Norfolk Hundreds

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

LAUNDITCH HUNDRED

Is of an irregular, quadrangular figure, averaging about 12 miles in length and breadth, and bounded on the north by Gallow, on the east by Eynesford, on the south by Mitford and South Greenhoe, and on the west by Freebridge-Lynn Hundred.

It is a highly cultivated district, rising in some places in bold and picturesque swells, with many thriving plantations and handsome mansions, and watered by the Wensum, the Nar, and several smaller streams, which rise within its limits. It takes its name from a long ditch and bank extending from Wendling-car to the low lands near Mileham, and supposed to have been made for the purpose of carrying off the drain water. At the point where this ditch crosses the Norwich road, the Hundred court was anciently held.

Launditch, (with the exception of Colkirk and Hoe,) forms the Deanery of Brisley, in the Archdeaconry of Norwich. The Launditch Society for encouraging good conduct, industrious habits, &c. among servants and labourers, holds its annual meetings for awarding prizes, &c. at Litcham, in October.

Petty Sessions for Launditch Hundred are held at Litcham, on the first Wednesday, and at North Elmham on the third Wednesday of every month. Mr. Charles Wright is clerk to the magistrates.

This Hundred contains thirty-three parishes, of which the following is an enumeration, shewing their population in 1841, the annual value of their lands and buildings, as assessed to the County Rate in 1843, and their territorial extent, in assessable acres.

	+=======================================================+
	|                        |        |  Annl.   |          |
	|     PARISHES.          |   Pop. | Value.   |   Acres. |
	|                        |        |   £.     |          |
	+-------------------------------------------------------+
	| Beeston All Sts.   }       661 }    3472         2396 |
	|  with Bittering  ! }        18                        |
	| Beetley                    395      2040         1693 |
	| Bilney (East)              218       748          531 |
	| Brisley                    388      2086         1201 |
	| Colkirk                    462      2326         1307 |
	| * Dillington ham.           40       552          438 |
	| Dunham (Great)             520      3132         1967 |
	| Dunham (Little)            298      2788         1818 |
	| Elmham (North)            1219      5684         4401 |
	| Fransham (Great)           329      3090         1874 |
	| Fransham (Little)          263      1664          967 |
	| Gateley                    129      1756         1477 |
	| Gressenhall +              957      4160         2582 |
	| Hoe, or Hoo                220      1780         1345 |
	| Horningtoft                290      1964         1386 |
	| Kempstone                   52      1064          809 |
	| Lexham (East)              236      1064         1048 |
	| Lexham (West)              124       754         1126 |
	| Litcham @                  846      2772         1717 |
	| Longham                    333      1234         1248 |
	| Mileham                    532      3982         2825 |
	| Oxwick-with- }              64 }                      |
	|  Pattesley   }              16 }    1512         1027 |
	| Rougham                    367      2962         2520 |
	| Scarning                   613      4694         3870 |
	| Stanfield                  259      1554          921 |
	| Swanton-Morley             779      4344         2649 |
	| Tittleshall-with }                                    |
	|   Godwick        }         607      4424         3020 |
	| Weasenham All    }                                    |
	|    Saints        }         363      2570         1957 |
	| Weasenham St.    }                                    |
	|    Peter         }         310      2030         1397 |
	| Wellingham                 193      1322         1047 |
	| Wendling                   330      2552         1331 |
	| Whissonsett                702      2596         1328 |
	| Worthing                   158       988          783 |
	+-------------------------------------------------------+
	|   Total                 13,290    79,660       56,006 |
	+=======================================================+

* DILLINGTON is a hamlet in East Dereham parish, but in Launditch Hundred. (See page 310 [East Dereham section].)

+ Gressenhall return includes 242 persons in the Union Workhouse.

! Beeston & Bittering Parva are ecclesiastically separate parishes, but united for the support of the poor.

@ Litcham return included 25 visitors attending the races.

The whole Hundred is in MITFORD AND LAUNDITCH UNION, which has its Workhouse at Gressenhall, and is already noticed at page 307 [this is in Mitford Hundred description]. It is in Dereham, Castleacre, and Briningham Police Divisions. Its population, in 1831, was 12,579; and its annual value, as assessed to the PROPERTY TAX, was £59,165, in 1815, and £86,938 in 1842.

• General description and layout of Hundreds.
• Other hundred descriptions from White's 1845.
• Bittering Magna was formerely a parish lying between Gressenhall and Beetley.

© Mike Bristow
April 2006