Somersham
Parish Council
Parish Council
Parish Council
SOMERSHAM, 5½ miles N.W. of Ipswich and 6⅔ miles N.E. of Hadleigh, is a pleasant village and parish, containing 422 souls, and 1027A . of land, belonging to Mrs. Eliz. Norman, C. Kersey, Esq, the Rev. N. J. Stubbin. (in right of Mrs. Stubbin, lady of the manor,) and several smaller owners, who have estates here . The Bohuns, Earls of Northampton , were many years lords of the manor, Which, in 1483, was given by Richard III, to the Duke of Buckingham. It has since passed to various families. The Church (St Mary) is a neat structure, with tower at the west end, and has a rectory, valued in K.B. at £8, and now having 32A. 31P. of glebe, and a yearly rent charge of £280, awarded, in 1839, in lieu of tithes. The Rev. N. J. Stubbin is patron and incumbent. The Independents and Baptists have chapels here. The Town Land , 1A. 3R. is let for £3. 15S. a year, which is distributed among the poor at Christmas. A great part of the land is farmed by persons residing in the adjoining parishes. Post is from Bramford, via Ipswich.
Somersham Parish
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Andrews Geo. Shopkeeper and smith. Lait Wm. Wheelwright.
Carrington Benjamin. Shopkeeper. Moore George, butcher.
Crook Rev Jas. (Bapt.) schoolmaster. Norman Peter, blacksmith
Dedman Wm. beerhouse Phillips Joseph, schoolmaster
Fenn Thomas, parish clerk Stubbin Rev Newman John, Rectory
Flory Issac, viet. Duke of Marlbro’ Wellham Robert, bricklayer
Gardiner Edward, shoemaker Wyard Mary, farmer
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Some History...
1. Parish: Somersham
Meaning: Sumor’s meadow/enclosure
2. Hundred: Bosmere (–1327), Bosmere and Claydon
Deanery: Bosmere
Union: Bosmere and Claydon
RDC/UDC: Bosmere and Claydon RD (1894–1934), Gipping RD (1934–1974), Mid Suffolk DC (1974–)
Other administrative details:
Civil boundary change 1884, gains detached parts of Nettlestead and Willisham in rationalization of boundaries
Bosmere and Claydon Petty Sessional Division
Ipswich County Court District
3. Area: 1,095 acres (1912)
4. Soils:
Mixed:
a. Deep well drained loam and sandy soils, locally flinty, places over gravel, slight risk water erosion
b. Slowly permeable calcareous/non calcareous clay soils, slight risk water erosion
c Slowly permeable seasonally waterlogged fine loam over clay, some calcareous clay soils
5. Types of farming:
1086 4 oxen, 1 acre meadow
1500–1640 Thirsk: Wood-pasture region, mainly pasture, meadow, engaged in rearing and dairying with some pig-keeping, horse breeding and poultry. Crops mainly barley with some wheat, rye, oats, peas, vetches, hops and occasionally hemp. Also has similarities with sheep-corn region where sheep are main fertilizing agent, bred for fattening, barley main cash crop.
1818 Marshall: Wide variations of crop and management techniques including summer fallow in preparation for corn and rotation of turnip, barley, clover, wheat on lighter lands 1937 Main crops: Wheat, barley, fruits
1969 Trist: More intensive cereal growing and sugar beet
6. Enclosure:
7. Settlement:
1973 Moderate sized compact development close to northern boundary with Nettlestead. Church situated on extreme eastern edge of settlement.
Few scattered farms.
Inhabited houses: 1674 – 29, 1801 – 50, 1851 – 104, 1871 – 98, 1901 – 86, 1951 – 106, 1981 – 253
8. Communications:
Road: To Elmsett, Flowton, Offton, Nettlestead and Lt. Blakenham
1891 Carriers pass through to Ipswich
1912 Carrier to Ipswich daily
Rail: 1891 2½ miles Bramford station: Ipswich– Bury St.
Edmunds line, opened 1845, line to Norwich opened 1849, station closed 1955
9. Population:
1086 – 10 recorded
1327 – 27 taxpayers paid £2 14s. 3d. (included with Flowton)
1524 – 31 taxpayers paid £2 13s. 4d.
