Thorpe, Norfolk Genealogy

Parish History
Thorpe St Andrew or Thorpe next Norwich is an Ancient parish in the Diocese of Norwich. The title Thorpe Episcopi is also applied to the parish.

The parish, which originally included Thorpe Hamlet, was once a part of Mousehold an area of forest and heathland, which during the Middle Ages, extended from Norwich to Wroxham. The principal roads in Thorpe St Andrew, such as Plumstead Road East and Telegraph Lane (now in Thorpe Hamlet) were once tracks through the forest and heathland. At the time of the Doomsday Survey (1085 - 6) the principal landowner in Thorpe was the King who had seized the land from Stigand the Archbishop of Canterbury. In 1095 Bishop Herbert de Losinga moved his bishopric from Thetford to Norwich creating the Diocese of Norwich. The cathedral, was founded in 1096. In 1101 King Henry I gave the Manor of Thorpe to the Bishop of Norwich and his successors (hence the title Episcopi). The earliest recorded priest in Thorpe was the Rev’d Thomas de Middleton in 1200. He was Vicar but all his successors have been Rectors. A summer palace for the Bishop was built in the parish beside the River Yare during the 1300s, and the present day Old Thorpe Hall is built on its foundations. In 1404 Thorpe Hamlet, the land from Harvey Lane westwards to the River Wensum in Norwich, came under the city’s jurisdiction: but it remained in the ecclesiastical Parish of Thorpe St Andrew Episcopi. As Lord of the Manor the Bishop of Norwich was the patron of the living of Thorpe St Andrew and the last priest to be presented by the Bishop was the Rev’d Bartholomew Holt in 1531. In 1537 King Henry VIII deprived the bishop of his Thorpe manorial rights. A free school was founded in 1587 in the parish.

In 1814 St Andrews Hospital was founded. It was known formerly as The County Asylum and was situated at the eastern end of the parish. The Hospital closed in 1998 and the original listed building and the chapel have been converted into private dwellings.

The present church, constructed between 1864-6, is a listed building. It replaced the earlier one which was demolished in the 1880s. The faculty for the new building stipulated that the medieval church must be left "to form a picturesque ruin". The ruin is also listed. The earlier church was only 25 yards long and seven yards wide with a thatched roof and a tower A parapet was added to the tower in the mid 15th century. It was known as the Thorpe Wonder because it was the same height as the ridge of the nave roof. The tower formed the entrance to the church (as does the tower to the present Church) and contained one bell, dated 1708, and possibly a second one. On the exterior of the south facing wall there is a sundial dated 1694, with the initials of the then churchwardens, J E and E K (John Ellis and Edward King).

The growth of Thorpe in the nineteenth century led to the establishment of Thorpe St Matthew, (next Norwich), Norfolk.

A collection of photos and additional history is available through the Norfolk Transcription Archives

Parish Records
Images of the parish register for this parish are available at Historical Records (formerly Record Search) Norfolk Record Office reference PD 228 see

England Norfolk Church of England Parish Registers and Bishops’ Transcripts (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Parish registers for St. Andrew's Church, Thorpe-next-Norwich, 1642-1906

Monumental Inscriptions
England Norfolk Monumental Inscriptions (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Non-Conformist Churches
Independent/Congregational

Independent Methodist

In 1859 an Independent Chapel was established in Chapel Lane, Thorpe St Andrew. When the Independent Chapel closed it was purchased by the Rector (in 1883) who later sold it to the parishioners (in 1897). The building was enlarged in 1910 and was used as a church and parish hall for many years. It was sold in 1966.

Census

 * 1891: Thorpe St. Andrew Surname List courtesy of Geoff Lowe and Pat Greetham
 * 1891: Thorpe Asylum Surname List courtesy of Geoff Lowe and Pat Greetham
 * 1891 Census Stray courtesy of Geoff Lowe

Land Records
1597 Subsidy Taxes courtesy of the Norfolk Transcription Website.

Military Records

 * WW1 War Memorial provided courtesy of Jean Thomas
 * WW2 War Memorial provided courtesy of Jean Thomas

Poor Law Unions

 * Blofield Poor Law Union - after 1834 Thorpe St. Andrew became part of the Blofield Union and the workhouse was at Lingwood.
 * Norfolk Poor Law Unions

Registration Districts

 * Blofield 1837-1938
 * Norwich Outer 1939-1974
 * Norwich

Probate Jurisdiction
Norfolk Probate Jurisdictions Parishes T through Z

Maps
England Jurisdictions 1851