Dive into a period from the past and see what was happening in Martham at the time. Use the links to travel through time.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPeriod<\/strong><\/td>Event<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>Prehistoric to Iron Age<\/td>Martham, the Isle of Flegg<\/a><\/em> 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<\/a><\/em><\/td><\/tr>2.6m to 10,000BC<\/td>Palaeolithic period. For more information click Prehistoric<\/a><\/em><\/td><\/tr>10,000 to 4,000BC<\/td>Mesolithic period. For more information click Prehistoric<\/a><\/em><\/td><\/tr>4,000 to 2,600BC<\/td>Neolithic period. For more information click Prehistoric<\/a><\/em><\/td><\/tr>2,600 to 700BC<\/td>Bronze Age<\/a><\/em>. For more information click Bronze Age<\/a> <\/em><\/td><\/tr>700BC to 61AD<\/td>Iron Age.<\/a><\/em> For more information click Iron Age<\/a>.<\/em> Also, Celtic Britain 600BC to c50AD<\/td><\/tr>43AD to 410AD<\/td>In 43 AD the Romans <\/em><\/a>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<\/em>.<\/a> In the year 410 Emperor Honorius refused to help Britain against attacking Anglo Saxons.<\/a><\/em><\/td><\/tr>400 to 600<\/td>The Dark Ages.<\/td><\/tr>410 to 599<\/td>Anglo Saxon <\/a><\/em>England. Martham gained its named after the polecats or \u201cmartens\u201d that were common to the area and \u201cham\u201d having the Angle origin of a residence of a thane or lord. For more information go to Anglo<\/em> Saxons.<\/em><\/a><\/td><\/tr>599 to 624<\/td>King Raedwald was the most powerful Anglo Saxon<\/a><\/em> King of East Anglia.<\/td><\/tr>650 to 830<\/td>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<\/a><\/em> at Runham and at Martham on the north side.<\/td><\/tr>1066<\/td>Harold was King until the Battle of Hastings in October 1066.<\/td><\/tr>1086<\/td>Domesday Book<\/a><\/em> 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.<\/a><\/em><\/td><\/tr>1096<\/td>Bishop Herbert De Losinga<\/a><\/em> gave Martham Manor<\/a><\/em> to his new Priory of Norwich resulting in the first Martham Manor<\/a><\/em>. For more information click Anglo-Danish<\/a>.<\/em><\/td><\/tr>1215<\/td>The Magna Carta.<\/td><\/tr>1292<\/td>A survey by the Cathedral Priory Manor of Martham<\/a><\/em> called the Stowe Survey <\/a><\/em>was carried out recording 376 tenants of land in Martham which included 75 families holding land as tenants of the Manor.<\/a><\/em><\/td><\/tr>1294<\/td>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. <\/a><\/em><\/td><\/tr> <\/td> <\/td><\/tr>1315 & 1316<\/td>Martham had two wet seasons, poor harvests and high corn prices. For more information click Medieval.<\/a><\/em><\/td><\/tr>1325<\/td>There was a great drought that made it difficult to find pasture for animals.<\/td><\/tr>1332<\/td>Tax records show a population of around 1,000 to 1,500 people in the village. For more information click Medieval<\/em>. <\/a><\/td><\/tr>1349\/50 <\/td>The Black Death<\/a><\/em> 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.<\/em><\/a><\/td><\/tr>1370 to 1380<\/td>Following the Black Death<\/a><\/em> many men started to leave Martham and look for work in Yarmouth if only for the fishing season.<\/td><\/tr>1381<\/td>The Peasants Revolt in Norfolk. Martham had minor involvement. <\/td><\/tr>1400<\/td>Local farm labourers earned about 11s 7d a year<\/strong> (58p) which rose to about \u00a31 in 1424. For more information click Medieval<\/em>.<\/a><\/td><\/tr>1404<\/td>There was a fishery at a place called Cobham College Manor<\/a><\/em> on the River Thurne<\/a><\/em> near the present floating pontoon at Ferrygate <\/a><\/em>Lane which was later let for \u00a35 6s 8d a year. For more information click Medieval<\/a><\/em>.<\/td><\/tr>1416 to 1435<\/td>A Martham man bought a cottage and nine acres of land in the village for 50s (\u00a32.50) 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<\/a><\/em>.<\/td><\/tr>1480<\/td>Martham\u2019s annual fair<\/em> <\/a>started according to the Gazetteer of Markets and Fairs in England & Wales dated 1516.