Norfolk Hundreds

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

HAPPING HUNDRED

Is of a triangular figure, stretching about eleven miles along the seashore, from Winterton Ness to Walcot, and bounded on the south by West Flegg and Walsham Hundreds; and on the west by Tunstead Hundred; two of its boundaries being about eleven miles, and the other nine miles in length.

The villages are mostly surrounded by low marshes, intersected by numerous broads, or lakes, connected by rivulets and drains, flowing southward, into two channels, to the Bure and the Thurne, and opening a direct navigation to Yarmouth for boats of 14 tons, from almost every part of this Hundred, the greater portion of which was formerly watery meadows, open commons, and extensive rabbit-warrens; but the grounds are now well drained, and all enclosed, except a few small warrens, and several allotments awarded for the use of the poor. The drain waters are pumped from the lower levels by a number of wind-mills. Happing Hundred has suffered considerably from the encroachments of the ocean, though it appears now to be pretty well protected by the high ridges of sand-hills drifted on the coast, and the occasional assistance of a few men employed to repair the breaches.

This Hundred forms, with Tunstead, the Deanery of Waxton or Waxham, in the Archdeaconry of Norwich, and was united with that Hundred, (except North Walsham,) for the support of the poor, in the 25th of Geo. III., when a House of Industry was erected, for the incorporated parishes, at Smallburgh. (See page 474; and Petty Sessions, page 475. [Both in Tunstead Hundred])

Happing Hundred contains 16 parishes, of which the following is an enumeration, shewing 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.  |   Value    |  Acres. |
	|                      |        |     £.     |         |
	+------------------------------------------------------+
	| Brumstead               116        1242          768 |
	| Catfield                655        2648         2216 |
	| Happisburgh             631        3998         1917 |
	| Hempstead-with }        175}                         |
	|   Eccles       }         53}       1836         1131 |
	| Hickling                860        4786         4020 |
	| Horsey-next-the Sea     162        1242         1588 |
	| Ingham *                509        2616         1440 |
	| Lessingham              241        1080          629 |
	| Ludham                  924        4724         2678 |
	| Palling                 425        1630          788 |
	| Potter Heigham          420        3356         2347 |
	| Ruston (East)           759        5078         2086 |
	| Stalham                 729        3374         1277 |
	| Sutton                  365        2240         1310 |
	| Walcot                  172        1582          674 |
	| Waxham                   90        2126         1911 |
	+------------------------------------------------------+
	|   Total +              7286      43,558       26,780 |
	+======================================================+

[There is more information about individual parishes]

* Ingham, Palling and Stalham returns, included 100 persons attending Ingham stock fair; but 40 fishermen were absent from Palling.

+ The area of this Hundred, including roads, wastes and "broads" is about 30,000 acres. Its population, in 1831, was 6446. Its annual value, as assessed to the property tax was £26,101, in 1815, and £48,818, in 1842. It is in Ludham Police Division.

For more information see :-

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

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