Diss Family History Group

FERSFIELD is a village and parish 5 miles north-west from Diss station on the Ipswich and Norwich section of the Great Eastern railway, in the Southern division of the county, Diss hundred, petty sessional division and county court district, Depwade union, rural deanery of Redenhall, archdeaconry of Norfolk and diocese of Norwich. The church of St. Andrew, rebuilt by Sir Robert and William Du Blois, is an ancient building of flint in the Perpendicular style, consisting of chancel, nave, south aisle, south porch and a western tower containing one bell: there are marble monuments to the founders and a marble slab to the Rev. Francis Blomefield B.A. rector here for 23 years, who died 15 Jan. 1751: the communion plate includes a chalice and paten believed to date from the time of Queen Elizabeth: there are 170 sittings. The register dates from the year 1565. The living is a rectory, net income £222, including 50 acres of glebe and residence in the gift of, and held since 1899, by the Rev. Robert Whinerey M.A. of Christ’s College, Cambridge. Here is a Primitive Methodist chapel, erected in 1891. Francis Blomefield, the distinguished antiquary, and author of the well-known “History of Norfolk,” was born here 23 July, 1705 : his great work was originally printed in the dining-room of the present rectory, and stored in the tithe barn on the site of the present coachhouse: it was division published in 1739-95 and afterwards reprinted in 1805-10, by Mr. William Miller, of London, in eleven large volumes. Blomefield was instituted to this living 13th September, 1729, and held it till his death in 1751. The Duke of Norfolk K.G. is lord of the manor and chief land-owner. A charity was left by Jeffery Ellingham in 1493 of 4 marks a year and 231 acres of land and a house, producing £30 yearly, which sum is applied towards the repairs of the church. The soil is heavy; subsoil, clay. The chief crops are wheat and barley. The area is 1,396 acres; rateable value, £1210; the population in 1901 was 219.
Parish Clerk, Ambrose Crick.
Post & Postal Order Office. - Herbert Arthur Hall, sub-postmaster. Letters through Diss, arrive at 8.45 a. m.; dispatched at 5.10 p.m. week days only. The nearest money order & telegraph office is at Kenninghall, 3 miles distant. Pillar Boxes cleared at 5 p.m. & 5-30 p.m. week days only
Public Elementary School, for 60 children; average attendance, 44; Mrs. Emma Green, mistress

Whinerey Rev. Robert M:.A. (rector), The Rectory
Woodcock Mrs. Algar house
COMMERCIAL.
Bean John, farmer
Berry Herbert, farmer
Brasnett Waiter Thomas, farmer
Bullock Charles, farmer
Disney William, farmer
Eaton Frederick, farmer
Gray Ernest, farmer
Hall George W. farmer
Hardy Robert, farmer
Hoskins Harry, shopkeeper
Lambert James McDonald, farmer
Newstead Frederick, farmer
Oakley William, farmer
Rivett Leonard, farmer
Robinson Caleb, farmer & beer retailer
Soar William, farmer
Spurdens William, assistant overseer
Spurling Robert, farmer
Websdale Clement, farmer
Womack Harry, beer retailer & wheelwright