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Norfolk: Shouldham
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William White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk 1883
[Transcription copyright © Pat Newby]
SHOULDHAM is a pleasant village, on a small green, 5½ miles N.E. of Downham, and 10 miles W. of Swaffham. It is in Downham union and county court district, Clackclose hundred and petty sessional division, Lynn bankruptcy district, Downham polling district of West Norfolk, Fincham rural deanery, and Norfolk archdeaconry. It had 633 inhabitants in 1881, living on 3892A. 3R. of land, and has a rateable value of £4306 15s. 2674 acres of land belong to Thomas L. Hare, Esq., the lord of the manor; and the rest is the property of the Rev. Stephen Allen, D.D., Sir A.T. Watson, Bart., and others. In some old writings it is called Market Shouldham, and it has still two fairs for horses, cattle, and sheep, on September 19 and October 11.
Here was anciently a Priory, founded in the reign of Richard I. for monks of the order of St. Gilbert, by Jeffery Fitzpiers, Earl of Essex, and Chief Justice of England, who died in 1212, and endowed it with this manor and twelve houses in London. Robert Swyft, the last prior, subscribed to the King's supremacy in 1526. At the Dissolution, the priory and its possessions was granted to Thomas Mildmay. On removing the priory ruins, in 1831, a decayed painted window, two stone coffins, and a vessel containing a human skull, were found; and on clearing the foundations in 1840, a walled passage, 30 yards long and 2 feet broad, was discovered. To this priory was attached a large Grammar School, of which John Elvedon was master in 1462. It had also a church, dedicated to St. Margaret, which was standing in 1519.
The parish CHURCH (All Saints) is at the east end of the village, and is a small edifice, comprising nave, chancel, and tower with four bells. It was thoroughly restored some years ago by the late Sir Thomas Hare. The east window is filled with stained glass, and the church contains two stained glass windows to the Catton family. Here is a handsome marble monument, in memory of the late T. Allen, Esq., bearing a finely-executed figure of Faith.
The living is a vicarage, annexed to Shouldham-Thorpe, in the incumbency of the Rev. William Maxey Allen, M.A., who has a handsome parsonage-house near the church, erected a few years ago, and patronage of Thomas L. Hare, Esq., who is also impropriator of the tithes, out of which he pays the curate's stipend, £120 per annum.
Here are chapels belonging to the Wesleyans and Methodist Free Church.
The Church School has about 130 scholars.
On Mr. Catton's estate was a fine chalybeate spring called Silver Well, as noticed on page 842 of our last edition, but it has all been done away with. Fragments of Roman urns and a few coins have been found in the parish.
The Fuel Allotment, 95 acres, was awarded at the enclosure in 1794, and is let for £57 a year, which is distributed to the poor at Christmas. One rod of old poor's land is let for 30s.
POST OFFICE at Mr. James R. Dawes's. Letters arrive at 8.45 a.m., and are despatched at 5 p.m., viâ Downham, which is the nearest Telegraph Office. Fincham is the nearest Money Order Office. Magdalen Road is the nearest railway station.
Allen Rev. Stephen, D.D. The Hall Allen Rev. William Maxey, M.A. vicar, The Vicarage Black Jacob bootmaker Bowen Robert grocer and butcher Buckenham John grocer and draper Clifton Daniel corn miller & farmer Cocks Wm. beerhouse & chimneyswpr Coe Henry carter Craft Robt. vict. Three Horse Shoes Dane Robert bricklayer Dawes James Rolfe grocer, draper, outfitter, dealer in paperhangings, and postmaster Drake Oliver blacksmith Dye Frederick baker Dye Harry grocer and draper Edwards Robert farmer Edwards William farmer Edwards William bootmaker Gilbert Henry victualler, Chequers Hawes Mrs Ann vict. Victory Inn, & carrier Hovells Robert bootmaker Lemmon Charles farmer, Colts hall Mace Zeamira bricklayer Offley Bros. farmers, Hall farm Offley Daniel (Bros.) Offley Henry John (Bros.) Offley Michael (Bros.) Pickersgill Miss Hannah schlmistress Pikett Daniel butcher Pikett Fountain carrier Preston Harvey victualler, King's Arms, and carrier Proctor Anthony farmer, Heath Stark John bailiff to Dr. Allen Starne Peter victualler, Rampant Horse, blacksmith, grocer & draper Steeles Robert carpenter & whlwrght Watson Mr William West William farmer Witherington Joseph farmer
CARRIERS to Lynn, Fountain Pikett & Harvey Preston, Tues. and Sat.
See also the Shouldham parish page.
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Copyright © Pat Newby.
July 2015