Historical Documents (1883)

A finding of some historical documents:

Re-widening of Church Road (1883).

Towards then end of 2006, The Parish Clerk Lesley Beevor, the Vice Chairman Jean Purkis and the Chairman Liam Martin were sorting through some old filing cabinets, which for many years had been gathering dust in a lock up belonging to one of our local builders.

These cabinets contained documents - mainly old planning applications, some old finance records and minute books dating back to the early 1900's. The purpose was to archive some of the documents at the Records Library.

Among the brown envelopes containing old planning documents was a smaller brown envelope with the words " Rewidening of Church Road in 1883 ". 

Inside the envelope were two original handwritten parchment documents, the significance of these documents are that these were written in the days prior to the actual formation of Parish Councils as we know them today.

The first document was a petition dated 21^st June 1883 from the ratepayers of Kessingland to The Justices sitting at Lowestoft asking them, the Magistrates to "consider the desirability of widening the Parish Highway leading from the Church to The Lower School, because of the constant traffic of vehicles being a constant risk and danger to pedestrians"

To view the petition please click here (this may take a few seconds to download).

The petition was written and signed by the then Rector of Kessingland, William WOODWARD, and is countersigned by 66 local ratepayers. Some of the names are still around the village today - Durrant, Utting, Blowers, Strowger, Edwards, Catchpole, Marjoram, Turrell and Browne, to name but a few.

The second document is The Order made by The Justices, James PETO and George EDWARDS and is dated the 19^th September 1883.

To view the Order by The Justices please select a page below:
For the translation of these pages please scroll to the bottom of this page titled "19th September 1883".

Order Cover

Order Page1

Order Page2

(Each page may take a few seconds to download).

They ordered that the said length of Highway mentioned in the petition, should be widened and in order to do this, the land owned by a Frederic Augustus MOORE-BOYCOTT of Sennoweville, Bushey, Hertfordshire, should be annexed.

Recompense was to be made to the landowner and The Justices ordered a levy of one shilling and sixpence in the pound be levied on the Highway Rate, to pay that amount.

The document shows that the Parish of Kessingland paid the money in two instalments, one of £106 and the second for £104, making a total of £210.

A substantial amount of money at that time.  (see table at end).

The documents are transcribed and are reproduced with this summary, as are copies of the original documents.

Some research has been undertaken on some of the people mentioned in the documents. -

From the 1881 England Census -

William Woodward is shown as being born around 1825 in Atherstone Warwickshire, making him 56years of age. His occupation is shown as a Clerk to Holy Orders, living at The Vicarage in Kessingland, with his wife Elizabeth (age 46) three children Alice (age 8, Arthur (age 6) and George (age 4). There were two live in domestics, Ellen Hinds (age 42) and Jane Pye (age 17).

James Peto is shown as being born in Great Marton, Buckinghamshire around 1816 making him 65 years of age. His occupation is described as a Magistrate of Suffolk living at 17 The Esplanade, Lowestoft, with his wife Mary (age 60) and three children Mary (age 33), Gertrude (age 23) and Mabel (age14). There were three live in domestic staff Caroline Kemp (age 51), Agnes Chinlow (age 32) and Emily Mallows (age 18).

George Edwards is shown as being born in Lynn Regis Norfolk around 1805 making him 76 years of age. His occupation is shown as a retired engineer and Justice of the Peace, living at a private house on the Beccles Road with two domestic staff Susan Leggatt (age 67) and Emma Baker (age 24)

George Edwards was in charge of operations during the excavations of Lowestoft Harbour, working with Sir Samuel Morton Peto (not thought to be related to James above) who through developing the railways and the harbour brought great commerce to Lowestoft.

George Edwards is buried in St.Michaels churchyard in Oulton and at his request a large glacial granite stone, which was dredged up from the bed of Lake Lothing, has been placed on his grave. Around this stone two local legends have sprung up, one is that it is said that if you place your ear against the stone at anytime of the day or night you will hear the sound of church bells and the second is that by running round the stone three times will cause The Devil to appear.

Frederic Augustus Moore-Boycott was born in Norfolk in 1849 the son of John Hall Moore-Boycott and his second wife Matilda. John Hall came from a prominent East Anglian family, his grandfather was the Mayor of Norwich, and the family home was Sennowe Hall near Fakenham. Sometime between 1860 and 1870 the family moved to Bushey Heath Hertfordshire, where their house was called Sennoweville. Frederic married Octavia Mary Anketell in 1879, they had four sons and two daughters, the youngest son Desmond Lionel Moore-Boycott became a clergyman and founder of a famous choir school.

The 1881 census shows Frederic Augustus Moore-Boycott living on private means with his wife Octavia at 84 Earls Court Road, Kensington, London. Other residents in the house are Elizabeth Canwell (age 21), Caroline Chapman (age 33), Suzane Duvet (age 24), George Feltham (age 31), Felice Grassino (age 32), Clarence Haversham (age 1) and Caroline Walker (age 33).

Frederic was a serial absentee landlord and beside land in Kessingland, he owned land in Testerton and Ryburgh in Norfolk. The original family home Sennowe Hall was sold by Frederic in 1887 and according to the 1891 census only two servants lived at Sennoweville near Bushey.  This house was sold in 1900, Frederic died in 1928.

To give the reader some idea of the sums of money involved in granting this request some comparisons have been made to modern day values - this is based on purchasing power i.e. what would be the value of what you would buy today.

1883.  Item.                                                                 Purchasing Power 2006

One shilling and sixpence (1/6)

Amount in the £ levied on the rate to

recompense the landowner                                                  £5.19p

£104 - first instalment paid by

the Parish of Kessingland                                                     £7,198.00p

£106 - second instalment paid by

the Parish of Kessingland                                                     £7,336.42p

An indication of peoples earning power in 1883 is listed below, based on four of the relevant occupations.

Occupation                            Yearly Wage 1883         Purchasing Power 2006.

Agricultural Labourer          £41.10s.6d                              £2,874 - 01p

                        (represents         13/8 per week                  £ 47-29p)

General Labourer                 £55. 17s.9d                             £3,868 - 06p

Clergy                                    £315. 7s.6d                             £21,827 - 59p

Engineers                               £312. 19s.9d                           £21,662 - 34p

Prior to decimalisation Sterling currency was in pounds (£), shillings(s) and       pence (d) there were 12pence to a shilling and 20 shillings to a pound.

A penny in 1883 would have a purchasing power in 2006 of 29p

A shilling in 1883 would have a purchasing power in 2006 of £3.46p

A pound in 1883 would have a purchasing power in 2006 of £69.21p