BAHBAHSS NewsletterNewsletter

Number 24 December 2007

Admiral Sir Cloudesley How much time he spent in the House is not clear as he was Shovell busy bombarding French coastal Talk by Simon Harris 30 x 07 towns in the 1690s, involved in actions around Spain in 1702, ir Cloudesley Shovell was 1704 and 1705 until in 1707 he baptised in 1650 in was in command of the SCockthorpe church and Mediterranean fleet attacking the drowned off the in French who were holed up in 1707. That was pretty much all Toulon. The action had to be that stuck in my mind until called off to get the larger British Simon Harris’ talk. He expanded ships back to the Thames for the on those two events and gave us winter and this was their destina- so much fascinating information tion when the Romney, the Eagle, on the life in between that I the Firebrand and Shovell’s own couldn’t keep up with notes for ship, the Association were this account. Others who were wrecked on the Isles of Scilly. there might remember different Simon Harris discussed the details but everyone must have lurid tales that developed about come away like me with a head this tragedy but pointed out that, Margaret Bird stuck full of striking memories as all aboard the Association were and stunning images. drowned, they can only be myths. It is with great sadness that we His father, John Shovell, was Altogether, nearly 2,000 men per- report the recent death of just a yeoman farmer but his ished including Sir John Margaret Bird, one of the stal- mother, Anne Jenkinson of Cley, Narborough’s two sons, Shovell’s warts from the very earliest days had money and also significantly step-sons, who were with him on of the Blakeney History Group. A a grandfather called Thomas the Association. Whether, as the lovely lady, she will be much Cloudesly. When he went to sea legend says, he was murdered missed by all who knew her. at the age of twelve young after reaching the bay on the Cloudesley sailed under the com- south side of the island of St mand of Christopher Myngs from Agnes which is where his body Committee Stuff Salthouse in the Centurian on was temporarily buried is not which , also known but the bay is a long way hose who attended the AGM from Cockthorpe, was already a from the rocks where the ships know that the Annual . Both these local men went down so it seems possible TAccounts were qualified also became illustrious that a boat was launched and because we did not have an esti- and knights of the realm. may have nearly made it to safety. mate from the printers for the We learned that Sir Cloudesley A few days later the body was Glaven Historian and the was over six feet tall with an recovered, embalmed and taken Newsletter. It was agreed at the unusually large head, that he to Westminster Abbey for burial. AGM that when the invoice was became fat and suffered from gout One phrase I noted down, received we should ask Tim but was a devout protestant and though whether it came from an Morgan, our Scrutineer, to a faithful husband to Elizabeth, epitaph or from the letter of con- approve and sign the amended widow of Sir John Narborough dolence written by the rector of Accounts. These were then pre- who had died in 1688. From the Crayford to Lady Shovell I do not sented at the monthly meeting on 1690s they had houses in Soho recall, described him as a “just, 30 October and approved. A copy Square, London, and in Crayford frank, generous, honest, good of the ammended accounts is in Kent. From 1698 till his death man”. Not a bad epitaph. included with this Newsletter. he was Whig member of Parliament for Rochester. Frank Hawes Anne Maw farm in Cley, cottages to the west News from the History Centre and north of the church and along High Street, sale particulars ast year our Open Day were Thomas Macke, and his son of auctions and so on. expanded and was held on of the same name who was a Also included in this material Ltwo sites, with an exhibition miller at Billockby, followed by is an Abstract of the Title of and refreshments served in the Philip Smith the elder and his Thomas Armes to the watermill at nearby Scout Hut. Yet again it son, Philip the younger. The last Weybourne covering the period demonstrated just how popular deed relates to Philip Smith the 1649 to the mid nineteenth cen- this event has become, so much younger’s daughters, his three co tury. It includes a note saying so that plans are already under- heiresses, Lydia Cocksedge, that Armes had erected his new way for next August. Hannah and Elizabeth Smith. post mill on the Beach Road We are moving from Thursday A Bean family photograph about 1815. to Saturday. Details will be album has been loaned to the A few books have been added announced nearer the time, Centre for copying. This album to the library. Your Uncles by meanwhile make a note of has good photographs of William Roger and Anne Gresham Cooke Saturday, August 23rd in your Bean, the last miller of Friary and guides to searching WWI diaries. Mill, Blakeney, who worked for records for ancestors. Finally, a The afternoon openings on a Bodham Starling from 1900 till copy of the manuscript ‘A History Monday in place of the evening 1912. He had previously been the of the Thompson-Pyman family’ openings, have also proved to be a miller at Glandford. by Charles Stuart Storrier. popular change. Long distance Then a bundle of 43 deeds and members can now travel during writings pertaining to property Roots and Branches the daylight hours and have adjacent to Cley Mill, were gifted taken the opportunity to come to the History Centre by the hree more Family History and continue their family history grandson of the last miller of Folders have been donated research during the winter Cley. They were accompanied by a Tto the Centre. They are for months. further six documents that relate the Ramms and Bishops/Bretts of to the brick tower windmill on the Cley then the Bakers of Wells and Accessions road leading to Cley from Holt Blakeney. The Bakers had exten- which the Burroughes family pur- sive links to the Kerrisons, Dews, he number of documents chased about 1900. Amongst the Lincolns and Thompsons, details received by the Centre dur- latter papers was the will of John of which are noted. Ting the past six months has Balls appointing the millers Families recently making been quite unprecedented. Some Lawrence Randall of Cley and enquiries at the Centre include were an out right gift while others John Pegg of Hindolveston as his the following; were loaned for copying and by an joint executors. Pinchens – two separate sets of incredible coincidence that only The bulk of these Burroughes visitors seeking Parsons ancestors happens once in a while, many papers include wonderful descrip- and living cousins contained information about mills tions of dwelling houses, newly Baldings and millers. The other significant built cottages, window argu- feature of local importance was ments, granaries, bake houses