Great Witchingham St Mary

England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Great Witchingham St Mary

The Parish

The parish of Great Witchingham lies in east central Norfolk about 2 miles south of the small market town of Reepham. Great Witchingham sits, in lanes, about a mile north of the A1067 road which connects the city of Norwich with Fakenham. There is not much to present day Great Witchingham, no village as such unless one counts the former hamlet of Lenwade sitting astride the A1067. Great Witchingham is renowned within Norfolk, today, as the headquarters of the Bernard Matthews turkey empire based in Great Witchingham Hall, a 19th century piece of Victorian interpretation of the Elizabethan style. Great Witchingham is largely a scatter of farms and cottages across a wide area of rich arable farmland sitting above both the River Wensum and a small tributary which runs in from the north. The Wensum drains the parish southeastwards through the city of Norwich to join the Yare and thence the North Sea through the port of Great Yarmouth. Great Witchingham is sited at between 10 and 30 metres above the sea, St Mary's church sits on one of the higher elevations; the land around is of the same gentling undulating nature. Norfolk parishes are normally quite small and Great Witchingham is no exception, it covered just over 2,100 acres and would have supported a population of just over 600 parishioners. In Domesday times Great Witchingham (together with its neighbour Little Witchingham) was shared by, no fewer, than 6 landholders including the King himself. It boasted an impressive 31 ploughs as well as meadows, woodland and 5 mills making it a wealthy place indeed.

The Church

St Mary's church sits on a road junction almost 2 miles northwest of Great Witchingham Hall with just a farm and cottages for company. Heath Lane runs northwards from the A1067 across the Wensum and the church is on its western side at its end. The church's age can be quite reliably dated from both architectural styles and also documentary evidence in the form of bequests. The earliest part of the building is the chancel which Pevsner dates as late 13th century. From the 14th century (and in the Decorated style) comes the western tower, many nave features and the four-bay arcades. Later and in the Perpendicular style is the southern porch and the clerestory windows. We should be grateful to the Victorians for not removing this detail in restoration which was minimal in this case. The church is screened from the south (Heath Lane) by the farm and cottages and also from the north by the tree-lined Church Farm Lane. On the junction a pair of metal gates grants access to the churchyard which is slightly restricted to its southern side but otherwise presents no photographic challenges.

The Records

Register No	Covering Dates	Deposited With	Register Style	Quality Standard	Comments
1	20th October 1754 - 8th October 1811	Norfolk Record Office - Reference - PD/91/7	Standard preprinted and self-numbered Marriage register with 3 entries per page	Grade 2 Register - not a perfect read but with a low likelihood of misreads	None
2	29th June 1813 - 11th June 1837	Norfolk Record Office - Reference - PD/91/8	Standard Rose style preprinted and prenumbered Marriage register	Grade 2 Register - not a perfect read but with a low likelihood of misreads	None

Whitwell St Michael & All Angels	Whitwell St Michael & All Angels	Booton St Michael & All Angels
Sparham St Mary		Little Witchingham St Faith Alderford St John the Baptist
Sparham St Mary	Lyng St Margaret Weston Longville All Saints	Weston Longville All Saints

