Author Archives: victoriadraper24

Poor Jack-  Food for the Poor or How to Make a Fortune

Posted on November 29, 2024 by victoriadraper24

My first independent foray into archival research at the Norfolk Record Office gave me a real headache in trying to understand the text but it was a fascinating and rewarding journey which lead to researching topics in many ways. Norfolk … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, NRO Research Bloggers, Snapshots from the Archive | 2 Comments

Disaster on Prince of Wales Road, Norwich: September 1923

Posted on November 13, 2024 by victoriadraper24

Prince of Wales Road was built in 1860s as a grand thoroughfare for visitors from Norwich’s new Thorpe Railway Station to travel into the city centre. Old photographs show it lined on one side mainly by grand houses with shops … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts | 5 Comments

Pauper emigration from the parish of Guestwick in the 1830s.

Posted on October 10, 2024 by victoriadraper24

Researched and written by Christine Shackell The parish of Guestwick lies between Fakenham and Aylsham in north Norfolk. In 1831 the census recorded that there were 37 houses with 188 inhabitants.1 It comprised a scatter of cottages and farms with … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts | 3 Comments

From workhouse, to prison, to asylum, what could the future hold for Harriet Kettle?

Posted on September 27, 2024 by victoriadraper24

After spending her formative years in and out of the workhouse, the asylum and five periods of imprisonment in what sounds like a plot of a Dickensian novel, what were the chances that Harriet Kettle, could not only survive to … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, NRO Research Bloggers, Snapshots from the Archive | 7 Comments

THE BROWN LADY OF RAYNHAM HALL: The World’s Most Infamous Ghost (continued)

Posted on August 14, 2024 by victoriadraper24

The Brown Lady was not to remain hidden for long. The next witness to be terrorised was Captain Frederick Marryat, a friend of the family. Staying at the house in 1836, he is supposed to have asked to sleep in the most … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, NRO Research Bloggers, Snapshots from the Archive | 5 Comments

THE BROWN LADY OF RAYNHAM HALL: The World’s Most Infamous Ghost

Posted on July 31, 2024 by victoriadraper24

If you have arrived here as a fan of history, folklore and Norfolk, I will surmise that you have heard of, and perhaps even been fortunate enough to visit Raynham Hall. Situated in West Norfolk, the Hall began construction in … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, NRO Research Bloggers, Snapshots from the Archive | 1 Comment

Great Thorpe Railway Disaster 1874 on its 150th Anniversary

Posted on July 19, 2024 by victoriadraper24

The tenth of September 2024 will mark the 150th anniversary of The Great Thorpe Railway Disaster.  This Victorian railway collision was described by Captain Tyler, Inspecting Officer for Railways, when presiding over the Board of Trade Inquiry, as: “….. the … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, NRO Research Bloggers, Snapshots from the Archive | 3 Comments

‘Wilfully Destroying a Geranium’ and other Crimes in 19th Century Great Yarmouth

Posted on July 9, 2024 by victoriadraper24

Great Yarmouth gaol was housed in the twelfth century Tolhouse for several hundred years until its closure in 1875. In 1819 the Borough Council purchased adjacent buildings and converted them into a House of Correction (aka the Bridewell) which was … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, NRO Research Bloggers, Snapshots from the Archive | 2 Comments