Welcome
There is one Parish magazine to cover Onehouse, Harleston and Shelland and that magazine is called OHSMag, so perhaps this web page should be the OHS-Hist web page. Here we can share information about the history of Onehouse, Harleston and Shelland.
Either read on, or click on one of these. These sections tell us more about who lived here and what we can find out about what the villages were like in the past.
Onehouse … In The Beginning
Well we all have to start somewhere so …
Start with the place name of Onehouse. The earliest mention so far is 1086 in the Domesday Survey and it is spelt as Anhus. It is a Saxon word and means a single or lonely House. The “house” is sometimes translated as a hall. Later it is spelt as Onhus, which is getting dangerously close to our local pronunciation of “Wunnus”
Look at the following map (click on the highlighted text) of listed buildings for Onehouse,
Sketchmap of listed buildings in Onehouse
How many of these old buildings can you name? What we can see today of these listed buildings are timbers dating from the 1600s, but it would be a safe bet that these buildings were made on top of, or adjacent to, older dwellings.
Our first real break is when we get the results of the Domesday Survey. I have linked this section where possible to the Domesday website so you can explore results for other locations..
Domesday 1086 …36 households
Somehow there were 36 households here at the time of the Domesday (Just Click Here for a look) Survey in 1086 in 5 separate manors. We might see these as more like farm estates. Use the Map of the listed buildings to help you guess where you would think that these estates were? That would give us a population estimate between 38 and 144.
The next snapshot is from the Poll Tax.
Poll Tax 1381 ….18 households?
The next time that we got a glimpse of the whole population was in the dreaded Poll Tax returns that contributed to the Peasants Revolt in 1381. It gives some clues as to the status of our inhabitants then and what names were in circulation. If you want more information about this then look HERE.
Shelland, Harleston and Onehouse are combined as a separate entry.
But in “Onehowse” the record now shows 24 individuals recorded in 18 households. Here is the list that is still legible. It is interesting to note those names still in use today. A knight of the realm would be 6/- (six old shillings) and the poorest serf would be 4d (4 old pence). The question marks are where the original document is so damaged that it is not possible to see any marks, but we can use this data to give us ideas about names in use at that time..
| Roger & Alice | Corper | 2/4d |
| John & Margaret | Hevy | 2/4d |
| Lucia | H???nt | 8d |
| Henry and Matilda | ? | 2/4d |
| Agnes | Al ? | 8d |
| Robert & Cristina | Hell….. | 2/- |
| John & Alicia | ? | 2/- |
| John & Joanna | ? | 12d |
| ? | ? | 12d |
| ? | ? | 20d |
| ? | ? | 12d |
| ? | ? | 12d |
| ? | ? | 12d |
| ? | Letyl | 12d |
| ? | Letyl | 12d |
| ? | ? | 16d |
| ? | ? | 12d |
| ? | Bryd | 8d |
The “?” means that the document was damaged.
There appears to be an absence of very poor and very rich. At present we have no record of the Corper family being in any other way associated with Onehouse.
Ship Money Returns for 1639-40 ….13 Households
We now have a jump in the records to Charles I who wanted to raise money for a full time navy. Without any reference to Parliament he brought in the “Ship Money”. The method of calculation is not precise and it seems to be related to how much land you own, or derive an income from, and your ability to pay. This was not a highly popular tax. It is another snapshot of who is living where.
