John Pollard (1802-1882) of Martham

John Pollard was born in Martham on 4th October 1802 and was baptised at St Mary’s a few days later on 6th. His parents were Charles Pollard & Sarah, nee Mann. He had five siblings, namely: Thomas Henry, Elizabeth, Charlotte, Sarah, and Charles. His father owned about 46 acres of land in Cess in 1812.

John appeared in the Martham Electoral Register in 1832 as the occupier of land worth more than £50 per annum in his own right and in 1835, when he was 33, he married Elizabeth Parker on 7th November at Saint Peter Mancroft in Norwich.

The 1842 Tithe Award lists him as the owner of arable fields known as plots 153, 219, 269, 291, 292, 306, 307 and 670. Plot 153 was where Marlborough Green Estate is now. Plots 219 and 269 were large fields either side of the Hemsby Road when leaving the village just past the derelict barn but before you turn sharp left to Hemsby. Plots 291 & 292 were adjoining fields to the north of Hemsby Road. Plots 306 & 307 were adjoining fields that are being built on at what was once the Mushroom Farm and the field next to it opposite the Medical Centre. Plot 670 was immediately east of what is now Manor Farm on Back Lane.

Plot 153 Martham 1842 Tithe Award map
Plots 219 & 269 Martham 1842 Tithe Award map


In addition to these John also owned plots 672, 673 and 681 that were what is now Manor House and farm, the road running between them and the yards. He was a gentleman farmer and most of these fields and even the house would probably have been let as they were in 1842 to Thomas Manship.

   

Plots 670, 672, 673, 681, 307 & 306 of the 1842 Martham Tithe Award map

John was listed in the 1841 census as living at Ormesby St Michael and in 1851 he was at  East Somerton all the time being listed as a farmer. He seemed to move quite often and by 1861 he was living in Martham on the north side of The Green next door to Brooklyn House. He had moved again by 1871 and from the order of the census it looks as if he lived at Manor Farm although it was not listed as that at the time. He was listed as being a “farmer of 220 acres employing 7 men and 7 boys. In 1881 he was lodging at Norwich House and may have been in poor health as he died on 9th March 1882. He is buried at St Mary’s graveyard, section E, plot F1 with his wife who died in 1875.

The sarcophagus of John & Elizabeth Pollard.

John’s Will had two Codicils and said he was: “John Pollard late of Martham in the County of Norfolk, Gentleman who died on 9th March 1882 at Martham was proved at Norwich on 28th February 1883 by Richard Knights of Martham the nephew, and William Prickmore of Seething in the said County, farmers, and Francis Sloman Holmes of Great Yarmouth in the said County, gentleman the Executors.” 
John had out-lived his wife and they had no children so his nephew Richard Knights inherited.

In 1901 following his death two cottages and land he previously owned in Cess were auctioned and some land was purchased by Benjamin Goose.

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