1760 1770 1780 1790 1800 1810 1820 1830

Register Reference	Date	Groom Forename	Groom Surname	Groom Status	Groom Abode	Bride Forename	Bride Surname	Bride Status	Bride Abode
2	16/03/1754	Aron	HOWARD			Judith	MIDDAL
1	20/10/1754	Thomas	QUARLES	Single	Foulsham	Martha	MATLIS	Single
4	00/00/1755	John	MENDHAM	Single	Foxley	Elizabeth	HOBART	Single
3	16/10/1755	Charles	DACK	Single		Elizabeth	HEMLING	Single
5	17/02/1756	Anthony	AUFRERE	Single	St Peter, Hoveton	Anna	NORRIS	Single
6	04/08/1756	Benjamin	BARBER	Single		Elizabeth	SHERMAN	Single
7	25/10/1756	Ralph	DAWSON	Single		Elizabeth	HASE	Single
8	23/11/1756	Benjamin	BRADFIELD		Whitwell	Frances	RAYNER	Widow
8	01/05/1757	John	BLITHE	Widower		Mary	ENGLAND	Widow
9	15/08/1758	John	CORY		Cranworth	Frances	SENDAL	Single
10	05/10/1758	Stephen	SHINKIN	Single	Brandiston	Mary	GOOCH	Single
11	10/10/1758	William	WILLSON	Single		Lydia	BREESE	Single
12	06/12/1758	Robert	MARTIN	Single		Anna	SENDAL	Single
13	10/02/1759	John	MORLEY	Single		Mary	EDWARDS	Single	Bungay, Suffolk
14	19/04/1759	Daniel	GRIFFIN	Single		Mary	BLYTHE	Single
15	14/01/1760	John	WARNS	Single		Anne	SYMONDS	Single
16	16/03/1760	William	ROWSE	Single		Anne	PARKER	Single
17	12/11/1761	George	ENGLAND	Single		Elizabeth	JOHNSON	Single
19	19/10/1762	Thomas	SAKEY	Single		Mary	LEMMON	Single
20	21/06/1763	John	BATES	Single		Mary	DUNNELL	Single
21	07/11/1763	William	GEORGE	Single	Whitwell	Elizabeth	HARRISON	Single
22	12/06/1764	Alexander	KENNEDY	Single		Mary	LAWSON	Single
23	13/10/1766	William	NEALE	Widower	Hackford By Reepham	Mary	SMITH	Single
24	16/10/1766	Benjamin	BUNNELL	Single	Lyng	Bridget	BALES	Single
25	27/10/1766	Luke	COE	Single	Booton	Anne	BALES	Single
26	10/11/1766	John	LILLYSTONE	Widower		Mary	TAYLOR	Single
27	01/06/1767	Thomas	SMYTH	Single	Hackford By Reepham	Elizabeth	PLANE	Single
28	30/06/1767	William	BONES	Single	Fen Ditton, Cambridgeshire	Amy	PETERSON	Single
29	20/07/1767	James	MEAL	Single		Elizabeth	BANES	Single
30	21/07/1767	Joseph	BATES	Single		Elizabeth	FIELDS	Single
18	30/01/1770	William	ROUT	Single		Mary	BROWN	Single
31	04/08/1770	Joseph	DYBALL	Single		Susanna	GIBS	Single
32	21/04/1772	John	TIMBY	Single		Mary	LILLYSTONE	Single
33	17/12/1772	John	KERR	Single	East Tuddenham	Martha	PETERSON	Single
34	16/02/1773	James	PLEASANTS	Single		Mary	KNIGHTS	Single
35	13/04/1773	Joseph	PALMER	Single		Frances	ARNOLD	Single
36	28/11/1774	John	SPINKS	Single		Ann	BRAMBLE	Single
37	14/05/1776	John	LAWS	Single		Ann	BOWLES	Single
38	22/10/1776	Stephen	LAWS	Single		Martha	DIXON	Single
39	07/06/1779	John	KENDALL	Single		Ann	KIDDALL	Single
