham,
&c., at four afternoon, and to Holt, Cley, &c., at half-past nine morning. |
Lord SONDES, Elmham Hall, (and
| Lees Court, Kent; and Rocking- ham Castle, Northamptonshire) Bradfield Chas. plumber & glazier Bradfield Rt. vict. King's Head Inn Brunton Benj. plumber, glazier, &c. Chapling Mr John Cook Jeremiah, cooper Cooper Mrs Sarah
Copsey Thomas, pump maker | Cushing Francis, bricklayer & bldr Dent Mrs Sophia, Post Office Dix Henry, boarding school Fisher Money, land agent and chief constable Goshawk John, watchmaker & regr Jewell George, veterinary surgeon Knatchbull Rev Henry Edw. vicar
Next Page
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Lambert Charles, gardener | Linley John, tea dealer Neal James, bricklayer Parkerson James, surgeon Reynold Francis, relieving officer Rogers Rd. & Sophia, Natl. School Rump Chpr. steward to Lord Sondes Sparkes Sutton, vict. George Inn Thompson Rev Jph (bdg. academy,) chaplain to the Union Upton Wm. bricklayer Williment Mr Howlet Whiter William, Old Park keeper. Park House Yull Peter, tinner and brazier
Bream Thomas | Rudd Bunn James Elmer Wm. Elmer Robert Englebright Ths. Hawes Wm. Howell John Hubbard James Mayston Joshua Monument John Norton Robert Rix Wm. Old Hall Whiter Wm. Williment John Kirby Winter Samuel
| (and glass dlr) Tombling Henry Tombling Benj. Twiddy George Cooper John Elmer John Howell Robert Willby Samuel
Wed., & Fri.,
| Goshawk Henry Grant Wm. (and Baptist min.) Tuck Thomas Tombling Robt. Monument John, (&iron fence manufacturer) Monument Thos. Ward James |
Norton Robert, Bradfield James Bradfield Robert Bradfield Thos. Bradfield Wm.
| Sands Wm. Tombling Robt. Tombling Wm. Wells John
7mg.& to Holt, | Tues., Thurs., and Sat. 8 evg. Norwich, Sat. 6mg., and to Litcham, 7 evg. Robt Spooner, to Norwich, Fri. Jno. Tombling, to Norwich, Sat., and Lynn, Mon.
From William White's 1845 "History, Gazetteer, & Directory of Norfolk"
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