DERSINGHAM is a village and parish on the Lynn and Hunstanton road, half a mile from the station on the Lynn and Hunstanton section of the Great Eastern railway, 8½ miles north-north-east from Lynn and 107 from London, in the North Western division of the county, Freebridge Lynn hundred and petty sessional division, Docking union, Lynn county court district, rural deanery of Lynn (Norfolk). archdeaconry of Lynn and diocese of Norwich. The church of St. Nicholas is a large and ancient structure of flint and stone chiefly in the Perpendicular style, consisting of chancel, nave with clerestory, aisles, south porch and an embattled western tower, with four carved angels in place of pinnacles, and containing 6 bells and a clock, erected at a cost of £160, to commemorate the coronation of His late Majesty King Edward VII. : the chancel is lighted by fine windows of the Decorated period, and is divided from the nave by an ancient carved oak screen, with twelve panels, six of which display painted figures, and some of the tracery has been restored : in the south aisle is a piscina and in the chancel an altar-tomb to John Pell esq. and Margaret (Overend) his wife, ob. 5 Feb. I607, with two effigies in marble: there are also several marble slabs and other memorials, mostly to the Pell and Kerrich families, including a brass in the north aisle to one of the former, dated 1636: and memorials to Mrs. Elizabeth Pell, lady of Booters Hall manor, Cranworth, d. 1732: to the Rev. Thomas Kerrich, vicar of this parish, d. 1828, and Sophia, his wife, d. 1835; the oaken church chest is very finely carved and the ancient font has a carved oak cover: the church was thoroughly restored between 1877 and 1879 at a cost of nearly £6,000; the cost of the restoration of the nave being defrayed by the late Dr. Bellamy, and that of the chancel by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners and by a sum of £600 raised by subscription: the building was entirely reseated with open pews of wainscot, and a new pulpit and brass lectern provided : a new organ chamber and clergy vestry was erected on the north side of the chancel in 1911, and the south aisle and side chapel have been restored : there are 6oo sittings. The register dates from the year 1653. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £300, and now includes 2 acres of glebe, some lands having been sold since 1900, with residence, in the gift of Mrs. Tylden, and held since 1910 by the Rev. Robert Walter Michael Lewis M.A. of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. The vicarage house, erected in I877 is of carr stone and red brick and stands on a pleasant elevation. Here are two Wesleyan chapels, built respectively in 1851 and 1891, and a Primitive Methodist chapel, built in 1878. The Foresters' Hall (Court Motteux, No. 1465), erected on a site given by His late Majesty King Edward VII. in 1893, and opened by H.M. King George V. (then Prince of Wales), Dec. 11th, 1893. is a building of carr stone with Bath stone dressings; it is also used for entertainments &c. : a court is held monthly. The Church Institute was erected in 1912. At the inclosure of the common 75 acres of land were reserved for the benefit of the poor There is a charity of about £21 annual value, arising from nine acres of land left by Mrs. Pell, and £5 from land at Snettisham, left by a Mr. Bummer in 1732 ; these amounts are expended in coals, which are distributed to the poor of the parish. Dersingham Hall, in the centre of the village, is a large and plain building of carr stone, stuccoed, and now the property and residence of Theodor Jannoch esq. The Mill House, a building of brick and carr stone, erected in the 17th century and enlarged in 1909, the interior being decorated with oak panels, is now (1916) unoccupied. The parish comprises four manors, viz., Pakenham, Shouldham Priory, West Hall and Brook Hall, of which His Majesty the King is lord of the manor, and Mrs. Tylden lady of the manor, and these are also the principal landowners. The soil is light mixed; subsoil, principally chalk and carr stone. The crops are generally on the four-course system. The area is 3,573 acres of land and 8 of water ; rateable value, £6,025; the population in 1911 was 1,499.
Deputy Parish Clerk, George Lees.
Post, M. 0., T. & Telephonic Express Delivery Office.- Miss Alice Maud Beckett, sub-postmistress. London & other letters are received through Lynn by mail cart; arrive at 5.10 a.m. ; delivered at 7 & 10.15 a.m. & are dispatched at 10.55 a.m. (direct to London) & 6.20 & 8 p.m.; sunday delivery, 7 a.m.; dispatched 6.20 p.m
Wall Letter Boxes. - Box near the Feathers hotel, cleared at 10.45 a.m. & 6 p.m. ; sundays, 7·55 a.m.; at the Station, cleared at 9.50 a. m. & 5·35 p.m.; sundays, 8.10 a.m.; Heath road, cleared 10.45 a.m. & 6 p.m.; sundays, 7·55 a.m; Station road cleared10.35 a.m. & 5.40 p.m. ; sundays 7.50pm ; School house cleared 10.45 a.m. & 6 p.m. ; sundays 7.55 a.m.
