Compare the history of Martham with times past.

Dive into a period from the past and see what was happening in Martham at the time. Use the links to travel through time.

Period	Event
Prehistoric to Iron Age	Martham, the Isle of Flegg and even Britain, of course, did not exist at this time as a separate land mass but some prehistoric objects have been found in and around what is now Martham. Intrigued? For more information click Prehistoric
2.6m to 10,000BC	Palaeolithic period. For more information click Prehistoric
10,000 to 4,000BC	Mesolithic period. For more information click Prehistoric
4,000 to 2,500BC	Neolithic period. For more information click Prehistoric
2,500 to 800BC	Bronze Age. For more information click Bronze Age
800BC to 61AD	Iron Age. For more information click Iron Age. Also, Celtic Britain 600BC to c50AD
43AD to 410AD	In 43 AD the Romans landed and began the conquest of Britain. By 300 to 400 Britain was largely self-sufficient Romano-British country. There was a sparse Romano-British occupation to the north side of Martham by settlers who were probably farmers. For more details go to Romans. In the year 410 Emperor Honorius refused to help Britain against attacking Anglo Saxons.
400 to 600	The Dark Ages.
410 to 599	Anglo Saxon England. Martham gained its named after the polecats or “martens” that were common to the area and “ham” having the Angle origin of a residence of a thane or lord. For more information go to Anglo Saxons.
599 to 624	King Raedwald was the most powerful Anglo Saxon King of East Anglia.
650 to 830	There were seven Saxon Kingdoms including East Anglia. Viking raids began in 781, almost certainly utilising the River Bure and Breydon Estuary to settle on the south side of the Isle of Flegg at Runham and at Martham on the north side.
1066	Harold was King until the Battle of Hastings in October 1066.
1086	Domesday Book commissioned. Martham was well populated and widely cultivated. The population had a greater than average number of free farmers. For more information about Domesday Martham click HERE.
1096	Bishop Herbert De Losinga gave Martham Manor to his new Priory of Norwich resulting in the first Martham Manor. For more information click Anglo-Danish.
1215	The Magna Carta.
1292	A survey by the Cathedral Priory Manor of Martham called the Stowe Survey was carried out recording 376 tenants of land in Martham which included 75 families holding land as tenants of the Manor.
1294	A very poor harvest was recorded in the village. Farmland was valued at 3/- (15p) per acre which was considered to be high. For more information click Anglo-Danish.

1315 & 1316	Martham had two wet seasons, poor harvests and high corn prices. For more information click Medieval.
1325	There was a great drought that made it difficult to find pasture for animals.
1332	Tax records show a population of around 1,000 to 1,500 people in the village. For more information click Medieval.
1349/50	The Black Death spread up the river Bure to Martham. The mortality rate was at least 55% of villagers. In 1350 only 368 out of a possible 617 people attended harvest duties the rest were presumed sick or dead. For more information click Black Death.
1370 to 1380	Following the Black Death many men started to leave Martham and look for work in Yarmouth if only for the fishing season.
1381	The Peasants Revolt in Norfolk. Martham had minor involvement.
1400	Local farm labourers earned about 11s 7d a year (58p) which rose to about £1 in 1424. For more information click Medieval.
1404	There was a fishery at a place called Cobham College Manor on the River Thurne near the present floating pontoon at Ferrygate Lane which was later let for £5 6s 8d a year. For more information click Medieval.
1416 to 1435	A Martham man bought a cottage and nine acres of land in the village for 50s (£2.50) in 1416 and had amassed 30 acres at his death in 1435. His name was Thomas Drake and he was also the tenant of the (Prior’s) Manor of Martham.
1480	Martham’s annual fair started according to the Gazetteer of Markets and Fairs in England & Wales dated 1516.
1534 to 1549	The Reformation period. In 1549 the first Church of England Prayer Book was authorised.
1649	Charles I was executed and the ‘Commonwealth’ established.
1660	Monarchy restored.
1665	Plague of London.
1720’s to 1840s	Industrial revolution.

1800	The first Baptist Church was built in Martham next to what is now Oak Tree Close. It was demolished by 1878 but the graveyard still exists there. For more information click on Baptists.
1802	The West Flegg Electoral Roll (Poll Book) of people entitled to vote on behalf of Martham can be seen by clicking 1802 Poll Book.
1812	Martham Inclosure Award. For more information click on Inclosure.
1832	The West Flegg Electoral Roll of people entitled to vote on behalf of Martham can be seen by clicking 1832 Register.
1835	The West Flegg Electoral Roll of people entitled to vote on behalf of Martham can be seen by clicking 1835 Register.
1836	The West Flegg Electoral Roll of people entitled to vote on behalf of Martham can be seen by clicking 1836 Register.
1837	The West Flegg Electoral Roll of people entitled to vote on behalf of Martham can be seen by clicking 1837 Register.
1840	The West Flegg Electoral Roll of people entitled to vote on behalf of Martham can be seen by clicking 1840 Register.
1841	The West Flegg Electoral Roll of people entitled to vote on behalf of Martham can be seen by clicking 1841 Register.
1841	The 1841 census was carried out based on where people lived at midnight on 6^th June. You can see an alphabetical list of people living in Martham at that time by clicking 1841
1842	The Martham Tithe Award.
1844	The West Flegg Electoral Roll of people entitled to vote on behalf of Martham can be seen by clicking 1844 Register.
1845	The West Flegg Electoral Roll of people entitled to vote on behalf of Martham can be seen by clicking 1845 Register.
1845	A copy of White’s Directory can be seen by clicking Whites 1845.
1850	A copy of Hunt & Co Directory can be seen by clicking Hunt 1850.
1851	The 1851 census was carried out based on where people lived on 30^th March 1851.
1855	The West Flegg Electoral Roll of people entitled to vote on behalf of Martham can be seen by clicking 1855 Register.
1861	The 1861 census was carried out based on where people lived on 7^th April 1861.
1865	The West Flegg Electoral Roll of people entitled to vote on behalf of Martham can be seen by clicking 1865 Register.
1871	The 1871 census was carried out based on where people lived on 2^nd April 1871.
1877	Martham railway station opened on 15^th July. For more information click railway.
1879	The present Baptist Church on the north side of the Green was built.
1880	Martham Methodist Church was built in Repps Road.
1881	The 1881 census was carried out based on where people lived on 3^rd April 1881.
1883	A copy of Kelly’s Trade Directory can be seen by clicking Kelly’s 1883.
1891	The 1891 census was carried out based on where people lived on 5^th April 1891.
1894/95	Click on Gazetteer to see how the Gazetteer of England and Wales described Martham at this time.
1896	A copy of Kelly’s Trade Directory can be seen by clicking Kelly’s 1896.
1901	The 1901 census was carried out based on where people lived on 31^st March 1901.
1911	The 1911 census was carried out based on where people lived on 2^nd April 1911.
1914 to 1918	The First World War. For photos of the war memorial click War Memorial. This page also gives details of Martham people who gave their lives during both World Wars.
1937	A copy of Kelly’s Trade Directory can be seen by clicking Kelly’s 1937.
1939	A pre-war register was compiled of the population in preparation for rationing and war needs. Click 1939 Register for a list of those living in Martham at the time and copies of the actual Register Returns.
1939 to 1945	The Second World War. For details of Martham people who gave their lives during both World Wars click on War Memorial.
1959	The last train went through Martham railway station on 28^th February before it closed. The former Butagas depot at the station closed in the same year. For more details click railway.

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