Norfolk Hundreds

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

FOREHOE HUNDRED

It has its name from four hills, near Carlton, where the Hundred Court was formerly held; but it was then called a Hundred and a Half, and belonged to the Crown, till King John and his successors granted most of the manors to the Earl of Arundel and John le Mareschall, lord of Hingham, from whom they have passed to Lord Wodehouse, Lord Stafford, and many others; but the chief manor, in the extensive parish of Wymondham, which was called the Half Hundred, is still held by the Crown.

Forehoe forms, with Mitford, the DEANERY OF HINGHAM, in the Archdeaconry of Norfolk, and is an extensive district of fertile and highly improved land, nearly all the commons having been enclosed during the present and the latter part of the last century.

All the 24 parishes in Forehoe Hundred, except Honingham (in St. Faith's Union,) were incorporated by act of Parliament, in 1776, for the maintenance of their poor, and the erection of a HOUSE OF INDUSTRY, at Wicklewood, at the cost of £11,000, borrowed, at five per cent interest, on a tontine scheme of 110 shares. Each subscriber of £100 named some young person on whose life his annuity was to depend; and of these nominees only about 30 survive, so that the interest of the £11,000 is now divided among about 30 shareholders, and will ultimately become the sole property of that person whose nominee may be the last survivor.

This large Workhouse has accommodations for 400 paupers, but it has seldom half that number, having only 135 in July 1841, and 144 in Nov. 1844. The 23 incorporated parishes of Forehoe Hundred comprise about 36,500 acres, and 13,520 inhabitants. Their annual expenditure, in support of in and out-door poor, since 1838, has averaged only about £4300; but the amount for the quarter ending Sept. 1844 was £1513.

The "Board of Directors and Acting Guardians" are still governed by their own local act of Parliament, though they have conformed to some of the regulations of the New Poor Law. Mr. John Freeman Bayfield, of Norwich, is clerk to the Board; Mr. Stephen Wade, master of the Workhouse; and the Rev. M.B. Darby, chaplain.

Five surgeons are appointed for attending the poor. Mr. Edward Press, of Hingham, is Superintendent Registrar of the incorporated parishes; and the District Registrars are, Mr. Robert Tunaley, of Wymondham, and Mr. Wm. Sturgess, of Bawburgh.

PETTY SESSIONS, for the Hundred of Forehoe, are held on the first Tuesday in every month, at the White Hart, Hingham; and on the 3rd Tuesday, at the King's Head, Wymondham. Mr. J.S. Cann, of Wymondham is clerk to the Magistrates.

The following enumeration of the 24 parishes of this Hundred shews their population in 1841, their annual value, as assessed to the county rate in 1843, and their territorial extent, in assessable acres.

	+========================================================+
	|                        |        |  Annl.  |            |
	|    PARISHES.           |   Pop. |  Valu.  |     Acres. |
	|                        |        |    £.   |            |
	+--------------------------------------------------------+
	| Barford                    417       2478         1059 |
	| Barnham-Broom              494       3122         1710 |
	| Bawburgh                   404       2142         1362 |
	| Bowthorpe                   34        586          600 |
	| Brandon Parva              222       1494          950 |
	| Carleton-Forehoe           151       1078          688 |
	| Colton                     282       1448          893 |
	| Costessey, or  }          1074       3934         2648 |
	|    Cossey      }                                       |
	| Coston                      48        474          353 |
	| Crownthorpe                111        938          671 |
	| Deopham                    525       2704         1626 |
	| Easton                     279       1824         1557 |
	| Hackford                   264       1300          721 |
	| Hingham                   1691       8224         3525 |
	| Honingham                  358       2962         2527 |
	| Kimberley                  148       2150         1372 |
	| Marlingford                195       1178          617 |
	| Morley St. Botolph         328       1568          819 |
	| Morley St. Peter           191       1692         1009 |
	| Runhall                    248       1176          791 |
	| Welborne                   234       1294          733 |
	| Wicklewood *               775       2906         1527 |
	| Wramplingham               236       1678          830 |
	| Wymondham *               5179     23,014       10,484 |
	+--------------------------------------------------------+
	| Total +                 13,888     71,364       39,042 |
	+========================================================+

* Wicklewood includes 135 persons in the Forehoe Incorporated Workhouse, noticed above; and Wymondham includes 24 in the Bridewell. The latter extensive parish is in six divisions.
+ Forehoe Hundred had 13,838 inhabitants, in 1831. Its annual value, as assessed to the property tax, was £56,618, in 1815, and £80,379, in 1842. It is in Long Stratton, Dereham, and Hockham Police Divisions.

• General description and layout of Hundreds.
• Other hundred descriptions from White's 1845.

© Mike Bristow
April 2006