Thrandeston History Group

This document refers to the current property called Woodhall Manor which is in Great Green Thrandeston.

This document refers to the current property called Woodhall Manor which is in Great Green Thrandeston.

The National Archives gives the following description:

“The manor was a landed estate originating in the Middle Ages. It was administered by and for their lords, with dependant tenants living on the land, and its business was carried out in the manor court before the steward. Manors varied in size, from a few acres within a single parish to manors covering several whole parishes, and even parcels of land scattered across several parishes but not adjacent to one another. They were, however, administered by their lords as a single unit.” [1]

It is not clear if the current Woodhall Manor is on the site of the original manor house or if the current property is the site where the manor was managed from.

Historic England cites:

“House. Late C15 or early C16 origins, stack added late C16, extended early C17, altered late C17, cased and part reroofed C19. Timber frame, colourwashed brick casing. Steeply pitched pantiled roof. 3 cell cross passage plan, originally a 2 bay open hall with stack and floor added before parlour, service bay later rebuilt. Now all 2 storeys. Entrance in original cross passage position, half glazed door, 2 and 3-light single glazing bar casements, ground floor hoodboards. Rebuilt ridge stack to left of centre, stack added on right gable end. Left gable end exposed and extended ground floor diamond mullioned window, exposed plates and purlins. To rear cement rendered, catslide roof over lean-to outshut behind parlour which has a slightly steeper pitch to roof. Interior: hall has exposed studding without a midrail, stop chamfered cross axial binding beams, parlour has close studding with a midrail, diamond mullioned windows, curved and reverse curved braces in walling, collars and halved principals clasping purlins, curved windbraces, hall and service end roof renewed. the age of the property as late C15 or early C16.” [2]

Woodhall Manor is mentioned in Coppinger’s Manor’s of Suffolk [3] which cites that the manor was:

“the estate of Hayward, a freeman under the protection of Edric, in the time of Edward the Confessor, and was held by Robert MALET in the time of the Conqueror&rdquop;.

From 1234 it appears to have been held by the DAGWORTH family for several generations.

At the end of the 15th century the manor was vested in Thomas Cornwallis and passed to several members of his family. The various rental rolls at Suffolk Archives will have the names of the Lords of the Manor.

The first records held in archives for Woodhall Manor are the court rolls of 1319 to 1323 and are held by Suffolk Archives. There are a total of 106 document files for Woodhall Manor held in archives and the Manorial Documents on the National Archives lists them all and where they are located. [4]

This document records the property from 1841 until 1939, but starts with the birth of Nathaniel BUTCHER, in 1813, the first known Blacksmith of Thrandeston. Woodhall Manor was established as a Blacksmiths by its location on the Tithe map in 1845, which is how the name of the family was identified.

Please note: Spellings of names and places are taken from records and may vary.

Birth/Baptism

Nathaniel Butcher was born in 1813. The record below [5] cites his birth as April 02, but it is in fact a baptism record and is more likely the date of his baptism:

Birth/Baptism of Nathaniel BUTCHER

At this time, birth dates were not always recorded. The baptism took place in the Baptist Church, which was then in Croft Lane, Diss. (near where Croft Close now is). The record reads “Nathaniel Son of Nathaniel & Mary BUTCHER was born at Diss April 2 181” (the last number is missing). It is known by other records on the page that it was 1813.

Nathaniel’s father, also named Nathaniel, was the Blacksmith in Brome. His mother’s name before her marriage to his father was Mary ELSEY and she was born in Diss.

Marriage

Nathaniel married Mary Ann PETTITT on 16 April 1837 in Thrandeston Church. [6]

Marriage of Nathaniel BUTCHER to Mary Ann PETTITT

The record is taken from Phillimore Marriage Registers. The marriage was by licence and was shortly before civil registration started in July 1837.

1841 Census [7]: On 06 June 1841, Nathaniel and his wife Mary are living at The Green, Thrandeston with their 2 sons:

Nathaniel is 25 years old and his profession is “Blacksmith”. He is living with his wife Mary and 2 sons, Abraham and Edward. This is the first census with individual listings and information was very limited.

Tithe Record:

The tithe apportionments for Thrandeston were recorded in 1845. The notice was printed in the Suffolk Chronicle [8] on Saturday 15 March 1845. Nathaniel may have attended this meeting in the Crown Inn in Botesdale to find out what was going to happen.

The tithe map together with the 1851 census were key in identifying that Woodhall Manor was the location of Nathaniel BUTCHER. The census records list him as a Blacksmith and it was found on the tithe map that Woodhall Manor was the site of the Blacksmith.

The handwritten listing [9] records that Nathaniel Butcher is the owner and occupier of plots 310 a cottage and yard and 312, a pightle.

Tithe record for Nathaniel BUTCHER

The cottage and garden covered an area of 26 perches and the pightle covered an area of 3 roods and 10 perches. A perch is 25 square metres and a rood is 1012 square metres. There are 4 roods to 1 acre. The valuation was 10 shillings and 6 pence which is 52.5p in decimal currency.

The map below shows the locations of the 2 plots:

The word “Smy” is the short form for Blacksmith – Smithy.

