Norfolk: West Beckham

William White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk 1883

BECKHAM (WEST) is a small parish, 4 miles E. of Holt, in Erpingham union, Holt county court district, Norwich bankruptcy division, South Erpingham hundred, and petty sessional division, Holt polling district of North Norfolk, Ingworth rural deanery, and Norwich archdeaconry. It contains 785 acres, and has a rateable value of £1243. The soil belongs to the executors of W.F. Windham, Esq., the Rev. John Gunton, and others; but the representatives of W.H. Scott, Esq., are lords of the manor. Its population in 1881 was 530, of whom 111 were inmates of Erpingham Union Workhouse, which is situated in this parish.

The CHURCH (All Saints) comprises nave, chancel, and south porch. Over the latter is a wooden belfry, the western tower having fallen down many years ago. The perpetual curacy was augmented from 1790 to 1815, with £600 of Queen Anne's Bounty, partly laid out in 13 acres of land. It is now valued at £81 per annum, and is in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter of Norwich, and incumbency of the Rev. Edward James Harper, M.A., of Barningham Town. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners are also appropriators of the tithes, which were commuted in 1839 for £210 a year.

This parish is united with Bodham School Board.

The Poor's Land, 2A. 3R. 21P., was exchanged at the enclosure in 1842 for 4A. 2R. of common, which are let in allotments at small rents, producing about £2 per annum.

The account of ERPINGHAM UNION is delayed until North Walsham, as we have not yet been able to get the census figures for 1881 for this union, but hope to do so by the time we reach that place.

POST viâ Holt and East Dereham.

	Bird      Samuel Wells   farmer
	Breese    James          carpenter
	Bunnfrey  Mrs Mary       victualler, Fighting Cocks Inn
	Chinery   Miss Florence  schoolmistress, Workhouse
	Coleman   Stephen        farmer
	Doughty   Robt.          carpenter & parish clerk
	Emery     James          farmer
	Everett   John           farmer
	Everett   Mrs Sarah      farmr.; h Bodham
	Gray      Arthur         blacksmith
	Harper    Rev. Edward
	            James, M.A.  vicar; h Barningham Winter
	Pooley    George         porter, Workhouse
	Potter    Thomas         master, Workhouse
	Rackham   Charles        farmer
	Sharpen   Miss Augusta   matron, Workhouse
	Storey    Miss Margt.    nurse, Workhouse
	Yallop    Geo.           schoolmaster, Workhouse

From ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS on pages 13-16:

In the first paragraph "read 'North Erpingham petty sessional division.'"