Norfolk: Stiffkey

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

STIFFKEY, 3 miles E. of Wells, is a fine rural village, seated in a deep, romantic, and well-wooded dale, on the banks of a small river, which discharges itself into the ocean about 1½ mile to the north-east, and formerly had a quay and harbour. It is in Walsingham union, Fakenham county court district, Norwich bankruptcy district, North Greenhoe hundred and petty sessional division, Wells polling district of North Norfolk, Walsingham rural deanery, and Norwich archdeaconry.

It had 434 inhabitants in 1881, living on 3912 acres, and has a rateable value of £2564. The parish contains about 600 acres of salt marsh on the north side of the village, extending to the beach. The Marquis of Townshend is lord of the manor, and chief owner of the soil. The Hall, now occupied by a farmer, and partly in ruins, was a large mansion with circular towers at the angles, and was built by Sir Nicholas Bacon, lord keeper of the privy seal to Queen Elizabeth, and father of the celebrated Sir Francis Bacon, Lord Verulam.

To the west of the village, near the Wells road, is a promontory, called Warborough Hill, on which are visible remains of circular entrenchments; and one mile to the east of it is a green knoll, called Camping Hill, supposed to have been also entrenched. These hills overlook a tract of salt marshes, 18 miles long, and about 1 broad, bounded on the north by the ocean, which has thrown up against them a range of sand hills, called meales, inhabited only by rabbits. The common was enclosed in 1793. Warborough House, a neat mansion of white brick, built about 30 years ago, is now occupied by Mrs. Septimus Henry Lee-Warner.

Here were formerly two CHURCHES (both rectorial) in one enclosure, dedicated to St. John the Baptist and St. Mary; the former is gone, but the other is a venerable pile, comprising nave, chancel, north porch, and square tower with one bell. In 1868 the old pews were removed and the church was reseated with pitch-pine benches. In 1880 the nave was thoroughly restored and a new roof added, at an outlay of about £650. The windows are Perpendicular insertions. The chancel, which contains a piscina, is in the Decorated style, and was restored by the rector in 1848, when its old roof was replaced by a handsome open one of high pitch.

The Marquis Townshend owns a great part of the soil, and is lord of the manor and patron of the rectory, which is valued in the King's Book at £25, and now consolidated with Morston, in the incumbency of the Rev. Randle Barwick Brereton, M.A., who has a good residence and about 60 acres of glebe. The tithes of Stiffkey have been commuted for £423, and those of Morston for £280 per annum.

A School was built here in 1845, at a cost of £200. It is attended by about 80 children.

POST OFFICE at Mr. Edmund Mann's. Letters arrive at 9.30 a.m., and despatched at 3.40 p.m., viâ Wells, which is the nearest Money Order Office.

	BELL       Samuel John       farmer
	BLAND      Thomas            farmer & landowner, Warbord house
	BRERETON   Rev. Randle       rector, & Morston
	             Barwick, M.A.
	BUCK       William           farmer, The Hall; & Wyverton
	CARTER     Geo. Wm.          (J. & Son), & grocr. draper, auctioneer
	                               & valuer, & land, estate and insurance
	                               agent
	CARTER     John & Son        joiners and builders
	CHASTON    Miss Charlotte    schoolmistess
	CRACKNELL  John Christopher  grocer and draper
	EASTON     Samuel W.         shoeing and general smith
	FRANKLING  James             baker & victualler, Red Lion
	GREEN      James             master mariner
	GREEN      Nathaniel         mariner
	HALL       William           carrier
	JARY       William           bootmaker
	JARRETT    Henry             joiner
	LEWES      George            joiner & wheelwright
	MANN       Miss Matilda      postmistress & bootmaker
	             Elizabeth
	MALLETT    John              butcher (Massingham & M.)
	MARCON     Rev. Arthur Henry curate
	MASSINGHAM John              (M. & Mallett); h Field Dalling
	MASSINGHAM                   butchers, & Wells & Blakeney
	  & MALLETT
	NEAL       Henry             parish clerk
	PEARSON    Edwd.             vict. Townshend Arms
	RINGWOOD   Alfred            baker
	WARMAN     Robert            victualler, Victoria
	WISKER     Frederick         blacksmith
	WOOD       Charles George    farmer
	YAXLEY     Jeremiah          bootmaker

CARRIERS - W. Hall to Norwich, Mon. & Thurs. & carrier passes through to Wells on Wed. & Sat.

From ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS on pages 13-16:

The Rev. Randle Barwick Brereton, rector, has gone.

Note that the text is wrong, in that the church of St John the Baptist is still standing, and it is the church of St Mary that has gone.