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Norfolk: Foulsham
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William White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk 1883
[Transcription copyright © Ann Duncan]
FOULSHAM is a small but well-built town, pleasantly situated on the East Norfolk Extension Railway, 8 miles S.E. of Fakenham, 5 miles W.N.W. of Reepham, and 18 miles N.W. of Norwich. Its parish is in Aylsham union and county court district, Norwich bankruptcy district, Eynsford petty sessional division and hundred, Reepham polling district of North Norfolk, Sparham rural deanery, and Norwich archdeaconry. It had 950 inhabitants in 1881 living on 3226 acres, and has a rateable value of £6217. A large portion of the parish was in Themelthorpe common, enclosed in 1811.
Lord Hastings is principal owner of the soil and lord of the manor; but about 600A., with Foulsham Hall, an old farm-house in the Elizabethan style, belong to G.A. Aufrere, Esq. Keeling Hall, one mile to the east, is the property of C.M. Tatham, Esq.; and the Rev. Sir E.R. Jodrell, Bart., the Rev. H. Evans Lombe, Col. W.E.G.L. Bulwer, and Robt. J W. Purdy, Esq., have estates here.
In Domesday Book, Foulsham is described as a royal demesne, being one of the lordships of which Edward the Confessor died possessed. It continued to form part of the domains of the Crown till Richard I. granted it, with many other estates, to Baldwin de Betune, Earl of Albemarle and Holderness, whose daughter Alice carried it in marriage to William Marshall, Earl of Pembroke, with whose family it remained till 1317, when it passed by marriage to the Morleys. It was purchased in 1582 by Sir Thomas Hunt, Kt., whose grandson sold it to Sir Jacob Astley, Bart., an ancestor of Lord Hastings.
The market, formerly held here every Tuesday, has long been obsolete; but a fair, for the sale of stock, &c., is still continued on the first Tuesday in May. In the market-place once stood a cross, the foundations of which are still visible on a hoar-frosty morning. Its form was hexagonal, in imitation of those beautiful crosses erected to the memory of Eleanor, Queen of Edward I.
The town suffered greatly by a fire in 1770, which destroyed 14 dwelling-houses, and reduced the church to a ruinous shell. The damage amounted to several thousand pounds, but a collection was made and a play performed at Norwich for the benefit of the sufferers.
There was a church here at the time of the Domesday survey, but its site is unknown. The present CHURCH (Holy Innocents) was probably founded by Sir Robert Morley about the middle of the 14th century, as the lower windows of the chancel, the porch, and other portions are in the style which prevailed at that period; but the greater part of the building is of Late Perpendicular architecture, and appears to have been built by one of the Lords Morley about 1489, and restored to its original form after the great fire in 1770.
It is a large and handsome edifice, comprising nave with aisles, chancel, and south porch. Its lofty square embattled tower, of four stages, contains two bells, and has diagonal buttresses at each corner, terminated by crocketed pinnacles. The porch is now used as a vestry, and before the fire had a parvis, which had served as a schoolroom from time immemorial. There is a clerestory over both the nave and chancel, lighted by numerous large windows, which, like those of the aisles, have nearly flat arches. The nave has a plastered wagon-headed ceiling, but the roof of the chancel is of high pitch. The east window is filled in with stained glass, and several other windows contain fragments of ancient painted glass.
The interior of the building was restored and refitted with open seats in 1859. The sedilia and piscina remain on the south side of the chancel, and opposite to them, over the small north door is a monument to Sir Thomas Hunt, who died in 1616, and is represented in armour with his three wives kneeling behind him. Here is a small oblong brass bearing the following lines:-
'Of all I had this only now I have
Nyne akers wch unto ye poore I gave
Richd Fenn who died March 1565.
In the churchyard is a curious altar monument of stone to the memory of 'Robart Colles and Cecili his vif.'
The rectory, valued in the King's Book at £27 14s. 9½d., has 22A. 3R. 15P. of glebe, and a yearly rent-charge of £780, awarded in 1840 in lieu of tithes. Lord Hastings is patron, and the Rev. Charles Henry Frost, B.A., is incumbent. There is a spacious residence, which was considerably enlarged and improved in 1862.
The Baptist chapel was built in 1826, and the Primitive Methodists chapel in 1871.
A School Board was formed in 1874, and schools, with master's house, were erected at an outlay of £1650. The present board consists of the Rev. C.H. Frost (chairman), W.A. Mesney (vice), and Messrs T.M. Austin, A.G. Gibbs, C.A. Hamond, and for Themelthorpe contributory district, the Rev. R.R. Rackham, and Mr. E. Yarham. Mr. W. Newport is the clerk.
A Reading Room was established, and a Mutual Improvement Society formed in 1877. Mr. S. Blade is the secretary. Foulsham and District Horticultural Society was formed in 1877. The Rev. C.H. Frost is secretary. There is an Oddfellows' lodge at the Ship Inn once a month.
The poor have 9A. of land at Guestwick, left by Richard Fenn in 1563; 6A. 3R. 14P. in this parish, left by Henry Semicroft in 1693; and 5A. 3R. 38P. allotted at the enclosure. The rents of these lands, amounting to £53 10s. per annum, are distributed at Christmas among the poor of the parish. To provide gowns, &c., for poor widows and other poor women of Foulsham, John Chapman, in 1661, left 10A. 2R. 6P. of land now let for £31 a year.
The Church Lands comprise 4A. at Sandhills; two allotments, containing 1A. 20P.; and about 3A. in four pieces; the whole producing a yearly rent of about £15.
