Courtesy of
Iris Coe ©

Unfortunately this is a bad copy but it is the only one we have showing the run of cottages from Mill Road down to the Ringers Public House

Ray Taylor ©

This picture shows the refurbished house of Jack Drew a well known Mattishall dealer who can be seen in the next picture down.
Before Jack lived there it was owned by John Hoy a clock and watchmaker. Hoy clocks (BELOW) have been found in many parts of England as well as America, some still today keeping the time of day.

It is not known how many 'Tall Case Clocks' as well as 'Pocket Watches' were actually made by the Hoy family but over the last few years since the Mattishall-Village website has been on the internet we have had quite a few people contact us that have one. One such pocket watch (above) is held by the National Trust in their archive collection. It was given to the National Trust with Snowshill Manor in 1951 by Charles Paget Wade. It is described as 'Watch part; Dial and movement from a pocket watch made by D.J.Hoy. Mattishall. Roman numerals on face'.

John Hoy moved to Mattishall about 1810 - more can be found on the Hoy family by clicking HERE.

Courtesy of
John Holmes ©

This is a picture of John Drew, known as Jack although he was actually born Albert John Drew in the September quarter of 1879. He is seen here with his 34 year old horse 'Tim' which he bred himself from his own mare. For many years, every Tuesday Jack Drew would attend the sales at The Kings Arms in Dereham where this picture was taken. He was also a regular at the sales at Watton. His horse Tim had a brother 'Bill ' which Jack also bred from the same mare. He would alternate the horses each time he went out. Jack himself at the time of this picture was 74 and still putting in a full days work. It is said that all sorts of statues would peep from the windows of his home and it was said that it was difficult to walk around the lower part of it for his stock in trade. His purchases overflowed into several outbuildings. In his back yard was sited a double-decker-bus which he had purchased to use as a store. Jack was using the upper deck as an apple store with furniture below. Over the door of his house is a notice which amused Jack. It reads "Repos-des-celibataires" It implies more simply, "bachelors rest." Living at home with him were his two brothers William (1872) and Jeremiah (1885) both bachelors and both had been deaf and dumb since birth. Jack was born next door to his present home, where his father (William 1846) was a sheep dipper. In his early days Jack worked for his father but then found people asking him to get articles for them at the markets he visited so very soon became a dealer. Except for two years on a farm in Torquay, Devon during the 1914-18 War he never lived outside Mattishall. With the information supplied it dates this picture to about 1953. Jack died in Whitlingham Hospital at Trowse in 1974 and was buried on October 24th at Mattishall Cemetery - he was 94.

The best way of describing Jack Drew's place was Steptoe's Yard. Jack and his brothers would often wash in cold water using the outside butt. They seemed to be particularly partial to bread and milk which they ate off a newspaper table cloth. As kids it was particularly exciting to play in the old double decker bus, but I only managed to enter the house a couple of times which was a revelation! - John Norton.

Jack Drew was very kind to me, allowing me to rummage for books in his treasure sheds - -how I wish I had spent more time on it! I have several books still, including two volumes of Dr Bell's surgery from the Eighteenth century. I searched in Jack's sheds for months trying to find the other ten volumes but no luck. They fascinated me. My brother and I were privileged to be allowed into Jack's house in the early fifties to watch television, in silence and in darkness. The rooms were in deed stacked from floor to ceiling with chairs, mostly balloon backed Victorian - Brian Lusher.

Courtesy of
Karen Bash ©

Looking East into the village we have a better shot. The Ringers is on the left and we can see the car is starting to make its way into our lives.

Courtesy of
Jerry Hipperson ©

A closer view of the cottages. Jack Drew was born in the first house where his parents remained until their death (see more below). Jack took the house next door which is the second one in followed by Norton's Bakery owned by Billy Norton pictured below.

