Norfolk: Horsham St Faith with Newton St Faith

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

[Transcription copyright © Pat Newby]

HORSHAM ST. FAITH, and NEWTON ST. FAITH, are two villages forming one united parish, commonly called ST. FAITH'S, and distant about 4 to 5 miles N. of Norwich, on the Aylsham road. They contain about 2400A. of land, and increased their population from 883 in 1801, to 1307 souls, in 1841, of whom 973 were in Horsham, and 334 in Newton. The latter has only about 750 acres, and the former 1650 acres. At the enclosure, in 1802, 58A. 3R. 38P. of heath was awarded to the poor of Horsham, and 68A. to the poor of Newton.

HORSHAM, the largest village, is situated above a small rivulet, and is celebrated for its large cattle fair, held yearly on the 17th of October, and continued during the three following weeks, for the sale of Scotch cattle, &c. Here are about twenty looms, employed by the Norwich manufacturers, but here were formerly more than 100. Hugh de Cressi had the privilege of a weekly market here, in the 41st of Henry III., but it has long been obsolete.

Here were formerly a Benedictine Priory, and a Hospital of Knights Templar. The priory, dedicated to St. Faith, the Virgin and Martyr, was founded by Robert de Codomo, lord of Horsford, and Sibilla his wife, in the year 1105; after which, numerous bequests were made to it by the families who possessed this and the adjacent manor of Horsford. In the reign of Richard II., this priory was discharged from its subjection to the abbey of Couches, in France, and constituted indigeni. At the dissolution, its annual revenues were valued at £193. 2s. 3½d., and granted with the rectory and advowson of Horsford to Sir Richard Southwell and Edward Ellington, Esq.

Some of the boundary walls of the priory still remain on the Abbey farm, near the CHURCH, which is a large Gothic structure, with a fine groined porch and embattled tower. It was repaired and beautified in 1844. The benefice is a curacy, valued in 1831 at only £60, though augmented in 1773 and 1801, with £400 of Queen Anne's Bounty, and in 1813, with a Parliamentary grant of £1200. The Rev. O. Mathias is the incumbent, and Admiral Stephens is the patron, impropriator, lord of the manor, and principal owner of the soil. The impropriate tithes were commuted in 1842, for £711 per annum.

NEWTON is a smaller village, one mile N. of Horsham, but has no church.

The Wesleyans have a chapel in both the villages, and that at Horsham was enlarged in 1844.

The Workhouse of ST. FAITH'S UNION is here, as noticed at page 778 [which is the entry for Taverham Hundred].

In the following Directory, those marked * are in Newton, and the others in Horsham St. Faith.

The POST OFFICE is at the Black Swan, were [sic] letters are received at 7 morning, and despatched at 6 evening.

           Brown     Richard        cattle dealer
           Carman    Samuel         blacksmith
           Cooper    Wm.            vict. Cross Keys
           Dover     Robert         schoolmaster
           Eglington Richard        corn miller
         * Ewing     Stephen        miller and grocer
           Forster   W.             bricklayer & vict. Crown
           Kerry     Henry          tailor
           Larwood   Jerh.          vict. King's Head
           Mandel    Mr Thomas
           Nunn      Simon          beer house
           Pearce    John           blacksmith
         * Pointer   Edmund         vict. Crown
           Priestley Wm. S.         surgeon
           Reynolds  Jas.           corn & coal merchant
           Richards  Robert         relieving officer
           Rice      Jas.           butcher & vict. Black Swan
           Scarnett  John           wheelwright & joiner
           Stowers   Joshua         colt breaker
           Swann     Thos. C.       gov. Workhouse
 
              Bakers.
 
         * Pointer   George
           Taylor    Sarah
 
                     Boot & Shoe Mkrs.
 
         * Allen     John           Griffin   Joseph
           Blyth     Robert       * Newton    Robert
           Bridger   John           Pleasants Thos.
 
                          FARMERS.
 
           Baxter    Robert         Reynolds  Joseph
           Carman    Philip L.      Reynolds  Eliz.
                       (registrar)  Reynolds  Edwd.
           Cook      Robins         West      John
           Cook      James          West      John, jun.
           Cope      James          Webster   John
           Lovick    John
 
                         Gardeners.
 
         * Burdett   Wm.          * Coleby    Mrs J.
           Bridger   Wm.            Fuller    Wm.
           Clarke    William      * King      Sarah
 
                        Shopkeepers.
 
           Bullard   Robert         Roofe     Samuel
           Carman    S.J.S.         Webb      Benj. (and
           Fuller    Wm.                        basket maker)
           Harper    Elizabeth      Wright    Richard
           Pleasants Thos.
 

COACHES. To Norwich ½ past 9 mng. and ¼ before 6 evening; to Aylsham and Cromer 5 evng. and ¼ past 7 morng., from the Black Swan.

See also the Horsham St Faith with Newton St Faith parish page.

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Copyright © Pat Newby.
February 2015