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Norfolk: West Lynn

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William White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk 1845

[Transcription copyright © Pat Newby]

LYNN (WEST) is a considerable village, on the west side of the Great Ouse river, opposite the town and port of King's Lynn, with which it communicates by a ferry for foot passengers; but carriages have to go round by the bridges, a distance of nearly 3 miles. It is sometimes called Old Lynn, from a conjecture that it is more ancient than King's Lynn.

Its parish contains 477 inhabitants, and about 1,200 acres of land, exclusive of 300 acres of the old bed of the river, which has recently been warped and cultivated. The soil belongs to John Lees, Esq., of London, Sir W.J.H.B. Ffolkes, Bart., of Hillington, and a number of other proprietors, each having the manorial rights of their own estates.

In 1300, Alan de Lindesey, burgess of Lena (Lynn,) gave to William de Gousele, farrier, the liberty of a passage or ferry-boat across the river. This ferry is now let by the Corporation of King's Lynn, for £290 per annum.

The opening of the Eau-Brink-Cut, which joins the Ouse about half a mile above Lynn, gave the current such a strong bias to the west side of the river, as to endanger the existence of West Lynn. Mr. Broadbent's house, which stood on the river bank, was washed down soon after the completion of the cut in 1822; but precautions were afterwards taken against any further encroachments of the refluent tides, by the erection of several jetties of strong frame-work, filled with large stones.

The CHURCH, dedicated to St. Peter, has a square tower with three bells, and was erected after the destruction of the old one, which was washed down by an inundation in 1271. In the chancel is a fine brass, representing Sir Adam Outlawe, who died in 1503, and left an acre of land for the parish clerk.

The living is a rectory, valued in the King's Book at £9, and in 1831 at £388. It has 28A. 2R. of glebe, and the tithes have recently been commuted for about £400 per annum, exclusive of about £70 a year received in lieu of tithes payable to the rector, in the parishes of Tilney All Saints, Islington, and Clenchwarton. The Rev. C.H. Townshend is patron, and the Rev. Jeremiah Bowen, B.A., of King's Lynn, incumbent.

The poor have £5 yearly, as the rent of 3A. 1R. of land at Islington, received in exchange for 4A. left by John Swaine, in 1678. The parish has six cottages and a house, obtained about 18 years ago, from a person who died a pauper.

Here is a Baptist Chapel, built in 1844.

         Ashworth   Mr. Frederick
         Bottomley  William         clerk
         Cartwright Reuben          timber merchant;
                                      house All Saints street, Lynn
         Broadbent  Thos.           coal & corn mercht.;
                                      house, New Checker street, Lynn
         Croot      George          coal dealer, &c.
         Dison      Rose            vict., White Swan
         England    Saml.           lessee of ferry
         Laws       John            vict., Ferry Boat
         Newmarch   Geo.            timber merchant
         Perkins    Wm.             timber mert.; h. Lynn
         Reeder     Wm.             vict., Freebridge Hotel
         Ringwood   Robert          cabinet maker
         Robinson   William         clerk
         Secker     Edward          master of Steam Tug
         Trundle    Robert          parish clerk, &c.
 
            Beer Houses.               Bakers, &c.
 
         Green      George          Bennington Wm., (& miller)
         Pike       William         Bullen     John
         Thompson   Sml.
 
            FARMERS.                   Shopkeepers.
 
         Crampton   Amery           Dison      Rose
         Dawes      Charles         Lack       Noah
         Eggitt     William         Lawson     Francis
         Vincent    Joseph
 

See also the West Lynn parish page.

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Copyright © Pat Newby.
January 2009