always set your browser window to full screen (f11)

The Guided Tour

This will give you a flavour of what is contained in this history

When you go around yourself you can pick any starting point, but it helps to have some ideas of what you want to read and see. The history is a “ramble and see what you can on the way”. You can take any route you like. Before taking a hypertext link, place the cursor over the link to see the tip on what to expect. Remember that you can always return by clicking BACK on the browser toolbar above. Have you hit F11 yet, it will make it much easier to see what you are doing?

 

If you first take a look at the prehistory Prehistoric Yarmouth, you will learn something of the ancient origins.

 

If you want to learn about Yarmouth’s setting in the scheme of national historical writing, read the treatise on  Local History in England. You will find all these items to be very detailed.

 

However, instead of a simple list of suggested items, this guided tour will now be an extract of a few of the thousands of historical items that you can browse.

 

To start with the treatise on local history writing here are three extracts that put Great Yarmouth’s history in context:

The Development of Local History Writing.

 

Historical writing may appear to be a more or less continuous developmental process that is reflected in the nature of works by historians. In reality the process is much more complex. To some extent the period that they worked in determined the style of the work. Irrespective of the personality, the approach to the subject demonstrates some adherence to a national pattern. Certain major figures appear responsible for stimulating changes in style, but are not responsible by themselves for their introduction, which is a collective process that happens across the centuries in an inconsistent manner.  Some counties and regions miss out at times in terms of history. The earliest historians could only pass on small numbers of copied manuscripts, and so the scope for peer influence was limited. With the advent of printing however, there was ready access to the work of others, and a current style of historical text was able to develop.  Caxton found historical texts to be a ready source for his printing press, and provided readily saleable material for commercial use (laws of copyright were not established until 1709).[1]  Caxton thus disseminated the works of the earliest writers, and the process of development of historical writing was greatly boosted. Nevertheless, many early historians were more antiquarian collectors of documents and information than true historical writers, and this only changed with the initiative of William Dugdale who established a style of writing and presentation that prevailed until the twentieth century.  How his work influenced others working subsequently on their histories of various towns and counties will be examined in some detail in the main chapters of this dissertation.

 

Then another extract-

The style of individual narratives generally does adhere to precedent and tries to establish a contemporary norm. Bale should perhaps be credited with the introduction of a new style of writing that persisted through the works of such as Gibbon, who was one of very few to make a financial success of historical authorship. Bale has not been liked, since he rewrote Hollinshed, but the style he popularised, lasted two centuries. The collective approach and presentation of Camden and Dugdale similarly had a lasting influence that in Yarmouth was copied by Henry Swinden.  Elsewhere Francis Drake of York followed a similar model with his History and Antiquities of York in 1836 Drake introduced many plates and maps, but this might well have been Swinden’s intention in Yarmouth also, if he had not died before publication. Blomefield used a questionnaire to enable the collection of data from places that he would otherwise have found impossible to visit. The practice of circulating such questionnaires was however widespread, and not the innovation of Blomefield.

 

And a third-

The Historians and Histories of Great Yarmouth

 

The previous page(s) were an extract from this dissertation, now given in full.

 

Contents:

 

Introduction

The development of local history

Background history of the town of Great Yarmouth.

 

Chapter 1

Damet’s writing and Rutledge’s work confirmed.

The influences upon Damet and his successor, Henry Manship, and the resultant state of their writing (From Caxton and Leland, to Hollinshed and Speed).

 

Chapter 2

Blomefield’s history: how it relates to Yarmouth and its origins and place in the general historical scene. Le Neve and his influence and relation to Yarmouth History.

 

Chapter 3

Henry Swinden, his work of 1730-70, the style of the age, and how it developed, following Camden, Dugdale, Le Neve. Swinden as a contemporary of Parkin and Blomefield.

 

Chapter 4

Maps, some lost and rediscovered. The tales which they tell, and how different authors have used them and been influenced by them.

 

Chapter 5

Charles Palmer, his life and works, and how they were produced.  Others elsewhere who may have influenced the results. How his writing fits into the pattern of general and regional historiography.

