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SWARDESTON, 4 miles S.S.W. of Norwich, is a pleasant village and parish in Henstead union, Humbleyard hundred, Swainsthorpe petty sessional division, Norwich county court district, Norwich bankruptcy district, Norwich polling district of South Norfolk, Humbleyard rural deanery, and Norfolk archdeaconry. It had 339 inhabitants in 1881, living on 933 acres, and has a rateable value of £1910. The parish is in two manors, called Swardeston and Gowthorpe. John Henry Gurney, Esq., is lord of the former, and John Steward, Esq., of the latter; but part of the soil belongs to Fortesque Long, Esq., G.D. Palmer, Esq., and several smaller owners.
Swardeston Rectory, built by the Hobart family, was mostly rebuilt about 45 years ago, and is now occupied by the Rev. John M. Roberts, M.A., but belongs to G.D. Palmer, Esq., the impropriator. The Hall Farm, formerly a seat of the Berneys, is the tithe-free estate of John Steward, Esq. Mangreen Hall belongs to Fortesque Long, Esq., and is occupied by the Rev. W. Fellowes, M.A. Gowthorpe Hall, now occupied by Mr. Robert Bush, is a fine Elizabethan residence in the shape of the letter H, built in 1574.
The CHURCH (Virgin Mary) is a neat edifice, of early Decorated architecture, consisting of nave, chancel, and massive embattled tower with four bells. In its windows are some fragments of ancient stained glass, and it contains memorials of the Marsh, Kemp, and Berney families. The nave and chancel are of the same width and height, and are separated by a carved oak screen. There is a piscina near the east end.
John Steward, Esq., is the patron of the vicarage, which was valued in the King's Book at £6, and augmented with £800 of Queen Anne's Bounty in 1800 and 1819, and £200 given by the late J. Steward, Esq., in the latter year. It is now worth £180 a year. The Rev. Frederick Cavell is the vicar. A new vicarage was built in 1865 at a cost of about £1500.
The Wesleyans have a small chapel in the parish, built in 1840 by Mr. Ezra Parr. There is also a small mission-room built by Mr. Frederick Smith in 1880, who officiates on Sunday.
A SCHOOL BOARD was established in 1875, and a school was built in 1877 at a cost of about £1000, and has an average attendance of about 50 mixed scholars. The present Board consists of Mr. Robert Bush (chairman), Mr. G.B. Feltham (vice-chairman and honorary clerk), Mr. John Swann of East Carlton, Mr. Daniel Hall, and Mr. Henry Cannell.
POST OFFICE at Mr. Paul Hemnell's. Letters arrive at 7.20 a.m., and are despatched at 5.25 p.m. on week days, and at 10.40 a.m. on Sundays, viâ Norwich. Mulbarton is the nearest Money Order and Telegraph Office.
Betts Thomas farmer & cattle dealer, Mangreen Browne Jas. S. builder and contractor Bush Robert farmer, Hall farm Cannell Henry market gardener Cavell Rev. Frederick vicar and chaplain of Henstead union Davy Barnard & Son (John) blacksmiths and mill bill makers Davy Walter James builder's foreman Fairman John market gardener Fellowes Rev. William, M.A. curate of Dunston and Swainsthorpe, Mangreen hall Feltham George Barnabas farmer Hall Charles farmer Hall Daniel builder and contractor Hall James sanitary inspector and rate collector Hall James Daniel butcher Hemnell Paul market gardener, shoemaker and sub-postmaster Hubbard John farmer King Mrs Jane farmer Leggett Mr William Parr Mr Ezra Rix Henry shopkeeper Roberts Rev. John Mortlock, M.A. The Rectory Smith Mr Frederick Smith Mr Matthew Stone Jas. mrkt. grdnr. & poultry dlr Taylor Herbert J. baker & shopkeeper Taylor Thomas William schoolmaster Thrower Robert Isaac shoemaker Turner Edward victualler, Dog InnCARRIERS from New Buckingham [sic], Bunwell and Forncett pass through to Norwich on Mon. Wed. and Sat.
Copyright © Pat Newby.
August 2008