Girdlestones – looking for 17th the sheer number and variety of with details of ovens, The Loyal century links in Blakeney documents relating to Cley. Alexander Lodge of the Oddfellows the grand daughters of Joseph These cover all aspects of the Friendly Society plus carpenter’s Spooner Cobon workshops, cart sheds and a parish during the past 200 years a descendant of the Cletheroes of whole host of outbuildings in the and provide a good starting point Briston for anyone interested in Cley. proximity of Cley Quay. This The deposits began with two deposit spans the years 1831 till a descendant of Thomas Dew and volumes of notes and letters 1923 at which time Messrs Jemima Jary detailing the early history of Burroughes Brothers sold most of Beans of Blakeney Blakeney Hotel between the years these properties by auction at the 1920 to 1928. These volumes George Hotel. cover the purchase of the site and An opportunity to copy yet continue with the foreman’s day- more Cley material has arisen book, employment of staff and with access being provided to highlights of the day to day busi- some of the Bolding/Johnson/ ness affairs of the hotel as it Monement manuscripts that are Editor: Richard Kelham became established. shortly to be deposited at Norfolk phone/fax: 01263 740186 This was followed by an oppor- Record Office. The areas of inter- e-mail: tunity to transcribe three eigh- est selected cover allotments from [email protected] teenth century indentures relat- both Cley Inclosure Acts, Lime ing to the property of millers in Kiln Close, a small farm situated All text © 2007 Wiveton. The first named millers in Blakeney and Wiveton, another BAHS and Contributors Field Dalling Walk At St Nicholas, Blakeney, we night and day to secrete away the were allowed to climb the little cargo before officialdom in the ike Medlar returns to stair tower to the chamber over form of the Receiver of Wrecks continue his walkabouts the chancel vault. This was could organize the salvage. Mthrough the inland vil- something I had long wished to do Much the same action took lages, this time introducing us to and I was amazed to find that place in Cley when in February the church, manor houses and what I had always assumed was a 1837 the Raby Castle was adjacent farms, vernacular hous- priest’s lodging or perhaps a one- wrecked on the beach. The crew es and cottages of Field Dalling. time schoolroom can have been and passengers were rescued, but If you have ever driven the road neither as instead of a floor there from the Raby Castle’s cargo val- from Bale to Langham and noted is only the rough, mounded upper ued at £5000 only £800 worth of the variety of buildings in pass- surface of the vault below. There goods were recovered ing, then this is the opportunity is evidence of an earlier steeper Norwich Mercury reported: to pause and explore as all will be roof and of the walls having been Immediately after she broke up, explained. See the diary dates for raised at least once. Was there a the beach was strewn with Spirits, details and book your place early scheme to have an upper room Wine, oranges, nuts, toys, in the New Year. which was never completed? Hampers, boxes etc. The scene Sadly I had to miss the talk on beggared description. The most Pamela Peake St Mary’s Wiveton but walking outrageous and beastly conduct round the building inside and out was exhibited. There, might be with Gerald Randall and the rest observed a group breaching a spir- of the group raised plenty of ques- it cask and letting it run into their The Glories of the Glaven tions for investigation in future. oilskins, hats, shoes etc. There BAHS Autumn course 2007 It was a very stimulating series another stood filling their pockets Tutor: Gerald Randall including some surprises. and handkerchiefs Locating old footings or other fea- Further on, another party he costs and administrative tures below the floor by the use of secreting a cask etc, until a more details of courses arranged a pair of divining rods was a new favorable opportunity presented Tin collaboration with the technique to me but as demon- itself of disposing of it, and all this University of East Anglia both strated by the Rector and taken in the face of day and in civilized having risen it was decided that up by other members of the group country. Plunder, wholesale plun- the Society would organise a was very convincing and left us der appeared to be the order of the course this year without UEA with even more puzzles for future day in spite of contingents of involvement. John Peake per- consideration. coastguard men. Many who were suaded Gerald Randall to under- charged to watch the property take a six week series looking in Frank Hawes became themselves intoxicated. detail at three of our loveliest Many were conveyed from the churches and sixteen of us signed beach, literally dead drunk, and it up. is with disgust that we add that The plan was, taking each Wrecks many women were in the same church in turn, to have an intro- state. ductory talk in the Blakeney he container ship beached And more recently, in living Scout Hut one week followed by a on the South Coast in memory, the timber cargo, anoth- field meeting/guided visit to that TJanuary 2007 excited many er harvest of the sea, was washed church the following week. Sadly people’s expectations, the same into Blakeney Harbour by a our first session was marred by expectations recorded over past northerly gale from the Zor of problems with the electricity sup- centuries. From hurricane or Istanbul which was in difficulties. ply at the Scout Hut but the storm, errors of navigation, false On May 18th 1955 the Zor, with a Rector came to our rescue by lights or fraud, the resultant list of 50 degrees, was taken in inviting us to decamp to wreck or wreckage provides riches tow by the Richmond Queen which St Nicholas Church where all ripe for the picking by the com- was in assistance and had taken subsequent introductory talks munity. The perceived notion that onboard thirteen or fourteen sur- were held. wreckage given up by the sea, the vivors with the Wells lifeboat Cecil Gerald Randall started with St harvest of the sea, is the property Paine taking another three. Margaret’s, Cley, on which he is a of the finder is as old as history. Sheringham lifeboat was also in notable expert as those of you Compton Mackenzie’s tale attendance on standby. who have purchased copies of his “Whiskey Galore”, and later film CD will know. In spite of that the of the same name, of the Peter Wordingham group managed to come up with Hebridean Islanders during the some new thoughts on the history Second World War showed a com- of this magnificent church even munity presented with a harvest the possibility that there might of the sea, a wreck of a cargo ves- perhaps at one time have been sel carrying a significant cargo of two churches on the site. whisky. The islanders worked Spring/Summer Programme 2008

