Norfolk: Watton

See Norfolk Parish Links for more information about this parish.
What's New in Genuki Norfolk.
Watton is about 20 miles W.S.W. of Norwich.

Cemeteries

Not all memorials may be included, even when a transcription is marked as complete, for example when stones are not legible enough to be read or photographed.

Mid-Norfolk Family History Society: Memorial Inscriptions of the Church and Churchyard of St Mary, Watton, Norfolk.
Book 1: The earliest area of the churchyard and inside the church.
Book 2: The east area of the churchyard (from 1891).
[Mid-Norfolk Family History Society, 2001]
Church of St Mary: Transcriptions and photographs of memorials.

Census

1891: Surname List

Church Directories

In 1883 the parish was in the Deanery of Breckles, in the archdeaconry of Norwich.
It could have been in a different deanery or archdeaconry both before and after this date.
The parish church is dedicated to St Mary.
Nearby Churches of all denominations.

Church History

Church of St Mary: Description and pictures.
Church of St Mary: Services, etc.
Church of St Mary: Minister, services, events, groups, etc.
Church of St Mary: Pictures of the church.
Methodist Church: Minister, services, organisations, etc.
Methodist Church: Minister, services, picture, etc.
Follow the link to the home page, then search for the church.
Chapman, Cecil F.; Chapman, Kate; and Chapman, Lesley: The Recollection will now be taken.
Watton New Methodist Church: fiftieth anniversary souvenir booklet, 1927-1977.
[Watton New Methodist Church, 1977]
Primitive Methodist Churches: Description and pictures.
Congregationalism in Watton: Pastors from 1819 to 1877.
Grigson, E.R.: Watton Congregational Church: an historical sketch, and information respecting this church, and the stations at Carbrooke and Shipdham.
[Watton, Printed by J.W. Gowing, 1872]
Pentecostal Church: History over 150 years.
Pentecostal Church: Services, groups, etc.

Church Records

Mid-Norfolk Family History Society: The Registers of St Mary's Church, Watton, Norfolk.
Book 1: Banns 1754-1902. Marriages 1730-1902.
Book 2: Baptisms 1730-1901.
Book 3: Burials 1730-1901.
Book 4: Marriages 1539-1730.
Book 5, Baptisms 1539-1730.
Book 6: Burials 1539-1730.
[Mid-Norfolk Family History Society, 2002]
Parish Register Transcripts: Baptisms 1813-1880
Marriages: These are not included in Boyd's Marriage Index or Phillimore's Marriage Registers.
Seaman, Peter J.; and Palgrave-Moore, Patrick: Norfolk Nonconformist Registers. No.1: Mattishall and Dereham Congregational 1772-1837, Mattishall and Watton Primitive Methodist 1832-1837; transcribed and indexed.
[Norwich, Norfolk and Norwich Genealogical Society, 1983]
Independent Congregationalist Register Transcripts: Baptisms 1813-1880

Civil Registration

For the civil registration of births, marriages and deaths between 1837 and 1930 (and for the censuses from 1851 to 1901), Watton was in Wayland Registration District.

Description and Travel

Watton Town Council: Councillors, meetings, minutes, etc.
History of Watton: Description, history, events, churches, books, organisations, schools, railway, pictures, etc.
Watton: Various topics about Watton.
Chapman, Cecil F.: Grandad's Watton - and - More about Grandad's Watton. (2 volumes)
[Watton, 1985]
Horn, Julian: Watton: Some snapshots of its history.
[Wayland Partnership Development Trust, Capturing our Wayland Heritage, Including DVD, 2011]
Watton Post Mill: Description, history and map.

Directories

Historical Geography

Watton is in Wayland Hundred.

Parish outline and location.: See Parish Map for Wayland Hundred
Description of Wayland Hundred: 1845: White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk

History

Barton, Thomas Frederick: Notices of the town and parish of Watton.
[Norwich, Norfolk and Norwich Archaeological Society, in "Norfolk Archaeology", vol.3, 1852]
Jessup, George: Watton through the ages.
[ISBN 0900616695, Wymondham, George Reeve, 2003]
[First published 1985]
Workers' Educational Association, Watton Branch: Watton in an earlier age, 1700-1900.
[Watton, Workers' Educational Association, Watton Branch, 1976]

Land and Property

See Norfolk Parish Links: Land and Property

Maps

Modern and Historical Maps: Maps of the parish.

Military History

RAF Watton: Description, history, people, memories, pictures, etc.
RAF Watton Airfield: Description, history and pictures.
RAF Watton Airfield: Description and picture.
Bodle, Peter: The 3rd Strategic Air Depot and 25th Bomb Group in Norfolk: a pictorial history of the USAAF's 3rd and the 25th Bombardment Group at Watton, during WWII.
[ISBN 0955191645, Stoke Ferry, Liberator Publishing, 2007]
Gardiner, Geoff: Airfield Focus 30: Watton.
[ISBN 1870384598, GMS Enterprises, 1996]
Malayney, Norman: The 25th Bomb Group in World War II.
[ISBN 0764339509, Schiffer Military History, 2011]
Sesler, George R.: An Accounting of the 25th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, World War 2, Watton, England, 1944-1945: Aerial intelligence of the 8th Air Force.
[1996]

Military Records

Roll of Honour: World War 1.
Roll of Honour - Church of St Mary: World Wars 1 and 2.
Roll of Honour - Nonconformist Burial Ground: World Wars 1 and 2.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Watton St Mary Cemetery: World Wars 1 and 2.

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc

After 1834 Watton became part of the Wayland Union, and the workhouse was at Rockland All Saints.
Charities
Summary published by Zachary Clark in 1811

Population

These figures are from the population tables which were produced after the 10-yearly national censuses. The "Families" heading includes families and single occupiers.

Year	Inhabited Houses	Families	Population
1801	148	155	693
1811	168	172	794
1821	199	199	894
1831	207	212	1027
1841	254	---	1188
1851	277	---	1353

Year	Inhabited Houses	Families	Population
1861	303	---	1365
1871	309	325	1388
1881	326	326	1407
1891	332	332	1365
1901	343	343	1335
1911	---	375	1436

There may be more people living in detached parts of the parish (if there were any) and, if so, the number may or may not be included in the figures above. It is quite difficult to be sure from the population tables.

1901 Census: "Including Neaton, and Watton Green."

Societies

Bardwell, H.F.: History of the Watton Freemasons Lodge no.7107: a story of the events leading up to the foundation and consecration of the lodge and a few important developments that took place in the first ten years.
[Watton, The Lodge, 1962]

Voting Registers

See Norfolk Parish Links: Voting Registers

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