Kelly’s Directory of Norfolk 1908
EAST WINCH is a parish and village on the road from Lynn to Swaffham, with a station on the Lynn and Dereham section of the Great Eastern railway, 5½ miles south-east by-east from Lynn, in the North Western division of the county, Freebridge Lynn hundred, petty sessional division, union and county court district, rural deanery and archdeaconry of Lynn (Norfolk), and diocese of Norwich.
The church of All Saints, situated on high ground, is an ancient and lofty structure of carrstone and flint with stone dressings, in the Perpendicular style, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, south porch and an embattled western tower with pinnacles containing one bell: it was new roofed and thoroughly restored in 1875 from designs by the late Sir Gilbert Scott R.A. and an organ chamber built at the south-east angle of the south aisle and chancel, upon the site of an ancient mortuary chapel of the Howards, Dukes of Norfolk: in the east wall of the organ chamber is a brass tablet, recording the burial in 1309, of Sir William Howard kt. Justice of the Common Pleas, and of ten other members of the Howard family, to the year 1450: the oak pulpit was presented in 1875 as a memorial to the late Mr. Jacob Curl: the stained east window, erected in 1877, is a memorial to the late Edmund Kent esq. d. 1877, and there is another to the late E. Kent esq. (son of the preceding), d.1900, and his wife: there is also one, placed in 1882 by the late Mr. John Smallbone, in memory of his wife, and one in the tower to members of the Childs family; in the church are mural tablets to the Kent, Curl and Forster families and a monument to William Barnes J.P. ob.1657, and to another member of this family,1670: in 1885 a Norman piscine was found embedded in the wall at the south-east angle of the north aisle: the church retains a black letter Bible, dated 1611, and now chained to a portion of the ancient rood screen: there are also in the church some interesting stone coffin lids: the oak reredos was presented in 1900 as a memorial to the late Mr. Edmund Kent; the standard lamps within the sacrarium and the fine brass eagle lectern were the gift of Sir W.J. Lancaster: the church affords 350 sittings, 230 being free.
The earliest register dates from the year 1678, but from 1750 to 1759 the entries are incomplete, and other periods are also missing. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £150, including 23 acres of glebe, with residence, in the gift of Sir W.J. Lancaster, and held since 1872 by the Rev. Edward John Alvis M.A. of Christ’s College, Cambridge. The charities derived from the church and town lands amount to £40 15s. 6d. yearly, which sum is applied under a scheme of the Charity Commissioners, half to the repairs and expenses connected with the church and the other half in gifts to the poor. There are also two small yearly charities, Morse’s of £2. 5s and Hope’s of 10s.(1)
The moated remains of the mansion here, formerly occupied by the Howard family, still exist on the east side of a lane leading from the main road to Wormegay. East Winch Hall, a fine building, standing in its own grounds, and recently restored, is the property and residence of Sir William John Lancaster, who is lord of the manor and chief landowner; other landowners are W.E.G. Wyrley-Birch esq. of West Bilney, Miss Barnard of Snettisham(2), Frank Mills esq. of Downham, and J. Slater esq. of Newcastle-on-Tyne.
The soil is varied; subsoil, carr stone and clay. The principal crops are wheat, barley and turnips. The area is 2,335 acres of land and 8 of water; rateable value, £2,291; the population in 1901 was 321; the common contains 80 acres.
Parish Clerk, Benjamin Neal.
Post, M. O. & T.O., S. B. & A, & I. Office – Mrs Eliza Frost, sub-postmistress. Letters arrive from King’s Lynn at 7.30a.m. and 1 p.m.; dispatched at 10.40 a.m. and 5.45 p.m. ; Sundays, arrive at 8.30 a.m. & dispatched 10.35 a.m.
Wall Letter Boxes – Railway stations, cleared at 11 a.m. and 5.15 p.m.; Common Gate, cleared at 10.20 a.m. & 5.20 p.m.; Sundays 8.30 a.m.
Public Elementary School (mixed) erected in 1842, under the National Society, for 80 children; average attendance 60; Mrs P. Bartlett Bolt, mistress.
Railway Station, Edward William Jackson, station master
Carriers to King’s Lynn. – Hunter, of Pentney, tues. & sat. & C. Turner, tues. & fri.
Alvis Rev. Edward Jn. M.A. Vicarage
Childs Miss, Holland House
Palmer Mrs. Sarah B
Lancaster Sir Wm. Jn. East Winch hall
COMMERCIAL.
Abbey Herbert, Crown P.H.
Arter Wm. A. coal and coke mer. Carter & carriage contrctr & dairyman
Berry Matthew, gardener
Claydon John, Maid’s Head P.H.
Cullum Robert John, coal merchant, Railway station; & at Gayton
Curl John, jobbing gardener
Durrant Charles, bricklayer
Edge Jonathan Ash, farmer
Gamble Frank, farmer, Hall farm
Goodwyn Thomas Cecil, assistant overseer and clerk to the Parish Council, farmer
Lane Albert Edward, farmer
Lane William Alma, farmer
Pease William, farm bailiff to J.E. Taylor esq.
Rae Thos. Aikin, farmer, North farm
Smith Charles Thomas, farmer
Sutton Roland Tom, Carpenters’ Arms P.H. & horse slaughterer
Turner Arthur, farm bailiff to Mr. Charles Brown.
(1) - see United Charites
(2) - see Miss Barnard and Miss Woodham
WEST BILNEY is a village and parish, 1½ miles southeast of East Winch station on the Lynn and Norwich line of the Great Eastern railway, and 7 east-south-east from Lynn, in the North Western division of the county, Freebridge Lynn hundred, petty sessional division, union and county court district, rural deanery and archdeaconry of Lynn (Norfolk), and diocese of Norwich. The church of St. Cecilia is a small but ancient structure of flint and stone, in the Perpendicular style, consisting of nave and an embattled western tower containing one bell: In 1881 the church was reseated, the east end enclosed by a railing, and refloored, so as to form a pro-chancel, and a new pulpit, reading desk and lectern provided at a cost of £100: there are 120 sittings.
The register dates from the year 1562. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £51, including 13 acres of glebe, in the gift of W.E.G. Wyrley-Birch esq. and is at present (1908) vacant.
West Bilney Lodge, the seat of W.E.G. Wyrley-Birch esq. is pleasantly situated in a well timbered park, surrounded by extensive plantations and drives. The mansion was enlarged and restored in 1908, and the grounds beautifully laid out. Herbert Tallent esq. who is lord of the manor, and W.E.G. Wyrley-Birch are the principal landowners. The soil is sand, loam and a little clay; subsoil, gravel and sand. The chief crops are wheat, oats, turnips and hay. The area is 2,387 acres; rateable value £1,280; the population in 1901 was 178.
Parish Clerk, Henry Curl
Letters through Lynn arrive at 8.30am. The nearest money order office and telegraph station is at East Winch, 1½ miles distant.
Wall Letter Box, near the church, cleared at 10a.m. & 5.5 p.m. week days only.
The children attend school at Pentney.
Carrier.- Hunter, from Pentney, passes through tues. & sat
School Attendance Officer, H.C. Howse, Roydon.
Wyrley-Birch W.E.G., J.P. West Bilney lodge
Bell S.J. & Co. The Norfolk Game farm, game food manufacturers & game farmers
Bell Samuel, game farm, The Beeches
Hammond Richard, general smith and grocer
Sayer Albon, farm bailiff to W.E.G. Wyrley-Birch esq
Wharton Thomas William, farm bailiff to Watson Failes esq. Ivy lodge.
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