Category Archives: All Posts

Disaster on Prince of Wales Road, Norwich: September 1923

Posted on 13 November 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 →

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Heckingham Workhouse: Filling in the Gaps

Posted on 24 October 2024 by cbolsterNRO

When a workhouse governor’s report book was received by the Norfolk Record Office from private hands in 2009, it helped shed light on day-to-day events at Heckingham Workhouse, between 1771-2 and filled a gap in our series of report books. … Continue reading →

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

Posted on 10 October 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 →

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

Posted on 27 September 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

“I never knew a better or more trustworthy man”: The Reminiscences of William Veasey.

Posted on 2 September 2024 by cbolsterNRO

One of the most fascinating forms of document held at the Norfolk Record Office is the reminiscence, where someone looks back on what has happened to them in their life. These reminiscences, which may be written or spoken, need to … Continue reading →

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

Posted on 14 August 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 31 July 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 →

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Great Thorpe Railway Disaster 1874 on its 150th Anniversary

Posted on 19 July 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