[Transcription © SA Whittle-Bruce 2002]

Stow Bardolph,Norfolk

Kelly's 1908 Directory

Stow Bardolph is a parish and village, 1 3/4 miles south-east from Stow Bridge station on the Ely and Lynn section of the Great Eastern railway, and 2 north from Downham, in the South Western division of the county, Clackclose hundred and petty sessional division, Downham union and county court district, rural deanery of Fincham (east division), archdeaconry of Lynn and diocese of Norwich. Stow Bridge is about 2 miles west-north-west of the church. The river Ouse passes through the parish.

The church of the Holy Trinity is a small building of ragstone in the Decorated style, consisting of chancel, nave, north porch and an embattled western tower containing a clock and 8 bells: at the east end of the chancel is a low side window; a stone font with a handsome oak canopy was presented in 1874 by the vicar; attached to the church is a spacious mortuary chapel, built by Nicholas Hare esq. of Stow Bardolph, who died in 1591, and containing several highly-finished monuments to the Hare family, including one to Sir Ralph Hare, created a knight of the Bath at the coronation of James 1. ob. Aug. 1623; another to Sir Ralph Hare, 1st bart. M.P. Norfolk, ob. Feb. 1671; his second wife, Elizabeth (Chapman), ob. 1683; and John, his son, ob. 1672; a monument of marble, with reclining effigy to Sir Thomas Hare, 2nd bart. M.P. Norfolk, ob. 1 jan 1693, erected by his wife, Elizabeth(Dashwood), in 1749, and a wax effigy, dressed in the costume of the period, of Sarah, his youngest daughter, ob. 1744, inclosed in an oaken case; another marble monument, with reclining effigy, to Susan, daughter of Sir Thomas Hare, 4th bart. ob. 1741 and to Sir Thomas himself, ob. 21 Feb.1760, and a memorial to his widow Elizabeth (Newby), ob. 1773; there are other monuments to Sir George Hare, 5th, and last bart. of the original creation, ob. 18 Mar.1764; Sir Thomas (Leigh) Hare, 1st bart. d. 12 Feb.1834; Mary (Geary), his first wife, d. 1801; his second wife, the Hon. Anne Elizabeth (Graves), d. 11 Sept. 1823, and to his daughter Elizabeth Anne, d. 1868; there is also a splendidly-carved marble monument, inlaid with brass, to Sir Thomas Hare, 2nd bart. of the second creation, and capt. and Life Guards, d. 14 Nov. 1880; and Grace Angelina Norman (Vaughan) his wife, d. 16 Jan. 1879; the church was restored in 1850 and has 170 sittings. The register dates from the year 1558. The living is a discharged vicarage, with the rectory of Wimbotsham annexed, joint net yearly value of £310. including 25 acres of glebe, with residence, in the gift of Sir Thomas Leigh Hare bart. and held since 1902 by the Rev. John Percy de Patron M.A. of University College, Durham, The great tithes, belonging to Sir Thomas Leigh Hare bart. are commuted at £320 a year. St. Peter's Mission Church, Stow Bridge, erected in 1908 on land given by Sir T.L. Hare bart. is an edifice of terra cotta, with a tower of the same material; there are memorial windows to the Rev. James Williams Adams B.A., V.C. late vicar, and Edward Butters, a chorister, and also a brass mural tablet to the late vicar, erected by F.M.Earl Roberts K.G. under whom he served as chaplain during the Afghan campaign and the Burmese war. Here are Baptist, Primitive Methodist and United Methodist chapels. The charities are £109 10s. yearly, and there are 6 almshouses, endowed in 1603 by Sir Ralph Hare bart. A large cattle fair is held here on the saturday after Whitsuntide. Stow Hall, the seat of Sir Thomas Leigh Hare D.L., J.P. who is lord of the manor, was originally purchased in 1553 by Sir Nicholas Hare knt. rebuilt in 1589 by Nicholas Hare esq. his grandson, at a cost of £40,000, and again rebuilt in 1873 by the late Sir Thomas Hare bart. and is a mansion in the Elizabethan style, standing in a beautiful park, with extensive pleasure grounds attached. The principal landowners are Sir T.L. Hare bart. Mr Charles Edwarda and Joseph Morton esq. The soil is peat and gravel; subsoil clay. The chief crops are wheat, oats and potatoes. By the Divided Parishes Act 633 acres of land were transferred from Downham Market to this parish, and by the same Act 488a. 2r. 3p. were transferred from Stow to Downham; the total acreage is now 6,378 acres of land, 21 of water, 18 of tidal water and 10 of foreshore; rateable value,£7.731; the population in 1901 was 1,248.

Parish Clerk, David Charlton

Post Office. Stow - Thomas Bell, sub-postmaster. Letters arrive from Downham at 6.30 a.m. dispatched at 7 p.m. & on Sundays 11.35a.m. Downham, 2 miles distant, is the nearest money order & telegraph office.

