Reepham with Kerdiston, Norfolk Genealogy

England   Norfolk   Norfolk Parishes

Parish History
REEPHAM (St. Mary), a market-town and parish, in the union of Aylsham, hundred of Eynsford, E. division of Norfolk, 12 miles (N. W. by N.) from Norwich, and 116 (N. E. by N.) from London; containing, exclusively of certain portions of the town in the parishes of Kerdiston, Hackford, and Whitwell.

Reepham St Mary is an Ancient parish in the Diocese of Norwich and includes Kerdiston. Known as Reepham with Kerdiston it is the surviving church of 3 for Reepham.

The town is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 and is listed as Refham meaning the bailiff's or reeve's manor from the Old English gerafa (bailiff) and ham (homestead). Reepham has had market town status since 1277; a sign to mark this has recently been erected.

The Church memorials record the Kerdiston family. The altar tomb to Sir William de Kerdiston is accompanied by a floor brass of Sir William and with his wife Cecily in brass on the chancel floor, pairs of 14th century figure brasses are rare.

Reepham has three churches on one sight two standing and the other ruined.

Reepham's three-in-one churchyard is overlooks the market place. Churches sharing churchyards is not that uncommon; one needs to consider the difference between a parish and its town or village; we also need to consider the medieval functions of a parish church, which were Roman Catholic churches.

In Reepham three parish boundaries occupy the same site but each served different areas. The adjacent parishes were Hackford (now ruined) and Whitwell .It is one of only two places in Europe to have three churches on the same site. The lost church of Hackford burned down in 1543 but the remains are still evident as the remnant of a tower wall remain on the site approaching the Market Place from the churchyard.

Reepham (pronounced "Ree-fum") is a small market town in the English, county of Norfolk, England. Situated on the B1145 road between the Bure and Wensum valleys. The town is 12 miles (19 km) north west of Norwich.

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

Images of the parish register for this parish are available at FamilySearch Historical Records. The combined registers for the three churches for different periods merit explanation:

Norfolk Record Office reference PD 440 Parish Records of Reepham with Kerdiston Microfilm copies of original records in the Norfolk Record Office, Central Library, Norwich, Norfolk, England.

Some early registers contain some entries from the parishes of Hackford-by-Reepham and Whitwell. Records for Kerdistone combined with Reepham records.

Baptisms, 1538-1723; marriages, 1539-1642, 1663-1714; burials, 1539-1650, 1663-1678, 1700-1723. Births and marriages, 1653-1658; burials, 1653-1658, 1678-1699 (includes Hackford with Whitwell). Baptisms, 1813-1903. Marriages and banns, 1754-1771. Marriages, 1771-1814. Marriages, 1813-1837. FHL BRITISH Film 1596458 Items 20 - 26 Marriages, 1838-1902. Burials, 1813-1863. Banns, 1772-1820. FHL BRITISH Film 1596458 Items 27 - 29 Baptisms, 1723-1817; marriages, 1723-1753; burials, 1723-1817. FHL BRITISH Film 1472794 Item 4 Banns, 1824-1842, 1893-1902, 1847-1893. FHL BRITISH Film 2299169 Items 5 - 6

Archdeacons transcripts

Microfilm copies of original records in the Norfolk Record Office, Central Library, Norwich, Norfolk, England.

Early entries in Latin.

The parishes of Reepham and Kerdistone shared a chapel and church lands.

Baptisms and burials 1600-1608, 1623-1633, 1665-1812 Marriages 1600-1608, 1623-1633, 1665-1811 FHL BRITISH Film 1526782 Item 8

Poor Law Unions

 * Aylsham Poor Law Union
 * Norfolk Poor Law Unions

Registration Districts

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

Probate Jurisdictions
Norfolk Probate Jurisdictions Parishes O through S

Maps
England Jurisdictions 1851