Norfolk Hundreds

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

GALLOW HUNDRED

Is a tract of rich soil, and highly diversified country, extending 15 miles in length from east to west, and varying from 8 to 5 miles in breadth; being bounded on the north by Brothercross, North-Greenhoe, and Holt Hundreds; on the east by Eynesford; on the south by Launditch; and on the west by Freebridge-Lynn and Smithdon Hundreds.

It is watered by the Wensum, and several brooks, which form the source of that river, flowing eastward through a fine vale, by East Rudham, Fakenham, Great Ryburgh, &c.; and from Little Snoring, Barsham, &c., another stream flows northward through the adjoining Hundred to the sea, near Stiffkey.

Henry I. gave Gallow and Brothercross to the Earl of Warren and Surrey, who then held Norwich Castle. Gallow is supposed to have its name from a hill near Dunton, where the Hundred Court was held.

It is in Docking and Briningham Police Divisions; and contains 31 parishes, of which 18 are in Burnham Deanery, and 13 in Toftrees Deanery; the former in the Archdeaconry of Norfolk, and the latter in that of Norwich. Petty Sessions are held at the Crown Inn, Fakenham, every alternate Saturday. Mr. John Overton is clerk to the magistrates.

The following enumeration of the 31 parishes shews their population in 1841, the annual value of their lands and buildings, as assessed to the County Rates in 1843, and their territorial extent.

	+========================================================+
	|                        |        |   Ann.    |          |
	|    PARISHES.           |   Pop. |  Value.   |   Acres. |
	+--------------------------------------------------------+
	| Bagthorpe                   78       £680          750 |
	| Barmer                      61      1,102        1,280 |
	| Barsham (East)             240      1,578        1,048 |
	| Barsham (North)             89      1,560        1,005 |
	| Barsham (West)              86      1,676        1,520 |
	| Broomsthorpe                10        434          430 |
	| Dunton & Doughton          147      1,800        1,549 |
	| * Fakenham               2,166      8,102        1,997 |
	| Fulmodeston-with- }        290                         |
	|   Croxton         }         68      2,860        2,314 |
	| Heloughton                 356      2,286        1,638 |
	| Hempton                    447        912          370 |
	| Houghton (New)             303      1,036        1,120 |
	| Kettlestone                219      1,300          629 |
	| Pensthorpe                  19        790          724 |
	| Pudding-Norton              25        990          755 |
	| Rainham (East)             124      2,554        1,607 |
	| Rainham (South)            124      1,240        1,036 |
	| Rainham (West)             380      2,148        1,270 |
	| Rudham (East)              994      4,338        3,779 |
	| Rudham (West)              490      2,940        2,438 |
	| Ryburgh Magna              521      2,360        1,488 |
	| Ryburgh Parva              176      1,268          873 |
	| Sculthorpe                 591      3,404        2,049 |
	| Shereford                   89        940          823 |
	| Snoring (Little)           293      1,876        1,518 |
	| Stibbard                   453      2,160        1,421 |
	| Syderstone                 504      2,408        2,308 |
	| Tatterford                  59      1,338          960 |
	| Tattersett                 160      2,440        1,757 |
	| Testerton                   23        850          621 |
	| Toftrees                    84      1,612        1,166 |
	+--------------------------------------------------------+
	|    TOTAL +               9,669     61,282       42,480 |
	+========================================================+

[There is more information about individual parishes]

* Fakenham return includes 8 persons in Alethorpe, which is extra- parochial, and has 237 acres, assessed at £260 per annum.

+ Gallow Hundred had 9,378 souls, in 1831. It was assessed to the Property Tax at £54,190 in 1815; and at £67,868 in 1842.

UNIONS:- All the above parishes are in WALSINGHAM UNION, except Bagthorpe, Barmer, Broomsthorpe, New Houghton, East and West Rudham, and Syderstone, which are in Docking Union.(see page 633. [this is in Smithdon Hundred description])

For more information see :-

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

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