GENUKI: Norfolk: Gooderstone, Norfolk

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William White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk 1864

GOODERSTONE, commonly called Goodson, is a long village of detached houses, 4 miles N.E. of Stoke Ferry, and 6 miles S.S.W. of Swaffham, in the vale of a rivulet which flows southward to the Wissey. Its parish has 571 inhabitants, two wind mills, one water mill, and 2781A. of land, belonging to J.R. Mills, Esq., M.P., Lord Walsingham, Sir H.P. Bedingfeld, Bart., W.A.T. Amhurst, Esq., A.H.R. Micklefield, Esq., Mr. Charles Brooke, and others; but Samuel Cartwright, Esq., is lord of the manor.

The Church (St. George) is a fine early-English edifice, comprising nave, south aisle, south porch, chancel, and massive square embattled tower with three bells. Several of the windows contain fragments of ancient stained glass, one representing the Last Judgment [sic]. Here is a handsome painted screen with doors, in good preservation. It has full-length figures of the twelve Apostles with their appropriate emblems, on its lower panels, and above each is a sentence from the Apostles' Creed in Latin. In the chancel are some very old carved oak stalls, and the greater portion of the seats in the nave and aisle, as well as the pulpit and reading desk, are of fine old carved oak. The sedilia and piscinæ still remain; and here are also a handsome stone font and a very ancient and curious alms-box.

The discharged vicarage, valued in the King's Book at £6. 12s., is in the patronage of A.H.R. Micklefield, Esq., who has here a small rectorial manor, and is also impropriator of the great tithes, which have been commuted for £250 a year. The Rev. Chas. Wm. Henry Humphrey Sidney, B.A., is the incumbent, and has an annual tithe rent-charge of £133.

The School was erected in 1846, at a cost of £150, and is attended by 50 children.

The Wesleyans have a small chapel here.

At the enclosure (42nd George III.), an Allotment of 50A. was awarded to the poor. The occupiers of the ancient cottages cut turf upon it, and the herbage is let for £33 a year, which is distributed among the poor who have no right of cutting fuel. The latter have an annuity of 5s. left by Wm. Briston in 1710. The rent of the Town Piece, 4A., is applied in repairing three cottages occupied by poor widows.

Some years ago, a human skeleton, several celts, half a quern, and a number of coins were found in this parish, near the water mill.

POST from Brandon.

           Cobbin   Robert          shopkeeper
           Garrod   William         gentleman
           George   John            wheelwright
           Lambert  James           joiner    [see note below]
           Lambert  John            gardener  [see note below]
           Lambert  John            hurdle maker
           Lambert  Josiah          victualler, White Swan
           Sherwood William         tailor
           Sidney   Rev. Chas. Wm.
                      H.H., B.A.    vicar
 
              BEERHOUSES.
 
           Jakes    Robert          [see note below]
           Root     Anthony         [see note below]
 
              BLACKSMITHS.             CORN MILLERS.
 
           Sherwood Robert          Brooke   Charles
           Trundle  Robert          Dunger   George
                                    Preston  William
 
                             FARMERS.
                          * are owners.
 
           Bennett  George          Lambert  Henry
           Bowen    John          * Lambert  Robert
         * Brooke   Charles         Lemon    William
         * Brooke   Chas. Jas.      Oldfield Walter,
           Dunger   George                     Wellington House
         * Ford     William         Watts    James
         * Garrod   Mary            White    John
 
              SHOEMAKERS.
 
           Bennett  George
           Boddy    John
           Drew     George
           Garrod   John

Note: in the original these are:
Lambert James, joiner, & John gardener
Robert Jakes || Anthony Root

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Norfolk: Gooderstone

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William White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk 1864