Norfolk and Suffolk: Mendham

For more information about this parish see Norfolk Parish Links.
Search for more references to this parish - See Contents & Search above.
Modern and Historical Maps of this Parish.

Mendham is about 8 miles E.N.E. of Diss.
The parish originally had parts in both Norfolk and Suffolk, divided by the river Waveney.
Part of the town of Harleston was in Mendham parish.
Now, the northern part belongs to the Norfolk parish of Redenhall with Harleston, and the southern part is a parish in Suffolk.
See also Genuki Suffolk: Mendham, Redenhall and Harleston.
See also Mundham.

Census

1841
[Bibliopolis Books, CD BIB-SFK-168, no date]
1891: Surname List
The Norfolk part of Mendham is probably included with the Redenhall with Harleston census.

Church Directories

In 1883 the parish was in the Deanery of Hoxne, in the archdeaconry of Suffolk.
The parish church is dedicated to All Saints, and is south of the river Waveney, in Suffolk.
Nearby Churches of all denominations.

Church History

Church of All Saints: Description and pictures.
Church of All Saints: Services, etc.

Church Records

Marriages 1678-1837: These are in Phillimore's Marriage Registers for Suffolk, Volume 3.
Marriages: These are included in Boyd's Marriage Index.
Mendham is in the NBI: National Burial Index

Civil Registration

For the civil registration of births, marriages and deaths between 1837 and 1907 (and for the censuses from 1851 to 1901), Mendham was in Hoxne Registration District.

After 1885 the Norfolk part of Mendham was added to the parish of Redenhall with Harleston, for civil purposes. This was in Depwade Registration District.

Description and Travel

Mendham and Withersdale: Description, history, parish council, church, organisations, pictures, etc.
Mendham Water Mill: Description, history and pictures.

Directories

Historical Geography

The northern part of Mendham is in Earsham hundred in Norfolk. The southern part is in Hoxne hundred in Suffolk.

Maps

Parish outline and location.: See Parish Map for Hoxne Registration District, 1836
Modern and Historical Maps: Maps of the parish and nearby places.

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc

After 1834 Mendham became part of the Hoxne Union in Suffolk, and the workhouse was at Barley Green near Stradbroke.
After 1885 the Norfolk part of Mendham was added to the parish of Redenhall with Harleston, for civil purposes. This was part of the Depwade Union, and the workhouse was at Pulham St Mary Magdalen (Pulham Market).

Population

These figures are from the population tables which were produced after the 10-yearly national censuses. They have been supplemented with information from county directories. The "Families" heading includes families and single occupiers.

No attempt has been made to work out the figures after 1881 because of this text in Kelly's Directory of Suffolk for 1912:: "the population in 1911 was 484 in the civil, and 660 in the ecclesiastical in 1901 [sic], which extends into Norfolk. By a Local Government Board Order, which came into operation March 25, 1885, a part of the parish of Withersdale was for civil purposes added to Mendham; and that portion of Mendham on the north side of the Waveney, in Norfolk, was at the same time added to Harleston."

Norfolk

Year Inhabited
Houses Families Population

1801 43 43 196

1811 32 49 248

1821 -- -- ---

1831 62 62 330

1841 -- -- 257

1851 -- -- 291

1861 -- -- 221

1871 51 52 247

1881 53 54 251

Suffolk Total

Population
Population

--- ---

--- ---

--- ---

551 881

566 823

586 877

558 779

544 791

500 751

There may be more people living in detached parts of the parish (if there were any) and, if so, the number may or may not be included in the figures above. It is quite difficult to be sure from the population tables.

1821 Census: "The Parish of Mendham is mostly in Hoxne Hundred, Suffolk, and there entered."
1831 Census: "Most part of the Parish of Mendham is in Hoxne Hundred, County of Suffolk, where the whole Population was entered in 1821; the entire Parish contains 881 Inhabitants."
1831: Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England: "MENDHAM [...] containing 835 inhabitants." It does not say which year this referred to.
1845: White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk: "MENDHAM parish contains 823 souls, and upwards of 3000 acres of land, of which only 257 souls, and 1200 acres are in Norfolk,"
1854: White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk: "MENDHAM, a parish, partly in Norfolk and partly in Suffolk, comprises 877 souls, and about 3,000 acres of land, of which 291 souls and 1,200 acres are in Norfolk,"
1864: White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk: "MENDHAM parish contains 779 inhabitants, and upwards of 3000 acres of land, of which only 221 inhabitants, and 1200 acres are in Norfolk,"
1871 Census: "The Parish of Mendham is partly in Suffolk; the entire parish contains 791 persons."
1881 Census: "Mendham is partly in Suffolk; the entire parish contains 751 persons."
1901 Census: Redenhall with Harleston: "Including Harleston Common, and part of Mendham."

Schools

Mendham School: Pictures of the school.

Voting Registers

See Norfolk Parish Links: Voting Registers

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