 


The Histories and Historians of Great Yarmouth.

 

Introduction.

This dissertation will follow the development of historical writing in Great Yarmouth from the time of Damet’s work in the 1570's until the death of Charles Palmer in 1888. 

 

Clearly if you wish to read more you should go to that work. This may have been sufficient to give you a flavour. Now we will look at some extracts of “Prehistoric Yarmouth, and then some extracts from some streets and rows, where the main part of this history resides. In all cases there are hyperlinks to these items from the “Front page”, and if you want to read the full text you must use that route. After a while you will simply get to find your way about best by just nosing around and trying different items on different occasions.

 

 

Pre-Historic Burials

In the stone age landscape, perhaps 5-8,000 years ago, there was an intensely settled, and well marked out landscape of small settlements and established and defined trackways. Burials took place in or beside circular barrows, and possibly some of the circles noted in the aerial photos and marked on the scale plan, were henge sites, where religious ceremonies and burials, perhaps sacrifices may have taken place. Cinerary urns, an early and a fourth century Roman coin, were found at Runham Vauxhall in brick earth in 1879, apparently below sea level. This could not be explained, since it was thought that the sea level had been higher, whereas the digging of the broads shows the area not to have been constantly under water. ( peat_digging.) This nevertheless, is one of several instances of Roman artifacts in an area that was said not to have existed before a thousand years ago.

Prehistoric Roadways

The trackways are very clear in places, and it appears likely that the subsequent Roman roads,  and  the modern roads from Yarmouth to Lowestoft, Yarmouth to Haddiscoe, and Yarmouth to Caister, are extremely ancient routes. A very fine stone axe was found beside Long Lane at Corton, and I wonder whether Long Lane, which apparently leads nowhere, since it does not lead directly to Corton, is the remnant of a roadway to Newton, where it perhaps led in common with Station Road Hopton, and Stirrups lane, Corton. Although this may be is more in the realms of imagination, nevertheless, since the north sea was once dry with absolute certainty following the ice age, right across to the continent, the coast was as far away as one might imagine, dependant only upon the date.

Stone age axe head found at Peterhouse School playing field.  

 

A Roman Villa at Browston?

There clearly was a track that led from the north-east to Browston Hall. This seems have led either to a stone age  circle and settlement, or possibly  the site of a Roman Villa. It has been suggested that the crop marks might alternatively represent a formal garden for the Elizabethan Hall there, although there appears evidence of a much more extensive settlement. This and the existence of primitive trackways leading to it from the north-east, points to something much older. 

 

 

Aerial photo of Browston, 1976. © Norfolk Museums and Archaeology Service, photo by Derek Edwards.

 

A Roman Villa at Cantley

There are similar crop-marks on high ground at Cantley, that are thought by Derek Edwards*12a to represent a Roman Villa site, although once again, there has been no archaeological investigation.   

   

Bronze Age Settlement

At Gorleston there have been three finds from the bronze age, that point to a Bronze Age village. The first discovery of Bronze-Age axe heads was made at the north-west corner of the Magdalen playing field. It may well be that excavation of that field, as yet unbuilt upon, could reveal further evidence of Stone Age and Bronze Age settlement.

A find of several axe heads was made in 1952 in a trench cut to lay a pipe. This has been called "Gorleston hoard I". Another hoard was discovered some years  prior  to  1966,  and  has been called "Gorleston hoard II". The latter was exchanged with, and can be seen at, the Birmingham museum. The find was on the site of the Magdalen Arms public house. It was privately discovered and kept secret at the time. "Gorleston Hoard I", can be seen on display at the Tolhouse museum. There are a considerable number of socketed axe-heads, parts of sword blades, and some scrap bronze. It is thought to represent  the secret store of a bronze merchant or smith. It would have been very valuable. One further find of a bronze axe head, in May 1991, was made by Andrews and Squires builders, when Dr.Kumar's surgery in Stuart Close was extended towards the pavement. The axe head was lying only some nine inches or more below the surface, and beside the public footpath.        

