TOPCROFT

 

We would not normally concentrate on any one given place when displaying the Melton Family History, however, apart from the major city of Norwich this little village of Topcroft situated 5 miles east of Long Stratton and 6 miles west of the Suffolk Town of Bungay has played a very big part in our family research.

For at least 235 years the Melton family has been associated with the county of Norfolk and for almost 116 of those years members of the Melton family lived in this tiny hamlet called Topcroft which is very interesting given that it is such a small area.

As we have mentioned before, we are not sure how the Melton's came to be in Topcroft and being so close to the Norfolk/Suffolk border, where they were before. We do know that in later years some of the family moved into Norwich and here we stayed. We also know that those who did not come to Norwich moved to the London area.

Here we show how Topcroft became a vital link to our family research and what we discovered in Topcroft. Using the Census page information on this web site you can see for yourself exactly how many of our ancestors are associated with Topcroft. We show photographs of St Margaret's Church where many of our family ancestors were baptised, married and indeed buried. We show photographs of the village itself as it is today, showing important landmarks such as the old school and what's left of the old mill and we show photographs of our ancestors grave stones in the church grounds.
 

 

The Village

 

 

The two pictures above Show the village sign at Topcroft and and also a plaque depicting one of Topcrofts most famous inhabitants. She was Margaret Brewse and is seen here writing what was to become one of the famous Paston letters. The sign itself is just outside Topcroft hall where she lived with her husband John Paston. The Paston letters are a huge collection of papers , letters and documentation reflecting the troubles in England around the 1400's.

for a more detailed explanation of the Paston letters Click Here

 

 

The above three photographs are of a scenic view in Topcroft. On the top is the land that surrounds Topcroft Hall. Very little remains of the original Hall. The photograph in the middle shows the pathway leading to Topcroft Church and the photograph on the bottom shows how Topcroft Street looks today. According to the census reports many of our family ancestors lived in Topcroft Street.

 

 

 This Photograph above is how Topcroft School looks today, it is now a private house but we wonder how many of our ancestors attended this old school at any time in the past

 

These last two photographs show Topcroft post mill. The photograph on the top shows the mill in 1910 and fully working.  The Mill was first recorded on the ordanance survey map of 1838. The mill ceased working in 1922.

The photograph on the bottom shows the old mill as it looks today.     

 

Family Memorials

 

Here we show the family memorials that were found in Topcrofts St Margarets Church.

By clicking each picture will open up the full screen photograph.

Each photograph will have an explanation as to who they are. Some photographs show two stones together and some have dual inscriptions or mention other family names on them. We will try and explain the relationship to the person or person's also mentioned on the stones and to make it easier to understand we have detailed who that person is in relation to Carl.

We do understand that looking at Grave Stones and family memorials is not always exciting and not everybody's cup of tea so to speak, however, many of you will never have seen these and they are for some of you Uncles, Aunts, Grandfathers and Grandmothers that you never actually Knew, after all, they are your relatives and your family ancestors from a long time ago.

 

   

william melton
William Melton passed away October 6th 1879 aged 74.
In relation to Carl, William is Carl's 3 x Great Uncle.

 

 

John close up
John Melton Passed away on the 19th October 1860 aged 52.
John was the brother of William above and agian is Carl's 3x great Uncle.
both are buried at St Margarets in Topcroft.

 

 

Mary wife of John
Mary Melton passed away on the 6th May 1876 aged 66. Mary was the Wife of John above and so Carl's 3 x Great Aunt
She died in Heckinham work house in Hales Near Loddon and we think she was in the work house possibly due to her
Husband John having died long before her and leaving no financial support.
We have been in contact with the owner of a web site all about heckinham hall
who has agreed to allow us to link to his web site.
please click here to go to Peter Higginbotham's web site

 

Mary close up
Close up of Mary Melton's Headstone.

 

Mary and John Stones
This photograph here shows Mary and John Melton's Graves together in St Margarets Church Topcroft.

 

 

threestones
This photograph shows Mary and John Melton's graves along side William Sillett
William Sillett died aged only 27 on Febuary 23rd 1870.
William was Mary and John's Son in Law having been married to thier Daughter Caroline.
A very interesting point here is that William is buried with his son Harry who only died just ten days before him at only a few months old.
We are not sure of cause of death, an accident possibly involving both of them? or did illness take them both?
When researching our family history we have come across a lot of what must have been great sadness in those early years.
Take for example this story and Mary Melton. Mary had lost her Husband, her Son in law and her Grandson all within ten years.
To top it all off, she ended her days in a work house.
What seems like a very tragic life.
in the case of Caroline, she too lost her Husband and Son both within ten days
After William's death Caroline married a James Hall and moved to London.
In relation to Carl, Caroline would be Carl's 1st cousin 4 x removed.

 

 

Becketts Beddingham
These are the headstones showing the Graves of Robert Beckett who died in May 1880 and his Wife Mary Ann (nee Banham) who died in 1872.
Robert was the Brother in Law of James Melton due to James being married to Roberts Sister Harriet.
James was Carl's 3 x great uncle and Brother to William in our first photograph.

 

 

Jane Beckett

This Photograph shows the Grave of Jane Beckett who passed away September 25th 1860 aged just 15.
Jane was the Daughter of Robert and Mary above.

 

 

inscription on bottom of stone
Remember what we have mentioned before about short lives and family tradgedy's?
The inscription on the bottom of this headstone reads "ten other beloved children who died in their infancy"
We have given you a closer view of the inscription on the bottom of Jane's headstone here. click the picture for the full view.
As you will see, just before this sentence the stone is broken so we are not sure if it says "and ten other...." or what the word proceeding ten is
We are also not sure who the ten other children are or if they are all buried here but if they are this must be a family tradgedy on a very big scale
This also makes this a Large family plot in just one grave.

 

 

Matt Beckett
Matthias Beckett and his Wife Mary Ann Beckett buried together.
Matthias passed away November 2nd 1893 aged 83 and Mary Ann on Febuary 8th 1899 aged 87.
Mary Ann was the Daughter of William and Maria Carl's 4 x Great Grandparents thus making Mary Ann Carl's 3 x Great Aunt.

 

 

Ben close up
The above photograph shows the Graves of Benjamin and Sarah Harrison
Benjamin passed away May 30th 1910 aged 81
Sarah passed away November 1st 1921 aged 94.
Sarah was the Daughter of William and Maria Melton and so therfore Carl's 3 x Great Aunt.