Whissonsett, Norfolk Genealogy

England   Norfolk   Norfolk Parishes

Parish History
WHISSONSETT (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of Mitford and Launditch, hundred of Launditch, W. division of Norfolk, 5 miles (S.) from Fakenham. Whissonsett St Mary is an Ancient parish in the Diocese of Norwich.

1086 The Domesday Book records "Witcingkeseta" is held by Ralph, son of Walter, of Roger Bigod.

The only building in Whissonsett dating from the time of the Normans is St. Mary's Church which was built of flint with freestone dressings c. 1250.

The church contains large image niches, one in the nave and two in the chancel either side of the east window. The one in the nave contains the large head of a Saxon cross, unearthed in the graveyard by the Grave diggers in 1902. It is at least a thousand years old.

Includes Hamrow.

Civil Registration
Birth, marriages and deaths were kept by the government, from July 1837 to the present day. The civil registration article tells more about these records. There are several Internet sites with name lists or indexes. A popular site is FreeBMD.


 * Mitford 1837-1938
 * East Dereham 1938-1974

Church records
parish registers of christenings, marriages and burials are available online for the following years:

Norfolk Record Office reference PD 633

Known Issues

Images of this parish are available online in Family Search historic records (fomerly Record Search). The images for volume PD633/ 4 which are way pointed 1774-1799 and were reported as being inaccurate. The date ranges for the waypoints are a guide only, and there is no guarantee that records exist for all years within a date range. The microfilm of the original volume for this period contains some duplicate images in order to achieve best image capture. Please contact FamilySearch for assistance if your search includes the years 1792-1799.

Poor Law Unions
Mitford &amp;Launditch     http://www.institutions.org.uk/workhouses/england/norf/mitford_and_launditch_workhouse.htm

Records of the Mitford and Launditch Poor Law Union1776-1948 Norfolk Record Office C/GP 14 Extent 137 pieces The following parishes comprised the 1836 union: Bawdeswell, Beeston, Beetley, Billingford, East Bilney, Bintry, Brisley, Bylaugh, Colkirk, Cranworth, East Dereham, Great Dunham, Little Dunham, North Elmham, Elsing, Foxley, Great Fransham, Little Fransham, Garvestone, Gately, Gressenhall, Guist, Hardingham, Hockering, Hoe, Horningtoft, Kempstone, Letton, East Lexham, West Lexham, Litcham, Longham, Lyng, Mattishall, Mattishall Burgh, Mileham, Oxwick with Pattesley, Reymerstone, Rougham, Scarning, Shipdham, Southburgh, Sparham, Stanfield, Swanton Morley, Thuxton, Tittleshall, East Tuddenham, North Tuddenham, Twyford, Weasenham All Saints, Weasenham St Peter, Wellingham, Wendling, Westfield, Whinburgh, Whissonsett, Wood Rising, Worthing, Yaxham. All fifty parishes of Mitford and Launditch Hundreds were incorporated in 1775 under the terms of An act for the better relief and employment of the poor within the hundreds of Mitford and Launditch, 15 Geo. III, cap. 59. In 1801 the parish of East Dereham separated from the Incorporation, but in 1836 all fifty original parishes plus ten from Eynesford Hundred joined together in a new union. The House of Industry belonging to the old incorporation, built at Gressenhall in 1776-1777, was repaired and altered in 1836 to become the new Union Workhouse. Mitford and Launditch Union Board of Guardians was replaced by Guardians Committee No. 10 in 1930.

Norfolk Poor Law Unions

Probate records
Records of wills, administrations, inventories, indexes, etc. were filed by the court with jurisdiction over this parish. Go to Norfolk Probate Records to find the name of the court having primary jurisdiction. Scroll down in the article to the section Court Jurisdictions by Parish.

Maps and Gazetteers
Maps are a visual look at the locations in England. Gazetteers contain brief summaries about a place.


 * England Jurisdictions 1851
 * Vision of Britain

Web sites

 * Norfolk: Whissonsett on GenUKI
 * St Mary church website
 * Upper Wensum benefice
 * Church Info
 * British History online
 * Register Transcripts
 * Church of St Mary - Whissonett on British Listed buildings
 * Whissonsett on Norfolk Churches