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Norfolk: Stoke Ferry
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William White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk 1883
[Transcription copyright © Juanita Hadwin]
STOKE-FERRY is a large village near the navigable river Wissey, 7 miles E.S.E. of Downham, 14½ miles S.S.E. of Lynn, 10 miles S.W. by W. of Swaffham, and 88 miles N. by E. of London; at the junction of roads from Thetford, Brandon, &c. It is in Downham union and county court district, Lynn bankruptcy district, Clackclose petty sessional division, Methwold polling district of West Norfolk, Fincham rural deanery, and Norfolk archdeaconry.
It had 684 inhabitants in 1881, living on 2059 acres of land (only 1976A. 1R. 22P. is in the rate book, the balance being waste), and has a rateable value of £3787 15s. It has a large fair for horses, cattle, &c., on December 6; and much business is done at the wharf in corn, coal, malt, &c. Its corn market, formerly held on Friday, is obsolete. Its parish abounds in limestone.
Messrs. Paine & Brettale, solicitors, Chertsey, are lords of the manor, but the soil is mostly the property of Miss Harriet Hebgin, H.S. Winfield, A.R.H. Micklefield, and Richd. Harwin, Esqs. The bridge which crosses the river, where there was anciently a ferry, was repaired and widened in 1803. The present handsome iron bridge was erected in 1839. In the 32nd of Henry III. (1248), the abbot of Ely had a grant for a market and fair here. The profits of the ferry belonged to the abbott, who broke down the bridge soon after its erection; but the Hundred Court compelled him to rebuild it.
The CHURCH (All Saints) is a small edifice in the Early English style, and consists of nave, chancel, vestry, west porch, belfry, and one bell. The tower fell down in 1578. The church was thoroughly restored and partly rebuilt in 1847, at a cost of £1200. The pulpit, reading desk, lectern, and open benches are of carved oak, and in a gallery at the west end is a good organ. The west window is filled with stained glass. Here are tablets of the Etheridge and Robinson families.
The perpetual curacy, certified at £18, and now worth about £100, was augmented in 1779 and 1801 with £400 of Queen Anne's Bounty. The Lord Chancellor is patron, and the Rev. John McGill incumbent. The great tithes have been commuted for £247 per annum, and belong to the representatives of the late G.R. Eyres, Esq. The small tithes, £227 10s. a year, are the property of the Commisioners of Woods and Forests.
Here are two chapels belonging to the Wesleyans and Methodist Free Church. The Wesleyan chapel, which was erected in 1834 at a cost of £500, and provided with a gallery in 1854, at an outlay of £70, was entirely reseated in 1869 at a cost of £200, and now contains 250 sittings.
The SCHOOL now adjoining was built in 1876 at a cost of £400.
The old Poor's land was exchanged, at the enclosure in 1818, for 2R. 26P. held by the overseers, and 22P. used as a chalk-pit. The Fuel Allotment awarded at the enclosure, consists of 25A. 3R. 6P. in the East Fen, on which all the poor cut turf, &c.
The Free School was founded, pursuant to the will of James Bradfield, Esq., who, in 1807, left £250 for the erection of the school-house, and charged his estate here with the yearly payment of £25 to the master, for the education of 25 poor children of Stoke-Ferry and Wretton. The poor widows of this parish have the interest of £50, left by the Rev. J.H. Etheridge of Maidenhead, Berks.
POST viâ Brandon. Post Office at Mr. George Watson's.
Ashley grocers, drapers, hatters, hosiers & Rudland and milliners ASHLEY William (A. & Rudland), and agt. for the Ntnl. Prvdnt. Life Office BENNETT James Smith carpenter BITSON Matthew bread and flour dlr BLOMFIELD Spencer chemist BOVILL Thomas grocer and draper BOYCE Mrs Susan vict. King's Arms BROCK Jeremiah hawker BROWN Charles Wm. schoolmaster BROWN John Thomas butcher CASE Benjn. plumber, glazier & pntr CATCHPOLE Alfred watchmaker CATER William baker and grocer CHADWICK John saddler COOK John farmer CROSS William beerhouse & bricklyr ELDERKIN William vict. Duke's Head, and farmer ETHERIDGE Bradfield (E. & B.) ETHERIDGE E. & B. corn, seed, hop, wool, wine, spirit, ale and porter merchants and maltsters ETHERIDGE Edward (E. & B.) ETHERIDGE Mr Edward Wright Hawthorne villa FARRER Miss FLATT Mrs Elizabeth FLATT William farmer FRENCH William carrier GOOSE Mr Robert HARVEY Henry farmer HARWIN Mr Henry HEWSON John saddler HILL John Bird boarding school JAGGARD Thomas Thorrold tailor and woollen draper JAMES Miss Margaretta day & brdng. school JOHNSON Alfred blacksmith KING William saddler LARNER Henry blacksmith LOCK John victualler, Bell MARGARSON Thos. William veterinary surgeon and veterinary inspector MICKLEFIELD Anthy. Horex solr Roger NIX John corn miller and farmer NUNN James beerhouse NUNN James, jun. horse dealer NURSE James bootmaker NURSE William David bootmaker OWEN George beerhouse, The Bridge PALMER Ryfealyer engineer and machinist Desilon [sic] PICKFORD Mrs Sarah POLLARD Mrs Mtha. Kezia grcr. & drpr POLLARD Wm. baker, flour dlr. & frmr POWELL Charles carpenter & whlwrgt PRIOR John farmer RICHES Pymer plumber, glzr. & paintr RICHES William carpenter ROLFE Frederick ROLFE John marine store dealer RUDLAND John James (Ashley & R.) SALMON Benjamin farmer and carrier SCALES John corn merchant's manager SHARP Rev. James (Wesleyan) SPRINGFIELD Mr. William Sparrow [see note below] STEAD Thomas horse dealer STEELE Mrs Elizabeth Jane STEELE Hy. Fredk. surgeon, medical officer for Stoke-Ferry M.R.C.S., district of Downham union, and Oxborough L.R.C.P. district of Swaffham union, and registrar of births and deaths of Fincham district of Downham union TIPPLE William plumber & glazier TOKELOVE John carpenter WATSON George hairdresser, stationer, fancy repository, pork butcher, postmaster, & agt. for the Westminster fire and general life offices WILLIAMSON Alfred horsebreaker WHISKERD Robt. Fisher brcklyr & bldr WHITE - bootmaker WINFIELD Fred. Chas. corn, coal, cake and seed merchant & maltster, The Bridge; h Crescent house WINFIELD Mrs Mary Ann WINFIELD Mr Samuel Henry Hall
CARRIERS -- Wm. French, to Downham, daily; Benjn. Salmon, to Downham, Mon. and Fri.; Brandon, Mon. Wed. and Fri.; and Lynn, Tues. Thurs. and Sat
RAILWAY -- Downham and Stoke-Ferry
Note: In the original this is:
Springfield Mr. William, Sparrow
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See also the Stoke Ferry parish page.
Copyright © Pat Newby.
November 2003