Courtesy of
Jerry Hipperson ©

Jack Drew's mother, Sarah Drew nee Bowles. Sarah was born in Mattishall in the June quarter of 1852 the daughter of John Bowles (1812) a Shoemaker of Yaxham Road Mattishall and his wife Mary Head. Sarah had a son William Bowles born 1871 before she married. Sarah married William Drew (1846) in 1875. William and Sarah had six children, Gertrude born 1876, Albert John 1879, Winifred Augusta 1882, Jeremiah 1884, Dorothy 1888 and Louisa 1890. Sarah's first son William then Jeremiah and Dorothy were handicapped having been deaf and dumb from birth. In 1891 they were living at 13 Dereham Road the first house in the picture above where William was recorded as a Sheep Dresser (Notem). Sarah died in 1917 age 65 and was buried on October 19th. William died in 1922 age 76 and was buried on June 19th. Both at Mattishall Cemetery.
Young Dorothy (1888) was sadly killed by a horse whilst playing outside her home, she was buried on Mar 26th 1895 in Mattishall Cemetery, more below...

1895: Jun 14 - Diss Express: - MANSLAUGHTER
Henry Thurlow, alias Monk, 47, a showman, was charged with the manslaughter of Dorothy Drew, a child of seven years of ago. The evidence showed that on March 22nd, the child, who was deaf and dumb, was walking towards Mattishall. The prisoner was galloping about on his horse without saddle or bridle, or halter, and when he reached the child the horse knocked her down, breaking three ribs, and doing other injury to her The father of the child picked her up, and took her to the doctor, but she died on the way there. - The Judge said it was not necessary to prove wilfulness; it was quite sufficient to show that the prisoner had been guilty of gross and culpable negligence. - The jury found the prisoner guilty and asked the Judge to make some allowance for the fact that the child was deaf and dumb. - A police-constable said the prisoner travelled with cokernuts and swing boats. and was a teetotaller - The Judge sentenced prisoner to four months' imprisonment with hard labour, dating from the day of his arrest.

Courtesy of
John Norton ©

Billy Norton's Bakery - Billy was born William George Norton in the September quarter of 1911 the son of William Brown Norton (1871) a Baker and Confectioner and his wife Evelyn Hewitt. Billy married Joan Grace Reeve in 1942 at Dereham when Billy was home on leave from the RAF. Billy and Joan had three children and they lived at the Laurels where they also ran their business, a bakery, bread shop as well as selling meal. The business closed and shortly after Billy had passed away in 2003 at the age of 92 Joan sold. The house has now been converted into a private home.

Joan's father was Bertie Reeve, a poultry farmer from Clint Green, who was a very well known local character. In his latter years, when he was in his 70s and supposed to be retired, he lived with my parents at The Laurels. Like any dealer he couldn't give up and used to go round in his pick-up wheeling and dealing in poultry and goats. He often travelled miles without getting out of second gear or, if it had been raining, would drive the couple of hundred yards or so with two wheels on the kerb to get the accumulated water off the canvas tilt. You often knew he was in residence when my mother made him hang his trousers out of his bedroom window after he had been handling goats! - Billy ceased baking in the mid 1950s when there was competition from Sunshine Bread which was the new sliced processed bread phenomenon which became all the rage. My father used to say that it was never the real thing! Billy continued to sell pig and poultry foods for a further decade or so when lots of people kept a few hens, pigs or livestock on their premises. People could buy from the shop which was housed in the old bakery or Billy would go on his rounds to Mattishall and surrounding villages delivering to the door. He used a variety of ageing vans to do this including a three wheeler which would be loaded to the gunnels. It was not uncommon for him to set off with the back of the van almost touching the ground counterbalanced by half hundredweight bags of layers or growers meal balanced on the front wheel arches! On snowy winters days us kids would be towed on our sledges by whatever van he had - The old bakery part of the house has now been converted into a kitchen by the new owners who have done a fantastic job of conserving the character of the property. - John Norton

Courtesy of
Jenny Pennel ©

This picture show this part of the road quite well. It was taken in 1956, The Ringers was still a pub and in the centre we can see Norton's Bakery with the sign over what was their shop. Jack Drew's house is to its left. Right at the top of the garden in front of the last building you can see the shell of the old double-decker bus which Jack used as storage. The bottom of the picture was still a market garden and warehouse although soon to be replaced with houses.

