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Norfolk: Stalham
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William White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk 1883
[Transcription copyright © Peter Green]
STALHAM, a small market town, on the Lynn and Fakenham Railway, 8½ miles S.E. of North Walsham, and 14½ N.E. by N. of Norwich, is a parish in Smallburgh union, Happing hundred, Happing and Tunstead petty sessional division, North Walsham county court district, Norwich bankruptcy district, Stalham polling district of North Norfolk, Happing division of Waxham rural deanery, and Norfolk archdeaconry.
It had 852 inhabitants in 1881, living on 1759 acres of land, exclusive of 33 acres of roads and water. Its rateable value is £1754. A little south of the village are two wharves or staiths, with corn warehouses, coal yards, &c., on the Broads, which are navigable thence to Yarmouth. Robert Cooke's exors. are lords of the manor of Linford and Wilds, and George Randall Johnson, Esq., is lord of the manor of Stalham Hall. They are also impropriators of most of the great tithes, and with the Rev. James White, are the principal landowners.
The CHURCH (St. Mary) consists of nave with aisles and clerestory, chancel, south porch, and square embattled tower with one bell. The clerestory is lighted by quatrefoils. There are some remains of the panels belonging to the chancel screen, bearing painted figures of St. Andrew, St. Thomas of Canterbury, St. Edward, St. Edmund, St. Roch, and St. Francis. In the south aisle is the ancient but mutilated stoup. The octagonal font was restored in 1861, and bears carvings of the Apostles, the Baptism of Christ, and the Resurrection.
In 1864, an organ and choir seats were erected in the chancel of the church by the present vicar, and with the permission of G.R. Johnson, Esq., lay impropriator; a further restoration of the church took place in the years 1872 and 1873 at a cost of £450. There is a brass to the Riches family dated 1624. The Register dates from the year 1560.
The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the King's Book at £5; but it was augmented in 1753 with £200 of Queen Anne's Bounty, and has now a good residence, with 9A. 2R., of glebe. The Rev. James White, M.A., is patron, and the Rev. Joseph Neville White, B.A., is the incumbent. The rectorial tithes have been commuted for £363 per annum, and the vicarial for £194 per annum. About 480 acres are free of great tithes.
The National School, built by the Rev. B. Cubitt in 1841, and enlarged by the present vicar in 1862, is now used as a Sunday school. A SCHOOL BOARD for the united parishes of Stalham and Brumstead was established in 1875, and consists of the Rev. J. Neville White (chairman) and Messrs. - Ingham (vice), B.C. Silcock, E. Cooke, W.H. Jay (Stalham); and Mr. George Gladden. Mr. Joshua Meale is clerk. New schools have been erected at a cost of £1450, to accommodate 140 children.
Here is a small Wesleyan and a Baptist chapel. The Police Station was built in 1855 at a cost of £750, and attached are residences for an inspector and one police constable. A Fire Engine was established here in 1833. The Corn Hall is a neat brick structure, erected in 1855 by a company of shareholders at a cost of about £470, but it is now used for concerts, lectures, &c. The farmers and corn merchants meet for the transaction of business at the Maid's Head Inn, and the Rational Sick Society has its lodge here. The Lecture Hall was built in 1858 and afterwards enlarged, at a total cost of about £200. It is used by various denominations for religious meetings.
The Poor's Allotment, 72A. 34P., awarded under the Enclosure Act of 47th Geo. III. (1807), is let by the year to several holders, and the rents are given in money to the natives of the parish and their descendants. In 1626, John Riches left for the poor £10, which was laid out in the purchase of a house, which was sold by the overseers for £80. In 1634, Thomas Smith left a house and land, to pay yearly £5 to the poor, and 13s. 4d. to the vicar. Including an allotment of 3A. 18P. awarded to it at the enclosure, the property now belonging to this charity consists of a house, stable, blacksmith's shop, and 7 acres of land, let for £31. 10s. per annum, the whole of which, except for 13s. 4d. to the vicar, is distributed among the poor. In 1718, Catherine Smith left 6 acres, called the Long Closes, to the vicar, for reading prayers every Wednesday and Friday in Lent, but subject to the yearly payment of 16s. for the poor, and 4s. to the clerk for cleaning her monument.
The Sutton New Friendly Society, for the united parishes of Stalham, Sutton, Hickling, Catfield, Ludham, and Potter Heigham, was established in 1840, and has 460 members, and is under the management of the Vicar of Stalham.
POST OFFICE at Mrs. Emily Margaret Cattermoul's. Letters viâ Norwich arrive at 6 a.m., and depart at 4.20 a.m. for Norwich and 5.50 p.m. for Great Yarmouth. This is also a Money Order Office, Post Office Savings Bank, Telegraph Office, and Government Annuity Office.
