Norfolk: Denver

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

[Transcription copyright © Pat Newby]

DENVER is a small village 1 mile S. of Downham, and its parish is in Downham union, Clackclose hundred and petty sessional division, Downham county court district, Lynn bankruptcy district, Downham polling district of West Norfolk, Fincham rural deanery, and Norfolk archdeaconry. The parish, which had 836 inhabitants in 1881, living on 3149 acres, has a rateable value of £5633.

It includes the hamlets of Denver Sluice and Salter's Lode, distant about 2 miles W. of Denver on the river Ouse; the former at the mouth of the New Bedford river, or 100 feet drain, and the latter at the confluence of the Old Bedford river. Both the rivers are navigable for small craft, and have sluice gates and locks. Denver Sluice is crossed by a bridge of four arches, and was built at immense expense when the Bedford level was drained, but was destroyed by the violence of the tides in 1713, and soon afterwards rebuilt. In 1834-5, it was again rebuilt and widened at a cost of £30,000. At Salter's Lode are two sluices or locks, one opening into the Well Creek, and the other into the old Bedford river, the former rebuilt in 1827, and the latter in 1828.

The parish is in two manors, called East and West Hall, of which E.R.M. Pratt, Esq., J.P., is lord; but Captain Bulwer, Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, and others have estates here.

The CHURCH (St. Mary) is a neat edifice of car-stone, comprising nave, north aisle, chancel, south porch, vestry, and tower with small spire and five bells. It was restored in 1877, when the north aisle was added, the tower arch opened, and the church reroofed, refloored, and reseated. In the chancel are a double piscina, and sedilia for three priests. The rector gave a rood of land in 1870 for the enlargement of the churchyard.

The rectory, valued in the King's Book at £10 13s. 4d., and now at £911, is in two medieties, called St. Peter's, East Hall, and St. Michael's, West Hall. It is in the patronage of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, and incumbency of the Rev. William Houghton Stokes, M.A., who has a good residence and 94A. 1R. 13P. of glebe.

In the chancel a black marble slab covers the remains and records the worth of Dr. Robert Brady, a native of this parish, who was physician in ordinary to Charles II. and James II., and for forty years master of Gonville and Caius College, to which he bequeathed all his estate in Denver. He wrote several excellent works, one of which was 'A complete History of England, from the first entrance of the Romans to the end of Richard II.' He died in 1700.

The Church Land, 28A. 2R., is let at an annual rent. The Poor's Land, 51A. 2R. 7P., was partly allotted at the enclosure, and is let for £55 7s. 6d. The poor have also £2 a year from 1A. 1R. 8P., given by Alexander Dillingham; £4 a year as the rent of 'Patch-brigs,' purchased with £100 left by Mrs. Stafford; and £4 a year left by the Rev. S.C. Smith.

The Primitive Methodists have a small chapel in the parish. A Wesleyan Chapel was erected in 1864, by Mr. Robert Boyce, at a cost of £100, which will seat 100 persons. A handsome School, recently erected by the rector, is attended by 120 children. Here is a station on the Lynn and Ely branch of the Great Eastern Railway.

The late Captain G.W. Manby, author of an ingenious apparatus for saving the lives of shipwrecked mariners, was born in this parish, in 1765, at East Hall, an ancient manor house, which has been much modernised, but still exhibits a fine gable end with some good chimneys and ornaments of Tudor domestic architecture.

POST OFFICE at Mr. Ollett Ambrose's Letters arrive at 7 a.m., and are despatched at 6.35 p.m. week days, and 11.55 a.m. Sundays, viâ Downham, which is the nearest Money Order and Telegraph Office.

         Ambrose     Ollett            assistant overseer, and of Fordham,
                                         Roxham, and Ryston, and postmaster
         Ambrose     Robert            tailor
         Banham      John              bootmaker
         Barber      Benjamin          crpntr. & whlwright
         Barley      Thomas            beerhouse & shopkpr
         Bateman     Jonathan          vict. Crown Inn, Denver Sluice
         Beart       William           farmer
         Beasley     James             sluice keeper
         Bennett     Chas.             vict. Carpenters' Arms, and farmer
         Bowker      Geo.              sluice kpr. Salter's Lode
         Boyden      William           coal dealer
         Butcher     Clare             farmer, Salter's Lode
         Cork        Reuben            beerhouse and cattle dlr
         Corston     George            farmer & boat owner
         Dawson      Henry             farmer
         Dungay      Robert            estate carpenter
         Dungay      William           carpenter, wheelwright and parish clerk
         Dunnett     John              beerhouse
         Elworthy    Chas.             farmer, Salter's Lode
         Gates       Mrs Jane
         Gleaves     James             corn miller
         Gleaves     Mr John
         Green       Matthew           farmer
         Harpley     Joseph            farmer, The Hollies
         Hodgson     George            blacksmith
         Holliday    Charles           bricklayer
         Holliday    William           bricklayer
         Hopkin      Mr Francis
         Horne       James             blacksmith, and dealer in ropes and nails
         How         Henry John        corn & coal mercht. The Hall
         Johnson     Henry             farmer
         Kent        William           grocer and draper
         Lambert     Mrs Mary Ann      vict. Bell Inn, and farmer
         Lancaster   Mrs Mary          gardener
         Monk        Geo.              grocer, draper and butcher
         Morgan      Henry             beerhse. & bootmaker
         Mumford     Mrs Jane
         Nash        Fredk.            plumber, glazier & painter
         Paul        Jacob             cowkeeper
         Perry       -                 stationmaster
         Reed        Thomas L.         solicitor (R. & Wayman),
                                         Downham Crow hall
         Reeson      Mr Joseph
         Reid        William           vict. Ship Inn, Denver Sluice
         Robinson    Edward            bootmaker
         Robinson    Henry             bootmaker
         Robinson    William           bootmaker
         Rodwell     Mrs Sarah         gardener
         Sayer       Thomas            furniture broker
         Sharpe      James             farmer and carrier
         Sherringham Frederick Gay     farmer, Lower farm
         Shingles    John              farmer, Salter's Lode
         Stokes      Rev. Wm. Houghton
                       M.A. J.P.       rector, The Rectory
         Sutleff     John              farmer and land owner
         Tebbutt     Wm.               farm bailiff, Salter's Lode
         Thorpe      John              farmer, Denver Sluice
         Tingay      William           frmr. Ten Mile bank
         Towler      Robert            cowkeeper
         Tuck        Reuben            farmer and landowner, Salter's Lode
         Turner      Henry Wm.         farmer, Hill house
         Upcraft     Robert            farmer
         Upshaw      Edward            beerhouse & farmer, Salter's Lode
         Watson      Mrs Ann           coal dealer
         Watson      Geo.              farm bailiff, Denver Sluice
         Williams    Alfred            schoolmaster
         Wing        Isaac             boat builder, Denver Sluice
         Wootton     Joseph            farmer, College farm
 

CARRIER. - Jas. Sharpe, to Lynn, Tues. and Sat

Downham and Stoke Ferry Railway, Station for goods only; - Perry, stationmaster

Downham is the nearest passenger station

See also the Denver parish page.

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Copyright © Pat Newby.
February 2005