GREAT SNORING is a parish and village on the river Stiffkey and on the road from Fakenham to Wells, and about 3 1/2 miles north-by-east from Fakenham station on the Midland and Great Northern joint railway, and 2 south from Walsingham station on the Dereham and Wells section of the Great Eastern railway, in the Northern division of the county, North Greenhoe hundred and petty sessional division, Walsingham union and county court district, rural deanery of Walsingham, archdeaconry of Lynn and diocese of Norwich. The church of St. Mary the Virgin is an ancient building of flint and stone in the Decorated style, consisting of chancel, nave, south aisle, south porch and a fine embattled western tower containing one bell: the interior retains some stone stalls, several monuments, and a mural tablet to the Rev. Christopher Stannard B.D. rector from 1831: the church was restored in 1898 at a cost of about £800, and now affords 200 sittings. The register dates from the year 1560. The living is a rectory with that of Thursford annexed, joint net yearly value £315 with 48 acres of glebe and residence at each place, in the gift of St. John’s College, Cambridge, and held since 1903 by the Rev. Alfred Leedes Hunt M.A. of that college. The rectory house, a fine specimen of ornamental brickwork, was built by Sir Ralph Shelton kt. and considerably enlarged and beautified by a former rector in 1853, and its elaborate south front in part restored. John Pearson, Bishop of Chester, 1673-86, and author of the well-known “Exposition of the Creed,” was born here 28 Feb. 1612-3, his father, Robert Pearson, being then rector. There is a Primitive Methodist chapel. The charities comprise Pearson’s and West’s, the rental of about 7 acres of land, now (1912) producing £10 15s. which is distributed in money, and Alvis’s of £5 4s. 8d. per annum. Messrs. Paine and Brettell, of Chertsey, Surrey, who are lords of the manor, Henry Lee Warner esq. of Walsingham Abbey, the Rev. James Lee Warner M.A. of Thorpland Hall, Fakenham, and the trustees of the Walsingham School Farm are the principal landowners. The soil is mixed; subsoil, clay. The land is cultivated on the usual four-course system. The area is 1,638 acres; rateable value, £2,093; the population in 1911 was 484, inclusive of the 10 officers and 107 inmates of the Walsingham Union House.
Parish Clerk, William Francis.
Post Office.—Henry Green, sub-postmaster. Letters are received through Fakenham at 7.20 a.m. & 5.15 p.m. to callers. Box closed at 8.10 a.m. & 5.15 p.m.; no sunday delivery. Walsingham, 2 miles distant, is the nearest money order & telegraph office
Public Elementary School (mixed), erected in 1859, for 115 children; average attendance, 74; Harry Green, master
WALSINGHAM RURAL DISTRICT COUNCIL.
The parishes in the District are the same as in the Union, with the exception of Wells. The area is 79,996 acres; the population in. 1911 was 17,248.
Council meets at the Workhouse, Great Snoring, every board day at 12 noon.
Chairman, James Philip Case Binham, Wighton.
Officials.
Clerk, Robert Symonds Butcher, Swan st. Fakenham, Treasurer, Sir Somerville Arthur Gurney K.C.V.O., D.L., J.P. Barclay & Company’s Bank Ltd, King’s Lynn. Medical Officer of Health, William Henry Fisher M.A., M.B., B.C.Camb. Wells road, Fakenham. Highway Surveyor, R. Cannan, The Heath, Fakenham. Sanitary Inspector, William O. Humphery, Fakenham
WALSINGHAM UNION.
Board day, alternate wednesdays, 10 a.m. at the union house, Great Snoring.
