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 Rising, 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 600 sittings. The register dates from the year 1653. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £370 with 2 acres of glebe and residence in the gift of Mrs Tylden and held since 1923 by the Rev. John Alfred Percy Douglas-Smith L.Th. Of University College, Durham. The vicarage house, erected in I877 is of carr stone and red brick and stands on a pleasant elevation. There is a Wesleyan chapel built in 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 in the residence of Major John Davy Wright Davy [sic] J.P. The parish comprises five manors, viz., Pakenham, Shouldham Priory, West Hall and Brook Hall and Gelham Hall. His Majesty the King and Mrs. Tylden are 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, £6,124; the population in 1921 was 1,412.
Deputy Parish Clerk, James March
Post, M. 0., T. & T.E.D. Office.- Miss Alice Maud Beckett, sub-postmistress through Lynn.
Wall Letter Boxes. - Near the Feathers hotel, Station, Heath road and Station road.
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; Elton E.O. Wheeler master.
Police Station, Walter Maries, superintendent, 1 sergeant & 2 constables. TN 8
Railway Station, Arthur James Chilvers, station master
Carriers to Lynn. - John Edward Wyer & Albert Ding, tues. thurs. & sat. returning same day
PRIVATE RESIDENTS
Batterham John, Summerdale
Beardmore Mrs Worthams, Station road
Beck Miss, The Hill top
Beck Mrs Frank, The Shieling
Chambers Jabez, Manor road
Chambers James Ward William, Lynn road
Croot Ernest, Mecklenburg house
Crosse Miss, Worthams, Station road
Davidson William Andrew, Maryville
Davy Maj John Davy Wright J.P., Mill house TN 11
Douglas-Willan Rev John Alfred Percy L.Th. (vicar), The Vicarage
Emmerson James, Ellerslie
Firth Alfred, The Shrubbery
Hall Mrs J, The Mead
Hammond Mrs, Hillside
Hipkin Alfred, Avondale
Jannoch Theodor. Dersingham hall
Knight Mrs. The Haven
Mann Mrs, heath House
Mann William Henry, Sandringham road
Martin Capt. Reginald Hall, Wood cottage
Munro Alexander Hugh, Holkham house TN 12
Murray Henry Dunkeld, Station road
Orvis Frank, Oak Cottage
Pain Percy, Forest creek
Parker William Theodoric, Mansfield House
Pratt Wilfred Lloyd, The Oaks TN 5
Rainbow Joseph George, The Retreat
Rose William, Southgate
Seale Walter, Newera Eliya
Smith William Henry, Hill house
Standaloft Mrs. The Willows
Stanton Miss
Stanton Richard Hugh, Manor house
Stockdale Mrs Lattersey
Tansley William, Park Hill
Taylor Ernest Claude, Beech cottage
Terrington Douglas, Fern villa
Thistle Robin A., Avalon
Tingey Mrs, Hill side
Tuck Frederick James, J.P. Courcelette
Ward Miss, W. D., Hawthorn cottage
Wheeler Elton E. O. Park View
Willett Edward Vernon Anson, The Erf
Woodward Mrs Sandringham road
Woolley Lt.-Col. Henry, Sandringham Hill
Youngman Robert, The White House
Youngs Charles J. Rose lodge
COMMERCIAL
Marked thus * farm over 150 acres
Asker William, carpenter
Balding Frederick, farmer
Balding George, farmer
Balding James, farmer
Baterbee George Thomas, insurance agent
Bird F.A. & S.E., butchers
Bird Isaac David, Alexandra inn
Chambers G. & Sons. builders
Clayton Charles, pig dealer
Coach & Horses Bowling Club (J. Creasy, sec)
Coach & Horses Hotel (William Thomas Owen)
Cobbold Horace John, grocer
Cricket Club (Alfred Harrison, sec)
Ding Albert, carrier
Drew Henry John, saddler
Drew Thomas Turner, beer retailer
Emmerson James jun, smallholder, The Emblems
Ewer William John, music seller
Firth Alfred, clerk to the Charity trustees, The Shrubbery
Fitt Frederick Charles, baker
Foresters' Hall (Court Motteux, No 1465) (Robert G. Walton, sec)
Grief William, insurance agent
Harrison Alfred, assistant overseer & clerk to the Parish Council, The Rest
Houchen Charles H. fried fish dealer
Houchen Frederick, White Horse P.H.
Hudson Herbert, head gardener to Maj. J.D.W. Davy J.P.
Hyner (Eric) & Co Ltd motor & cycle engineers, motor repairers, agents & dealers; cars for hire,
The Sandringham garage T A "Eric Hyner, Dersingham;" TN 10
Institute Bowling Club, (Elton E.O. Wheeler, hon. sec.)
Institute Club (the) (Roland Lindford sec)
Jackson James, farmer Centre vale
Jannoch Theodor, horticulturalist
Jarvis T. & J. bakers
King George W. hair dresser
Lines William Herbert, butcher TN 6
Linford Frederick, house decorator
Linford Roland, grocer
Magness Thomas Augustus, Dun Cow P.H.
Melton William Drew, shopkeeper
Middleton Agness (Mrs), shopkeeper
Munro Alexander H. F.L.A.S. Land agent & surveyor & income tax recovery office TN 12
Neave Agnes (mrs) shopkeeper
Norfolk Regiment (5th Batt.) (Territorial Army) D Co Drill hall
Nurse Walter Frederick, coal dealer
Parker J. W. & Son, drapers, grocers & boot & shoe warehouse TN 4
Peoples' Refreshment House Association Ltd. Feathers hotel TN 7
Playford Herbert G. baker
Ralph Walter, photographer
Ransome Frank, shopkeeper
Reynolds Edward William, coal & coke dealer
Reynolds Henry O'Dell, hair dresser
Reynolds John Charles, nurseryman, Roseneath
Reynolds Rebecca (Mrs) shopkeeper
Riches Ernest James, boot repairer
Senter Leah (mrs), confectioner
Senter Martin, boot repairer
Senter Walter, cycle agent
* Smith William Henry farmer, Hill House farm
* Stanton Richard Hugh, farmer, smith & wheelwright, Manor House
* Tallent Richard Marner, Ling House (letters through Anmer)
Taylor Ernest Claude assistant overseer & clerk to the Parish Council of Castle Rising, Beech Cottage
Terrington & Son, butchers
Terrington Reginald, stationer
Terrington Walter, boot repairer
Towler Henry J. poultry farmer, Rochdale
Twaite John Thomas, motor engineer TN 13
Walden William, builder, Fern hill
White Horse Bowling Club (Robin A. Thistle, hon sec.)
Willans Frederick Jeune M.V.O., M.R.C.S.Eng, L.R.C.P.Lond. physician & surgeon; branch surgery, Sandringham Road
Working Men's Bowling Club (Frank Orviss, sec)
Working Men's Club (Frank Orviss, sec) [Orbiss in 1922 copy]
Wyer John Edward, carrier
