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Norfolk: Southery
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William White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk 1883
[Transcription copyright © Pat Newby]
SOUTHERY is a considerable village, on the London road, 7 miles S. of Downham, on a gentle eminence, surrounded by fens and marshes. It is in Downham union and county court district, Lynn bankruptcy district, Southery polling district of West Norfolk, Clackclose hundred and petty sessional division, Fincham rural deanery, and Norfolk archdeaconry. It had 1176 inhabitants in 1881, living on 3593A. 1R. 26P. of land, and has a rateable value of £5480 5s.
Its parish is watered by the Great Ouse river, over which there is a ferry, about a mile south-west of the church, and extends to the confluence of the Great and Little Ouse, 2½ miles S.W. of the church. Near the ferry a steam engine of 60 horse-power was erected in 1842, for improving the drainage of the fens. Three new boilers and new water-wheel were added in 1881, at a cost of £2000. In November 1852, the embankment of the river Ouse gave way, and about 7000 acres of land in the district were inundated to a depth of 6 or 7 feet, nearly 300 sheep were drowned, and the claims for losses amounted to £2100.
Captain C.A. Taylor is lord of the manor, but the soil belongs to several proprietors.
The CHURCH (St. Mary) is a neat structure in the Early English style, and was built in 1858 at a cost of £1710, in lieu of the old church, which is still standing at a short distance. The building is of Car stone, with Caen stone dressings and buttresses, and consists of nave, south aisle, chancel, vestry and tower. The latter contains one bell, and is surmounted by a spire covered with slate. The interior is furnished with open sittings of varnished deal, and a pulpit and reading-desk of carved oak. The altar-cloth is of crimson velvet, beautifully worked by a lady in the neighbourhood, and the floor is of Staffordshire tiles.
The rectory, valued in the King's Book at £7 10s., and now at £800, is in the patronage of the Rev. Edmund Hall, and incumbency of the Rev. Archibald Æneas Julius, M.A., who has a good residence and 110 acres of glebe. The tithes were commuted for £588 10s. per annum.
The WESLEYAN CHAPEL, with school-room behind, was erected in 1882, at a cost of £1700, and its pitch-pine seats will hold 400 persons. The PRIMITIVE METHODIST Chapel, at Brandon Creek, was erected in 1875 at a cost of £300, and contains 120 sittings. In the village is also a small Baptist chapel.
The National School, built in 1844, is now occupied by the SOUTHERY INSTITUTE AND LIBRARY, which was formed in 1877, and has a news-room and well-supplied library of 300 volumes. In 1874 a SCHOOL BOARD was formed for this parish, and a handsome school, with master's house adjoining, was erected in 1876 at a cost of £2000. The present members are the Rev. A.E. Julius, M.A. (chairman), Messrs. John Wootton, Thomas Porter, T. Russell, G.E. Daintree, and J. Boggers. Mr. Harry Wayman is clerk. The school is attended by 200 boys and girls, and 65 infants.
POST, MONEY ORDER, TELEGRAPH OFFICE, and SAVINGS BANK, at Mrs. Mary Ann Porter's. Letters arrive at 8 A.M., and are despatched at 5.30 p.m., viâ Downham.
Ash George farm bailiff Attlesey George Henry grocer, draper and saddler Attlesey John blacksmith Barton John Albert grocer, tailor, draper and newsagent Bell Job porter, farmer & landowner, Little London Bell Noah farmer Bell Mrs Sarah shopkeeper Benson Elmer carrier Brown Thomas butcher and baker Brown Thomas shopkeeper Brown William carpenter and wheelwright, Ferry bank Buckenham George beerhouse Butcher John farmer Butcher Thomas farm bailiff Daintree George Ekins farmer and valuer, Manor house Elmer William farm bailiff Flack Joseph poultry dlr. Lit. London Flack Mays pig and poultry dealer, Ferry bank Gallaway Wm. carpenter, Lit. London Galley Thomas engineer Gillbey George shopkeeper & hawker, Ferry bank Green William farmer Hall James farm bailiff Harris Mrs Martha frmr. & landowner Hartley George victualler, Ferry House, ferryman and bootmaker Holman Thomas poultry dealer Howlett Uriah farmer Hudson Samuel farm bailiff Julius Rev. Archibald Æneas, M.A. rector Lack William farmer and coal dealer, Ferry bank Mitchell Mrs Mary frmr. & shopkpr Norton James butcher Osler George butcher and baker Osler George grocer, draper & farmer Osler James blacksmith & victualler, Blacksmith's Arms, Little London Osler James, jun. farmer, Little London Osler Joseph plumber, glazier, painter, paperhanger and farmer Osler Thomas cattle dealer Osler Thomas farmer Osler William farmer and landowner, Little London Plaice John bootmaker Plaice William bootmaker Porter Mr Aaron Little London Porter Benjamin grocer Porter Christopher farmer & landowner, Ferry bank Porter David (D. & Son), & farmer & landowner Porter David & Son builders and contractors Porter George farmer & landowner, White bridge Porter Gregory (David & Son), and surveyor and valuer Porter John farmer and landowner, Little London Porter John vict. Old White Bell Porter John farmer and landowner, White bridge Porter John Benn bootmaker Porter Joseph beerhs. Little London Porter Mrs Mary grocer, baker, draper, and postmistress Porter Richard beerhouse Porter Mr Robert Porter Robert farmer and landowner, White bridge Porter Mrs Sarah shopkeeper Porter Thomas farmer & landowner Porter Thomas Brewer carrier Porter William beerhouse Porter Wm. bootmaker, Little London Porter William Elmer farmer and landowner, Ferry bank Proctor William farmer and landowner, Little London Reeve Thomas corn miller Register Larman Richard victualler, Crown and Anchor, and clock and watch cleaner Register Robert farmer and landowner, Little London Rowell George shpkpr. Little London Russell Daniel farmer and landowner, Brook house Sayle John farmer and landowner Sellers Ephraim farm bailiff Simpson Francis butcher Smith John farmer Sutton George bootmkr. Lit. London Taylor Captain C. Arthur, J.P. Northfield house Teasel John Board schoolmaster Teasel Mrs Mary Balfour Board schoolmistress Walker Wm. farmer and landowner Ward Abraham hawker and public crier, Ferry bank Ward Mr William Woods John beerhouse Wootton John farmer, Hill house
CARRIERS - Elmer Benson to Ely, Mon. & Thurs. & Downham Fri.; and Thos. B. Porter to Ely Mon. & Thurs., & Downham Fri.
See also the Southery parish page.
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Copyright © Pat Newby.
July 2015