Wingfield, Suffolk Genealogy

Parish History
WINGFLELD, a pleasant but widely scattered village, with several neat houses, 2 miles N. of Stradbroke, 4 miles S. by W.of Harleston, and 7 miles E. by N. of Eye, has in its parish 654 souls, and 2442a. 3r. 38p. of fertile land, mostly free and partly copyhold, and lying in the manors of Chickering-with-Wingfield, of which Sir E. C. Kerrison is lord; and Wingfield Castle and Hall, of which Lord Berners is lord. The greater part of the soil belongs to other proprietors, the largest of whom are Sir R. S. Adair, J. Wright, Esq., Rev. S. Cook, Mrs. L. Walker, Mrs A. Cotton, Robt. Butcher, Esq., Rev. A. Cooper, and the Rev. R. A. Arnold. Early in the 14th century, Richard de Brews was seated at Wingfield, and he obtained a grant for a fair here in 1328. The Wingfields, who took their name from the parish, had a seat here from the time of the Norman Conquest till their removal to Letheringham and Easton, in the 14th. century..... At the south-east corner of the church-yard, a College was erected about 1362, by the executors of Sir John Wingfield, for a provost or master, and nine priests. It was dedicated to St Mary, St. John the Baptist, and St. Andrew, and was valued at £50. 3s. 5d. at the suppression, after which it was granted by Edward VI. to the Bishop of Norwich. It was a quadrangular building, and some remains of its western side may still be seen in the farm-house now standing on its site. The Church (St. Andrew) which was appropriated to the College, is a large and handsome structure, with a tower and six bells.... William White, 1855, History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Suffolk, page 402-404

Resources
If you live in Suffolk then you will have access to a variety of resources; however, for those who live further afield, one can access microfilm and online records at Family History Centers. Refer to and  in the FamilySearch Catalog for available records.

Civil Registration
Wingfield is in Hoxne district. To search an index of Hoxne district records go to FreeBMD. The Suffolk Civil Registration article tells more about these records.

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

The Parish Registers begin in 1538. They can be view at the Suffolk Record Office. A copy of the registers from 1538 to 1900 can be purchased from the Suffolk Record Office. For pre-1813 Bishop Transcript entries you will need to look in Hoxne Deanry, Archdeaconry of Suffolk. Parish Chest records are considerable for Wingfield. See Suffolk Church Record for further details.

Probate records
Prior to 1858 the primary court that had jurisdiction over Wingfield was the Archdeaconry of Suffolk; however, a person’s will or administration may have been probated in nearby courts or even in London. After 1858 it was in Ipswich District. Refer to the Suffolk Probate Records article for further details.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Suffolk Gazetteers and Directories from 1839 to 1909 - Suffolk Gazetteers and directories provide a brief history and description of each parish and lists principal residents. They mention the farmers and tradesman in each parish and the nearest market towns among other things of interest.
 * National Gazetteers provide a brief description of each place
 * Vision of Britain
 * British History Online - WINGFIELD (St. Andrew), a parish, in the union and hundred of Hoxne, E. division of Suffolk, 3 miles (N.) from Stradbroke.


 * England Jurisdictions 1851 maps - see parish in context with surrounding parishes also determine various ecclesiastical and civil jurisdictions for this parish
 * Wingfield on Google maps - see lay of the land as it is today