Thomas Sutfield Rising (1774-1855) of West Somerton and Martham
Thomas Sutfield Rising was born in 1774 at West Somerton Hall and was baptised on 21st June 1774 at St Mary the Virgin, West Somerton. He was the seventh child of Robert Rising & Ann, nee Manship. He had thirteen siblings, namely: Robert, William, Stephen, Tilney, Mary, Edward, Benjamin, John, Anne, George, Charles, Rebecca, and Frances.
In 1841 he lived at what was then called Highgate Street but has since become White Street in Martham and he was a farmer. He was listed in the Martham 1842 Tithe Award as being the owner of the following plots: 8, 282, 286, 287, 296, 302, 308, 343, 343a, 421, & 458. These consisted of 36 acres, 2 rods and 10 perches and are shown on the Tithe map below (excluding Nos 421 & 458).
We can get a better understanding of what these plots were by looking at what they have become today as follows:
Plot No8 included what is now known as Blackthorn Cottage, Somerton Road but in 1842 was a semi detached pair of cottages.
Nos 282, 286, 287 & 296 were fields south of Somerton Road that today are part of Church Farm.
Nos 302 and 308 were two fields east of what became Church Farm.
Nos 343 & 343a are Sutfield House, White Street.
No 421 was a cottage in Damgate.
No 458 was a marsh north of Damgate.
In 1851, when he was 76, the census says Thomas farmed 50 acres employing three labourers whilst living at White Street, almost certainly at Sutfield House. Mary Thain lived with him as a housekeeper and he had two male and two female servants. In addition to his land at Martham he also owned land at Potter Heigham.
Thomas did not marry and died on 4th January 1855. He was buried on 11th January at St Mary the Virgin, Martham in section G, plot H3 of the graveyard. His original grave had an iron fence around it and the base points can just about be seen in the photographs below. The only named inscription on his gravestone is for Thomas Sutfield Rising (1774-1855) but the size of the plot may indicate that other unknown family members are buried there as well.