Public Elementary School (mixed), enlarged in 1875. His late Majesty King Edward VII. gave the site, the cost of the building being defrayed by Dr. Bellamy ; in 1891 the building was further enlarged at a cost of £240, defrayed by His late Majesty & the chief landowners; the schools were again enlarged in 1904, for 326 children; average attendance, 220 ; Elton E.O. Wheeler master.
Police Station, Esau Lewis, superintendent & 2 constables.
Railway Station, Arthur James Chilvers, station master
Carriers to Lynn. - John Edward Wyre & George Mitchell, tues. thurs. & sat. returning same day
PRIVATE RESIDENTS
Asker William
Balding Frederick, Rose villa
Bartlett Clarence, Mill Road
Brown Capt. J. Coronation villa
Bryant Ernest, Sandringham road
Chambers Jabez, Providence house
Davidson William Andrew, Maryville
Diggle Thomas, Worthams
Dodman Mrs. Rosedale
Dorer Arthur Lawrence, The White house
Firth Alfred, The Shrubbery
Freeman Miss, Blackheath lodqe
Hall John, Efflinch
Irven Lieut. John Paul R.N. Brandenburg house
Jannoch Theodor. The Hall
Keen Frederick Andrew, Mansfield
Knight Mrs. Mecklenberg house
Langley William W. The Oaks
Lewis Rev. Robert Michael M.A. (vicar), The Vicarage
Marshall Charles William McGregor, Mead house
Parker William Theodoric
Primrose Guy, Beech cottage
Prince Charles Ernest, Ellerslie
Rainbow Joseph George, The Retreat
Riches George
Riches George Henry, Summerdale
Rose William, Southgate
Smith William Henry, Hill house
Stanton Richard, Sandringham road
Stanton Richard Hugh, Ling house (letters through Anmer)
Terrington Douglas, Fern villa
Tingey Edward, Manor house
Tuck Frederick James, J.P. Hill side
Wells Misses, Rose lodge
Wheeler Elton E. O. Park View
Whitehouse Miss, Oak cottage
Wilson Lieut-Commander Francis R.N.D.
Woodward Mrs
COMMERCIAL
Alderton Herbert Edward, jobmaster
Balding John William, farmer
Bird F. J. (Mrs.), butcher
Bird Isaac David, Alexandra hotel
Bunn James, coal merchant, & agent for R. Coller & Sons
Chambers Bros. builders & contractors
Chambers James Ward William, temperance hotel
Clayton Charles, butcher
Clayton William, shopkeeper
Coller R.& Sons Ltd. corn & coal merchants (James Bunn, agent) ; & at Norwich
Dodman George William, blacksmith
Drew Henry James saddler & harness maker
Ducker Alfred Ernest, carriage builder
Firth Alfred, clerk to the Charity trustees, The Shrubbery
Fitt Frederick Charles, baker
Foresters' Hall (Court Motteux, No 1465) (Robert G. Walton, sec)
Hartley Frederick William White Horse inn
Hudson Ann (Mrs.), builder & wheelwright
Hudson William Henry, jobmaster
Jackson James, farmer & dairyman, Blackheath lodge
Jannoch Theodor, florist
Jarvis Francis Ann (mrs.) baker
King George W. hair dresser
Linford Frederick, house decorator
Magness Thomas Augustus, Dun Cow P.H.
Manby Sir Alan Reeve M.D. physician & surgeon (branch surgery)
Mann Henry, farmer, Heath house
Mann William Henry, Feathers hotel, farmer & jobmaster
Maxey Alfred William, grocer & assistant overseer, income tax collector & clerk to the Parish Council. T N 3
Melton Edward Henry, fried fish dealer
Middleton Thomas Henry, shopkeeper
Mitchell George, carrier
Palmer Frank Herbert, apartments The Willows
Parker John William & Son, drapers & grocers & boot & shoe warehouse. T N 4
Playford Herbert G. baker
Potter William, smith
Ralph Frederick photographer. Victoria cottage
Ralph Walter, photographer
Ransome Frank, shopkeeper
Reynolds D. & Sons, shopkeepers & coal dealers
Reynolds John Charles, nurseryman, Roseneath
Riches George & Son, builders & contractors
Riches Ernest James, boot repairer
Robinson Edward, chimney sweeper
Roddis Thomas Ernest Earl M.B., C.M.Edin. physician (attends mon. & fri. 11 a.m.)
Senter Hannah (Mrs.), shopkeeper
Senter Walter Read, cycle agent
Shepherd Percy, beer retailer
Smith William Henry farmer, Hill House farm
Tansley William, butcher & farmer
Terrington Douglas, butcher
Terrington Reginald, stationer
Terrington Walter, shoe maker
Tingey Edward farmer, Manor house
Twaite John Thomas, cycle agent
Walker Jane Ann (mrs.) Coach & Horses hotel
Wallis Ellen (Mrs.), apartments
Wyre Thomas, carrier
Yaxley William Henry, agent Prudential Assurance Co