40	01/11/1779	George	TURNER	Single	Ringland	Alice	EGLINTON	Single
41	05/01/1780	Robert	WILLSON	Single		Martha	NEAL
42	12/10/1780	George	SPINK	Single		Amy	TOOMS	Single
43	10/10/1781	William	WALES	Widower	Hunstanton	Elizabeth	NEWHAM	Single
44	10/10/1781	Robert	HASTINGS	Single		Sarah	THOMPSON	Single
45	01/10/1782	John	ELMER	Single		Elizabeth	FULLER	Single
46	03/11/1782	Matthew	BANES	Single		Mary	SPRINGALL	Single
47	29/12/1782	Peter	COLTSEY	Single		Sarah	LILLYSTONE	Single
48	06/01/1783	Henry	BAKER	Single		Ann	HOWARD	Single
49	05/07/1783	Robert	MENDHAM	Single	Taverham	Susanna	RUSSELS	Single
50	12/10/1784	Thomas	CALVER	Single	Postwick	Elizabeth	GRAY	Single
51	03/11/1784	William	FICKLING	Single		Martha	BARRETT	Single
52	03/12/1784	Aaron	HILL	Widower		Mary	LEAK	Widow
53	26/04/1785	John	CURTIS	Single	Lowestoft, Suffolk	Mary	ALLSEBROOK	Single
54	21/11/1785	William	BARKER	Single		Frances	DUNNELL	Single
55	24/01/1786	Cornelius	BADCOCK	Single		Elizabeth	BREESE	Single
56	02/02/1786	John	RICHES	Single		Charlotte	ENGLAND	Single
57	10/06/1786	James	STANNARD	Widower		Margaret	MOLL	Widow
58	15/05/1787	James	BEESTON	Single		Sarah	GAGE	Single
59	10/06/1788	Richard	ARMS	Single		Priscilla	ANDREWS	Single
60	25/12/1788	William	SMITH	Single	Reepham	Ann	ANDREWS	Single
61	09/06/1789	John	BARNARD	Widower	St Augustine, Norwich	Alice	DAWSON	Widow
62	09/10/1790	John	JOLLY	Single	Little Fransham	Sarah	HAVERS	Single
63	13/10/1790	Francis	PITCHER	Single	Maldon, Essex	Mary	REEVE
64	04/11/1790	William	HAWES	Widower		Frances	RAYNER	Single
65	04/11/1790	Daniel	BARWICK	Single	Alderford	Ann	GUNTON	Single
66	04/04/1791	Edmund	BROWN	Single		Rachel	DRORY	Single
67	12/04/1791	William	EDWARDS	Single	Booton	Frances	WISEMAN	Single
68	21/02/1792	Thomas	ROPER	Single		Alice	TAYLOR	Single
69	29/05/1792	Harvey	HARVEY	Single		Susanna	STANNARD	Widow
70	07/07/1793	Spooner	WRIGHT	Single		Mary	LEAK	Single
70	07/07/1793	Spooner	NASH	Single		Mary	LEAK	Single
71	08/10/1793	Thomas	SKELT	Widower	Bawdeswell	Elizabeth	GREY	Single
72	11/11/1793	Thomas	GAGE	Single		Elizabeth	WOODS	Single
72	11/11/1793	Thomas	GAGE	Single		Elizabeth	HUNT	Single
73	25/11/1793	Barnabas	DUNNELL	Single		Sarah	SENDALL	Single
74	10/10/1794	Samuel	BISHOP	Single		Ann	BUNCKLE	Single
75	13/10/1795	Henry	THORN	Single		Sarah	WILSON	Single
76	24/12/1795	Samuel	CROME	Single	Horsford	Mildred	HOWLETT	Single
77	05/04/1796	William	COOPER	Single		Martha	NEAL	Single
78	07/12/1797	Robert	CROW	Single		Jane	WHIDBY	Single
79	24/04/1798	Abraham	DAINES	Single	Brandiston	Ann	LEAK	Single
80	24/09/1798	George	WOODS	Single		Amy	PEAS	Single
81	15/10/1798	William	SOUTHGATE	Widower		Ann	BROWNE	Widow
