Norfolk: Paston

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

PASTON, a scattered village and parish, 4 miles N.E. by N. of North Walsham, has 298 souls, and 1375 acres of land, mostly the property of John Mack, Esq., the lord of the manors of Paston, Leeches, Latimers, and Huntingfields; but Wm. Custance, Esq., has a small manor here, called Paston Sacre.

J. Mack, Esq., resides at the Hall, a neat white brick mansion, embowered in plantations, near the site of the old one, which was long a seat of the Paston family, who removed to Oxnead after being raised to the peerage. From them this estate passed to the first Lord Anson, but was sold in 1824, by the third Lord Anson, now Earl of Lichfield.

The Church (St. Margaret,) has a tower and five bells, and contains several monuments to the Pastons; one of which has the recumbent effigy of Lady Katherine Paston, wife of Sir Edmund, beautifully executed in 1629 by Nathaniel Stone, at the cost of £340. The church was in a very dilapidated state, but was thoroughly repaired and beautified in 1843-'4, at the cost of about £500.

The vicarage, valued in the King's Book at £6. 13s. 4d., was augmented with £400 of Queen Anne's Bounty in 1774 and '89. It has 4A. of glebe, and the small tithes were commuted in 1842 for £136 per annum. The great tithes belong to the owners of the land. The Church Land is 3A. J. Mack, Esq., is patron, and the Rev. F.E. Arden, incumbent.

STOW HILL, ¾ of a mile W. of the village, is a lofty ridge which divides this from Mundesley parish; and about half a mile to the S.E. is the hamlet of Paston Green, and Austin Bridge.

The poor have two cottages, with gardens, and 8A. 1R. 20P. of land, left by Sir Wm. Paston, in 1620, and now let for £12.

Directory:

	  Burton    Robt.        joiner and builder, Green
	  Hastings  Joshua       coal dealer and vict., Austin Bridge
	  Gaze      Thomas       corn miller, Stow Hill
	  Larter    Edw.         blacksmith
	  Mack      John, Esq    Paston Hall
	  Sedley    Thomas       miller
	  Steel     Rev. Robert  rector of Trimingham and Mundesley
	  Suffolk   Mr. Wm.
	  Thompson  James        shoemaker
	  Potter    Henry        farrier

	     farmers.
	  (Marked * are owners.)

	  Barsham   John
	  Bear      Edward
	* Gaze      Thomas
	  Nash      Samuel
	* Purdy     Thomas       (Green)
	* Turner    John