The Georgian Era (1714 AD to 1819 AD)

One of the barns at Rose Hall dates from this period and the number of pottery sherds from this period found around the Hall increases significantly (04 - SMR 28336). By 1733 all 3 Church bells at Brumstead are on the ground and 2 of them needed to be sold to pay for the repair of the Church (02) As Church bells are very expensive, the sale of 2 of them indicates that the Church was in a very poor state of repair. A lost flagon from the Church dates from 1728 and in 1768 only 10 people in Brumstead had the right to vote in the general election (01). In 1797 William Faden published his map of Norfolk (shown - courtesy of The Larks Press, Dereham) which includes Brumstead (spelt Brunstead). Whinncraft lane, Parkers lane and Green lane plus other roads are shown along with the Church, Brumstead farm (Grange) and Holme farm plus around 8 - 10 buildings and areas of waste land/common/heathland are also shown. Whilst the Parish boundary is not shown parts of the Common edge match the present configuration (especially in the north and west) but some of the roads shown no longer exist or have been altered significantly. Exactly what the thin rectangular area in the south of the Parish is unknown (it maybe a field or turf pond).

In 1805 just over 148 acres of the Parish was enclosed. The Lord of the manor at that time was William Durrant who drew up his own enclosure map and presented it to the enclosure commissioners who used it. Whilst the enclosure document (03) calls the Parish Brumstead Roses, Parkers and Walshams it obvious that only Rose Hall manor under William Durrant still remains. Whilst the enclosure map has been lost the enclosure document still exists and describes how William Durrant is to pay for the physical enclosure of the Common with a bank and ditch with a hedge on top to keep out wild animals. It also states that the Common was for the poor of the Parish (to cut fuel and enjoy a right of common pasture upon the allotments with geese stock and cattle) and was to be governed by the trustees for the poor plus it gives details of how part of the southern boundary with Stalham was to be defined. The total area of waste land in the Parish is noted at approximately 275.9 acres which is significantly larger than that quoted a few years later on the 1842 Tithe map. On the 22 January 1809, Thomas Durrant from Brumstead (son of William and Mary Durrant) went down with the other 120 officers and men of the Brig H.M.S.Primrose during a storm off the Lizzard when it was outbound for Spain (06).

The 1700s saw many changes that would have had a large impact on the region. The industrial and agricultural revolutions resulted in major changes in farm practices and there was a large migration of ex farm workers into the industrialised towns looking for work plus income tax started in 1799. In 1775 the country was at war with America (who were fighting for independence) and in 1793 the country was at war with France who in 1799 saw the French revolution and Napoleon Bonaparte rise to power which led to the Napoleonic wars between 1803 to 1815 (05).

Reference ;

01. Armstrong history of Norfolk (DA 637 ARM 1781: Vol 7)

02. Leaflet of St Peters church, Brumstead (obtained from the church).

03. Enclosure Act for Brumstead dated 1805 and held at the Norfolk Records Office (S/Sac 2/56).

04. Sites and Monuments Records held at Gressenhall.

05. The Wordswoth Dictionary of British History - 1994.

06. Monumental inscription from the Church.

Definitions ;

Enclosure was a direct result of the Napoleonic wars with France and was indented to replace parts of the old and inefficient small Medieval field system with a larger more productive field system by forced land exchange. Whilst in practice it achieved its aim, large land owners managed to consolidate their estates and farms normally at the expense of the smaller land owners who lost out due to being allocated unsuitable land.

Waste land was marsh, common, scrub, etc,

Tithe Map was a map of the parish to determine how much money or produce each farmer / person owed to the church (normally set at a tenth of their income - the word tenth was corrupted to tithe).

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