82	22/10/1798	Stephen	BILLUM	Single		Ann	SMYTH	Widow
83	15/11/1798	John	HOWLETT	Single		Susan	CROME	Single
84	27/11/1799	William	DANN	Single		Susan	FOX
85	12/12/1799	John	RAM	Single		Elizabeth	STANNARD
86	12/01/1800	Henry	LEAKEY	Widower		Mary	WOOLMER	Single
87	03/03/1800	William	LEAKEY	Single		Anne	FIRMAGE	Single
88	01/09/1801	John	CRASKE	Single	Lyng	Elizabeth	LEAK	Single
89	22/12/1801	William	PITTS	Single	Fakenham	Sarah	WARD	Single
90	13/01/1802	John	WALPOLE	Single		Esther	EACHER	Single
91	22/02/1802	Robert	CLARK		Sparham	Sarah	BATES
92	01/04/1802	Thomas	BROWN	Single		Mary	ANDREWS	Single
93	27/04/1802	Robert	WOODS	Single	Cawston	Hannah	PALMER	Single
94	19/07/1802	James	RODDAM	Single	Whitwell	Frances	SEWELL	Single
95	11/10/1802	Reuben	DAINS	Single		Sarah	LAKE	Single
96	23/11/1802	William	DIGBY	Single		Judith	KENDAL	Single
97	02/12/1802	Swift	MOYCE	Single	Wiggenhall St Mary Magdalen	Elizabeth	ENGLAND	Single
98	25/07/1803	Robert	MEDLAR	Single		Sophia	WHITBY	Single	Lyng
99	03/04/1804	Robert	PALMER	Single	Bergh Apton	Elizabeth	BLAZER	Single
100	10/10/1804	Charles	HARPLEY	Single		Ann	FISH	Single
101	15/10/1804	Joseph	PRATT	Single		Ann	NORTON	Single
102	11/12/1804	William	WRIGHT	Single	Rougham	Henrietta Anna Eliza Le Neve	FOSTER
103	30/01/1805	Samuel	FREESTONE	Single		Sarah	HASTINGS	Single
104	06/08/1805	John	LILYSTONE	Widower		Sarah	ARMES	Single
105	08/09/1805	George	CHAPMAN	Single	Weston Longville	Elizabeth	GASKIN
106	07/01/1806	William	BEESTON	Single		Susanna	HART	Single
107	08/01/1806	James	DUFFEL	Single		Charlotte	FOX	Single
108	28/12/1806	James	BREWSTER	Single		Mary	BUDREY	Single
109	30/08/1807	Isaac	TEMPLE		Weston Longville	Elizabeth	VINSON
110	29/02/1808	William	PALMER	Single		Anne	SMITH	Single
111	12/10/1808	Thomas	GASKINS			Sarah	NORRIS
112	17/10/1808	James	CHAPMAN	Single	St Martin At Oak, Norwich	Mary	RAM	Single
113	26/12/1808	John	KINDLE	Widower		Sarah	DREW	Single
114	08/05/1809	James	PALMER	Single		Phebe	CHAMBERS	Single
115	23/05/1809	Richard	TAYLOR	Single		Sarah	BARKER	Single
116	28/09/1809	Edward	BLYTHE	Single		Mary	CAMPLING	Single
117	17/10/1809	John	GASCOYNE	Single		Elizabeth	LITTLE	Single
118	29/06/1810	William	LEAKY	Widower		Maria	STANNARD	Single
119	08/10/1811	Henry	DUNHILL	Single		Elizabeth	DENNIS
1	29/06/1813	Edmund	RUDD	Single		Mary	ARMS	Single
2	16/08/1813	George	GOWARD	Single	Sparham	Ann Maria	NORRIS	Single
3	28/02/1814	George	NASH	Single		Ann	CANN	Single
4	15/10/1814	George	FICKLING	Single		Jemima	RUDD	Single
5	15/12/1814	William	NORRIS	Single		Mary	OTTEY	Single
6	21/12/1814	Edward	BOWLEY	Single	Loughborough, Leicestershire	Catherine	SANDYS	Single
