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Walsoken

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"WALSOKEN is a large and pleasant village, 12 miles S.W. of Lynn, and 1 mile E. of Wisbech, adjoining to which town is the populous modern suburb of NEW WALSOKEN, in this parish, which has increased its population since the year 1801, from 705 to 2,562 souls, and comprises about 3,000 acres of land, including a large portion of the Smeeth and Fen, ?and belonging to a number of freeholders and copyholders. The Prior of Lewes, in the 3rd of Edward I., had here, among other privileges, a weekly market on Thursday, and a fair on the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul. . . . The CHURCH, dedicated to All Saints, is a much admired specimen. . . . Here is likewise a beautiful Gothic screen, and inscriptions to the memory of the Wensleys, Southwells, Gardiners, Edwards, and Herrings. . . . The benefice is a rectory, valued in the King's Book at £30 13s. 4d., but now worth £1,300, the tithes having recently been commuted for £1,200 per annum. The Rev. W. Crockford is patron; the Rev. John Bluck, M.A., rector; and the Rev. Chas. Dowding, B.A., curate. There was formerly a chapel, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, at a place called Staith Ditch, . . . The Primitive Methodists have a chapel both at Old and New Walsoken. On the north side of the village is Walsoken House, the pleasant seat of Mrs. Broughton."[William White, History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk (1845) - Transcription copyright © Pat Newby]

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See also Wisbech in Cambridgeshire.

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Cemeteries

Fenland Family History Society
Walsoken All Saints and the Parochial Cemetery.
Memorial Inscriptions.
Rye, Walter
Monumental Inscriptions in the Marshland Churches, Norfolk.
From notes made by Thomas Martin (1697-1771).
The parishes included are: Terrington St Clement, Terrington St John, Tilney All Saints, Tilney St Lawrence, Walpole St Andrew, Walpole St Peter, Walsoken, and West Walton.
[Norwich, printed for the Norfolk and Norwich Archaeological Society, 1886]

See also Norfolk Parish Links: Cemeteries

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Census

See also Norfolk Parish Links: Censuses

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Church Directories

  • In 1883 the parish was in the Deanery of Lynn Marshland, in the archdeaconry of Norwich.
  • The parish church is dedicated to All Saints.
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Church History

Church of All Saints
Description, history, services, newsletter, pictures, etc.
Church of All Saints
Description and pictures.
Church of All Saints
Services, minister, picture, etc.
Various authors
The Fen and Marshland Churches: a series of photographs, with short historical and architectural descriptive notes.
This includes Elm, Ely, Leverington, Thorney, Whittlesey and Wisbech in Cambridgeshire, and Emneth, King's Lynn St Margaret and St Nicholas, Outwell, Terrington St. Clement, Terrington St. John, Tilney All Saints, Upwell, Walpole St Peter, Walsoken and West Walton in Norfolk.
[Wisbech, Leach and Son, second series, 1880?]
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Church Records

Archdeacons' Transcripts
Baptisms (this is a link to an archived copy), Marriages (this is a link to an archived copy) and Burials (this is a link to an archived copy).
Fenland Family History Society
Baptisms 1850-1966 and marriages 1868-1996, with images of the original parish registers.
Marriages
These are not included in Boyd's Marriage Index or Phillimore's Marriage Registers.

See also Norfolk Parish Links: Church Records

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Civil Registration

For the civil registration of births, marriages and deaths between 1837 and 1930 (and for the censuses from 1851 to 1901), Walsoken was in Wisbech Registration District.

See also Norfolk Parish Links: Civil Registration

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Description & Travel

Walsoken Smock Mill
Description, history and pictures.

See also Norfolk Parish Links: Description and Travel

You can see pictures of Walsoken which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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Historical Geography

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Land & Property

Statement of Claims and Enclosure, 1796
See Walpole St Peter
Great Britain: Inclosure Commissioners
Statement of Claims: Walsoken.
Drawn up in pursuance of the Act of Inclosure, 1820.
[1820]
Great Britain: Statute
Walsoken Inclosure Act, 1820.
An act for dividing, allotting and inclosing the commons and waste lands in the parish of Walsoken, in the county of Norfolk, 8th July 1820.
[London, George Eyre and Andrew Strahan, 1820]
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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference TF478106 (Lat/Lon: 52.67326, 0.18522), Walsoken which are provided by:

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Military Records

Roll of Honour
World Wars 1 and 2.
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Poor Houses, Poor Law

  • After 1834 Walsoken became part of the Wisbech Union, and the workhouse was at Wisbech in Cambridgeshire.
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Population

These figures are from the population tables which were produced after the 10-yearly national censuses. The "Families" heading includes families and single occupiers.

Year   Inhabited
Houses
Families Population
1801 -- --   705
1811 180 191   845
1821 256 266 1240
1831 432 434 1856
1841 587 -- 2562
1851 640 -- 2740
Year   Inhabited
Houses
Families Population
1861 665 -- 2683
1871 707 716 2911
1881 674 691 2697
1891 679 699 2771
1901 821 821 3250
1911 -- 962 3898

There may be more people living in detached parts of the parish (if there were any) and, if so, the number may or may not be included in the figures above. It is quite difficult to be sure from the population tables.

1801, 1841, 1851 and 1861 Censuses
The figures are from the population tables for Cambridgeshire.
1891, 1901 and 1911 Censuses
Including Walsoken Hungate.