Norfolk: Easton

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

EASTON is a village and parish on the Dereham Road, 6 miles W. by N. of Norwich, in Forehoe hundred and union, Norwich county court and bankruptcy district, Forehoe petty sessional division, Norwich polling district of South Norfolk, Hingham rural deanery, and Norwich archdeaconry. It had 250 inhabitants in 1881, living on 1541 acres of land, of a rateable value of £2202 5s. Most of the parish lies in Lord Stafford's manor of Costessey; but the greater part of the soil belongs to G.D. Berney and Robert Fellowes, Esqrs. Here was a heath of 60 acres until 1850, when it was enclosed.

The CHURCH (St. Peter) is a small structure, about a quarter of a mile west of the village, and comprises nave, chancel, north aisle, clerestory, south porch, and brick bell-cot. The latter was built in 1848, but the tower fell down in 1778, and its ruins may still be seen. The windows are all plain Perpendicular, but the original style of the building appears to have been transitional Norman, and the doorway is a good specimen of that period, having a pointed arch with the star ornament, &c. This was only discovered a few years since, when it and the fine Purbeck marble font, which is of the same age, were cleared of their coverings of plaster. Here are marble tablets to Ambrose Mears and Philip Vincent, Esqrs.

The living is a vicarage, valued in the King's Book at £7 11s. 10d., augmented with £400 in 1796, in the gift of Robert Fellowes, Esq., and incumbency of the Rev. Warrenne James Blake. The tithes were commuted in 1845 for £175 a year.

Cardinal Easton, who flourished in the reign of Richard II., was a native of this parish. A few years ago a number of rare British silver coins were discovered here. The School, a neat building, erected in 1857 at a cost of £65, on land given by R. Fellowes, Esq., is attended by about 60 children, and supported by a voluntary rate.

POST OFFICE at Mr. Alfred Blyth's. Letters arrive at 7 a.m. and are despatched at 5.30 p.m., viâ Norwich, which is the nearest Money Order and Telegraph Office.

	Blake     Rev. W.J.       vicar
	Blyth     Alfred          blacksmith, carpenter and sub-postmaster
	Budden    Isaac Richard   vict. The Dog
	Buxton    Frederick       shopkeeper
	Clarke    Charles         farmer
	Cooper    Mrs. Henrietta  schoolmistress
	Dickerson Horace          farmer
	Fountain  Mr. Edward      The Lodge
	Garnett   Major F.W.      Easton Lodge
	Harrowven Henry           pork butcher
	Hebgin    William W.      farm bailiff to J.J. Colman, Esq.
	Nelson    George          parish clerk
	Oswick    David           farmer
	Palmer    -               farm bailiff to R. Fellowes, Esq.

East Dereham and other carriers pass through the village