7	04/06/1816	Robert	FARMAN	Single		Martha	BADCOCK	Single
8	11/07/1816	John	SAYER	Single		Sarah	WATLING	Single
9	26/06/1817	Thomas	BUDRY	Single		Phylis	SMITH	Single
10	07/07/1817	Christopher	RAM	Single		Hannah	DRIVER	Single
11	15/07/1817	Edward	JARVIS	Single		Margaret	TWIDNEY	Single
12	13/10/1817	John	STARLING	Single	Morton On The Hill	Winifrid	BUDREY	Single
13	05/01/1818	John	BROWN	Single		Mary	BROWN	Single
14	13/03/1819	Henry	NELSON	Single		Mary	WORTON	Single
15	24/05/1819	Samuel	SLY	Single		Frances Littlewood	WILLIAMS	Single
16	26/09/1819	Isaac	CUSHIN	Single		Sarah	HOOD	Single
17	11/11/1819	Thomas	WESTON	Single		Susannah	HILL	Single
18	06/03/1820	Charles	COOPER	Single	Gateley	Margaret	FROST	Single
19	14/03/1820	Thomas	PUMMELL	Single		Jemima	FICKLING	Widow
20	22/05/1820	John	JOHNSON	Single		Ann	SHORTEN	Single
21	14/08/1820	James	DUNNELL	Single		Mary	RIX	Single
22	10/10/1820	John	SPINKS	Single	Swannington	Mary	REYNOLDS	Single
23	15/10/1820	George	PULL	Single	Hackford By Reepham	Susanna	FARROW	Single
24	05/12/1820	Edmund	COX	Single		Harriet	NASH	Single
25	14/05/1821	Harvey	HARVEY	Widower		Elizabeth	BADCOCK	Widow
26	26/05/1821	Robert	FICKLING	Single		Mary	CUSTANCE	Single
27	13/08/1821	John	LEVERIDGE	Single		Sophia	CAMPLING	Single
28	14/10/1821	John	BARRETT	Single		Sarah	TUCK	Single
29	16/10/1821	Thomas	BATES	Single		Susannah	SHEPHERD	Single
30	24/06/1822	Henry	GAYFORD	Single		Sarah	CLARKE	Single
31	10/09/1822	Benjamin	WOOD	Single	Alderford	Emma Margeretta	OSORIO	Single
32	16/09/1822	William	ADCOCK	Single		Mary	DANN	Single
33	01/05/1823	William	REYNOLDS	Widower		Amelia	SCOTT	Widow
34	12/05/1823	Robert	CHAPMAN	Single		Amelia	LILLYSTONE	Single
35	24/06/1823	John	PERRY	Single		Martha	LATTEN	Single
36	03/11/1823	Benjamin	COE	Single		Mary	RUDD	Single
37	24/12/1823	Thomas	BROWNE	Single		Susannah	ANDREWS	Single
38	29/02/1824	Barrington	BOYCE	Single		Mary	PALMER
39	26/07/1824	John	WALKENS	Single		Elizabeth	NASH
40	09/11/1824	Christopher	ARMS	Single		Ann	BURREL	Single
41	21/11/1824	Abraham	NASH	Single		Hannah	WOODS	Single
42	01/12/1824	Benjamin	BROWN	Single		Sarah	DUNNEL	Single
43	09/01/1825	James	KNIGHTS	Single		Mary	COPEMAN	Single
44	12/04/1825	Benjamin	BAYLEY	Single		Hester	ROBERSON	Single
45	23/07/1825	William	PALMER	Single	Thuxton	Ann	REYNOLDS	Single
46	20/10/1825	John	BILHAM	Single		Sarah	BUNN	Single
47	25/10/1825	Stephen	PORRETT	Single		Sarah	REYNOLDS	Single
48	06/11/1825	Henry	BRIGHAM	Single		Sarah	BADCOCK	Single
49	31/03/1826	William	BRIGHAM	Single		Elizabeth	BADCOCK	Single
50	07/01/1827	Cornelius	BADCOCK	Single		Sarah	HUDSON	Single
