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 Freebridge, 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 : the chancel is lighted by fine windows of the Decorated period, and is divided from the nave by a carved oak screen, some of the tracery of which has been restored : in the south aisle is a curious altar-tomb with a brass to John Pell esq. and Margaret (Overend) his wife, ob. 5 Feb. 1607, with two effigies in marble : there are also several curious marble slabs and an ancient font with 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 patron. 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 erected, and now affords 600 sittings. The register dates from the year 1710. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £160, including 165 acres of glebe 1900, with residence, in the gift of the Rev. James Bellamy D.D. president of St. John's College, Oxford, and held since 1875 by the Rev. Edward William Penny M.A. of that College. The rectory house, erected in 1877, 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 H.R.H. the Prince of Wales in 1893, and opened by H.R.H. the Duke of York 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. 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 of Theodor Jannoch esq. The parish comprises five manors, viz. Hunstanton-with-Mustrels, Ringstead-with-Holme, Northall, Holme-next-the-Sea, and Hoods-in-Holme, of which H.R.H. the Prince of Wales and the Rev. James Bellamy D.D. are lords 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 3,581 acres ; rateable va1ue, £5266; the population in 1891 was 1186.
Parish Clerk, James March Batterby.
Post, M. 0. & T. 0., T. M. 0., Express Delivery & S. B. & Annuity Insurance Office. - Miss Alice Maude Beckett, postmistress. London & other letters are received through Lynn by mail cart; arrive at 5.30 a.m.; delivered at 7 a.m. & 10.15 a.m. & are dispatched at 10.45 a.m. & 6.20 p.m.; sunday delivery 7 a.m.; dispatched 6.20 p.m. Wall Letter Boxes - Box near the Feathers hotel, cleared at 8.40 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.
Church of England Schools (mixed), enlarged in 1875. H.R.H. the Prince of Wales 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 H.R.H. the Prince of Wales & the chief landowners; the schools will hold 250 children; average attendance, 180; Alfred Firth, schoolmaster; Miss Grace Rudd, infants' mistress
Railway Station, Frederick Alfred Paige, station master
Carriers to Lynn - Thomas Rudd & George Mitchell, tues. thurs. & sat. returning same day
PRIVATE RESIDENTS
Cross Arthur Harry, Cantelupe house
Culyer Robert, Beech Cottage
Jannoch Theodor, Dersingham Hall, to let Furnished
Penny Rev. Edward William M.A. Vicarage
Ringe Miss
Smith William Henry, Hill house
Stanton Richard, Ling house
Tingey Edward, Manor house
Watson Mrs Hawthorn house
Wells Miss Rose cottage
Wilkin Robert A. Wellswill house
COMMERCIAL
Bird Frederick. J. butcher
Boothby Alfred William & Ernest farmers and coal merchants
Boothby Arthur grocer
Bunn James, coal merchant, & agent for R. Coller & Sons
Chambers George & Sons builders & carpenters
Chambers Henry, carpenter
Chambers James Ward William, temperance hotel
Chambers John Henry , cycle agent
Coller R. & Sons, corn & coal merchants (James Bunn, agent); & at Norwich
Cross Arthur Harry A.R.C.O. professor of music, & organist at Sandringham
Dodman William Valentine, blacksmith
Elworthy Harry Fuller, assistant overseer
Ewer William John music seller & stationer
Fitt Matthew James, baker
Foresters' Hall (William Pattrick, sec)
Goodings Harriet (Mrs.), apartments
Green Alfred, coal merchant
Hardy Alfred, Coach & Horses P.H.
Hartley Frederick William beer retailer
Houchen Thomas, butcher
Hudson William, builder & wheelwright
Jackson Albert, cycle repairer
Jackson James, farmer & dairyman, Blackheath lodge
Jannoch Theodor, nurseryman & florist, Lily of the Valley grower by special warrant H.R.H. The Prince of Wales; choice bouquets, wreaths, crosses &c; hotels supplied with plants and flowers on the hire system. See advert
Jarvis Ernest, saddler
Jarvis James, baker & confectioner
Jarvis James William, baker & farmer
Kiddle George White Horse P.H. & farmer
King Robert, grocer and and draper
Lane Albert Edward, cattle dealer
Linford Frederick, house decorator & china &c. dealer
Linnell John, farmer, Wood villa
Magness Thomas Augustus, Dun Cow P.H
Mann Henry, farmer
Mann William Henry, Feathers hotel
Middleton Thomas Henry, shopkeeper
Mitchell George, carrier
Parker John William & Son, drapers & grocers & boot & shoe warehouse
Playford Herbert baker & miller (wind)
Potter William, smith
Rainbow Joseph George, upholsterer
Ralph Frederick, usher & photographer Victoria cottage ·
Reynolds Daniel shopkeeper & coal dealer
Riches George, builder & contractor
Riches John, market gardener
Robinson Edward, chimney sweeper
Rudd Thomas carrier & market gardener
Senter Hannah (Mrs.), milliner
Senter Harry, market gardener
Senter Martin, shopkeeper
Simmonds Charles Arthur, Alexandra hotel
Smith Montague & Co. coal merchants
Smith William Henry farmer, Hill House farm
Stanton Richard, farmer, Ling house (letters to be addressed, Anmer, Lynn)
Tansley William, butcher
Terrington Frederick, butcher
Terrington Henry, shoe maker
Terrington John, boot maker
Tingey Edward, farmer
Walden William, builder
Wallis George, cowkeeper
Whitmore Henry, butcher
Yaxley William Henry, agent Prudential Assurance
