Norfolk: Fersfield

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

FERSFIELD, 4½ miles W.N.W. of Diss, has in its parish 295 inhabitants, and 1359A. 2R. 31P. of land, partly belonging to the Duke of Norfolk, the lord of the manor, in which the fines are arbitrary. The common was enclosed in 1799.

The Church (St. Andrew,) contains effigies of two of its founders or rebuilders, - Sir Robert and Wm. Du Blois. The chancel was rebuilt in 1844.

A blue flag is inscribed to the memory of the Rev. Francis Blomefield, who was rector here from 1729 till his death, in 1752. He was born here in 1705, and here he wrote and also printed all those parts of his "Essay towards a History of Norfolk," which were published before his death, after which the remaining parts were written by the Rev. Charles Parkin, of Oxborough, and, after his death, published by Mr. Whittingham, bookseller, at Lynn, in 1769 and 1775; the whole forming five folio volumes, since re-printed by W. Miller, of London, in eleven volumes, royal octavo.

The rectory, valued in the King's Book at £6. 6s. 8d., is in the patronage of Frederick Nassau, of Essexf [sic], and incumbency of the Rev. Benedict Perring, M.A., who has a good residence, 60A. 2R. 21P. of glebe, and a yearly rent of £375, awarded in 1838, in lieu of tithes.

The Church Land, given by Jeffrey Ellingham, in 1493, is nearly 22A., let for £34.

Directory:-

	Perring    Rev. B., M.A.  Rectory

	Burcham    Benjamin       shoemaker
	Cason      Samuel         butcher
	Garrod     Robert         joiner
	Mortimer   Henry W.       gent., Alger House

	   farmers

	Alger      John
	Bradstreet Wm.
	Day        John
	Drake      Charles        (Lodge)
	Fulcher    J.
	Garrod     Robert
	Hands      Jacob
	Lovack     Ephraim
	Muskett    Charles        (Hall)
	Page       William
	Palmer     Richard
	Stamp      Thomas
	Woods      George