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 £400, with residence in the gift of the Bishop of Norwich and held since 1927 by the Rev. Robert Lewis Baillie Oliver M.A. of Trinity College, Cambridge. The vicarage house, erected in I877 is of carr stone and red brick and stands on a pleasant elevation. There is a Methodist chapel built in 1878. The Foresters' Hall (Court Motteux, No. 1465), erected on a site given by H.M. 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. In 1929 a Territorial hall was erected at a cost of £5,000. At the enclosure 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 Mrs Harcourt Wood. The parish comprises five manors, viz., Pakenham, Shouldham Priory, West Hall and Brook Hall and Gelham Hall. His Majesty the King is the principal land-owner. The soil is light mixed; subsoil, principally chalk and carr stone. The crops are generally on the four-course system. The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats and sugar beet. The area is 3,573 acres of land and 8 of water ; the population in 1921 was 1,412.
Post, M. 0., T. & T.E.D. Office.- Letters through Lynn.
Police Station, Manor Road
Railway Station (L. & N.E.)
Carriers to Lynn. - John Edward Wyer & Albert Ding, tues. thurs. & sat. returning same day
There is a motor omnibus service to King's Lynn & Hunstanton
PRIVATE RESIDENTS
(for T N's see general list of Private Residents at end of book) [not transcribed]
Batterham John, Summerdale
Beck Miss, The Hill top
Beck Mrs Frank, The Shieling
Chambers James Ward William, Lynn road
Corkran Christian, Winkfield cottage
Coxon Capt. A. Cedric M. Highlands
Dow Arthur Graham, The Mead
Francis Sidney, Post Office road
Hammond Mrs, Hillside
Hawkins Alan George, Wellswill
Jannoch Mrs Theodor. Dersingham hall
Knight Mrs. The Haven
Mann Mrs, Heath House
Mapus-Smith Arthur, Worthams, Station road
Martin Capt. Reginald Hall, Wood cottage
Matthews Miss, Vicarage cottage
Munro Alexander Hugh, Holkham house
Murray Henry Dunkeld, Station road
Oliver Rev. Robert Lewis Baillie (vicar), The Vicarage
Pain Percy, Heath road
Palmer Mrs Oxley, The Retreat
Parker Edward F. Manor road
Pratt Wilfrid Lloyd, The Oaks
Reynolds John Charles, Rosenheath
Seale Walter, Newera Eliya
Smith William Henry, Hill house
Spaxton Capt Oliver Thomas, Mere house
Spence Miss, Mpofna
Stanton Miss, Greenways
Stanton Richard Hugh, Manor house
Sutterby Mrs, The Old House
Sweetenham Miss, Mansfield house
Tallent Richard Marner, Lyng House farm (letters through Anmer, Lynn)
Tansley William, Ben Douran, Park Hill
Taylor Ernest Claude, Braeside
Tomlinson Miss, Hillside
Wheeler Elton E. O. Park View
Willett Edward Vernon Anson, The Erf
Wood Mrs Harcourt, Mill House
Wright Charles Ernest W., Beech cottage
Youngman Mrs, The White house
Youngs Charles J. J.P., Rose lodge
COMMERCIAL
Marked thus * farm over 150 acres
Andrews Daniel, greengrocer
Balding Frederick, smallholder
Balding George, farmer
Balding James, smallholder
Barclays Bank Ltd (sub-branch) (open thurs. 11am to 2pm); head office 54 Lombard st, London EC3
Bird F.A. & S.E., butchers
Bird Isaac David, Alexandra inn
Bird William, coal dealer, Snettisham road
Chambers G. & Sons. builders
Chambers Jabez (clerk to the Charity Trustees) Melrose
Chester Henry, White Horse P.H.
Coach & Horses Bowling Club
Coach & Horses Hotel (William Thomas Owen)
Cobbold Horace John, grocer, Chapel road TN 25
County Library (Elton E.O. Wheeler, librarian)
Cricket Club (Ernest Drayton, sec)
Cross Herbert, greengrocer, Lynn road
Dersingham Football Club (Henry Chester, hon. sec.)
Dersingham Tennis Club (E. G. Crisp, hon. sec.) , Manor Road
Dew Mabel (Mrs), fried fish dealer, Manor road
Ding Albert, carrier
Drew Henry John, saddler
Drew Thomas Turner, beer retailer
Ducker Albert C., builder, Gimbers
Ewer William John, newsagent
Feathers Hotel (the Peoples' Refreshment House Association Ltd) T N Dersingham 7
Fitt Frederick Charles, baker
Foresters' Hall (Court Motteux, No 1465) (J. Chambers, sec)
Garside Albert, tea rooms, Snettisham road
Hall Charles, boot repairer
Harrison Alfred, rating officer & clerk to the Parish Council, The Rest
Harrod C. R., decorator
Houchen Charles H. fried fish dealer
Houchen Reginald, motor car for hire, Lynn road
Howell D.G., beekeepers agent
Hyner (Eric) & Co Ltd motor engineers. The Sandringham garage TN 10
Institute Bowling Club, (Elton E.O. Wheeler, hon. sec.)
Institute Public Hall (C. Corkran, sec)
Jackson James, farmer Centre vale
Jarvis T. & J., bakers
King George W. hair dresser
Lines William Herbert, butcher TN 6
Linford Roland, grocer
Magness Thomas Augustus, Dun Cow P.H.
Martin Rt. Telford M.R.C.S.Eng., L.R.C.P.Lond. physician (attends mon., wed, & fri.), Lynn road
Munro Alexander H. F.L.A.S. Land agent & surveyor & income tax consultant & insurance agent Bank chambers TN 12
Neave Agnes (Mrs), shopkeeper
Norfolk Regiment (5th Batt.) (Territorial Army) D Co Drill hall
Nurse W & H, coal dealers
Oddfellows (manchester Unity) (Loyal Dersingham Lodge) (George E. Wells, sec.)
Parker J. W. & Son, grocers, drapers, boot & shoe warehouse & hardware dealers TN 4
Playford Herbert, insurance agent, Staithe house, Lynn road
Playford Herbert George, baker
Ralph Walter, photographer
Raynor Violet May (Mrs), tobacconist, Snettisham road
Reynolds Edward William, coal & coke dealer
Reynolds Henry O'Dell, hair dresser
Reynolds John Charles, nurseryman & florist, Roseneath
Riches Ernest James, boot repairer
Senter Leah (Mrs), confectioner
Senter Martin, boot repairer
Senter Walter, cycle agent
* Smith William Henry farmer, Hill House farm
Standaloft Dixon (Mrs) boarding house, The Willows
Stanton Ellen Maud (Miss) district nurse, Greenways
* Stanton Richard Hugh, farmer, Manor House, smith & wheelwright, Chapel road TN 28
* Tallent Richard Marner, Lyng Farm (letters through Anmer, Lynn)
Taylor Ernest Claude, clerk to the Parish Council of Castle Rising, Braeside
Terrington D. & M., butchers
Terrington Reginald, grocer TN 31
Tuck Archibald Leslie, nurseryman
Twaite John Thomas, motor engineer, The Garage TN 13
Walden William, builder, Chapel road
Willans Frederick Jeune M.V.O., M.R.C.S.Eng, L.R.C.P.Lond. physician & surgeon; branch surgery, Sandringham Road
Women's Institute (Mrs R.H. Stanton, local organizer)
Working Men's Bowling Club
Working Men's Club
Wyer John Edward, carrier
