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Norfolk: Old Buckenham
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William White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk 1883
[Transcription copyright © Pat Newby]
BUCKENHAM (OLD) is a large village of detached houses, skirting a pleasant green of 40 acres, shaded with trees, and distant about 2 miles N. by W. of New Buckenham, and 3 miles S. by E. of Attleborough. It is in Guiltcross union, Attleborough county court district, Norwich bankruptcy district, Shropham hundred, Guiltcross and Shropham petty sessional division, Attleborough polling district of South Norfolk, Rockland rural deanery, and Norfolk archdeaconry. It had 1146 inhabitants in 1881, living on 4986 acres, and has a rateable value of £7566.
The principal landowners are Richard Bird, Esq., Thomas Bird, Esq., Wm. Thos. George, Esq., Christopher Wm. Smith, Esq., Sir Thomas Beevor, Bart., J. and J. Colman, Esqrs., J.O.H. Taylor, Esq., trustees of John Gall, executors of Henry Norton Palmer, Edward Dade Palmer, William Thomas Simpson, H.J. Banyard, Esq., and W.T. Bud, Esq. Old Buckenham Lodge, which was recently purchased by Francis John Gurney, Esq., from A.T. Cockell, is pleasantly situated in a well-wooded park of about 40 acres.
The fee of this place was given by William the Conqueror to William d'Albini, whose son was commonly called 'William with the strong hand,' from his having (as the legends of chivalry relate) killed a lion by thrusting his arm down its throat, after having been thrown into its den by the Queen of France, who was enraged by his refusing the offer of her hand, he being previously affianced to the widow of Henry I., whom he subsequently married. He became Earl of Arundel, in 1139, when he assumed the lion for his crest.
His father, disliking the old Saxon castle here, erected a new castle, a little farther to the east, upon the ancient earthworks, which still exist, and like those of Castle Acre, Rising, Hedingham, and Norwich, comprise a circular work. This fortress consisted of a keep, two circular towers, a grand entrance tower, a barbican, and embattled walls, surrounded by a moat; but nothing now remains except the keep and a few ruined fragments of the gateway.
The second William d'Albini founded a Priory here in 1085, for Augustine canons. At the Dissolution it was valued at £131 11s., and granted to Sir Thomas Knyvet. But few traces of it now remain, though the foundations of its conventual church were extant in Blomefield's time.
The Parish CHURCH (All Saints) is an ancient thatched edifice, comprising nave, chancel, north aisle, and octagonal tower with six bells; and was reseated in 1859. The perpetual curacy, now worth £100 per annum, is in the patronage of the inhabitants, and incumbency of the Rev. Thomas Fulcher, B.A. It was augmented by a parliamentary grant of £800, in 1769, and £200 given by William Holbeck, Esq., in 1768.
The Baptists, Sandemanians, and Primitive Methodists have each a chapel here.
The Poor Lands comprise 5A. 1R. 22P. of land, left by Robert Laughter, in 1622; and 4A. 1R. 11P., left by Andrew Reeder, in the year 1565. The Town Lands, 28A. 17P., were partly allotted at the enclosure in 1790. The Fuel Allotments, awarded at the enclosure, comprise 80A. 2R. 17P., on which the poor cut turf, and 16A. 2R. 3P. The latter, with the herbage of the former, is let. In 1861, Mr. Robert Cocks, of London, erected here a handsome range of buildings, comprising ten almshouses, for ten poor persons of this his native parish.
By a scheme of the Charity Commissioners, dated August 16, 1861, all the charities were amalgamated, including Sturdivant's, Laughter's, Reeder's, The Fen, the Overseer's Land, Church Land, Harvey's Charity, Girling's Charity, and the Rectory trust, and twelve trustees appointed to administer the funds, which in 1881 produced £167 15s., the properties being let from Michaelmas, 1877, for a period of eight years, ending October 11, 1885.
The proceeds were distributed as follows, viz.:- 50 tons of coal, £50; clothing to 209 families at 1s. per head, £33; churchwardens, about £34; school, £28; surveyor, £4 10s.; payment to vicar, £16 13s. 4d. Rev. Thomas Fulcher, vicar, Major William George Keppel, Messrs. W.T. Simpson, Richard Bird, John Gall, C.W. Smith, William Frost, G.P. Johnson, William Scales, W.G. Hammond, and Richard Bowles are the present trustees, and Mr. Edwin Henry Reade is clerk.