The Union comprises the following places:—Alethorpe, Bale or Bathley, Barney, Barsham (East), Barsham (North), Barsham (West), Binham, Blakeney, Briningham, Brinton, Cockthorpe, Dunton-cum-Doughton, Egmere, Fakenham (or Fakenham Lancaster), Field Dalling, Fulmodestone-cum-Croxton, Gunthorpe, Helhoughton, Hampton, Hindringham, Holkham. Houghton St. Giles, Kettlestone, Langham, Melton Constable, Morston, Pensthorpe, Pudding Norton, Quarles, Raynham (East) or Raynham St. Mary, Raynham (South) or Raynham St. Martin, Raynham (West) or Raynham St. Margaret, Ryburgh (Great), Ryburgh (Little), Saxlingham, Sculthorpe, Sharrington, Shereford, Snoring (Great), Snoring (Little), Stibbard, Stiffkey, Swanton Novers, Tatterford, Tattersett, Testerton, Thursford, Toftrees, Walsingham (Great), Walsingham (Little), Warham All Saints, Warham St. Mary, Wells-next-the-Sea, Wighton & Wiveton. The population of the union in 1911 was 19,813; area, 82,666 acres; rateable value, Lady Day, 1912, £107,685
Chairman, James P. Case, Binham, Wighton.
Clerk to the Guardians & Assessment Committee, Robt., Symonds Butcher, Swan street, Fakenham
Treasurer, Sir Somerville Arthur Gurney K.C.V.O., D.L., J.P. Barclay & Company’s Bank Limited, King’s Lynn
Relieving & Vaccination Officers, Fakenham district, Hedley Charles Copland, Queen’s road, Fakenham; Wells district, Charles W. Watts, Little Walsingham
Relieving Officer, Walsingbam district, Charles Ward Watts, Holt road, Little Walsingham
Vaccination Officer, Walsingham sub-district, Harry Cowburn, High street, Little Walsingham
Medical Officers & Public Vaccinators, Blakeney district, Alfred Reginald Kay M.R.C.S.Eng., L.R.C.P.Lond. Cley; Fakenham district, Edward Watson Palin M.A., M.B., B.C.Oxon. The Oaks, Fakenham; Melton Constable district, Henry Finch Skrimshire, Holt; Raynham district, Howard Francis Warner M.B., B.S. Lond., M.R.C.S.Eng., L.R.C.P.Lond. Market place, Fakenham; Walsingham district, Frederic Herbert Sturdee F.R.C.S.Edin., L.R.C.P.Lond. Knight street, Little Walsingham; Wells district, Gordon Calthrop M.B., B.C.Camb. Burnt street, Wells
Walsingham Union House, a structure of brick, was erected in 1837 & will hold 200 inmates; Rev. Edward Haversham Whall M.A. chaplain; Frederic Herbert Sturdee F.R.C.S.Edin., M.R.C.S.Eng., L.R.C.P.Lond. medical officer; Charles J. Barrett,
master; Mrs. H. E. Barrett, matron; the boys attend the school at Great Snoring & the girls that at Thursford
WALSINGHAM REGISTRATION DISTRICT.
Superintendent Registrar, John A. Stoughton, Bridge street, Fakenham; deputy, Reginald A. Utting, Queen’s road, Fakenham
Registrar of Births & Deaths, Fakenham sub-district, Albt. Geo. Utting, Oak st. Fakenham; deputy, Miss Rose Utting, Sculthorpe rd. Fakenham; Walsingham sub-district, Harry Cowburn, High st. Little Walsingham; deputy, Ernest A. Banson, High street, Little Walsingham; Wells sub-district, Charles W. Watts, Holt rd. Little Walsingham
Registrars of Marriages, R. J. Sidney, Hill terrace, Fakenham; deputy, George Bales, Sculthorpe road, Fakenham; William Flaxman, Church plain, Wells
Cuppage Mrs. The Cottage
Hunt Rev. Alfred Leedes M.A. (rector), The Rectory
COMMERCIAL
Bushell Wm. thrashing machine ma
Cook Frederick, wheelwright
Cross George, shopkeeper
Green Harry, assistant overseer & schoolmaster
Green Henry, post office, & carpenter
Howlett Sampson. van, cart & wagon builder, wheelwright & grocer
Kendle Robert, carpenter
Lee Frank, Tuns P.H.
