Genuki Logo Norfolk Welcome

Norfolk: Stalham

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

[Transcription copyright © Peter Green]

STALHAM, a small market town, on the Lynn and Fakenham Railway, 8½ miles S.E. of North Walsham, and 14½ N.E. by N. of Norwich, is a parish in Smallburgh union, Happing hundred, Happing and Tunstead petty sessional division, North Walsham county court district, Norwich bankruptcy district, Stalham polling district of North Norfolk, Happing division of Waxham rural deanery, and Norfolk archdeaconry.

It had 852 inhabitants in 1881, living on 1759 acres of land, exclusive of 33 acres of roads and water. Its rateable value is £1754. A little south of the village are two wharves or staiths, with corn warehouses, coal yards, &c., on the Broads, which are navigable thence to Yarmouth. Robert Cooke's exors. are lords of the manor of Linford and Wilds, and George Randall Johnson, Esq., is lord of the manor of Stalham Hall. They are also impropriators of most of the great tithes, and with the Rev. James White, are the principal landowners.

The CHURCH (St. Mary) consists of nave with aisles and clerestory, chancel, south porch, and square embattled tower with one bell. The clerestory is lighted by quatrefoils. There are some remains of the panels belonging to the chancel screen, bearing painted figures of St. Andrew, St. Thomas of Canterbury, St. Edward, St. Edmund, St. Roch, and St. Francis. In the south aisle is the ancient but mutilated stoup. The octagonal font was restored in 1861, and bears carvings of the Apostles, the Baptism of Christ, and the Resurrection.

In 1864, an organ and choir seats were erected in the chancel of the church by the present vicar, and with the permission of G.R. Johnson, Esq., lay impropriator; a further restoration of the church took place in the years 1872 and 1873 at a cost of £450. There is a brass to the Riches family dated 1624. The Register dates from the year 1560.

The living is a discharged 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 9A. 2R., of glebe. The Rev. James White, M.A., is patron, and the Rev. Joseph Neville White, B.A., is the incumbent. The rectorial tithes have been commuted for £363 per annum, and the vicarial for £194 per annum. About 480 acres are free of great tithes.

The National School, built by the Rev. B. Cubitt in 1841, and enlarged by the present vicar in 1862, is now used as a Sunday school. A SCHOOL BOARD for the united parishes of Stalham and Brumstead was established in 1875, and consists of the Rev. J. Neville White (chairman) and Messrs. - Ingham (vice), B.C. Silcock, E. Cooke, W.H. Jay (Stalham); and Mr. George Gladden. Mr. Joshua Meale is clerk. New schools have been erected at a cost of £1450, to accommodate 140 children.

Here is a small Wesleyan and a Baptist chapel. The Police Station was built in 1855 at a cost of £750, and attached are residences for an inspector and one police constable. A Fire Engine was established here in 1833. The Corn Hall is a neat brick structure, erected in 1855 by a company of shareholders at a cost of about £470, but it is now used for concerts, lectures, &c. The farmers and corn merchants meet for the transaction of business at the Maid's Head Inn, and the Rational Sick Society has its lodge here. The Lecture Hall was built in 1858 and afterwards enlarged, at a total cost of about £200. It is used by various denominations for religious meetings.

The Poor's Allotment, 72A. 34P., awarded under the Enclosure Act of 47th Geo. III. (1807), is let by the year to several holders, and the rents are given in money to the natives of the parish and their descendants. 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 7 acres of land, let for £31. 10s. per annum, the whole of which, except for 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 Sutton New Friendly Society, for the united parishes of Stalham, Sutton, Hickling, Catfield, Ludham, and Potter Heigham, was established in 1840, and has 460 members, and is under the management of the Vicar of Stalham.

POST OFFICE at Mrs. Emily Margaret Cattermoul's. Letters viâ Norwich arrive at 6 a.m., and depart at 4.20 a.m. for Norwich and 5.50 p.m. for Great Yarmouth. This is also a Money Order Office, Post Office Savings Bank, Telegraph Office, and Government Annuity Office.

