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Norfolk: Emneth

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

[Transcription copyright © Pat Newby]

EMNETH is a large village near the Wisbech Canal, 14 miles S.W. of Lynn, and 2 miles S.S.E. of Wisbech - but its parish extends close to the latter town - is in Freebridge Marshland hundred, and petty sessional division, Wisbech union and county court district, Lynn bankruptcy district, Walsoken polling district of West Norfolk, Wisbech rural deanery and archdeaconry, and Ely diocese. It has a rateable value of about £6528. In 1881 it contained 1001 inhabitants, and has about 3449 acres of fertile land, belonging to a number of freeholders and copyholders, many of whom are residents.

F.M. Metcalfe, Esq., of Inglethorpe hall, is lord of the manor of Hakbech and Inglethorpe, which anciently belonged to the Peytons, who resided at Hakbech hall, a handsome mansion, which was taken down in 1806. Sir Adam De Hakbech held a manor of the Prior of Lewes, and founded the chantry of St. Mary in 1277, on the site of the present south aisle of the chancel. Oxburgh hall was formerly the residence of the Oxburgh and Hewar families.

Emneth station, on the Lynn and Wisbech Railway, is in the adjoining parish of Walsoken.

The CHURCH (St. Edmund) is an ancient edifice, comprising nave, aisles, chancel, and square tower with five bells, and was restored and reseated in 1866 - the body, by subscription, at a cost of £1718, and the chancel by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, at a cost of £420. The church is mostly of the 15th century, but the arches in the east side of the chancel are of the 12th century. Several of the windows are filled with beautiful stained glass, and the rich rood screen dates from the 15th century.

There are several mural monuments; the indent of a splendid brass of a cross-legged knight, probably Sir Adam de Hakbech; and a fine altar tomb with effigies of Sir Thomas Hewar, his lady, and their infant son, executed by Nicholas Stone, master mason to James the First, who had £95 for it.

The vicarage was consolidated with that of Elm, in the Isle of Ely, till 1858, when it was formed by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners into a separate living. It is in the patronage of the Bishop of Ely, in whose diocese it is still situated. The Rev. Edward Henry Lovelock, M.A., is the vicar, and has a good residence in the Elizabethan style, erected in 1859, at a cost of £1500. The tithes of Emneth have been commuted for the following yearly rents: viz. £8 11s. 4d. to the rector of Walsoken, £405 to the incumbent, and £355 to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, for the augmentation of poor livings.

Thomas Squier in 1692 left a house and 26 acres of land for educational purposes for the parishes of Elm and Emneth. The School is at Elm, and is now a public elementary school for boys of the two parishes, and the rent, £74 per annum, is applied towards the expenses of the school, as per new scheme dated 1874.

The rent of the town land, 1A. 1R., is applied with the church rates.

Here is a National School, built in 1859, and attended by 129 girls and infants.

The Wesleyans, Wesleyan Reformers, and Primitive Methodists have each a small chapel in the parish, all built in 1854.

POST OFFICE at Mrs. Mary Hunsley's. Letters arrive at 5.30 a.m., and are despatched at 7.30 p.m., viâ Wisbech, which is the nearest Money Order and Telegraph Office. There is a wall letter-box at Hungate, cleared at 6.30 p.m.

         Bailey     Uriah                market gardener
         Bailey     Uriah, jun.          market gardener
         Bailey     William Cole         farmer
         Balding    Alfred William       manager
         Balding    John Smithee         pig dealer
         Baley      Richard              farmer
         Barker     George               farmer
         Bird       Frederick            farmer
         Burgess    Thomas               farmer
         Butcher    Richard Bland        blacksmith
         Cousins    David                blacksmith and beerhouse, Hungate
         Crofts     Henry                victualler, Blacksmith's Arms;
                                           and blacksmith
         Dearlove   Mrs Charlotte        Oxburgh hall
         Dearlove   Thos. D.             frmr. Oxburgh hall
         Diggle     Robert               shopkeeper, Hungate
         Doubleday  Frederick            farmer
         Doubleday  Jno.                 frmr. & market gardener
         Drew       Robert               farmer
         Ekins      George William       farmer, Fen
         Frusher    Thomas               farmer, Hungate
         Frusher    Thos.                frmr. Hawkin's Hole
         Gibson     William              farmer
         Goodger    Anthony              farmer
         Goose      Leonard              victualler, Wheatsheaf;
                                           and farmer, Hungate
         Gray       John                 market gardener
         Gray       Thomas               hawker
         Gray       William              corn miller
         Green      Robert               farmer
         Gromitt    John                 farmer
         Guttridge  John                 market gardener
         Guttridge  William              market gardener
         Handley    Henry                farmer
         Handley    Hugh                 farmer
         Hanslip    James                farmer
         Harvey     Robert               market gardener
         Hill       John                 farmer
         Hopkin     Abraham              manager
         Humphrey   Benjamin Stockdale   farmer, The Grange
         Hunsley    Mrs Mary             postmistress
         Hunsley    Robert               parish clerk
         Hunt       Mr William
         Hunter     James                farmer
         Hunter     James, jun.          farmer
         Hunter     Joseph               carpenter
         Hunter     William              market gardener
         Jackson    John                 rope manufacturer
         Lilly      John                 bricklayer
         Lines      John                 market gardener
         Lines      Thomas               bricklayer
         Long       Henry                carpenter and builder
         Lovelock   Rev. Edward Hy. M.A. vicar
         Lynn       David                farmer
         Lynn       Edward               market gardener
         Lynn       John                 farmer & market gardener
         Markham    George               blacksmith
         Martin     James                farmer and landowner, The Firs
         Martin     James, jun.          farmer
         Massham    Alfred               bricklayer
         Mayhew     Jno.                 vict. Duke of Wellington
         Metcalfe   Frederick Moorehouse,
                      Esq., J.P.         Inglethorpe hall
         Neales     Mrs Theresa          corn miller and merchant;
                                           and at Wisbech
         Newling    Wm. Alfred           farmer, Dial hs
         Oldham     Miss Emma            schoolmistress
         Palmer     Moses                farmer, Trafford house
         Passlow    James                pig dealer
         Racey      John                 grocer and hawker
         Racey      Wm.                  grocer, baker, and draper
         Ream       Smith                farmer
         Robb       Samuel               farmer
         Robb       Mr William
         Rowe       Edward               farmer
         Rowe       James                farmer
         Sedgfield  George               farm bailiff
         Sharp      Mr John Robert
         Sharp      Mrs Mary Ann         market gardener
         Sharp      Robert Lynn          farmer
         Shepherd   William George       corn miller
         Shepperson Mrs Jane Ann
         Shirekings William              farm bailiff
         Smithee    Mrs Rebecca          frmr. Hungate
         Smithee    Robert               bootmaker
         Stockings  Mrs Thomas
         Tagg       John                 farmer
         Terrington John                 farmer, Hungate
         Terrington Zachariah            farmer
         Thompson   John                 vict. Queen's Head
         Thompson   John                 farmer
         Thompson   William              beerhouse
         Tingay     Frederick            farmer
         Towler     Joseph               farmer and landowner Hungate
         Utteridge  Joseph               chimney sweeper
         Wade       Jacob Tomlinson      farmer
         Ward       George               victualler, Swan
         Ward       John                 farmer
         Watson     Mr James
         Wright     John Newcome         farmer, Hungate house
 

See also the Emneth parish page.

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Copyright © Pat Newby.
March 2010