GENUKI: Norfolk: Wimbotsham, Norfolk

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

WIMBOTSHAM, a parish and village, 1 mile N.N.E. of Downham, is in Downham union and county court district, Downham polling district of West Norfolk, Lynn bankruptcy district, Clackclose petty sessional division and hundred, Fincham rural deanery, and archdeaconry of Norfolk. It had 677 inhabitants in 1881, living on 2015 acres of land, extending to Sadler's lode on the bank of the Well Creek, and includes part of Barroway Drove in the Fen. The rateable value is £3319 5s. The soil is mostly the property of Thos. Leigh Hare, Esq., the lord of the manors of Wimbotsham, Ingoldesthorpe, Tonwell, and Ramsey.

The CHURCH (Virgin Mary) comprises nave, north porch, chancel with apse, vestry, and massive square tower with three bells. It was restored in 1855 at a cost of £1620, chiefly contributed by Sir Thomas Hare and the rector. The entire edifice is constructed of rubble, dressed with ashlar; and the walls, which are very massive, are apparently those of the original Norman building. The north and south doorways are fine specimens of Norman architecture, being enriched with chevron, cable, billet, annular, and other mouldings, and having cylindrical shafts with caps and bases.

Portions of the Norman corbel-table still remain, and that on the south side of the chancel consists of a series of small arches, encircled with zigzag, embattled and cable-twist mouldings, springing from corbel-blocks, some of which are rudely carved heads, and others plain shields. At the south-east corner of the nave is a beautiful Early English piscina, and there is another piscina in the chancel. The seats are open benches of oak with poppies. Some of them are ancient, and have figures of men and animals for elbow-pieces, and elegantly designed poppy-heads. The chancel is furnished with handsomely carved stalls, and has a good wooden roof.

The rectory, valued in the King's Book at £5 6s. 8d., is consolidated with Stow Bardolph (see page 845 [which is the entry for Yarmouth Alphabetical Directory. The entry for Stow Bardolph is on pages 702 and 703]).

The parish was enclosed and drained, under Acts passed in 1798 and 1801.

The Wesleyans and Primitive Methodists have chapels here. The former was erected in 1842, and the latter in 1874, at a cost of £291 10s.: it contains 148 sittings.

The poor have a share in the Hundred Acre Common, noticed at page 245 [which is the entry for Downham Market].

The School is in Stow Bardolph U.D. School Board district, and is attended by 170 children.

POST OFFICE at Mr. William John Mann's. Letters arrive at 7 a.m., and are despatched at 6.45 p.m. viâ Downham, which is the nearest Money Order and Telegraph Office.

Downham is the nearest Railway Station.

         Bell        Robert         farmer
         Bowen       Robert         bootmaker
         Butter      Geo.           grocer, Barroway drove
         Chamberlain Miss E.B.      laundress
         Crowe       Mr Edmund      The Limes
         Crowther    Fred           Board schoolmaster
         Durrant     Edwin Stanton  farmer
         Fendick     William        shopkeeper
         Flanagan    Miss Mary
         Gates       Thomas         bootmaker
         Goulder     William        farmer, Hill house
         Green       Mrs Jane       frmr. Barroway drove
         Griggs      Wm.            vict. Chequers, & pig dlr
         Hill        Willson        beerhouse and farmer, Barroway drove
         Horne       Henry          cowkeeper
         Horne       James          pig dealer
         Hutton      John           farmer
         Kemp        Mrs Margaret   farmer and landowner, Salter's lode
         King        William        farmer and landowner, Barroway drove
         Lee         George         baker, corn miller, farmer, and
                                      coal dealer
         Mann        Wm. Jno.       grocer & postmaster
         Nixon       William        farmer & landowner, Barroway drove
         Pollington  Jas.           farm bailiff, Broomhill
         Pond        Henry          carpenter
         Rose        Samuel         beerhouse
         Snasdell    Henry Jackson  bootmaker
         Thorpe      Townsend       farmer and landowner, Barroway drove
         Thrower     Matthew        farmer and landowner, Salter's lode
         Youngs      Thomas         butcher

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Norfolk: Wimbotsham

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