Norfolk - Saham Toney

Kelly's Directory for Cambridgeshire, Norfolk & Suffolk, 1883, pp. 482-3.

SAHAM TONEY is a village and parish 9 miles from East Dereham, 2 north-west from Watton station and 8 from Swaffham, in the Western division of the county, Wayland hundred, Swaffham union and county court district, rural deanery of Breccles and archdeaconry and diocese of Norwich. The church of St. George is a handsome edifice of flint in the Perpendicular style, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, vestry, porch and tower containing 6 bells and clock: the east window of the chancel, representing The Last Supper, was the gift of the Rev. W. H. Parker, M.A. the late rector, who restored the whole building at a considerable expense in 1864. The register dates from the year 1547. The living is a rectory, tithes commuted at £1,122, with 46 acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of New College, Oxford and held since 1876 by the Rev. Coke Adams M.A. late fellow of that college. Humphrey Prideaux, dean of Norwich, author of "The Connection of the Old and New Testaments," and other works, was rector here in 1686. The Wesleyans, Primitive Methodists, and the United Methodist Free Church have chapels here. There are seven almshouses, four for widows and three for old respectable married couples; and Hunt's charity of £22 yearly is given in calico and flannel, to poor parishioners; the fuel allotment of 86 acres is let for £170 yearly, which is distributed in coals. Near the centre of the village is a mere of 13 acres well stocked with fish: eels of a peculiar shape are caught and pike of great size are also found here. Roman pottery and other antiquities have at various times been found. Elijah Crozier Bailey esq. is lord of the manor of Saham Toney; the manors of Howards, Harveys and Pages belong to the Rev. William Grigson M.A. The principal landowners are Mrs. Perkins, the trustees of the late James Mann esq. the trustees of John Henry Gurney esq. J. Trueman Mills esq. George Clark esq. the Re. William Grigson and others. The soil is chalk and clay; subsoil, clay. The chief crops are wheat, barley and turnips. The area is 4,097 acres; rateable value, £7,241; the population in 1881 was 1,212.

Parish Clerk, Richard Tolman.

POST OFFICE.— James Fickling, receiver. Letters received through Thetford, viâ Watton at 7.30 a.m.; dispatched at 6.10 p.m. week days & 10.35 a.m. sundays. Watton is the nearest money order & telegraph office.

INSURANCE AGENT:—

County Fire, William Myers

SCHOOLS:—

There is a school endowed with £52 yearly & house, for boys of the parishes of Saham Toney, Threxton & Watton; & one for girls, on the National system, & an infant school
Endowed, William Rowe, master
National (girls'), Miss Pyne, mistress
A private Middle Class school was erected in 1852 at the cost of the late Rev. W. H. Parker M.A. with residence for the master, to hold about 60 boarders & of which Mr. William Matthews is head master