Courtesy of
Peter & Jean Beckham ©

The Ringer Pub, we can see the picture was taken during the Second World War, leaning out of the window is Landlord Albert Beckham. Albert was born in 1897 at Melton Constable. He married Jane Holbrook in 1924. They had one son called Peter. Albert was Landlord of the Ringers from June 1st 1933 till March 1966. Before that he had been Landlord of the Crown on Norwich Road East Dereham. The Ringers closed in the early part of 1968. Albert died in 1969 at East Dereham. His son Peter and his wife Jean still live at the property which is now a private house.

I think the actual name of the Ringers Pub was "The Eight Ringers". My main memory as a kid was the excitement going round to the Ringers on a Saturday evening to get our copy of the Pink'un, which was delivered there, and read about Norwich City and memorise all the other national and local football results which my father would test me on later. It was especially good when there was a short report on the Dereham and District League Mattishall match which had been played on Turner's Meadow. In those days Mattishall played in maroon shirts with yellow trim and many of the players would prepare themselves for the second half by having a fag, having tried to remove the cow pats before the match started. - John Norton

Courtesy of
Peter & Jean Beckham ©

Start of ‘The Tillett’ Cup Trial, The Viking Motorcycle Club - If you follow the downpipe on the left side of the building down you will see the young Peter Beckham in his school hat. The picture was taken on March 17th 1935.

Courtesy of
Steve Moody ©

This picture is an aerial photo of 'Moorfield' and the 'Police House', taken in June 1965 it shows 2 figures, a man standing by a bonfire, presumably Geoffrey (Councilor) Grimes and a woman standing by the compost heap, who it would be safe to assume is Annie Grimes. It's interesting to see that the police officer was expected to be almost self sufficient, with virtually the whole of his garden being turned to vegetable garden, orchard and at the back an enclosure for chickens.
The plot on which the bungalow (Moorfield) stands is on the right of the police house it was sold to Mr Cornell a surveyor by Mr Gerald and Ronald Farrow on May 5th 1948 for the sum of £32-12-6p. Mr Cornell sold the plot to David Charles Potter a builder of East Dereham on November 15th 1949 for the sum of £85 (nice profit!). David Potter sold the land on April 18th 1953 to Mr Geoffrey Henry Grimes for the sum of £90. Mr Grimes had the bungalow built in 1954 but died in 1967. Mrs Annie Grimes died in 1976 and her executors sold the bungalow to Mr & Mrs Greenman on 28/7/82 for the sum of £12,500. In 2001 Steve Moody bought the old police house from Mr Greenman's executors.
It is said Moorfield Road was named after Moorfield bungalow. The original plan was to develop Moorfield Road to run parallel with Dereham Road using the long back gardens of the homes from Orchard Road and re-join Dereham Road at Mr Grime’s bungalow.

Courtesy of
Nevillel Frewer ©

This is an aerial view of AJ Farrows home and yard. Arthur John Farrow was one of Mattishall's largest employers. He lived at May House which can be seen at the front of the property. It was named after his wife Flora May Critoph (1875) whom he married in 1899. May was the daughter of William & Mary Critoph, Miller of the Mill Yaxham, Norfolk. Flora preferred her middle name and was always known as 'May'.

A trademark of A J Farrow's was the green Trojan tractors they used to use. We used to call them "pop pops" because of the loud popping noise they made. As a 5 year old they used to scare the life out of me. But I ran away even faster when Billy Shingles made his weekly visit with the honey cart to collect the night soil. It was not until the mid 50s that we stopped using the tin bath in front of the bake house oven and had a bathroom and posh flush toilet! - John Norton.

Once again, I'm in the stackyard as Farrows steam engine with its train of thresher and elevator rumbles in on a freezing November morning to start the threshing for my Grandfather. I can remember the smoke, the smell, the slap-slap-slap of the great driving belts, the shouts of the men, the dust and my father giving me a stick to strike at the rats when they ran from the bottom - Brian Lusher.

Courtesy of
The late Russell Smith ©

This was taken right outside of May House and just before the corner of Old Hall Road - More can be found on the Farrows by clicking HERE