<\/td><\/tr>1534 to 1549<\/td>The Reformation period. In 1549 the first Church of England Prayer Book was authorised.<\/td><\/tr>1649<\/td>Charles I was executed and the \u2018Commonwealth\u2019 established.<\/td><\/tr>1660<\/td>Monarchy restored. <\/td><\/tr>1665<\/td>The plague hit London and spread to Norwich & Great Yarmouth. Its effects in Martham are unknown but there are no Church burial records for 1665-1667. <\/td><\/tr>1720\u2019s to 1840s<\/td>Industrial revolution.<\/td><\/tr> <\/td> <\/td><\/tr>1800<\/td>The first Baptist Church<\/a><\/em> 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.<\/a><\/em><\/td><\/tr>1802<\/td>The West Flegg Electoral Roll (Poll Book) of people entitled to vote on behalf of Martham can be seen by clicking 1802 <\/em>Poll Book.<\/em> <\/a><\/td><\/tr>1812<\/td>Martham Inclosure Award<\/a><\/em>. For more information click on Inclosure<\/a>.<\/em><\/td><\/tr>1832<\/td>The West Flegg Electoral Roll of people entitled to vote on behalf of Martham can be seen by clicking 1832 Register.<\/a><\/em> <\/td><\/tr>1835<\/td>The West Flegg Electoral Roll of people entitled to vote on behalf of Martham can be seen by clicking 1835 Register<\/a>.<\/em> <\/td><\/tr>1836<\/td>The West Flegg Electoral Roll of people entitled to vote on behalf of Martham can be seen by clicking 1836 Register.<\/em> <\/a><\/td><\/tr>1837<\/td>The West Flegg Electoral Roll of people entitled to vote on behalf of Martham can be seen by clicking 1837 Register.<\/em> <\/a><\/td><\/tr>1840<\/td>The West Flegg Electoral Roll of people entitled to vote on behalf of Martham can be seen by clicking 1840 Register.<\/em> <\/a><\/td><\/tr>1841<\/td>The West Flegg Electoral Roll of people entitled to vote on behalf of Martham can be seen by clicking 1841 Register.<\/a><\/em> <\/td><\/tr>1841<\/td>The 1841 census was carried out based on where people lived at midnight on 6th<\/sup> June. You can see an alphabetical list of people living in Martham at that time by clicking 1841<\/a><\/em><\/td><\/tr>1842<\/td>The Martham Tithe Award.<\/a><\/em><\/td><\/tr>1844<\/td>The West Flegg Electoral Roll of people entitled to vote on behalf of Martham can be seen by clicking 1844 Register.<\/em> <\/a><\/td><\/tr>1845<\/td>The West Flegg Electoral Roll of people entitled to vote on behalf of Martham can be seen by clicking 1845 Register.<\/em> <\/a><\/td><\/tr>1845<\/td>A copy of White\u2019s Directory can be seen by clicking Whites 1845.<\/a> <\/em><\/td><\/tr>1850<\/td>A copy of Hunt & Co Directory can be seen by clicking Hunt 1850<\/a><\/em>.<\/td><\/tr>1851<\/td>The 1851 census<\/em> <\/a>was carried out based on where people lived on 30th<\/sup> March 1851.<\/td><\/tr>1855<\/td>The West Flegg Electoral Roll of people entitled to vote on behalf of Martham can be seen by clicking 1855 Register<\/a>.<\/em> <\/td><\/tr>1861<\/td>The 1861 census<\/a><\/em> was carried out based on where people lived on 7th<\/sup> April 1861<\/a><\/em>.<\/td><\/tr>1865<\/td>The West Flegg Electoral Roll of people entitled to vote on behalf of Martham can be seen by clicking 1865 Register.<\/em> <\/a><\/td><\/tr>1871<\/td>The 1871 census was carried out based on where people lived on 2nd<\/sup> April 1871.<\/td><\/tr>1877<\/td>Martham railway<\/a><\/em> station opened on 15th<\/sup> July. For more information click railway.<\/a><\/em><\/td><\/tr>1879<\/td>The present Baptist Church<\/a><\/em> on the north side of the Green was built.<\/td><\/tr>1880<\/td>Martham Methodist Church<\/a><\/em> was built in Repps Road.<\/td><\/tr>1881<\/td>The 1881 census<\/a><\/em> was carried out based on where people lived on 3rd<\/sup> April 1881.<\/td><\/tr>1883<\/td>A copy of Kelly\u2019s Trade Directory can be seen by clicking Kelly’s 1883<\/em>. <\/a><\/td><\/tr>1891<\/td>The 1891 census<\/a><\/em> was carried out based on where people lived on 5th<\/sup> April 1891.<\/td><\/tr>1894\/95<\/td>Click on Gazetteer<\/em> <\/a>to see how the Gazetteer of England and Wales described Martham at this time.<\/td><\/tr>1896<\/td>A copy of Kelly\u2019s Trade Directory can be seen by clicking