 

Yet another discovery of Bronze age axes is recorded to have been made, at the old Rectory at Somerleyton, in 1926.*12  Somerleyton may be of further interest in the future. On 12th.Sept.1994, I identified an area in a field about 500 yards south-west of the church, which has many small fragments of brick and some small pottery sherds.

Flint scrapers from Hopton, near White House Farm. (found by myself)

Small scrapers from field South of the 13th hole at Gorleston Golf Course. (found by me)

 

The modern village is nowhere near the church, and so this may well be the site of the medieval village. There are other possible reasons for the incidence of such fragments, and a careful survey is needed, before jumping to conclusions. At the same spot I also identified an earlier relic, a large flint scraper of the semi-circular variety.

 

Flint axes from Corton Long Lane, photo by P.E.Rumbelow. (now at Norwich castle museum)


A hundred yards further south in the wood, is a most unusual earthwork, that appears to be a claypit, but which has some curiously shaped mounds at the north-east corner, that may also be well worthy of further investigation.

 

Neolithic flint tools

There are finds of Stone Age tools that have been made all over the area between Yarmouth and Lowestoft. Mr.Bullock at Hopton picked up some remarkable examples of worked flints over a thirty year period to 1951, and some of the best of these were photographed by Rumbelow.

these flint tools from Hopton photographed by P.E.Rumbelow

 

Iron Age hut sites

There is a saucer-like depression east of the A12 road, immediately south of Links Road at Gorleston, which is in a field that exhibits an enormous number of crop markings, and easily produces stone tools. This depression appears to represent  the remains of a stockade.*13  This type of circular  stockade is reported as being used to contain the valuable livestock, dwellings  being built around the outside. Another pair of such saucer-like depressions can be found about 500 yards south of Lound Church, on top of a small rise. Both these sites appear worthy of skilled investigation. Strangely, they are both double depressions, so perhaps human habitation was within one, with animals occupying the other. A significant number of ring-ditches can be seen on the aerial photos. These would have been a fortification around an individual hut. At least one of these is within the bounds of what seems to represent a large ploughed-out bank. Such a bank may well be part of a larger fortified site or "hillfort". (see "Prehistoric Settlements" by Robert Bewley, 1994, p.110.)

This is the depression East of the A12, referred to above.

And opposite Lound Church.

 

Further similar saucer-like man made settlements are to be found beside Butt lane, opposite the Roman fort; to the north-west of the Green Lane/ Beccles Road junction; at least four at Somerleyton, with especially good examples beside the "Glebe House"; and S.W. of the Haddiscoe to Hales road; also at Raveningham.

 

A great river 500,000 years ago

It was suggested to me by Andrew Rogerson that these ideas were nullified by the finding of an ancient and huge river running from the midlands, south-east of Birmingham and winding through Leicester, across East Anglia and through Hoxne towards the North Sea. -  Professor D.Coope, David Keen, et al*14 have reported a river bed at Waverley Wood Farm, where there was an occupation leaving stone tools, at least 500,000 years ago. This surely represents the surface of the clay layer pre-glaciation,  that overlies the chalk, and becomes overlain by deep sand to the east of Hoxne. The sand was undisturbed from the glacial deposition when excavated this year at Scole. This river, I suggest, ran into the chalk valley (covered by clay) that I have described above.  We can surmise that there was a great river at Yarmouth some 500,000 years ago, no doubt with its banks occupied by ancient man, but in no way does this river relate to the Yare or Waveney, which are post-glacial features, or to the inter-glacial period, although there possibly was a river here then also.

