Norfolk: Great Bircham

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

BIRCHAM, (GREAT) a village and parish, on the Burnham road, 14 miles N.E. of Lynn, has 511 inhabitants, and 3,542 acres of land, of which a part is sheep walk, and 246A. are in woods and plantations. The Marquis of Cholmondeley is owner of the soil and lord of the manor.

The CHURCH (St. Mary,) on an eminence, has a fine tower at the west end, containing five bells. It is a handsome structure, very indifferently pewed; and during the progress of some recent repairs, three piscinas were discovered. The rectory, valued in the King's Book at £22, and in 1831 at £527, has about 70 acres of glebe. Anthony Hamond, Esq., is the patron, and the Rev. Wm. Pratt, B.A., of Harpley, incumbent. In 1740, an act of Parliament was passed for confirming and establishing an exchange between the lord of the manor and the rector, and for enclosing the commons.

A Free School, for the poor children of the three Bircham parishes, was built in 1842, by the Marquis Cholmondeley, who also supports two small preparatory schools, and partly clothes the scholars, of whom, about 80 attend the principal school.

	Anderson  Henry                vict., King's Head
	Drage     John                 grocer, &c.,(& Rudham)
	Grief     Thomas               tailor, Post Office
	Groome    John                 blacksmith
	Humphrey  Mrs.                 corn miller
	Kitton    Robert               grocer, &c.
	Lack      James                machine maker
	Livock    John James           Free School mstr.
	Parnell   Henry                grocer and draper
	Shildrake Thomas               shoemaker
	Shilling  John                 blacksmith
	Spooner   Robert               wheelwright
	Tovell    Susanna              joiner, &c.
	Wilson    Rev. Wm. Davis, A.M. curate

	   FARMERS.

	Beck      Anthony  
	Hebgin    Thomas
	Kitton    John
	Nelson    Matthew

POST from Rougham, daily
CARRIERS to Lynn &c., on Market Days