Events All the following meetings are in the Harbour Room at the British Legion Hall in the High Street, Blakeney starting at 7.30 pm, except for the Annual Public Lecture which will in Blakeney Village Hall at 8.00pm Entrance: £2 for members and £3 for visitors, including refreshments.

Tuesday Members' Night: four short contributions by members. January 29 Janet Harcourt Local poetry David Perryman Little Red Box Brenda Worton Weybourne & Kelling - contrasting villages Richard Jefferson Importance of Family Connections

Tuesday The Dutch Garden in Norfolk: using wide ranging research to understand a continental February 26 style of gardens and ultimately reconstruct one. Charlotte Crawley

Tuesday Norfolk's Wealth: Wool and Weaving. The history of weaving in March 25 Norfolk by the curator of the weaving museum on the outskirts of Worstead. Brian Morgan

Tuesday East Anglian Shipping: placing the North Norfolk ports in a wider context. April 29 Mike Stammers

Saturday Annual Public Lecture: in Village Hall at 8.00pm August 16 Details to be announced: look on the Society's website or watch for posters.

Tuesday 700 years of Psalter Illumination Sept 30 Margaret Forester A short AGM will precede this meeting.

History Centre Diary

Reopening Tuesday, February 5th: 10am till noon, then the first and last Tuesday morning in every month. Other times by arrangement.

Members’ Sessions on Monday afternoons, February 4th, March 3rd and April 1st: 2pm till 4pm. Remember there is a £1.00 entrance fee to cover essential heating.

Field Dalling with Mike Medlar: Explore the history of the village on foot, Saturday morning April 26th. The walk will start at 10am, last for two hours and cost £4. Places must be booked at the History Centre or by phone on 01263 740388.

Open Day: this will be on Saturday, August 23rd - details will be announced later.

Autumn Course

Starting Wednesday morning, October 1st in Blakeney Church

The Story of Illuminated Manuscripts Tutor: Margaret Forester Enquiries to Frank Hawes: tel. 01263 740981

For more information: www.history-blakeney-area.org.uk