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Contents

Editorial

1586 Map of Blakeney Haven and Port of Cley: Part I

J Hooton

Synopsis: Since the publication of ‘The Glaven Ports’ I have once again turned my attention to finding out more about the 1586 map of Blakeney Haven and eventually, perhaps, to track down the original. Although the whereabouts of this map is currently a mystery, more information has come to light about the possible reasons why it was drawn, and this will be the subject of a further article in the next issue of this journal. Meanwhile, discussion about the map is bedevilled by the fact that there are many different copies. The following notes summarise my understanding to date, but this remains ‘work in progress’ and I should be grateful for any comments or corrections that readers can offer.

Norfolk War Memorials Project 1918-1998

M Ferroussat

Synopsis: This year, 1998, is the 80th anniversary of the end of the First World War – which had touched the lives of everyone in the country: husbands, sons, lovers, friends – every family had lost someone. To commemorate the dead, memorials were erected throughout the country. In Norfolk there were 12,000 names to record. This year, a project is under way to ensure that these memorials and the men they commemorate will not be forgotten. This article explains what is being done, both within the county and in Blakeney in particular. It is envisaged that a second article will give some information about the Blakeney men whose names are listed. 

The Reverend James Pointer: Rector of Blakeney (1584-1621) and Wiveton (1591-1621)

J George

Synopsis: The sixteenth century was a time of great religious change. Henry VIII defied the authority of the Pope and persuaded Parliament to declare him Supreme Head of the Church in England. In the reign of Mary Tudor there were bloody attempts to return to the Church of Rome, but Queen Elizabeth re-affirmed the Anglican Church and established a compromise with Catholics, though quarrelling and dissent continued in many parts of the country. In this part of Norfolk, far away from London, most people were not greatly bothered by these changes. The passing years brought the cycle of seedtime and harvest – sometimes good, sometimes bad – and the toil of fishing, farming and trading continued. Life went on: no doubt some people objected to the new forms of service, but others accepted them or did not much care either way. It was towards the end of this turbulent century, in 1584, that James Pointer became Rector of Blakeney under the patronage of James Calthorpe.

Taylor’s Wood

M White

Synopsis: As a botanist, I have always been fascinated by the history of our landscape and the way in which it has been moulded by the activities of man. And here in Norfolk, which until late medieval times was one of the most heavily populated counties in England, every corner has a story to tell. Taylor’s Wood is no exception.

The Blakeney and Cley Port Books

R Kelham

Synopsis: The port books represent one of the major sources for the historian interested in pre-19th century trade. They purport to be a record of all dutiable goods imported or exported, or sent coast-wise, over the period 1565 to 1780. Considering that at various times just about every commodity that could be traded could also be taxed, these records should give a pretty comprehensive overview of England’s ship-borne trade. But do they? This article presents some thoughts on this question and includes some extracts from selected port books. It is intended that some complete transcriptions will be included in future issues of the Journal.

Sounds familiar …. but what does it mean

the Editor

Synopsis: There is plenty of scope for using the Journal to present, in full, selected documents in order to show the kind of material that is available for the study of local history. The document selected for this first issue dates from the 16th century and can be seen in the Public Record Office at Kew. Kenneth Allen, whose extensive notes on the Glaven villages are in the Norfolk Record Office, had noted its existence but had not transcribed it in full, perhaps because its significance is not immediately clear. Readers are invited to see what they can make of it – letters to the Editor suggesting a solution would be very welcome!

Bayfield Church: Resistivity Survey 1998

P Carnell and J Wright

Synopsis: One of the members of the The Blakeney Area Historical Society (BAHS), Dr Peter Carnell, has recently developed an expertise in resistivity surveying and has agreed to help the Society to survey selected local sites. This report records the first such survey and demonstrates that though the actual survey is relatively straightforward, interpretation of the findings is rather more difficult. At Bayfield Church the resistivity readings show various archaeological features which cannot be identified precisely but which provide an excellent focus for further study.

What the papers said

the Editor

Synopsis: Norwich Mercury 4th January 1902
Two short articles of interest to Blakeney can be found in the Norwich Mercury of the 4th January 1902. The first was drawn to the editor’s attention by a friend and it was pure chance that in looking for it in the paper the second article was seen in the next column but one. The item on the Salvation Army is written in magnificent prose and one can imagine it being read aloud in Churchillian style. The second item concerns three members of the Long family, some of whose descendants still live in the village. The Longs have been the source for many local stories but this one does not seem to have been remembered.

Domesday Blakeney

J Wright

Synopsis: The aim of this article is to make some explanatory comments on the Domesday entries for Blakeney. Unfortunately, this is not as easy as it sounds, for much of the content of the Domesday Book is not at all clear. In any case, it is difficult to study villages individually for in East Anglia there is no simple correspondence between village and manor. Just as one manor may have jurisdiction in several villages, so one village may owe allegiance to several manors. Any village, Blakeney included, therefore needs to be examined in relation to the pattern of landholding. A further aspect is that many of the social and economic conditions portrayed by Domesday are best seen from a study of the whole area, and the significance of the entries for one village may well be clearer after comparison with entries elsewhere. This article therefore looks at some of the features of Domesday not just for Blakeney but for the whole of the area known as Holt Hundred.