 

Medieval Yarmouth

It appears that there was an enormous fire in the south part of the town before the Norman Conquest, whereas it is recorded that the Priory of the Blackfriars was destroyed by fire much later in the Middle Ages. It now seems clear that there was an enormous fire at least in the whole of the area from South Quay to King Street in the line of Rows 128 and 129 in about the year 1000. It appears so great that it spared nothing. The evidence for this is an entirely continuous layer about 2 feet thick, 3.5-4 metres below present ground level, which is in its entirety full of black charcoal and burned fibre of straw and reed. This is such a substantial layer that it cannot possibly represent any small or isolated fires of any cause, such as a firing of a large area of marram grass. The layer contains fish bones in most places. Due to the commercial nature of the excavation very little material was examined, and only a very few pottery sherds have been recovered. The burned fibres remain intact and unbroken in the ground, despite being burned entirely to carbon. This shows that the ground here was never subsequently worked (ploughed or dug in any way). A layer of sand immediately overlays this remarkable feature, so that the layer is entirely discrete, sharply delineated everywhere by the clean sand layers above and below. It had appeared from the 1886 ship discovery*15, that this layer was at the very least, 10 feet above the post glacial surface, but this is not so, as it was not touched by the 1996 pipe trench and the 19th century brick built sewer (and presumably the "Viking" ship) are  both  cut into the glacial sand deposit. The "Viking" ship (reported in Rumbelow’s Diary) may well be a ship burial; it has never been examined.

 

After the extract of prehistory, we will look at a couple of maps

 

Firstly the 1946 aerial view that gives a good overview of the town layout, and so clearly shows the differences in the town, as being medieval until that point and something much less so after-

 

On the right of the river, (East) there are just three relatively small areas of total destruction and clearance. Note the roofless church at the top centre, and the Conge clearance of 1935/6, that is seen in the top left of the photo, just below and right of the old railway bridge. Take the chance to see the layout of the town here. The North- South street pattern can be easily made out, with the three main streets. In the South half of the town, there is South Quay along the river, and Middlegate and King Street to the right of the Quay. Regent Street divides the centre, and North of that is the curve of George Street leading into Northgate Street, and then Howard Street and the Market Place, whilst North Quay is alongside the river. The medieval town survived the war, and the subsequent failure to conserve is especially despicable though typical of the time. Below are the streets marked over the photo. The photo is made paler for clarity of the text.

 

The Elizabethan map shows the medieval town also-

 

Here is the entire Elizabethan town, enclosed within its walls. There are four windmills on the Denes, the crane on the quay, a ducking stool by the bridge, and the market cross in the market place. When you examine the article entitled walls and towers, there are details enlarged from this map to show the towers.

 

Another way to get around is by using the “Combined Subject Index”

This is a set of hypertext links, here are a few from the index-

Palgrave Brown

panelling

peat_digging

Pleasure beach          For the active links you must go to frontpage and then combined subject index

Paxton, Margaret

 

Quay, ancient, discovered

 

Revolving tower

Reynolds          Reynolds

Richards shipbuilders

Roman_roads

Roman_sea_level

Rowe

Royal Hotel

 

Now we look at extracts from two streets, and two rows-

1. an extract from “Hall Quay”

 In 1938 at no. 1 Hall Quay (where today is Havenbridge House Harry Hyam, built by ), was the building that became Steward and Patteson's off licence and wine stores. Formerly this was the private residence of Mrs. Munday. Taken before  the turn of the century there are some splendid photographs of her and this beautifully sited residence, one that compares well with that fine site just west of the north-west tower during the same period.

 

Mrs Munday at her front door, about 1890. This became Steward and Patteson’s as seen below.

About 1950. Summer business was brisk then.

 

Next to the empty offices mentioned above is the fine Georgian house that once belonged to Sir Edmund Lacon. This became the Hall Quay Cub, then Falstaff’s Restaurant; now Quay Leisure.

 

With regard to the Hall Quay Club, the west end of the building is but two stories high, having a Georgian doorway. The main part of the house looks to all intents as though it has three stories, with three tiers of windows. In fact the upper windows that appear to represent a second floor merely reflect the great height of the first floor rooms, and the third storey does not exist. For many years there has been a club at these premises. When the Conservative Club were here, Ernest Bullent was steward, and resided on the premises with his wife Ethel.