In October, 1846, a large solid gold torques, weighing 5½ ounces, and measuring 42 inches in length, was turned up by the plough on Bittering Common, in this parish, and is now in the possession of Lord Hastings.
(see also Addenda).
POST, MONEY ORDER and TELEGRAPH OFFICE and SAVINGS BANK, at Mr. Samuel Gee's. Letters arrive at 7.30 a.m., despatched 5.10 p.m.; and on Sundays arrive at 7.30 a.m., and despatched 10 a.m., viâ East Dereham.
Amiss Wm. shopkeeper
Austin Thomas Matthew farmer
Austin Watts farmer
Balls Miss Martha farmer
Barber Cornelius bootmaker & baker
Bell Wm. draper, tailor, & ironmonger
Blade Samuel grocer, draper, newsagent and collector
of taxes, and clerk and attendance
officer to School Board
Blyth Thos. Hy. builder & contractor
Boyle Allan draper and grocer
Bush Arthur Wm. farmer
Chapman James vict. King's Arms
Chapman John gunsmith
Chipperfield Marshall engineer and machinist
Clarke Mrs Ann
Collison Thompson butcher & dealer
Cooper Benjamin bootmaker
Cooper Miss Sophia day and boarding school
Crowe John hairdresser
Dack John blacksmith and vict. Bull
Dack Matthew farmer
Damant Thos. M.R.C.S. L.S.A. and medical officer 3rd district of
the Aylsham Union, & public vaccinator
Emms Hy. provision dealer
Emms Hy. farmer, High house
Empson Josiah vict. & machinist
Fairman Saml. basket maker
Frost Rev. Chas. rector, The Rectory
Henry, B.A.
Gee Samuel baker & confctnr. parish clerk,
postmaster, & assist. overseer
Gibbs Alf. Geo. farmer & miller, The Old Hall.
Graver John gardener and sexton
Groom Thomas beerhouse
Hurrell Thomas Mace grocer
Jeary Edgar Harvey tailor
Lake Samuel farmer
Leamon Edmund ironmonger & frmr
Leamon Edmund Robt. plmbr. & glzr
Leamon Phlp. saddler & harness mkr
Long Jeremiah brick and tile manufr
Mace Mrs Sarah Ann
Maddison Henry Gildon chemist, druggist, dentist, stationer,
and agt. for London & Provncl. Ins. Co
Maidstone Wm. pork butcher
Massingham Henry beerhs. & butcher
Massingham Mrs Sarah butcher
Mesney Wltr. Alex. fmr. Keeling hall
Mildenhall Jno. & Mrs Brd. Sch. tchrs
Moore Mrs Ann
Newport Walter chemist, druggist, stationer, newsagent,
registered accountant, seed & manure
merchant, agent for Royal Insurance Co.,
and agent for Allen Line of steamers
Nobbs Wm. fishmonger
Overton Capt. Frederick
Post Office Samuel Gee postmaster
Price Mrs Emily
Prior John bootmaker
Purdy Mrs Susan
Raven Thomas grocer, draper, corn dealer and farmer
Theophilis
Reyner Mrs Sarah
Rix Richard farmer & carrier
Russell Edward watchmaker, grocer, & draper
Sainty Hy. Chapman baker & corn dlr
Springall John vict. White Horse
Smith John blacksmith
Stroulger Hy. painter & paper hanger, plumber & glazier
Stroulger Isaac farmer
Stroulger Isaac, jun. farmer
Stroulger Wm. farmer
Thrower Thomas wheelwright
Thurling Peter farmer
Towler Mrs Phoebe
Turner Jno. grocer, draper & gnrl. dlr
Vince Rev. Hy. (Baptist)
Wayman Clmnt. Page L.S.A. and public vaccinator for
Scott,M.R.C.S. 3rd district, Aylsham
Williams Wm. Hy. fmr. & vict. Ship
Woodhouse Herbert vet. srgn. & fmr
Woodhouse Saml. Jas. bldr. & cntrctr
Wright Wm. marine store dealer, coal merchant
and furniture broker
(See also Addenda.)
CARRIER -
R. Rix, to Norwich, on Mon. Wed. and Sat.;
John Holsey to Norwich, Sat.
From ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS on pages 13-16:
To Description add
'A fire engine is kept at the engine-house, adjoining the rector's school-room. Mr. John Rosier is superintendent. The Baptists and Primitive Methodists have each a chapel & school here.'
In Directory insert
Amies Wm. shopkeeper and brazier
Austin Watts, jun. farmer, Church farm
Bullock - fishmonger
Butler Jno. farmer
Carter Wm. Geo. G.E.R. stationmaster
Egmere Chas. sweep & dealer
Emms Mr Hy. G.
Girling Robt. shoemaker
Graver James gardener
Gunton - farm steward
Hindry Philip, jun. machine proprietor and farmer
Hammond Charles A. farmer
Ireland (A.W.) millers & corn dealers
& Gibbs (A.G.)
Lambert Philip bootmaker
Leeds Stephen farmer
Norton Richardson farmer & dealer
Pegg John farmer
Phillipo Skinner farmer, Woodrow farm
Starling Mrs Ruth coffee and reading rooms
Skipper - bootmaker
Seaman William carpenter and builder
Spooner Geo. baker & confectioner
Vince Rev. - (Baptist)
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See also the Foulsham parish page.
Copyright © Pat Newby.
November 2001