Norfolk: Swanton Abbott

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

SWANTON ABBOTT, a large scattered village, 2½ miles S.S.W. of North Walsham, and 12 miles N. by E. of Norwich, is partly occupied by weavers, and has in its parish 501 souls, and 1103A.2R.8P., of which only 946 acres are assessable.

The Church (St. Michael,) is a neat structure, containing several handsome mural monuments to the Blake family, and a fine brass of the Rev. Stephen Multon, who died in 1477. The rectory, valued in the King's Book at £6.10s., is in the gift of the Rev. Wm. Jex Blake, and incumbency of the Rev. Henry Evans, of Lyng. The tithes were commuted in 1841 for £275 per annum.

Here is a Wesleyan Chapel, built in 1829.

Ann Steward, in 1732, left a pightle of land for the relief of poor widows. This land received an allotment at the enclosure, in 1824, and the whole is now let for £4.10s. The Poor's Allotments, awarded at the enclosure, comprise 25 acres, of which 3R.6P. is let for 30s., and the remainder is used for cutting fuel. The poor have also 15s. a year from a rood of land given by Andrew Garland, in 1710; and an annuity of 5s., left by Sarah Young, in 1732, out of Mr. Blake's estate. In 1732, Ann Steward left 5A.24P. of land for repairing the church, and it is now let for £8.5s. a year.

Eliz. Hunt, now living here, is 100 years of age.

          Andrews  J.           corn miller
          Ashby    Henry        schoolmaster
          Austin   Owen         tailor and shopkeeper
          Blake    William, Esq
          Claxton  Robert       corn miller
          Cork     Wm.          shoemaker
          Daniels  Thomas       grocer
          Dyball   Robert       joiner
          Goodson  John         glover
          Gosling  John         butcher
          Green    John         vict. Weavers' Arms
          Howard   Wm.          shoemaker
          Spooner  Wm.          schoolmaster
          Watts    Christmas    tailor
          Weldon   Joseph       bricklayer
          Wilson   Julia        shopkeeper
 
            FARMERS.
         (* are owners.)
 
         *Balls    Wm.
          Bidwell  Hy. J.
          Buck     Thomas
         *Cadge    Thomas
          Chapman  Wm.
          Cooke    Robert
          Cooper   Daniel
          Ducker   Richard
          Dyball   Wm.
          Howard   Wm.
          Jones    Robert
         *Miller   William
          Spink    Robert
          Spinks   Thomas
          Weldon   Samuel
         *Wilson   Samuel
 

CARRIER.
John Hunt, to Norwich, Wed. and Sat.

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Copyright © Pat Newby.
May 1999