Norfolk: Dersingham

William White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk 1845

DERSINGHAM is a large well-built village, on the Hunstanton road, 8½ miles N.N.E. of Lynn, sheltered on the north by rising and well cultivated fields, and bounded on the south by a sandy heath and rabbit warren of 1,900 acres, of which 1,500A. are in Wolverton, and the rest in Sandringham, West-Newton, and Dersingham.

The parish contains 676 inhabitants, and 2,951 acres of land, extending nearly two miles westward to Lynn Deeps, and three miles eastward to Ling House. At the enclosure, in 1779, 160 acres were allotted in lieu of the vicarial tithes, and 457 acres were enclosed within a ring fence for the use of the parish, viz:- 329A. of marsh, as a stinted common, and 128A. of heath for providing whins and turfs.

John Bellamy, Esq. and the Marquis Cholmondeley own a great part of the soil, and are lords of the manors of West Hall, Pakenham, Gelham, Shouldham Priory, and Brook, for which J.L. Jarvis, Esq., of Lynn, is steward. The copyholds are subject to small fines, and the quit-rents amount to only £10 14s. 8½d. The Marquis Cholmondeley is lessee of the rectorial tithes, under the Bishop of Norwich.

The CHURCH (St. Nicholas) is a large building with a square tower and six bells. The vicarage, was valued in the King's Book at £5 6s. 8d., and in 1831, at £155. The Rev. Edw. Bellamy, B.D., is incumbent, and John Bellamy, Esq., of Wisbech, is the patron.

The poor parishioners have the following yearly doles, viz:- £5 from 2A. 8P. of land at Snettisham, left by Jeffery Bummer, in 1689; 10s. left by Nicholas Ground, out of half an acre; 11s. from 1R. 7P. left by an unknown donor; and £17, as the rent of 8A. 2R. 36P., allotted at the enclosure, in lieu of land purchased with £100, left by Elizabeth Pell, in 1730. Of the latter, 16 pennyworth of bread is distributed every Sunday, and the residue is disposed of in coals.

         Balding    Robert             glover
         Bellamy    Rev. Edward, B.D.  vicar
         Bellamy    George             assistant overseer
         Brown      James              schoolmaster
         Brett      Mrs. Mary
         Bunn       Isaac              post man; letters received 8½ morning,
                                         and despatched 6 evng
         Bussey     William            gamekeeper
         Davy       Miss Lucy
         Davis      Abraham            carrier, to Lynn, Tuesday and Saturday
         Fitt       James              corn miller
         Flegg      John               wheelwright
         Frost      John and James     blacksmiths
         Gay        Abraham            vict., Cock
         Hotchin    William            butcher
         Leach      Rev. William, M.A. incumbent of Flitcham, &c.
         Lines      John               parish clerk
         Petchey    Lydia              vict., Coach and Horses
         Pickerill  Thomas             carpenter
         Reynolds   Charles            shopkeeper
         Rungay     Charles            tailor
         Skelton    George             Wild Fowl Decoy
         Skinner    Robert             joiner & shopkeeper
         Stanton    Richard, sen.      gentleman
         Terrington John               shopkeeper
         Twaites    Samuel             baker & flour dealer
         Warnes     John               gardener
         Waters     John               vict., Dun Cow
 
                                FARMERS.
 
         Chadwick   George             Hunt      Robert, (to J. Platten)
         Chapman    John               Riches    John, (and rabbit dealer)
         Claxton    Robert             Rix       James
         Fox        Robt., Hill hs.    Scott     Thomas
         Freeman    Joshua, (and       Stanton   Rd., jun., Ling House
                      maltster)        Smith     John
 
            Shoe Makers.
 
         Gamble     John
         Scott      Edward
         Sheldrake  Francis
         Watson     Robert
 

See also the Dersingham parish page.

These pages are for personal use only. They may not be copied, and the links within them may not be harvested for use on your own web pages. Please see the Copyright Notice.

Copyright © Pat Newby.
August 2007