Post & Telegraph Office, Stow Bridge - Mrs Mary Howlett, sub-postmistress. Letters received from Downham at 7 a.m. and 1.30 p.m.; dispatched at 10.55 a.m. & 6 p.m. & on Sundays 10.55a.m. The nearest money order office is at Downham, 4 miles distant

Post Office, Barroway Drove - Mrs Sarah Whybrow, sub-postmistress. Letters arrive from Downham at 7 a.m. dispatched at 10.10 a.m. & 6.30 p.m. Nordelph, 2 1/2 miles distant, is the nearest money order & telegraph office.

Now governed by a board of managers appointed partly by the County Council & Parish Council; Jacob Hazel, correspondent & attendance officer

Stow Bridge, formerly St. Paul's National School, situated on the Westhead road, was erected in 1872 at the sole expense of the late Sir Thomas Hare bart. for 185 children; average attendance 80; Charles George Hill, master;

Barroway Drove(mixed); built in 1880 for 80 children; average attendance 76; James Hodson, master

Railway Station (Stow Bridge), Herbert Feetham, station-master

PRIVATE RESIDENTS

Beart Charles, Westhead

de Patron Rev. John Percy M.A. Vicarage

Hare Sir Thomas Leigh bart. M.V.O., D.L., J.P. Stow Hall; & Carlton, Arthur's & Marylebone

Hoff Mrs

Hodson Fred

Hutson Walter, The Poplars

Morton Joseph

Rowell Edward Perceval

COMMERCIAL

Alborough Chas.grocer

Alflatt Jas. Hy. buildr & contractr. brick & tile ma.; & at Shouldham Thorpe

Ambrose James Ward, beer retailer, Barroway Drove

Atkins James, beer retailer

Balls George, Crown P.H.

Beart C. & Co. corn, coal & seed & cake merchants, Stow Bridge & Bridge st, Downham

Beart Charles, farmer, Westhead farm

Bell Thos. blacksmith, Post Office, Stow

Bowden Thos. shopkpr, Stow Bridge

Burgess William James, farmer & auctioneer, Home farm

Bussens James, land agent to Sir Thomas Leigh Hare bart.

Chapman Jn, farmr. Barroway Drove

Coates Alfred, farmer

Digby Fredc. farmer, Barroway Drove

Edwards Chas. farmer, Westerby farm

Filby Arthur, farmer

Filby Edward, farmer

Flatman George, farmer, Stow Bridge

Flatman Robert, farmer, Stow Bridge

Fulford Frank, butler to Sir Thos. Leigh Hare bart. Stow hall

Gamble John, shopkpr

Goodens Robert, farmer,Stow Bridge

Green Zachariah, beer ret. Stow Bridge

Gunns John, shopkeeper

Gunns Robert, farmer

Hammond Frusher, blacksmith, Barroway Drove

Hammond William, blacksmith, agricultural machine & implement agent, Stow Bridge

Harwig William, farmer, Barroway Drove

Haverson James, Eel Pie inn

Hooton Rt. jun. farmer, Barroway Drove

Howes Robt. Farmer, Stow Bridge

Howlett Mary(Mrs), grcr, Post office

Hudson Frederick, farmer, Park farm

Hutson Walt. Farmer, The Poplars fw

Jackson William, Black Horse P.H. Barroway Drove

Johnson Geo. farmer, Barroway Drove

Johnson Wm. frmr, Barroway Drove

Knott William Henry, farmer

Lewis Frank, farmr. Barroway Drove

Lewis Robt. farmer. Barroway Drove

Lewis William. farmer. Shrub ho, Barroway Drove

Lewis William. farmer. Willow house, Barroway Drove

Licquorice Thos. farmer, Bardolph fen

Lockwood George, wheelwright & joiner, Lady Drove

Morton Joseph, farmer, & Landowner, Newbridge farm

Murfet John Thos. farmer, Church farm

Nicholls Hy. boot maker, Stow Bridge

Nixon Ellen(Mrs), farmer

North Hannah(Mrs); farmer, Barroway Drove

Orr William, gardener to Sir Thos. Leigh Hare bart.

Overton Geo. beer retlr. Stow Bridge

Patchett Thos. beer ret. Stow Bridge

Ray Herbert, farmer, Fen & Widdows farms

Reeve William Thomas, farmer

Rolfe Fredk. Wm. farmer, Stow Bridge

Rolfe Fredk. Joseph, farmer, Barroway Drove

Rolfe Joseph, Vine & Ivy P.H.

Rolfe William, farmer, Stow Bridge

Rowell Edwd. Perceval, frmr. Stow Bridge

Sayle Harry, Hare Arms inn, & surveyor, assessor & collector of taxes, assistant overseer

for Stow Bardolph & Wimbotsham

Staines John, plumber, painter, undertaker & wheelwright; & at Fincham

Tiffin John, farmer, Barroway Drove

Thorpe Albert, farmer, Barroway Drove

Whybrow Sarah(Mrs), shopkeeper, Barroway Drove Post office

Wray Chas. wheelwright, Stow Bridge