Kelly's Directory 1937
This is the Denton entry in the 1937 edition of "Kelly's Directory of Norfolk & Suffolk". The copy is held by Terry Hanner who rescued it from a rubbish skip some years ago. The text has been slightly edited to make it more readable.
Note that it contains telephone numbers, but only a few. The local Homersfield exchange had opened in 1930 but use of such modern technology was slow in catching on.
"DENTON is a pleasant scattered village and parish on the Suffolk border of the county, 1.5 miles north–east from Homersfield station on the Waveney Valley branch of the London and North Eastern railway, 4.5 north-east from Harleston and 4 south-west from Bungay, in the Southern division of the county, Earsham hundred and petty sessional division, Depwade rural district, Harleston county court district, rural deanery of Redenhall, archdeaconry of Norfolk and diocese of Norwich.
The church of St. Mary the Virgin is a building of flint, with stone dressing, chiefly in the Decorated style, consisting of a spacious chancel, nave, aisles, north porch and a low embattled western tower containing a clock and 3 bells; the clock, which strikes the hours and chimes the quarters, was erected in 1884 by the Rev.C. Arundell St. John Mildmay, the rector at that time, as a memorial to Ven. William Arundell Bouverie, rector of Denton and archdeacon of Norfolk, d. 23 August, 1877, and to the Hon. Frances (Sneyd), his wife, d. 5 March, 1884.
The east window was described by Blomefleld in 1806 as "the most perfect and curious painted glass I have ever seen in any country village"; the north porch has a stone groined roof and there are piscinae in the chancel and both aisles; there are memorial windows to the Sandby and Umphelby families and tablets to Robert Rogerson M.A. ob. 1684, Matthew Postlethwayt, archdeacon of Norfolk and rector of the parish, d. 27 June, 1745, George Sandby, chancellor of the diocese of Norwich and 56 years rector here, d. 24 March, 1807, and to Catherine Day, d. 1789; there are brasses in the chancel to Margaret Gedge, ob. 1619, John Gedge, ob. 1621, and to Ann, wife of William Goode, a former rector, ob. 1645.
An oak lych gate was erected by Archdeacon Bouverie in 1868, the nave and Aisles were re-floored and re-seated throughout with open oak benches, the chancel having been restored previously, and in 1874 the aisles were roofed in oak covered with lead. In 1911 extensive repairs were made to the fabric; there are 350 sittings.
The register dates from the year 1559 and there is a book of churchwardens'accounts dating from the reign of Henry VII. The living is a rectory, net yearly value £624, with 50 acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of the Archbishop of Canterbury (with preference to a fellow or former fellow of Merton College, Oxford), and held since 1931 by the Rev. James Walter Courtes Lavers A.K.C.L. The rectory house and grounds adjoin the church.
There is a Congregational chapel, rebuilt in 1821 and endowed with £25 yearly and a residence for the minister; Cook's charity, producing £12 annually, is for the benefit of poor members of the congregation of this chapel.
Charities: John Warner's, of 20s. yearly, derived from land held by the Boys' Hospital, Norwich, is given to deserving poor widows during the first week in November; the Rev. John Porter left 1.5 acres of land, let for £2, which is given to the poor in money ; certain land at Darrow Green (2 acres, 1 rood, 12 perches) left, by an unknown donor, let for 45s. yearly, which sum is likewise distributed; Mrs. Button left £50, invested in a "going" on Bungay common, let yearly by public auction for from 24s. to 30s. which sum is given away in bread on Good Friday; Sarah Bedbank, in 1692, left 8s. yearly out of a meadow, now in the occupation of Mr. James Revell, farmer, for the purchase of two Bibles.
Denton House is the seat of Mrs. Edward Lee-Warner, and Denton Lodge the residence of Lt.-Col. Charles A. Kemball C.I.E., J.P. There are several manors in this parish. The principal landowners are Sir George Bowyer bart., Mrs. Edward Lee-Warner, Col. Charles Arnold Kemball C.I.E., J.P.and Alfred Robert, Todd Esq. J.P.
The soil is strong loam; subsoil, clay. The chief crops are wheat, beans, turnips, beet and barley. The area is 2,493 acres ; the population in 1931 was 337.
Post, M.O. & Tel. Call Office. Letters from Harleston. Alburgh nearest T. office.
PRIVATE RESIDENTS
Edwards, Mrs., Denton Hall
Forbes, Mrs. A. B., The Manse
Kemball, Lt.-Col. Charles Arnold C.I.E., J.P., Denton Lodge, Tel: Homersfield 36
Lavers, Rev. James Walter Courtes A.K.C.L. (rector), Rectory
Lee-Warner, Mrs. Edward, Denton House
COMMERCIAL
Marked thus * – a farm of 150 acres or over.
Battell, Hy. Jas. grocer, & post office, Tel: Homersfield 2.
Buck, Arthur, farmer, Wood Farm.
Bussens, Rt. Victor, farmer, Vale Farm*.
Cobbald, Douglas Arth, farmer, Low Farm*, Earsham, Bungay (Suffolk) Tel: Homersfield 42.
Dunn, Annie (Mrs), poultry farmer, Thatched Cottage.
Fairhead, Harry, blacksmith.
Howlett, Herbt, poultry farmer, Chapel Hill Farm.
Hupton, Harold Frank, farmer, Beck-House Farm.
Hupton, Jas. farmer, Walnut Tree Farm.
Johnson, Wm. farmer, Darrow Farm.
Jordan, James Humphrey, farmer, Hill Farm*.
King's Head P.H., (Jas. Davison).
Leist, Wm., farmer, Mutts Farm.
Martin, Samuel, farmer, Mill Farm.
Morris, Wltr. Fredk., farmer, Darrow Grn
Pointer, Percy Geo. William, farmer.
Potter, George Ezra, farmer, Moat Farm & Chapel Farm, Topcroft.
Potter, Thos. farmer, Pear Tree Farm.
Revell, Frank, farmer, Chapel Farm.
Skinner, Alfd, farmer, Glebe, Higher Green & Upland Farms*.
Todd, Alfd. Bt. J.P., farmer, Grove & Hall Farms*.
Tubby, Geo., coal dlr.
Wade, Jas., farmer, Manor & Pains Hill Farms*, Tel: Homersfield 35.
Watch House P.H., (Edgar Howlett).
Whittaker, Edwd., farmer, Ivy Farm."