Allcock Edward carpenter
Allcock George saddler
Allcock William joiner and builder
Andrews
& Co. shoemakers
Barcham John accountant, agent for Norwich Union,
the General Hailstorm, and the Norwich
& London Accident Insurance Cos.
Batchelor John builder & contractor
Bates Robert & Son
(James) blacksmiths, coachmakers & whlwrights
Bilham Miss Betsy
Bilham Daniel vict. Swan Inn
Bilham Ephraim tailor and draper
Bilham Gaze saddler
Bilham Robert basket maker
Bradbury Robert chemist & bkseller
Bristow Alfred miller, corn merchant, and farmer;
and East Ruston
Burton Mrs Sarah coal, &c. merchant, wharfinger and
vessel owner, water carrier, &c.
Cattermoul Mrs Emma
Margaret grocer, draper and postmistress
Clowes Francis & J.S. surgeons
Clowes Francis surgeon & registrar; h Sutton
Cooke Edwd. frmr. & ownr. The Hall
Cooke Mr Henry The Farm
Cooke Robert, jun. farmer and mert.; h Smallburgh
Daniels Thomas grocer and draper
Davison Daniel grocer and baker
Draper Wm. Robert blacksmith, engineer, ironfndr.,
& machine maker
Fish John Horatio vict. Railway Inn, and livery and
bait stables
Fisher Mrs Emma lodgings
Fitt Henry who. & retail furnishing, builders'
& general ironmonger, oil and
colourman, and gun, fishing and
sporting agent
Fitt Henry (late John Silcock & Sons),
who. wine, spirit, ale & porter mert.
Frosdick Thomas farmer & machine owner, Leo house
Girdlestone Robert hairdresser and cutlery grinder
Grapes John vict. Maid's Head Inn; and farmer
at Barton Turf
Harvey John farmer
Hunting J.C.,
M.R.C.V.S. vet. surgn
Jay Wm. Howard assistant overseer
Keeler Geo. basket maker & farmer
Klitz Mrs Areana
Lack Thomas tailor and draper
Lancaster James Board schoolmaster
Laws Charles F. butcher
Leatherdale Mrs. cab & coach propr
Lingwood Jeremiah agent for the County Fire Insurance Co.
London Edward tea dealer
London James blacksmith
Lupton Frederick solicitor, comsr. to administer oaths in
the Supreme Court of Judicature, agent
for the Royal Fire and Life, and the
Imperial Live Stock Ins. Cos. and
solicitor to the Ant Preservation and
Angling Society
Meale Joshua grocer, wine and spirit agent, and clerk
to School Board
Miles Robert watchmaker
Miles Samuel Robert vety. surgeon
Moore Major Dunn lodgings
Peggs Miss Ann dressmaker
Peggs Mrs Ann laundress
Perfitt Robert Joseph stonemason
Pestell John Balls plumber & painter
Potter George baker & pork butcher
Reynolds Miss
Riches Edward miller and merchant; h Catfield
Rising Miss
Rust James millwright
Rust William engineer, machinist, and millwright
Salmon John beer retailer & shopkpr
Salmon John Pollard farmer, Chapel field
Salmon Wm. farmer, Chapel field
Savory
& Son upholsterers
Savory William tunist
Seago Hy. pork butcher & gardener
Seago Thomas grocer, tea & provision dlr.
outfitter & refreshment rooms
Silcock Boardman
Charles farmer, Manor house
Simons Robt.
Bloomfield btchr. & fmr
Spanton Mrs Catherine plumber, pntr. and glass, china
& earthenware dlr
Stearman Robert Marler ironmonger, oil and lamp dealer
Stimpson Geo. parish clerk & carrier
Taylor Wm. Fredk. stationmaster
Teasel Josiah Cubitt boat builder
Turner Walter joiner & wheelwright
Tuddenham Wm. police inspector
Webb Miss Mary A. Willow Lake hs.
White Rev. Joseph
Neville,B.A. vicar, The Vicarage
Woods James tailor and draper
Wortley Geo. farmer, West End frm
RAILWAY - Station on the L. & F. R. Co. trains to and from Yarmouth and Lynn several times a day; W.F. Taylor, stationmaster
CARRIER to Norwich, George Stimpson, Weds & Sats
CONVEYANCE - Leatherdale's coach from Swan Inn to Norwich, on Mons. Weds. and Sats
WATER CONVEYANCE - Mrs. Burton's vessels to & from Yarmouth, weekly
Note that the "Ant Preservation and Angling Society" (shown under Frederick Lupton) refers to the river Ant, not to an insect.
Also, Mrs Cattermoul's names are given as "Emily Margaret" and as "Emma Margaret" at different places in the text.
See also the Stalham parish page.
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Copyright © Pat Newby.
May 1999