51	25/02/1827	John	DUNNEL	Single		Martha	COOPER	Single
52	14/03/1827	John	BARWICK	Single		Sarah	FICKLING	Single
53	10/07/1827	Robert	COE	Single		Elizabeth	DUNT	Single
54	24/07/1827	James	LOADS	Single		Charlotte	TAYLOR	Single
55	06/09/1827	Robert	CHAPLIN	Single		Frances	ARMS	Single
56	30/09/1827	William	CHAPLIN	Widower		Anne	NASH	Widow
57	07/10/1827	Charles	DIGBY	Single		Maria	PYE	Single
58	08/10/1827	John Peter	HUNT	Single	East Dereham	Sarah	FARRER	Single
59	16/10/1827	John	CLEMENTS	Widower	Edgefield	Elizabeth	BUDDERY	Single
60	28/11/1827	William	SNELLING	Single		Martha	CURSONS	Single
61	07/01/1828	George	CHAPMAN	Single		Ann	BROWNE	Single
62	01/07/1828	John	NEALE	Single		Mary	FISHER	Single
63	25/08/1828	John	WOODS	Widower	St Giles, Norwich	Frances	PAGE	Single
64	06/12/1828	Robert	CUNNINGHAM	Single	Woodton	Ruth	REYNOLDS	Single
65	30/12/1828	Robert	SPRAGG	Single	Lyng	Harriett	PALMER	Single
66	25/01/1829	William	SIGGINS	Single		Diana	GREEN	Single
67	04/11/1829	Cornelius	BADCOCK	Widower		Susan	KING	Single
68	05/10/1830	Henry	RUDD	Single		Jane	BRETT	Single
69	27/09/1831	William	BUTTELL	Single		Elizabeth	FICKLING	Single
70	13/10/1831	James	CUNNINGHAM	Single		Lucy	REYNOLDS	Single
71	04/11/1831	Henry	RIX	Single	Sparham	Ann	DUNNEL	Single
72	18/11/1831	James	GASKINS	Single		Susan	LEE	Single
73	03/04/1832	James	YALLOP	Single	Lyng	Maria	RIX	Single
74	14/10/1832	Thomas	NORMAN	Single		Elizabeth	KING	Single	Booton
75	25/10/1832	Robert	TILNEY	Single		Margaret	JONES	Widow
76	14/01/1833	Thomas	SMITH	Single	Watton	Sophia	DUNT	Single
77	30/06/1833	Richard	RIDER	Widower	Taverham	Mary	FULCHER	Widow
78	15/08/1833	David	HASE	Widower		Susan	BROWNE	Single
79	15/09/1833	William	WOODS	Single		Mary	RUDD	Single
80	24/10/1833	Thomas	NEAL	Single		Amy	DANN	Single
81	26/11/1833	John	FRANKLIN	Single		Sarah	LYLLESTONE	Single
82	03/01/1834	Briton	RICHES	Single	Little Witchingham	Mary	WATERS	Single
83	07/01/1834	Charles	HOLLOWAY	Single	St George Tombland, Norwich	Catarine Susanna	TOMPSON	Single
84	27/02/1834	James	KENDALL	Single		Maria	BEESLEY	Single
85	23/03/1834	George	DIGBY	Single		Fanny	LUCKER	Single
86	02/10/1834	George	PALMER	Single		Sarah	WATERS	Single
87	14/10/1835	George	BLANCH	Single		Mary	SMITH	Single
88	27/12/1835	Daniel	FICKLING	Single		Susanna	SIGGENS	Single
89	04/02/1836	Charles	FULLER	Single		Maria	GASKINS	Single
90	28/07/1836	Benjamin Phineas	NUNES	Single	Camberwell, Surrey	Bella Le Neve	FOSTER	Single
91	09/04/1837	George	KNIGHTS	Widower		Charlotte	ATMORE	Single
92	11/06/1837	Robert	BARRET	Single		Esther	BULLOCK	Single

Corrections to Tinstaafl Transcripts