Gorleston, Suffolk Genealogy

England   Suffolk     Parishes   Gorleston

Parish History
Gorleston St Andrew is an Ancient parish in the diocese of Norwich and the county of Suffolk. Southtown was a chapelry within the parish.

Gorleston's history predates that of Great Yarmouth, and being on the west bank of the river, it is historically in the county of Suffolk. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book as being held by Earl Guert and having salt-pans for the production of salt. In the Middle Ages it had two manors, Gorleston manor and a small manor called Bacons. In 1511 it was united with the hamlet of Southtown, whose parish church of St Mary was demolished in 1548, the stone being used to build a pier. Administratively, Southtown became part of Great Yarmouth in 1681, but it remained in the ecclesiastical parish of Gorleston.

As part of the Parliamentary Reform Act of 1832, the parish of Gorleston was included in Great Yarmouth for electoral purposes, and in 1835 became part of the municipal borough of Great Yarmouth, although remaining associated with the county of Suffolk until 1891. Since April 1, 1974, it has formed part of the urban area of Great Yarmouth, which is itself a portion of the larger current Borough of Great Yarmouth.

Gorleston's main claim to fame is as the historic centre of the herring fishing industry with sailing drifters. It was a major seaside resort in Edwardian times.

It once had three railway stations on a line running from Great Yarmouth to Lowestoft: Gorleston North which closed in 1942, and Gorleston and Gorleston Links, both of which closed on 2 May 1970 when the line itself ceased operating.