	Allcock     Edward         carpenter
	Allcock     George         saddler
	Allcock     William        joiner and builder
	Andrews
	  & Co.                    shoemakers
	Barcham     John           accountant, agent for Norwich Union,
	                             the General Hailstorm, and the Norwich
	                             & London Accident Insurance Cos.
	Batchelor   John           builder & contractor
	Bates       Robert & Son
	              (James)      blacksmiths, coachmakers & whlwrights
	Bilham      Miss Betsy
	Bilham      Daniel         vict. Swan Inn
	Bilham      Ephraim        tailor and draper
	Bilham      Gaze           saddler
	Bilham      Robert         basket maker
	Bradbury    Robert         chemist & bkseller
	Bristow     Alfred         miller, corn merchant, and farmer;
	                             and East Ruston
	Burton      Mrs Sarah      coal, &c. merchant, wharfinger and
	                             vessel owner, water carrier, &c.
	Cattermoul  Mrs Emma
	              Margaret     grocer, draper and postmistress
	Clowes      Francis & J.S. surgeons
	Clowes      Francis        surgeon & registrar; h Sutton
	Cooke       Edwd.          frmr. & ownr. The Hall
	Cooke       Mr Henry       The Farm
	Cooke       Robert, jun.   farmer and mert.; h Smallburgh
	Daniels     Thomas         grocer and draper
	Davison     Daniel         grocer and baker
	Draper      Wm. Robert     blacksmith, engineer, ironfndr.,
	                             & machine maker
	Fish        John Horatio   vict. Railway Inn, and livery and
	                             bait stables
	Fisher      Mrs Emma       lodgings
	Fitt        Henry          who. & retail furnishing, builders'
	                             & general ironmonger, oil and
	                             colourman, and gun, fishing and
	                             sporting agent
	Fitt        Henry          (late John Silcock & Sons),
	                             who. wine, spirit, ale & porter mert.
	Frosdick    Thomas         farmer & machine owner, Leo house
	Girdlestone Robert         hairdresser and cutlery grinder
	Grapes      John           vict. Maid's Head Inn; and farmer
	                             at Barton Turf
	Harvey      John           farmer
	Hunting     J.C.,
	              M.R.C.V.S.   vet. surgn
	Jay         Wm. Howard     assistant overseer
	Keeler      Geo.           basket maker & farmer
	Klitz       Mrs Areana
	Lack        Thomas         tailor and draper
	Lancaster   James          Board schoolmaster
	Laws        Charles F.     butcher
	Leatherdale Mrs.           cab & coach propr
	Lingwood    Jeremiah       agent for the County Fire Insurance Co.
	London      Edward         tea dealer
	London      James          blacksmith
	Lupton      Frederick      solicitor, comsr. to administer oaths in
	                             the Supreme Court of Judicature, agent
	                             for the Royal Fire and Life, and the
	                             Imperial Live Stock Ins. Cos. and
	                             solicitor to the Ant Preservation and 
	                             Angling Society
	Meale       Joshua         grocer, wine and spirit agent, and clerk
	                             to School Board
	Miles       Robert         watchmaker
	Miles       Samuel Robert  vety. surgeon
	Moore       Major Dunn     lodgings
	Peggs       Miss Ann       dressmaker
	Peggs       Mrs Ann        laundress
	Perfitt     Robert Joseph  stonemason
	Pestell     John Balls     plumber & painter
	Potter      George         baker & pork butcher
	Reynolds    Miss
	Riches      Edward         miller and merchant; h Catfield
	Rising      Miss
	Rust        James          millwright
	Rust        William        engineer, machinist, and millwright
	Salmon      John           beer retailer & shopkpr
	Salmon      John Pollard   farmer, Chapel field
	Salmon      Wm.            farmer, Chapel field
	Savory
	  & Son                    upholsterers
	Savory      William        tunist
	Seago       Hy.            pork butcher & gardener
	Seago       Thomas         grocer, tea & provision dlr.
	                             outfitter & refreshment rooms
	Silcock     Boardman
	              Charles      farmer, Manor house
	Simons      Robt.
	              Bloomfield   btchr. & fmr
	Spanton     Mrs Catherine  plumber, pntr. and glass, china
	                             & earthenware dlr
	Stearman    Robert Marler  ironmonger, oil and lamp dealer
	Stimpson    Geo.           parish clerk & carrier
	Taylor      Wm. Fredk.     stationmaster
	Teasel      Josiah Cubitt  boat builder
	Turner      Walter         joiner & wheelwright
	Tuddenham   Wm.            police inspector
	Webb        Miss Mary A.   Willow Lake hs.
	White       Rev. Joseph
	              Neville,B.A. vicar, The Vicarage
	Woods       James          tailor and draper
	Wortley     Geo.           farmer, West End frm

RAILWAY - Station on the L. & F. R. Co. trains to and from Yarmouth and Lynn several times a day; W.F. Taylor, stationmaster

CARRIER to Norwich, George Stimpson, Weds & Sats

CONVEYANCE - Leatherdale's coach from Swan Inn to Norwich, on Mons. Weds. and Sats

WATER CONVEYANCE - Mrs. Burton's vessels to & from Yarmouth, weekly


Note that the "Ant Preservation and Angling Society" (shown under Frederick Lupton) refers to the river Ant, not to an insect.

Also, Mrs Cattermoul's names are given as "Emily Margaret" and as "Emma Margaret" at different places in the text.


See also the Stalham parish page.

These pages are for personal use only. They may not be copied, and the links within them may not be harvested for use on your own web pages. Please see the Copyright Notice.
If you use this information in your research, please say that it is from Genuki Norfolk.

Copyright © Pat Newby.
May 1999