The school is under the management of the trustees. The Parochial School was built in 1841, and is chiefly supported by an endowment of £30 10s., derived from the rent of 16A. 21P. of land, purchased with £100 left by Matthew Sturdivant, in 1604. A sum of £50, left by Hugh Harvey, in 1720, has been applied towards the erection of the School. The school, with master's residence attached, will accommodate 160 scholars, and the infant school, now used as a class-room, will accommodate 60; the average attendance is 123.
POST OFFICE at Miss Elizabeth Potter's. Letters are received at 6.45 a.m., and despatched at 7.30 p.m., Sundays at 11 a.m., viâ Attleborough. New Buckenham and Banham are the nearest Money Order Offices.
Adams Rev. Arthur Bayley curate
Aldous Charles tailor & parish clerk
Ashford T.L. farm bailiff to Messrs. Ireland
Bacon James farmer
Banyard H.J. farmer
Barker Henry farmer
Barker Richard farmer
Barnard Robert farmer
Beales Horace victualler, Crown
Beales William Miller farmer, corn and coal merchant
Benns Charles shopkeeper
Betts Edward Wiseman farmer and cattle dealer
Bird Mr Richard
Bird Edward farmer, Old Hall farm
Blackbourn John farmer
Blyth Simon farmer
Booty William farmer
Bowen James wheelwright
Bowles Richd. frmr. & assisnt. ovrseer
Brighton James farmer
Catlyn James farmer
Chapman Mrs Francis frmr. White hse
Chapman William blacksmith
Clare H. grocer, draper & ironmonger
Chilvers David farmer
Colman J. & J. farmers & merchants
Cordy George Riches farmer
Dade Lewis blacksmith & vict. Sun
Deane Rev. William
Edward, M.A. rector of Eccles, The Manor house
Fitt Charles Edwd. plumber & glazier
Foster George bricklayer
Frost Charles farmer
Frost William baker and confectioner
Fryer William farmer
Fulcher Rev. Thomas, B.A. vicar
Gedge John farmer
Gibson Thomas beer house
Gould John farm bailiff to F.J. Gurney
Gunns George farmer
Gurney Mr Francis John Old Buckenham lodge
Hammond Walter Geo. farmer, Hill hse
Hanton William farmer
Hardy Charles farmer
Hardy Mrs Margaret farmer
Hardy Peregrine farmer
Hardyman David farmer
Hewett Samuel farmer
Hindes Leonard barber
Holl George Roger watchmaker and victualler, White Horse
Howell W.G. farmer
Ireland H.J. farmer
Jessup George farmer
Johnson Geo. Page frmr. Bury's hall
Keppel Major Wm. Geo. The Grange
Kybird Robert wheelwright
Lancaster Mrs Caroline butcher
Lancaster Frederick builder
Linstead Walter miller and farmer
Long David baker
Long Mrs Susan vict. Jolly Sportsman
Loveday Elisha & Sons ironfounders and machinists
Loveday Mr Thomas
Loveday David farmer
Loveday Foulger shoemaker
Mallett James farmer
Nordey Esau shoemaker
Norton John farmer
Orvice John farmer
Parish Bristol farmer
Petley William cattle dlr. and farmer, Abbey farm
Petley William John vet. surgeon
Phillips Abraham carpenter
Potter Mr Barnabas
Potter Miss Elizabeth dressmaker and post office
Punt Edward blacksmith & whlwright
Reade Edwin Henry schoolmaster, clerk to Charity
trustees, School hse
Saunders William farmer
Scales William farmer
Self Christopher farmer
Simpson William Thomas farmer and landowner (Salter & S.),
auctioneers
Smith Elisha shoemaker
Smith Mr Christopher Wm. Sunnyside
Summersby Miss Charlotte
Sparrow David farmer and carrier
Tingey Charles farmer, Park farm
Townshend Mrs Lydia
Turner James shoemaker
Webster William farmer
Westgate Albert cattle dealer and farmer, Castle farm
CARRIER to Norwich, David Sparrow, Saturday
See also the Old Buckenham parish page.
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Copyright © Pat Newby.
September 2009