Norfolk: Sporle with Palgrave

William White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk 1883

[Transcription copyright © Pat Newby]

SPORLE, with the hamlet of GREAT PALGRAVE, is a long village of detached houses, distant 2½ miles N.E. by N. from Swaffham. With it is joined, for Poor Law purposes only, the parish of Little Palgrave, which is contiguous to it. They are in Swaffham union and county court district, King's Lynn bankruptcy district, South Greenhoe hundred and petty sessional division, Swaffham polling district of West Norfolk, Cranwich rural deanery and Norfolk archdeaconry.

They had 729 inhabitants in 1881, living on 3817 acres, and had a rateable value of £6476. The acreage of Little Palgrave is 453A. 2R. 16P., and of Sporle with Great Palgrave 3817A. 2R. 27P., the greater part of which, with the manor, belongs to St. Katherine's Hospital, London.

There was a Priory at Sporle, founded in the time of Edward I. as a cell to the monastery of St. Florence in Anjou, but it was dissolved with the other alien Priories in 1420, and the advowson of the living was vested in the Provost and Fellows of Eton College, who are impropriators of the great and small tithes of Sporle with Great Palgrave, commuted at £929 4s. 6d., subject to a payment of 10 groats per Sunday to the vicar for the time being.

The rectory of Little Palgrave (commutation £120), is consolidated with the vicarage of Sporle, and the net value of the two benefices is £180 per annum. The Rev. T. Jones, B.A., F.S.A., is the incumbent, and has 19A. 1R. 19P. of glebe. The rectorial glebe belonging to Eton College is 88A. 1R. 19P. Sir Matthew Holworthy left £600 to purchase land, the rent to be paid to the vicar for preaching an additional sermon every Sunday from Ladyday to Michaelmas.

In 1606, Mr. Richard Fisher, of Gt. Palgrave, left £10 to purchase land (now 10A. 2R. 2P.), the rent £21, to be expended on the education of poor children belonging to and residing in the parish. The Fuel Allotment of Sporle with Great Palgrave, awarded in 1804, is 91A. 3R. 17P. let at £90 per annum.

The CHURCH, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, is a lofty and spacious building, containing nave, aisles, and chancel, and a square tower with three bells. It is fitted with neat open seats, and has a very beautiful chancel screen, the munificent gift of Mrs. Charles Palmer, of the Hollies, Swaffham, a former inhabitant of the parish. The font is Early English, raised on a Maltese Cross. The windows are all of stained glass, the donations for the most part of inhabitants of the parish.

Petygards Hall is the seat of E. Farrer, Esq., who is the principal resident owner in the parish.

The National School was erected in 1842, and enlarged in the year 1872, to meet the requirements of the Committee of Council for education.

POST OFFICE at Mrs. Ann Alcock's. Letters from Swaffham (which is the nearest Money Order Office), received by mail cart at 5.5 a.m., despatched at 7.20 p.m., Sunday 2.10 p.m.

         Alcock    Mrs Ann        grocer and draper, Post Office
         Allflatt  John           butcher & fowl dealer
         Bensley   Robt.          farm bailiff to Thomas Lindsey
         Bilby     Wm. Geo.       Natl. schoolmaster
         Bilham    Charles        schoolmaster
         Bilham    Jonathan       coal carter and carrier to Swaffham
         Case      Jas. Lee       farmer, Priory farm
         Couzens   Charles        carpenter and joiner
         Couzens   George         horse slaughterer
         Farrer    Edmund         farmer & landowner, Petygards Hall
         Fiddy     T.B.           frmr. assessor & collector
         Fishpole  Jeremiah       bricklayer
         Fox       Robert         shoemaker
         Gilding   Henry          fish dealer
         Green     King           fish dealer
         Green     Smith          shopkpr. & fishmonger
         Green     William        farm steward, Church farm
         Grummett  William        grocer & draper
         Hall      Abel & Alfred  gardeners
         Harrison  Edwd. C.E.     surveyor, valuer, land and estate agent,
                                    Priory house
         Hudson    Robert         coal dealer & carrier and
                                    vict. Hare and Hounds
         Jones     Rev. Thomas,
                     M.A.         vicar, The Vicarage
         Kerrison  W.H.           miller & corn mercht
         Larwood   James          farmer
         Lindsey   Thomas         farmer and landowner; h Swaffham grange
         Lunn      Edwd. Robt.    baker & confctnr
         Matthews  Thomas         farmer, Palgrave Hall and
                                    Newton by Castle Acre
         Potter    Mrs Mary       beerhouse
         Pyle      Mrs Anna       Laurel cottage
         Reyner    Frederick      grocer & draper
         Reynolds  Samuel         miller
         Simmonds  Charles        earthenware dlr
         Thompson  Charles        blacksmith
         Wells     Mrs. Ann       frmr. Gt. Palgrave
         Worf      Charles        wheelwright
         Worf      George         vict. Chequers
 

CARRIER to Lynn, Robert Hudson, Hare and Hounds

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Copyright © Pat Newby.
June 2007