Massingham William, well sinker
Palmer Robert, shopkeeper
Perowne Benjamin Cubitt, farmer
Plane Edward, boot & shoe maker
Ramm John, blacksmith
Rasberry Walt, farmer, Winepark fm
Soutgate George, beer retailer
Southgate Walter, farmer
Tuck Mary Ann (Mrs.), farmer
Youngman William, horse trainer
LITTLE SNORING is a parish on the road from Fakenham to Wells, about 3 miles north-east from Fakenham stations on the Great Eastern and Midland and Great Northern joint railways, in the North Western division of tbe County, Gallow hundred and petty sessional division Walsingham union and county court district, rural deanery of Burnham, Lynn archdeaconry, and diocese of
Norwich. The church of St. Andrew is an edifice in the Transition Norman and later styles, consisting of chancel nave, south porch and a detached round tower at the west end containing one bell: the porch is of very curious Transition Norman character, with a stilted horseshoe arch, within which is a pointed arch ornamented with zigzag work, and under this again a round-headed door-way, with nook shafts and sculptured capitals: the font is Late Norman, and adorned with carved foliage: there are 200 sittings. The register dates from the year 1559. The living is a rectory, annexed to the vicarage of East
Barsham, joint net yearly value £492, including 66 acres of glebe, in the gift of Lord Hastings, and now (1912) vacant. Here is a Primitive Methodist chapel. The Norfolk Agricultural Station was instituted in 1908 for the purpose of experimental agricultural work, which is carried on in connection with the Cambridge University School of Agriculture, under the
superintendence of Professor T. B. Wood; the farm of about 130 acres is let rent free by Lord Hastings; the president is I. Sancroft Holmes esq.; Lord Hastings, chairman of the executive committee, and J. B. Forrester esq. of 32 Prince of Wales road, Norwich, hon. secretary. The poor have the rent of 8a. 3r. 5p. of land, now (1912) let in half-acre allotments, producing about £1 5s. per acre, and also 17 acres, let for about £5 per year. Lord Hastings, who is lord of the manor,
Charles Scott-Chad esq. of Thursford Hall, and the exors. of H. B. Beane are the chief landowners. The soil is various; subsoil, clay. The land is cultivated on the usual four-course system. The area is 1,528 acres; rateable value, £1,299; the population in 1911 was 208.
Parish Clerk, James Harvey.
Post Office.—Walter Bugdale, sub-postmaster. Letters received through Fakenham, arrive at 7.25 a.m. & 5.5 p.m.; dispatched at 7.20 a.m. & 5.30 p.m.; no sunday delivery. Fakenham, 3 miles distant, is the nearest money order & telegraph office
Public Elementary School (mixed), built in 1865, for 83 children; average attendance, 67; Arthur William Baldwin, master
Barclay Evelyn Hugh, Red house
COMMERCIAL.
Baker Miles Chas. farmr. Manor frm
Baldwin Arthur William, schoolmaster & assistant overseer
Buckingham George, gamekeeper to Capt. A. E. Butter C.M.G
Bugdale James, grocer
Bushell Joseph, income & land tax collector
Case James, farmer
Daplyn Arthur A. blacksmith & assistant overseer for Alethorpe, Barney, Kettlestone, Pensthorpe & Stibbard; & at Thursford
Docking William, miller (wind)
Gidney Charles, farmer
Hill Jonathan, beer retailer
Norfolk Agricultural Station (Alfred C. Dawson, resident manager)
Parker Arthur, shoe maker
Reeder Stephen, baker & shopkeeper
Rook Jonathan, farmer & pig dealer
Sherringham Edwd. farmer,Church fm
Tuddenham Albert, Bell P.H.
Transcript (C) J Tillin 2004