Author: Jim McNeill
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A Burning Barn, ELSAN Toilets and Communal Wells
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Barn Cottages on Oxborough Road burned down in 1972, leading to their demolition. Community members remember shared living conditions, outdoor toilets, and reliance on wells for water prior to mains supply installation.
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Within Living Memory: looking back at our history exhibition in May 2024
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The interactive display at Stoke Ferry Village Hall on May 11, 2024, allowed visitors to explore historical memories of the High Street, contributing personal recollections for a community archive, fostering connection with the village’s past.
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A history of Moulsham House, High Street, Stoke Ferry
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Moulsham House in Stoke Ferry, built in the 18th century, has served various purposes and owners over 300 years, evolving from a family residence to shops, banks, and holiday lets, reflecting local history.
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Salmon’s Farm, Stoke Ferry
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The content details the history of four farms in Stoke Ferry, focusing on Benjamin Salmon’s life as a farmer and carrier, his religious activities, and the transition of Salmon’s Farm into the site of the existing Village Hall.
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Young Women and Girls in Service in Victorian Times
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In Victorian times, one in three young women worked as domestic servants, enduring low pay, harsh treatment, and strict hierarchies, with many facing dangers like sexual exploitation and poor working conditions.
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Hay rick burning: a wive’s tale
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On November 5, 1831, an arson incident was reported in Stoke Ferry. We have attributed the rick burning to an unemployed farm laborer, John. His wife’s thoughts reveal desperation against oppressive machines, enclosures, and dire poverty faced by their community.
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It’s the Month of Halloween …. let’s reflect on East Anglia’s Witch-hunting past
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Explore the dark history of witch-hunting in East Anglia during 1645-46, where fear and superstition led to tragic executions and widespread terror.
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An illustrated look at five old pubs & hotels of Stoke Ferry
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Several historic inns in Stoke Ferry are discussed, including their origins, renovations, and transformations into community spaces and accommodation.
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Pubs, Brewing & Malting in Stoke Ferry & Whittington
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The brewing industry in Stoke Ferry and Whittington highlights the historical significance of local pubs and maltings, which served as community hubs. With many rural pubs facing closure in Britain, the past flourishing pub culture, small-scale brewing by ‘brewsters,’ and gradual consolidation under larger brewers reveal the evolution of this vital industry.