Ernest Bullent, born 9/4/1900, started work here in 1914, whereas Ethel, his wife, did not start at the club until 1936. She describes the club as having the centre upstairs room as a billiard room. Here a man named Mason was employed as a billiard marker for 50 years. He wore a bowler hat at work. There was a boy allocated to each room, with the bells ringing downstairs from each. They wore black trousers and shoes, and black jackets with a fine stripe pattern, together with white shirts. After 11 am., they were dressed in steward's pointed jackets. There was a man who frequented the club in a straw hat and never took it off. The daily newspapers were available, but could not be removed from the reading room. Bridge was generally played in the small card room on the west end of the first floor, although cards were also played in the "Big card room" with the bow window.

Latterly of course this room has been used as a restaurant. Large supper parties were catered for at times, and on the occasion of the club's 50th. jubilee, there were six courses for 70 people, including 18 pheasants. Under the house are 2 large cellars, and a separate cellar in the back yard for coal. If there was the combination of wet weather and a high tide, then the cellars could flood with 2 feet of water, although now there is an electric pump. The two main cellars run parallel and the length of the house. The ceilings in the cellars are of  brick and arched, a little low, permitting standing in the centre. In the pantry was a wooden sink for washing glasses. The floor was flagstone. During the war the Bullent's children, Gwen and Geoffrey were evacuated, and Ethel managed the club herself. One well-known chairman of the club was John Clymer, who was renowned as a gourmet and a first class golfer at County and National level. He made some changes in the club, including painting over the wooden wall side stair rails. John Clymer died in October 2000 at the age of 81. He had served on the Lothingland Council before joining the Gt. Yarmouth Borough Council in 1974. He was Mayor in 1979-80, and Conservative leader. He was a director of the building firm E. Moore and Son. He was president of the local St John’s Ambulance, and a member of the port authority, and President of the Gorleston and Yarmouth Lifeboat.  He was married to Jean who died earlier, and left three children and eleven grandchildren.

The downstairs lounge of the Hall Quay Club was refurbished by courtesy of Tom Maltby the millionaire, and subsequently known as "Uncle Tom's Cabin". Maltby’s picture hangs above the fireplace shown here.

 

 

Although at the time of writing this note (23/1/94), the Hall Quay Club was still here, the Falstaff's restaurant had closed down due to poor trading, and the club, suffering a loss of rent, decided to sell the premises and to cease its functions. It has been for many years frequented by some of the prominent men of the town, and its recent Chairmen were- 

1980  D. A. Bullock

1981  M. G. Clarke

1982  W. P. Molineux

1983  N. J. Holroyd

1984  Ronald Toone

1985  M. Mussino

1986  J. Cheeseman

1987  A. G. Tayler

1988  R. W. Fackman

1989  J. R. Hannant

1990- 91 R. N.  Jones

 

The eastern rooms of the house have a most splendid bow front, with three fine Georgian sash windows facing down the quay. The view from the first floor here is the most excellent in Yarmouth. (pictured above from inside)

On this site was the town house of Sir John Fastolf, K.G. Born at Caister in 1378, Sir John was descended of Alexander Fastolf, one of the Bailiffs in the time of Edward I. Mainly remembered as a military commander in the 15th. Century wars in France (Agincourt, Crecy), he built a castle at Caister, and a chapel at the Abbey of St.Benet at Hulme. He is said to have been a violent and vitriolic man, and the model of Shakespeare's Falstaff. He died at the age of 79, his will being dated 14th. June 1459. His will was disputed on the basis of his poor mental health. He was  thought incapable on 3rd. November. The money from his will had been given to endow a college at Caister, and instead it went to an establishment attached to Magdalen College Oxford. He was a benefactor of Magdalen during his lifetime. This was the beginning of Yarmouth's long connection with Oxford it appears. There were also bequests for repair of the harbour and town walls.*3

 

 

now an extract from South Quay to demonstrate sound clips

During the war some of the young lads at Bunn's warehouse, on the opposite side of the river, kept watch up on their roof. After some passage of war, the staff being very busy with animal feed, they tired of abandoning work for the incessant sirens, that frequently went off, yet nothing followed. Rather than rely on the sirens, even though there were two types of siren, one to warn of activity in the area, and a whooping type of call that indicated aircraft actually over the town itself, they devised their own system, taken when this local warning sounded.  Three or four boys were rostered by Mr. Bunn to take turns and climb up a ladder to the roof, and another short ladder up the chimney stack, and observe to warn if the aircraft was actually headed in their direction or not. Arthur Postle or one of the other youngsters, would be sat on top of the roof with an electric bell-push to sound the alarm if there was any real danger, when everyone in the office would dive for cover.

