Historical Society
Massingham Historical Society
The Society meets on the third Friday of the month, at the Village Hall, from 7.30 until 9 pm.​
Next Meeting
Archive Evening
Friday 17th January
Come along & see our collection of photos, documents, research studies & maps.
Members Free, Guests £3.00
Bar open
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Chairperson – Jeanne Robinson 01485 520 455
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For enquiries such as research into local or family history please email our Senior Archivist, Ant Robinson, on antmassingham@gmail.com
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Useful Background Material
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A summer evening with the Massingham Historical Society
Friday 16th August was warm and sunny, perfect weather for a Massingham Historical Society event that attracted 57 members and guests.
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The principal element was a comprehensive exploration of St Mary’s Church. No less than five separate mini-tours were on offer that included a guided ascent of the tower led by Dale Gagen (see photo, opposite), who winds the church clock each week and bell ringer Mike Harding. We were also given an authoritative account of the windows, benches and more by John Vigor a national authority on medieval churches, while Ant and Jeanne
Robinson gave guided tours of both the interior and exterior of the church. In addition, Stephen Hudson, the Churchwarden, put on a fascinating display of old handwritten registers of births, marriages and deaths.
For many, the highlight was a descent, by ladder, into the bowels of the nave to examine the patented underfloor Victorian furnace and flue that heated the Church until the 1950s. Mervyn Skipper, who, as a young boy helped his father work the furnace, was on hand in the stokehole to tell his story (see photo, left) helped by a small team seeing us safely on and off the ladder.
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A delicious BBQ of local burgers and hotdogs followed at the Village Hall and, if that was not enough, three short films were then screened showing something of post-war rural life in these parts. The first was a 1981 BBC production, shot mostly in Great Massingham, covering a day in the life of retired local farm worker Tully George. In one scene, Tully is tending St Mary’s churchyard and recounts the story of a retired vicar who, at the age of 82, scandalously married a 22-year-old girl from the choir!
The second film gave us glimpses of the daily life of a veg grower from Cley who sold his produce from a donkey and cart. In the third film, a former old-time gamekeeper at Holkham shared his secrets for successfully dispatching rabbits using a ferret, a spade and a surprisingly sophisticated listening device.
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The historical society committee is to be commended for arranging a very special and memorable evening that more than matched the peerless weather.
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Mike Jackson
Massingham Heath Walk
Massingham Historical Society members and guests were privileged to enjoy two guided walks led by Tim Baldwin to Massingham Heath on June 22nd.
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The weather was perfect allowing us to see the landscape and different habitats according to soil types within the Heath. We viewed fabulous wild flowers, grasses,
insects, birds, wild ponies and goats.
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The explosion of red poppy heads filling an entire field was exceptional. Tim explained the light harrowing of the soil last autumn had brought the poppy seed to the surface. This in turn allowed exposure to light allowing the seed to germinate.
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It was an incredibly informative morning and evening, thoroughly enjoyed by all 35 participants. We are indeed lucky to have our own expert on hand willing to share his exceptional knowledge and passion for wildlife.
We would like to thank both Little Massingham Estate for granting access and to Tim for guiding.
Jeanne Robinson
Well! Well! Well! New Sign Tells All
A joint venture between the Parish Council and Great Massingham Historical Society, to explain the history of our village well, has come to fruition. Some of you will have noticed the new sign fixed at the well to explain its history. This project was part of the Historical Society’s wish to provide information for people about our village history. The Society thanks the Parish Council for its support with this project.
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The inscription reads as follows: ‘You are standing in front of a Reproduction Well which was built a year after the Queen’s Silver Jubilee 1978.
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Originally, it was boarded in with a large circular handle which drew up a bucket of water. History has it as deep as the Church tower is tall. The Village is spring fed via the chalk aquifers below ground.’
Some Local History by Ant Robinson
Massingham Post Mill
1797 Faden’s Map of Norfolk No mention
1826 Bryant’s Map of Norfolk Mill shown
1836 White’s, Miller (& Baker) Thomas Priest
1845 White’s, “ “ “ “
1854 White’s, No mention
1868 Harrod’s Miller & Baker Richard Fisher
1875 Kelly’s, Brewer & Miller William Smith
1879 Kelly’s, Miller Jacob Bartle
1883 Kelly’s, Miller (Wind) James Buckenham
1888 Kelly’s, Miller Robert Ellis
1892 Kelly’s, Miller William Stebbing
1895 Auctioned 24th July by William Henry Stebbing
1900 Kelly’s, No mention
1916 Kelly’s No mention
1929 Kelly’s Site now owned by Reginald Elijah Palmer, Steam Rolling & Haulage Contractor. Tel No. Massingham 12.
On this basis, the Mill existed for c. 68 years.
A note with a drawing by A. Copeman quotes “Owned by a Mr Fysh, he then went to the Water Mill at Newton where Dick Joice lives. Only job old Chit? Copeman was known to have.” Gt. Massingham Post Mill burnt down during first World War”
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Footnote
The site these days is overgrown, but is accessible, with permission. Nothing is left of the Mill as it was all built on timber. However, the Mill House & Outbuildings can be seen & traced as they stand up to a foot above the ground.
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Also accessible in the SW corner is the Air Raid Shelter! The steps down are roofed over with a section of a Steam Engine’s Boiler! Rivets included work of Mr.Palmer.
There are more stories about James Buckenhams’ time when another death occurred at the Mill & I haven’t told you about the other yet, so watch this space.
Ant Robinson
The Lovat Scouts
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The Lovat Scouts were a Scottish Highland Mounted Brigade on small Highland Horses, known to be stationed in Hunstanton & may be in Massingham or Houghton Hall.
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This was all new news to me! The Great Massingham Historical Society had a Display at Docking’s May Bank Holiday Historical meet. It was fantastic, like-minded villages displayed their records for all to peruse.
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It was strange that nobody was looking at our photos etc. but we all were saying, “Oh, I’ve got some stuff for you” bit like a Stock Exchange!
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Then I was handed a folder containing 2 years’ worth of WW1 history totally unknown to us of the Massingham’s (1915/16). Pictures of the 1/2nd Lovat Scouts in Massingham, a photo of 25 Scouts watering their ponies in the Post Office Pit! Also, a Scout on a Motor Bike on Station Road looking north. The amazing thing is the 3 Twinned Chimney Stacks on the Fox & Pheasant, (10 foot tall)
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The photos are poor quality so will be trying to get better from their Museum.
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Then there are all the Press cuttings describing Concerts, Sport Competitions’, Wedding, Bag Piping, Smoking Competitions. All held in the Club Room behind Rose & Crown, a Barn in Little Massingham, and our School.
All these events were attended by the Local Dignitaries, Dewar, McAnnally, Dring & many more.
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Barrack House is now confirmed as their Barracks. There were large amounts of buildings behind here & if you look in the Wall down the Lane there is a bricked-up Arch. It’s just the right size for a Scout on his Pony to enter the Yard beyond.
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What a rare find, we will pull it altogether & publish a book. This is the what our Society is about, finding & recording your Villages History.
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Ant Robinson (Senior Archivist)