1603 – 120 adults
1674 – 53 households
1676 – not recorded
1801 – 298 inhabitants
1831 – 446 inhabitants
1851 – 422 inhabitants
1871 – 372 inhabitants
1901 – 362 inhabitants
1931 – 307 inhabitants
1951 – 349 inhabitants
1971 – 600 inhabitants
1981 – 660 inhabitants
10. Benefice:
Rectory
1254 Valued £5 6s. 8d.
1291 Valued £8.
Portion of Monastery of Thetford in same £1 6s. 8d. £9 6s. 8d
1535 Valued £8.
Residence built 1817, enlarged 1835
1831 Curate, stipend £51 p.a. Glebe house. Gross income £255 p.a.
Incumbent also holds Perpetual Curacy of Higham
1844 32 acres 31P glebe. Modus of £280 p.a. in lieu of tithes 1839
Incumbent also holds Offton
1891 Incumbent also holds Willisham
1912 Nett income £193 p.a. 31 acres glebe and residence
Patrons: The King (1603), Rev. N.J. Stubbin (1831), Rev. J. Travies
(1891)
Exors. Late J.C. McCoan (1912)
11. Church St. Mary
(Chancel, nave, S. porch, W. tower)
1086 4th part of church + 7½ acres land
c.1300– Tower, nave and chancel
1340
14th/15th Main structure
cent.
14th cent. Timber framed S. porch
1644 Puritanical Vandals (William Dowsing) destroyed pictures
and glass + holy water font.
Seats: 200 (1915)
Note: Church maintains gallows for sacring bell; S. side Tie-beam, stretching across chancel over altar rails
12. Nonconformity etc:
Independent and Baptist chapels
1891 Baptist chapel built 1815, seats 400 (1912)
13. Manorial:
1066 Manor of 1 carucate held by Leofcild
1086 Manor of 1 carucate belonging to Roger of Auberville
1066 Manor of 60 acres held by Wulfwin a free man
1086 Manor of 60 acres belonging to Isaac
Somersham Manor
1066 Manor of 30 acres held by Leofson a free man under patronage of Leofric Hobbeson
1086 manor of 30 acres belonging to Roger Bigot and held by William
1198 Geoffrey de Amerley owns
1273 Robert de Tibetot and John de Bathon own (linked to Lt. Blakenham, Bramford and Nettlestead)
1316 John de Bohun owns (linked to Elmsett)
1483 Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham owns (linked to Offton, Gazeley, Haverhill, Moulton and Cavenham)
c.1550 Thomas, Lord Wentworth owns (linked to Bramford, Coddenham, Flowton, Burstall and Flixton)
1649 Richard Glandville owns (linked to Elmsett)
1855 James Sparrow owns
1861 Rev. Newman John Stubbings owns
Sub-manors:
Woodhouse
c.1550 Thomas, Lord Wentworth owns (absorbed by main manor)
14. Markets/Fairs
15. Real property:
1844 £1,252 rental value
1891 £1,349 rateable value
1912 £1,146 rateable value
16. Land ownership:
1844–1912 Land sub-divided
17. Resident gentry:
1891 Rev. G. Langley MA
18. Occupations:
1500–1549 1 yeoman, 4 husbandmen
1550–1599 1 tailor, 1 shoemaker
1600–1649 8 yeomen, 1 wheelwright, 1 carpenter
1650–1699 6 yeomen, 3 husbandmen, 1 spinster, 1 spindle maker, 1 labourer, 1 draper
1831 81 in agriculture, 15 in retail trade, 1 professional, 4 in domestic service, 5 others
1844 Shopkeeper, plumber/glazier, corn miller, 2 beerhouses, shoemaker, 2 farmers, blacksmith, wheelwright, butcher, blacksmith/shopkeeper, tailor/shopkeeper, schoolmaster, victualler, carpenter, bricklayer
1912 Sub-postmaster, teacher, insurance agent, 4 farmers, shopkeeper, publican, 2 beer retailers, 2 shoemakers, grocer/pork butcher, farm bailiff, farrier, grocer/draper
19. Education:
1818 1 Sunday school (40 attend)
1833 3 daily school (56 attend), 1 Sunday school (established church) (33 attend), 1 independent school (36 attend)
1844 Schoolmaster listed
Board school built 1877, average attendance 1891 90,
enlarged 1906 and 1909, average attendance 1912, 131 Day school run by Miss Sarah Morling 1891
20. Poor relief:
1776 £52 4s. 8d.
1803 £72 17s. 8d.
1818 £194 1s.
1830 £222
1832 £261 4s.
1834 £212 3s.
21. Charities:
Town Land Origin unknown: 1 acre 3R let at £4. 15s. p.a.
1840 distributed at Christmas among poor in accordance with size of family
22. Other institutions:
1803 Friendly Society (41 members)
23. Recreation:
1844 2 beerhouses, The Duke of Marlborough public house
1891/1912 2 beerhouse, The Marlborough Head public house
24. Personal:
25. Other information:
£300 worth of timber from Somersham Park went into building of Clare Hall, Cambridge.
Record of unusual finds discovered in house during restoration. East Anglian
Miscellany 1950, p.38.
Post Mill in working order 1825.
2 cases of incendiarism due to agrarian unrest 1843 and 1844.
Village sign unveiled 1983.
Above extracts are from.
‘’ History’’
Gazetteer and Directory of Suffolk 1855
By Colin C. Burrows of Somersham