..\SOUND\Postle9Bunns alarm system.wav

 The boy would simply be hanging onto the chimney-pot!  One grey and misty  day, early in 1941, Arthur was despatched to take watch when the crash alarm sounded. There was the sound of an aircraft, and looking in all directions through the drizzle, he could see nothing. He turned to look north, when out of the cloud appeared a Heinkel 111, coming over the Haven bridge, at a level below the town hall clock, and since the aircraft had now passed, Arthur did not push the bell-switch, but the plane released five silver bombs, which fell horizontally into the river without exploding. The five bombs fell in the region of the  cranes, and have never been reported or found. It looked as though the plane was aiming them at the cranes, but hit nothing.

..\SOUND\Postle8bombs in river.wav

Digging under fire!

It was at about this time that the corporation decided to construct another road at the back of Southtown.  Until then  there was only the one road to Gorleston, and Suffolk Road was constructed then as an alternative route. Fortunately too, since shortly thereafter Southtown Road was made impassable by bomb damage. The dig for victory campaign was initiated, and the allotments  created in Cobholm and everywhere that there was spare ground that could be dug up. Young Postle was digging at the allotment one morning, when a DO-17, having attacked Jewson's premises, where a ship was unloading timber dropping a bomb missing it, but damaging the quayside, and killing two dockers. The pilot could see no other activity bar the sight of Postle digging, and so made a raid on the allotment, strafing it with machine gun fire.

 

An extract from “Row 125”

Darn the Baker was at no.10. This is the bakery in the photograph with the sign saying "C.Allman". Darn was known as the "midnight baker", starting at 4 in the afternoon!, and going on until 10pm.   Dick Westgate's mother was born in the bakery. Darn had previously had a bakery shop at Rainbow corner. At one time, prior to Darn a man called Boast had this bakery, and used to burn a lot of paper in the oven, obtained from Wolseley and Wolseley when they had their premises in Middlegate Street. Darn would bake your dinner in his oven for a penny or tuppence, whereas in Allman's day it had been a fee of a farthing.  The bread, buns, men on a stick, would be delivered by barrow through the rows.  

 

Christopher Allman was Rosa Westgate's father, nicknamed "Cutty" Allman. Allman had a white beard, and was a friend of Arthur Patterson. After retiring from the bakery, he lived with his other daughter at no.13.  At some time after Darn had taken over, William Allen (who married Doris Wilmot, ex row 108) had a job here selling rolls hot from the oven. He had no boots then and was sent to the Town hall with a docket to get a pair. He didn't like the job and stayed only a week. This was in about 1930, whilst he was still at school, aged 13. Doris Allen went to school with Rose Westgate at the Nelson School who was a quiet girl, and to me looks a bright young thing in the coronation party photo, but she was killed in an air‑raid. Rose sat in-front of Doris in class. They also played as a group with Gwenny Blyth, in the row or down on the beach. Billy Blyth her brother, was known as a bit of a bully, and bullied his sister. 

 

