Villagers from the mid-1600s
The following names of villagers (including both Wreningham and Ashwellthorpe) have been extracted from a few years years of records in the Manor’s Court Book. The Manor was administered from Ashwellthorpe Hall but included both villages. There are some family names which may seem familar to present-day villagers but many which may not.
If some of the spellings look wrong, it’s simply how there were written at the time!
| Bilham, John, 4 | Johnson, William, juror, 4v |
| Blofeld, Henry, 1v, 4v, 6v | Kerison, Edward, 4, 6r |
| Booth, John, 1v | Knights, John, 4 |
| Brackett, Margaret, widow, 6v | Knyvett, Sir John, 8r |
| Brackett, Richard, clerk, 6v-7r | Knyvett, Thomas, 8r |
| Brackett, Robert, 1v, 4, 6r-7r | Lebold, Robert, 1v, 4, juror, 6r |
| Branthwayte, William, gent., 1v, 6v | Lighting, John, 4 |
| Browne, Robert, 4 | Long, Stephen, 6v |
| Burges, Oliver, 8r | Loveday, Michael, iv |
| Burges, Robert, 8r | Mendham, Alice, widow, 7r |
| Buxton, Richard, 1v, juror 4v, 5r, 8r | Mendham, Thomas, juror, 1v, 4r-4, 7r |
| Buxton, Robert, 8r | Mendham, Thomas, jun, 6v |
| Calfe, John, 8r | Miles, John, 6r |
| Colman, William, 1v, 6v | Moore, Hugh, constable 1v |
| Cooke, Edward, gent., | Narfford, Henry, juror, 1v, 4r-v, 6r-v |
| Dabbs, William, 8r | Niccolls, William, Church road, 1v, 4v |
| Downes, Thomas, 1v | Osborne, Robert, 1v, 6v |
| Edwards, John, 6v | Rust, Mary, 2r-v, 5r |
| Edwards, Robert, 4v, 6v | Rust, Mathew, 5r |
| Elvyn, Mary (formerly Rust), 5r | Rust, Matilda, 5r |
| Elvyn, William, jun., 2, 5r | Rust, Robert, 5v |
| Elvyn, William, sen., 4v | Sheene, Richard, Mulbarton, 6v-7r |
| Finderne, Thomas | Starffe, Robert, juror, 1v, 4, constable, 4r, 6r |
| Francis, Joseph, 4 | Thurston, John, 1v, 4v |
| Gallard, Robert, clerk, 8r | Thurston, Jonas, juror, 1v, 2, 4v, 6r-v |
| Gobbett, William, 4 | Turner, Oliver, 1v, 4v, 6v |
| Gooch, Henry, 1v, juror, 4, 6r | Turner, Peter, 1v, juror 4v, 6v |
| Harrison, Edward, 1v | Wade, Robert, Hethersett, 7v |
| Harrison, Robert, juror, constable, 1v, 4 | Watts, Francis |
| Harrison, William, 6v | Watts, John, brother of Henry, 6v |
| Havers, Christopher, bro of John, 6r-7v | Watts, Henry, brother of Samuel, Norwich, 2v, 4r |
| Havers, Joan, 2v | Watts, Samuel, merchant, Norwich, 2v, 4r, dies, 6r |
| Havers, John, juror, 1v, 4v, 6v-7r | Weld, Thomas, esq., 1v, 4r, 6r |
| Havers, Richard, 2v, juror, 4r-v, constable 6v | Whitefoote, Michael, 8r |
| Jeney, William & Eliz, 6v-7r | Whittlow, Thomas, 8r |
| Jenny, John, 2v | Wildman, John, clerk, 1v, 4r, 6r |
Place names from the same period
Roads, lanes / footpaths and fields ……
For centuries, fields have been given names by their owners. The same names have passed through the generations but are less well know to the general population. In the following list, some of these names are readily understood, for example: Church Road. Others are less obvious. “Spong” means a narrow piece of farmland – sometimes shaped like a tongue. “Wong” is a field or meadow.
Again, the spellings are those from the original record.
| Blowfelds, 8r | Murkh?, 1v |
| Chambers, 8r | Overgate way, 8r |
| Church road, 1v, 6v-7r | Overgate way, 8r |
| Digons, 8r | Pangate, 6v-7r |
| Farthing Lane, 8r | Penigreene, 2r |
| Floreys, 8r | Saltwode, 8r |
| Havergate? 8r | Sandpitte, 4v, 8r |
| Hubbards, 5r | Sheepcoates Wong, 6v-7r |
| Lodgefield, 8r | Somercroft, 5r |
| Lodgemarsh, 1v | Spongfeild, 8r |
| Millcroft, ?, 8r | Spongmarsh, 1v |
| Mulbarton, 6v-7r | Stockcroft, 8r |
| Trumpestye, 6v-7r |