GENUKI: Norfolk: Hockham, Norfolk

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William White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk 1883

HOCKHAM, a pleasant village, 6 miles N.W. by N. of East Harling, is in Wayland union, Attleborough county court district, Norwich bankruptcy district, Shropham hundred, Guiltcross and Shropham petty sessional division, Harling polling district of South Norfolk, Rockland rural deanery, and Norfolk archdeaconry. It had 504 inhabitants in 1881, living on 3406 acres, and has a rateable value of £3685. Most of the parish belongs to Henry Thomas Partridge, Esq., J.P., and Henry Hemsworth, Esq., the former of whom is lord of the manor, impropriator of the great tithes and owner of, and resides at the Hall, a square red brick mansion surrounded by an extensive park.

Here were formerly two distinct parishes, called Great and Little Hockham; but the church (St. Mary) of the latter was demolished after the reign of Richard II., and no traces of it are now exant. Henry III. granted to Great Hockham a charter for a market every Friday, and a fair on Easter Monday; but the former has long been obsolete, though the village green is still called Market Hill, and the latter is merely a pleasure mart.

The CHURCH (Holy Trinity) is beautifully situated in the park, and is an interesting specimen of the Early Decorated style, having a nave, aisles, and chancel, but no tower. The discharged vicarage, valued in the King's Book at £8 17s. 11d., is in the patronage and incumbency of the Rev. John Spurgin, B.D., J.P., who has a good residence and a yearly tithe rent-charge of £276.

The School was built in 1832 by H.S. Partridge, Esq., who also endowed it with £100 three per cent. consols. A SCHOOL BOARD was formed in 1872, to which Breccles is contributory. Mr. H.F. Grigson, Watton, is clerk. The school was handed over to the board, and a new class-room has recently been added, giving accommodation for 100 children. The election for a new Board is now pending.

Here is an occasional Court-House.

Joseph Ashton, commonly called Tinker Joe, died in this parish in 1881, aged 112 years.

The Primitive Methodists have a chapel in the parish.

The common, and Cranberry fen, which had a lake or mere of 280A., were enclosed and drained in 1795, when a Fuel Allotment of 40A. was awarded for the use of all the parishioners not occupying more than £5 a year. The proceeds are given in coal to the poor. The Town Land consists of 16A. 22P. received in exchange at the enclosure, and now let for £30 a year, which is applied partly to the repairs of the church, and partly to the repairs of highways. Here are also several benefit societies.

POST from Thetford.

         Adams     Robert           grocer and draper
         Bambridge George           carpenter
         Becks     Miss Dinah E.    schoolmistress
         Bird      Henry            threshing machine propr
         Boyce     Mr. Robert
         Boyce     Robert, jun.     painter, plumber and glazier
         Cobon     Chas.            farmer, Little Hockham
         Cocking   Thomas           shoemaker
         Coldham   Alfd.            master at Board school
         Durrant   Henry Salisbury  farmer, West farm  [see note below]
         Edwards   Jeremiah         vict. Red Lion, farmer, wheelright,
                                      smith, furniture remover
         Lemmon    Leonard Tillott  vict. Eagle inn, engineer, brassfounder,
                                      smith, wheelright & school attndnce officr
         Lincoln   Henry            farmer
         Nurse     Philip           farmer
         Osborne   John             bootmaker
         Partridge Hy. Thos. Esq.
                     J.P.           The Hall
         Prewer    Walter           farmer
         Riches    Fredk.           tailor and stationer
         Riches    Leonard          vict. Crown, butcher, farmer and landowner
         Saunders  James            parish clerk
         Spurgin   Rev. John,
                     B.D., J.P.     vicar and surrogate
         Uttridge  James            shoemaker
         Warren    John Joseph      baker, grocer, and post office
         Wilson    John             draper, grocer & wine merchant
         Wright    Mrs Sophia       victualler, Unicorn, and butcher

Wretham Railway Station; Thomas Bedford, collector

Note: in the original this is:
Durrant Henry, Salisbury, farmer, West farm

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Norfolk: Hockham

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William White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk 1883