James Audley was a smacksman living at no.12 on the south side, who had also married one of Allman's daughters. He later worked at Vauxhall station as a stableman. Charles Brown at no.14 worked at the waterworks. He had several sons. One, Joe, had a leg amputated and also worked at the waterworks. Another son emigrated to Australia. Two of the daughters were Rosie and Ethel. Their house faced the row, and beside it was an un‑numbered building that was a fish‑house. There were three smoke houses there. The Brown's house opened out directly onto the row.  Henry Watson's house was down a passage, and was a tall thin man with a son and a daughter.    Albert Quinton's wife Gladys at no.16 was a cousin of Dick's. Her maiden name was Spurway, her father was a Trinity man (working for Trinity House), who died of T.B. after an injury from a gun recoil on board ship in the first war. Albert worked at the amusements (Barrons).  Bob Howlett was good for an argument, an old man who lived at no.17.   Robert John Parker was at no.18. His family had a bakery in South Middlegate. Again this house was down a passage through a covered entrance. Thomas Playford was a little man at no.19. During the second war he would sit on his broad window ledge and say that the Germans would never knock their houses down! Here there were passages to either side of his house.  Thompson down the passage at no.20 had a horse drawn lorry carrying herring in the season. Thompson was such a huge fellow that they reckoned he could have pulled the cart over the bridge instead of the horse!    Mrs.Patterson was the lady who made the "allway". Jackson had a very large family, all in another passageway. Charles Arbon at 23 had the Jockey Scales on the sea front. The jockey scales are to be found there in the season to this day. This was the last house in the row.  There was a stable behind no.121 King Street, between nos.1 and 2 in the row. Rudrum had a provisions shop at no.1, and 121 King Street was a bacon curer's shop. It cost 3/6 or 4/6 for a whole leg of bacon covered in breadcrumbs.  In the next row was Brett's foundry, but also, at Row 118, "Jiggy" Hall had a blacksmith's shop. Boys then making a cart out of old pram wheels and a box, old "jiggy" would cut and weld the axle for them to fit, and charge sixpence. 

 

None of the Allman family, including Rosa, went to school, and couldn't read or write. If Rosa watched father's shop, a lot of business was done on tick, (credit), and so she would draw a picture of a loaf or whatever was sold, in the book.  When young Dick grew up he had a paraffin business, and they kept a large tank of paraffin in a shed at the back of no.13. (such a fire hazard wouldn't be permitted now, I think.)  He married May Taylor, who had been born in Belfort Place in 1924, when Dr.Blake was the doctor at her birth, then working with Dr.Ellis. Mr.Taylor was an engine driver, shunting the trucks up and down the Quay. Blake was the doctor for the railway company. Valentine Blake's practice was taken by Dr.Milner, and then by Dr.Rutter, and then by Dr.Cubie.

 

When Dr Cubie retired, his patient list was split between myself and Drs Gouls and Lal.

In the photo of Allman's shop, Rosa Allman is the small girl, and her mother is shown also. The row was concreted by Cockrill, and had gas lamps. There was a small boy who often followed the gas lighter with an upturned old cocoa tin on a stick, playing at being a gas lighter, and holding his tin up to the lamps as they went round.  Rosa Allman at one time went to lessons in a small school run by an old lady in ?row 123. One day there was an old wreck blown up in the roads, and the tremor caused the floor to collapse in the school house. After that Rosa never attended any more, and her schooling ceased. Her brother in later years had a fruit shop in Regent Road next to Pownall's fishing tackle shop, but his education suffered the same fate as his sisters, and he could not read or write either. Charles Allman his son later took over his fruit business. 

The paraffin tank at no.13 held 50 gallons, and deliveries were made every day by motor cycle and sidecar. There was a warehouse that they used on Mariners Road, owned by Charlie Websters boat owners. Part of this was war-damaged and then patched up. Later Richard Westgate acquired a van to replace the motorcycle. After the war father worked for Norton's of Northgate Street with a barrow, still delivering paraffin.  After retiring from the paraffin business at age 65, Richard worked on the seafront for another nine years, with deckchairs and also at the old Marina when they had the cowboy shows that were still there at the end of the 70's. 

In the photo in the yard at no.7, is seen Richard and two cousins, on the left Arthur and Tom the orderly.  In the photo on the seafront Richard is in the middle, with the manager Joey Moore, on the left. It was 2 shillings and sixpence to get into the Marina open air show.  

