Hartismere Hundred

"HARTISMERE, a district and a hundred in the N of Suffolk. The district comprehends the sub-district of Mendlesham, containing the parishes of Mendlesham, Wetheringsett, Aspall, Rishangles, Thwaite, WickhamSkeith, Finningham, Cotton, Bacton, Wyverstone, and Westhorpe; the sub-district of Botesdale, containing the parishes of Redgrave, Rickinghall-Superior, Gislingham, Wortham, Palgrave, Burgate, and Mellis; and the subdistrict of Eye, containing the parishes of Eye, Braise. worth, Yaxley, Thrandeston, Stuston, Brome, Oakley, Redlingfield, Occold, Stoke-Ash, Thorndon-All-Saints, Thornham-Magna, and Thornham-Parva.

Acres, 54, 215. Poor rates in 1863, £9, 662. Pop. in 1851, 19, 028; in 1861, 17, 665. Houses, 3, 684. Marriages in 1862, 129; births, 602, -of which 62 were illegitimate; deaths, 328, of which 116 were at ages under 5 years, and 19 at ages above 85. Marriages in the ten years 1851-60, 1, 273; births, 5, 941; deaths, 3, 587. The places of worship, in 1851, were 31 of the Church of England, with 8, 756 sittings; 1 of Independents, with 400 s.; 11 of Baptists, with 2, 305 s.; 8 of Wesleyan Methodists, with 947 s.; 6 of Primitive Methodists, with 523 s.; and 3 of Wesleyan Reformers, with 266 s. The schools were 23 public day schools, with 1, 224 scholars; 36 private day schools, with 536 s.; 34 Sunday schools, with 1, 903 s.; and 1 evening school for adults, with 27 s. There are two workhouses, the one in Wortham, the other in Eye.- The hundred is generally identical with the district, but of less extent. Acres, 49, 895. Pop. in 1851, 16, 441; in 1861, 15, 235. Houses, 3, 195."

(From John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72).)

Civil Registration

In 1836, White's Description of the Poor Law Unions and Registration Districts shows this Hundred to be served by the Registration District of Hartismere.

HARTISMERE RD in 1836 - Comprises the 32 parishes of Hartismere Hundred grouped into 3 sub-districts :- Botesdale, Eye and Mendlesham.

See also Suffolk Registration Districts.

Historical Geography

See A Vision of Britain for a description of Hartismere through time.

Poor Houses, Poor Law

The Workhouse site has an interesting description of Hartismere Workhouse.