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Norfolk: Wighton
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William White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk 1883
[Transcription copyright © Pat Newby]
WIGHTON, a parish 3 miles S. by E. of Wells, is in Walsingham union, Fakenham county court district, Norwich bankruptcy court district, North Greenhoe petty sessional division and hundred, Wells polling district of North Norfolk, Walsingham rural deanery, and Norwich archdeaconry. It had 512 inhabitants in 1881, living on 2932 acres, and has a rateable value of £3541.
The Earl of Leicester, who is lessee of the manor of Wighton-on-the-part-of-Lancaster, is the principal owner of the soil. William Metcalf, Esq., has an estate of 170 acres in the parish. About 1½ mile W. of the village are some few traces of an entrenchment, called Crabbe's Castle, where several Roman coins have been found.
The CHURCH (All Saints) is a large edifice, comprising nave with aisles and clerestory, south porch, chancel, and square tower with one bell. The nave has six arches on each side, supported on lofty quatrefoil columns; and the windows are adorned with stained glass, representing the twelve apostles and Paul and Barnabas. The rood staircase is very perfect, but the screen is almost gone. The chancel contains a piscina, and at the north door is a holy water stoup. The east window is partly walled up, the nave is filled with pews, and the roof disfigured by whitewash. Under the east window, externally, are some ruins of a building, the use of which is unknown.
This church was given by Henry II. to Norwich Cathedral, so that the Dean and Chapter are now appropriators of the great tithes and patrons of the vicarage, which was valued in the King's Book at £11 11s. 8d., and augmented in 1767 and 1807 with £400 of Queen Anne's Bounty, laid out in 8 acres of land at Sprowston, besides which here are 22½ acres of glebe. The Rev. John William Methold, B.A., J.P., is the incumbent, and in 1836 built a vicarage-house, in digging the foundations of which a large quantity of human bones and ancient pikes were discovered, supposed to have been buried after a battle between the Engles and Danes. The tithes were commuted in 1836 for £578 to the appropriators, and £232 to the vicar. On land occupied by Mr. C. Powell are still some traces of a chapel of ease.
The Primitive Methodists have a small chapel in the parish, built in 1874.
The school was erected in 1872, and is attended by 100 children. It is supported by voluntary subscription and Government grant.
The rent of 19A. 32P. of land at Great Snoring, let for £30 a year, and derived from the bequests of George Smith and William Feke about 1590, is distributed in weekly doles of bread amongst poor widows. The rent of 10 acres in Hindringham, left by Humphrey Bedingfeld in 1672, and let for £12, is distributed among four poor men not receiving parochial relief. The yearly rent of £11, from 9 acres given by Thomas Earl of Leicester in 1759, and the dividends of £499 2s. 4d. Three per Cent. Consols, left by Christiana Bedingfeld in 1800, are distributed in coal among the poor of the parish. All the poor widows have divided amongst them the dividends of £212 13s. 2d. New 3½ per Cent. stock, left by Lucy Bircham in 1803. Mrs. Sarah Charles, in 1790, charged an estate at Hindringham, now belonging to R. England, Esq., with the yearly payment of £6 for schooling twelve poor girls, and £8 for division among four poor aged men.
POST OFFICE at Mr. James Lusher's. Letters arrive at 6 a.m., and are despatched at 6.10 p.m., viâ East Dereham. Walsingham is the nearest Money Order Office.
Andrews Laban baker and farmer Andrews Samuel farmer Catton Thos. wheelwright & beerhs Crafer James Wm. schoolmaster Faircloth John parish clerk Hudson Peter farmer and miller Lusher James baker Lusher James shopkeeper Methold Rev. Jno. Wm. B.A., J.P. vicar Moyse Barzillai vict. Red Lion Pilling Rev. John Henry Rushworth, M.A. curate; h Wells Potter Sml. Goodwyn fmr. & landownr Powell Chas. farmer, Whey Curd farm Purdy Samuel cattle dealer Riches William Mason butcher Smith Edward frmr. Crabbe's castle Stringer James blacksmith Temple Daniel beerhs. & bootmaker Thompson Thomas grocer & draper, and postmaster Tuck Miss Mary shopkeeper Waters Mrs Harriet Copy's green
See also the Wighton parish page.
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Copyright © Pat Newby.
December 2015