1851 Census [10]: On 30 March 1851, Nathaniel’s details are as follows:

The discrepancy in ages from 1841 for Nathaniel and Mary is due to the fact that ages were rounded up and down by 5 years on the 1841 census.

Nathaniel was 37 and a Blacksmith and Mary was 38. Edward their youngest son was 11 years old and a scholar. Absalom was 13 but it would appear that he was not at school or had a trade. Education was very patchy at this stage and there was limited access for education for most working class people. Edward was possibly at the National School in Thrandeston which opened in 1850 (now the village hall). National Schools were set up by the National Association for Promoting the Education of the Poor in the Principles of the Established Church in England and Wales. Children stopped attending National Schools at the age of 12, which is why Absalom was no longer in education.

1861 Census [11]: Nathaniel was listed with his wife, son and a lodger on 07 April 1861

Nathaniel is now 48, occupation “Blacksmith” and is now employing 1 man, Samuel DOWLING who is 19 years of age, occupation “Blacksmiths Labourer”. Nathaniel’s business must be thriving as he has hired help.

Nathaniel and Mary have another child Isaac who is 4 years old. Isaac was born in 1857, which is 19 years after his nearest sibling, but no other children have been found for Nathaniel and Mary. Absalom and Edward have left the family home. Abasalom is boarding in a property in Colchester and is a “Blacksmith”. Edward is married and is living in Brome. He is now a “Master Carpenter and Grocer”.

Overseer:

Nathaniel BUTCHER was appointed as one of the village Overseers on 03 April 1871. This would be an Overseer of the Poor. Overseers collected a rate from the better off people in the parish which was then distributed to those in need of poor relief. They also sometimes arranged apprenticeships for poor children who often worked as unpaid servants. The following newspaper article listing overseers of Hartismere appeared in the Ipswich Journal on 08 April 1871 and shows that Nathaniel was appointed to the role with Edgar Nunn who also lived in the village. [12]

1871 Census [13]: On 02 April 1871, Nathaniel is listed with his wife and son Isaac who is now a Blacksmith help.

Death of wife:

Nathaniel’s wife Mary Ann died in 1879. [14] She was buried in Thrandeston churchyard on 15 May 1879. [15]

1881 Census [16]: On 03 April 1881, Nathaniel was listed with his son Isaac and grandson George:

Nathaniel has been a widower for nearly 2 years. His son Isaac is listed with him and is now a Master Blacksmith. His grandson George age 15 is listed and is an Apprentice Blacksmith. George is the son of Edward, Nathaniel’s second son.

Edward died in the first quarter of 1881, but it is not known if that is why George is now living and working with his grandfather. There is also a Housekeeper, Eliza Chapman. There are now 3 blacksmiths working from the property and a housekeeper.

1891 Census [17]: On 05 April, Nathaniel is listed with his son and a servant:

Samuel is now 77 and is still working as a Blacksmith. His son Isaac is now 31 and is still living with him. He is also a Blacksmith. There is a General Domestic Servant listed with the family too.

Directories:

Nathaniel has 12 entries in White’s and Kelly’s directories from 1855 to 1892. Each entry describes him as either a Blacksmith or a Black and Shoeing Smith.

What happened after Nathaniel’s death?

On the census on 31 March 1901, Nathaniel’s son Isaac and his wife Sarah were found at the property where Isaac had taken over his father’s property. Isaac had married Sarah at All Saints church, Paddington on 23 March 1898.

Marriage of Isaac BUTCHER to Sarah HATTAM

The record cites Isaac’s father as Nathaniel BUTCHER deceased. Isaac is living in Walham Green in London at the time of his marriage. His wife Sarah is living in Talbot Square near Hyde Park. Sarah’s father Jesse is cited as a Gardener.

1901 Census [18]: On 31 March 1901, Isaac has moved back to Thrandeston and is now the Blacksmith for the village:

Isaac is living with his wife Sarah.

1911 Census [19]: On 02 April, Isaac is listed with his wife and voarder:

Isaac is 53 and his wife Sarah is 55. Isaac’s profession or trade is listed as Shoeing and General Smith. Their boarder Ernest CHAMBERS is 23 and is a Shoeing and General Smith – Improver. Improver is an old description for someone who is near completion of an apprenticeship and is working towards being a Journeyman (a skilled worker who is no longer indentured to an employer).

The listing also states that Isaac and Sarah have been married for 12 years and have not had any children.

Sarah was 43 at the time of her marriage and it may be that she was unable to have any children.

1921 Census [20]: On 19 June, Isaac is living with his wife Sarah.

Isaac is 64 years and 7 months and his wife Sarah is 66 years and 5 months. His profession or trade is given as Blacksmith Own Account Working at Home.

Death: Isaac died in the second quarter of 1928 in Thrandeston at the age of 71. [21] His burial record has not been found, but it is hoped it will be identified with the work that is being carried out to map the gravestones in the churchyard.

It is not clear when Sarah died, but if Isaac’s headstone is found, it may be that she will also be listed on it.

The last record found for the property is the 1939 registration [22] .

John Thompson appears to be the head of the house. He is married to Olive who was Olive Eliza BROOKS before her marriage. Eliza A BROOKS is her mother and Amy is her sister. Olive’s father John had died in 1933. It is not clear whether Emily Tomkins is related to the family.

No records have been found after this date.