The boy in the centre of the carnival photo is Christopher Audley, a cousin of the Westgates, who had a fish house and cured herrings, but ended up as a police inspector. To the left is Lilly, and Flo Sparkes with the light dress on. At the back under the flag, with his father on the left peering over a head with a hat on Dick's right, is his sister Rose Westgate. At the left hand side of the photograph, holding a child, is George Sparkes (holding Marlene), also the father of Flo. Josh Lee is to be seen on Sparkes' left. Arthur Westgate and Ern. Arthur being foreman in Sutton's fish‑house are to be seen, also Rosie Brown at the bottom left, with a hat on. On her left is Lilly Audley, just beside the table. Sitting down on the right side is Tom Audley, another cousin of Dick Westgate's. At the bottom right is one of the Mitchells who lived in row 124. In that family were three, including Peter and Victor. Old Mrs Lee (Josh Lee's wife) is to be seen with on the right, the lady peeping behind the baby. Minnie Blyth is on the left of the photo in-front of Josh Lee. On the right with white dress and white hat  is Ivy Beckett, and her daughter Ivy is the girl with a hat on, two to her right, just beyond the baby. Peggy Sparkes is just below her on the right, and Mary Sparkes looking over the top. They were sisters to the other Sparkes, and daughters of the gentleman with the baby on the right.

Lilly Audley married Byron Jackson (no.22), and his daughter Rose (Rosemary Sahota) worked with me at the occupational Health Department of the James Paget Hospital (1980-91).  This Jackson had three wives. There was another Jackson in the row, who however was no relation. See the original for all the pictures etc.

 

And another extract picked at random, shows how snippets of history in one row of course relate to each other and are linked together, Row 115-

 

At the  south‑west corner, no.43 King Street, in 1759 belonged to Samuel Lacey of North Shields, and was sold by him in 1776 to William Mallett, beer brewer.   Adjoining to the south was a house (no.44) which had the same successive owners until 1810, when it was purchased by John Bracey, who for many years filled the office of Pier Master.   Andrew Bracey, who resided in a house at the north‑west corner of Row 136, was Mayor when in 1715, the old pretender landed in Scotland. Bracey was a zealous Hanovarian, and promoted an armed association amongst the inhabitants for the suppression of that most horrid and un‑natural rebellion as he termed it. He caused the town wall, which had fallen in some places into decay, to be repaired, and ordered the gates to be shut every night. (No doubt this was the last occasion on which the town was thus fully secured against invasion, and has probably been instrumental in securing the survival to this day of much of the town wall.)  William Bracey, the Mayor's brother, also a woollen draper, occupied a house on the north side of "Old Broad Row", which was depicted in Corbridge's map.  Lt.Bracey R.N., who commanded a Tender in 1790, married Mary, daughter of William Brown, mayor in 1744, and widow of Brightin Wakeman Esq. Sometime after the death of Mr.Bracey,  the house was purchased by R.H.Beart, who resided in it for some years, and subsequently it became the property of Rear Admiral Charles Sibthorpe John Hawtayne, who in 1857, walking one dark evening on the south pier at Lowestoft, fell over the side into the harbour and was concussed, causing his death at the age of 76.   

 

Nos. 43 and 44 King Street were one building until divided in 1776, when they were converted to typical Georgian dwellings. There had been a row on the south side and this was built upon as part of no.44. In 1834, Dr Smith was in residence at no.43. In 1922 there was a Dr Lawrence was the occupier and in 1996 Dr Rumble moved in and set up the “Leonard Ley” surgery.

Albert Boldra and colleagues, Gas Co outing. See also Rows 113 and 114.

ROW ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN      ROW ONE HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN

Between row 115 and 126, there is a short street which was called East Street, leading into the Drum Opening, and York Road. (Now this is just another part of York Road)  At the south‑east corner of the opening, and just within the town wall, was the office of the Great Yarmouth Waterworks Company. The Great Yarmouth Waterworks Act was passed in 1853. The company derived their supply from some small inland lakes, locally called Broads, the water covering about 600 acres of land. The waterworks were erected on the edge of Ormesby Broad, and the water flowed by gravity into an artificial well. From there it was lifted into the filter‑bed by two powerful engines.

 

 

So much for examples, I suggest you try the real thing-

The New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth front page

 

 



[1]May McKisack, Medieval History in the Tudor Age, (Clarendon Press, Oxford; 1971), p.116.