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STALHAM, a large and handsome village, with a Post Office, 8½ miles S.E. of North Walsham, and 14½ miles N.E. by N. of Norwich, includes within its parish 679 inhabitants, and 1759A. of land, exclusive of 33A. of roads and water. A little south of the village, are two wharfs, or staiths, with corn warehouses, coal yards, &c., on the Broads, which are navigable hence to Yarmouth.
Miss Brooke is lady of the manor of Linford and Wilds, and the Rev. Richard Johnson is lord of the manor of Stalham Hall. They are also impropriators of most of the great tithes, and owners of the chief part of the soil; and the rest belongs to the family of Cooke, and several smaller proprietors.
The Church is a fine Gothic edifice, dedicated to St. Mary. The chancel was rebuilt in 1827. The living is a vicarage, valued in the King's Book at £5; but it was augmented in 1753, with £200 of Queen Anne's Bounty, and has now a good residence, with 6A.1R.12P. of glebe. The Marquis Cholmondeley is patron, and the Rev. James White, M.A., incumbent. The rectorial tithes have been commuted for £557.11s.10d., and the vicarial for £194 per annum. About 480 acres are free of great tithes.
Here is a National School, built in 1841, and a small Methodist Chapel.
The Poor's Allotment, 72A.34P., awarded under the enclosure act of 47th George III., is partly used for cutting fuel, and partly let for about £30 a year. In 1626, John Riches left for the poor £10, which was laid out in the purchase of a house, which was sold by the overseers for £80. In 1634, Thomas Smith left a house and land, to pay yearly £5 to the poor, and 13s.4d. to the vicar. Including an allotment of 3A.18P. awarded to it at the enclosure, the property now belonging to this charity consists of a house, stable, blacksmith's shop, and 7A. of land, let for £22 per annum, the whole of which, except 13s.4d. to the vicar, is distributed among the poor. In 1718, Catherine Smith left 6 acres, called the Long Closes, to the vicar, for reading prayers every Wednesday and Friday in Lent, but subject to the yearly payment of 16s. for the poor, and 4s. to the clerk for cleaning her monument.
The POST OFFICE is at Mr Miles Fenn's, where letters arrive at 11 morning, by foot post from Coltishall, and are despatched at 1 afternoon.
Allcock Geo. saddler Allcock Eliz. shopr Baker Benj. ironmonger, &c Baker Wm. (see note below) Billham John & Wm. basket maker Bond John cooper Boorne Wm. gent (see note below) Brooke Miss Susanna Hall Bulley Wm. blacksmith Burton Jonth. corn & coal merchant, and lime burner Clark Richard butcher Clayton Mr Wm. Clowes Wm. surgeon and registrar Cook Wm. corn merchant, miller, and compound manufacturer Cook Mrs Spha Cory Charles corn miller Crowe Wm. baker and flour dealer Fenn Miles glover and grocer Fenn Thos. Miles vict., Swan Fitt Thos. saddler Gibbs Valentine coal dealer Gidings George earthenware dealer Gott John bricklayer Gray James gardener & seedsman Hockley Thomas chemist & drugt Juby Wm. cattle dealer Keeler Samuel joiner Lacey Robert veterinary surgeon Lack Thomas tailor Le Frank James gig maker, &c. Martin Jas. agt. to Rev. R. Johnson Parr Sarah boarding school Pestell Peter joiner & clothes dlr Pestell John Balls plumber, glazier, paper hanger, &c Richardson Robert smith & farrier Rust Wm. wheelwright, &c Savage James butcher Siely Miss Har. Silcock John wine, spirit, and corn merchant Silcock Richard grocer, draper, &c. & agent Boardman to Norwich Union Fire Office Smith David gent Spanton Humphrey glazier and pntr Swann Robert glazier and painter Ulph Robert watch maker Watts Robert vict. Maid's Head Webb John, Esq. Stalham Hall West John Merriman gentleman White Rev.James,M.A. vicarNote: in the original, the entry is:
FARMERS. SHOEMAKERS. Cook Robert Culley Benjamin Harvey Samuel Grimes John Harvey Robert Snelling Charles Slipper John Armine Starling James Stannard Samuel Trory RobertCOACH from the Swan to Norwich, Mon. Wed. and Sat. 7 mng.
Vans, &c. to Norwich, Yarmouth, &c, on market days.
Copyright © Pat Newby.
May 1999