| £ | s | d | |||
| John | Thompson | 3 | 10 | 0 | |
| Clerk | Steedman | 8 | 10 | ||
| Edward | Pilburrough | 6 | 0 | ||
| Widow | Syre | 7 | 0 | ||
| John | Robson | 7 | 0 | ||
| Rich | Sparrow | 6 | 0 | ||
| John | Bradley | 6 | 0 | ||
| Rich | Darcie | 4 | 0 | ||
| Rich | Pilburrough | 4 | 0 | ||
| John | Syre | 4 | 0 | ||
| Simon | Johnson | for the home sitting | 1 | 0 | |
| Robert | Burland | 2 | 6 | ||
| Thomas | Carver | 1 | 0 | ||
| Outsitters | |||||
| Sir Roger | North | 4 | 0 | ||
| Phillip | Parsons | Clerk | 2 | 0 | |
| Richard | Syre | 6 | 0 | ||
| Thomas | Vincent | 3 | 6 | ||
| Noel | Oliver | 3 | 6 | ||
| William | Wage | 3 | 0 | ||
| Thomas | Pilburrough | 2 | 0 | ||
| Thomas | Miller | 1 | 6 | ||
| Robert | Hubbart | for Johnsons ploughlands | 1 | 0 | |
| Widow | Dowle | 9 | |||
| Ricard | Darcie | 9 | |||
At present it is not clear who John Thompson was but he was clearly wealthy. The “Outsitters” were those who owned/ made money on land in the parish but did not live there. Any owner who did not own land was not included in this tax list.
Hearth Tax 1674 …16 households
The next time we get a glimpse of the population of Onehouse is in the the Hearth Tax returns of 1674. Charles II introduced a tax on each hearth in the house. Each house was inspected. Each chimney usually carried two flues and each flue ended in a hearth. Where there is only 3 hearths, the third hearth indicates a separate flue, possibly an additional chimney for a kitchen or bake house.
| Dwelling | Hearths | Head of Household |
| 1 | 3 | Jo Reynolds |
| 1 | Fr Sparrow | |
| 2 | 3 | Richard Crosse |
| 2 | Jo Wright | |
| 3 | 3 | William Desborough |
| 4 | 6 | Mr Tompson |
| 5 | 2 | Henry Self |
| 6 | 6 | Joseph Cutlove, parson |
| 7 | 3 | Edward Emerson |
| 8 | 3 | Widow Godwin |
| 9 | 2 | Goody Lockwood |
| 10 | 2 | Widow Steadman |
| 11 | Noe Distress | Fr Bird |
| 12 | Robert Larvis | |
| 13 | Ro Burnham | |
| 14 | Jo Walker | |
| 15 | Dan. Walker | |
| 16 | Jo Johnson |
In the returns we see 2 of the dwellings with 6 hearths, suggesting three or more chimneys, one of those was the “parson” and the other might be the next sizeable building, probably Onehouse Hall. We know that John Pettiward then owned the hall, so Mr Tompson must have been his tenant.
Those in the “noe distress” category were recognised by the local officials then as being unable to pay the tax. Probably they were eligible for some form of poor relief, but whether they got any is another currently unanswered question.
1844 White’s Directory
ONEHOUSE , 2 miles W. by N. of Stowmarket , is a small parish of scattered houses , containing 865A . ] R . 177. of well – wooded land , and 303 inhabitants , including 91 in Stow Union Workhouse , which is situated here , and is already described at page 285. In the reign of Edward the Third , it was the seat and estate of Bartholomew de Burghersh , who was one of the twelve barons to whose care the Prince of Wales was committed at the battle of Cressy . He died here in 1369 , without male issue , and his sole daughter and heiress married Edward , Baron Despenser . On the site of the old hall , encompassed by a moat , a commodious farm – house was built many years ago . The grandeur and solitary situation of the ancient mansion probably gave name to the parish , which , little more than two centuries ago , was covered with wood , except a narrow strip , which ascended from the valley to the hall . Queen Elizabeth , in one of her “ progresses ” through this county , breakfasted at Onehouse . The parish still abounds in fine timber trees , and on the glebe adjoining the secluded Rectory House is a wood of ten or twelve acres . Lady Hotham is lady of the manor , and owner of the greater part of the soil , and the remainder belongs to J. Garnham , Esq . , and a few smaller owners . It is mostly freehold . The Church ( St. John ) is a small ancient fabric , with some remains of Saxon architecture . The tower is circular , and the font is of un hewn stone . The rectory , valued in K.B. at £ 7 . 2s . 6d . , and in 1835 , at £ 200 , has 344 acres of glebe . Lady Hotham is patroness , and the Rev. Thomas Scott , B.A. , incumbent . Directory : Edward Ablitt , master of the Union Workhouse ; Wm . Crosse , Esq . , Onehouse Hall ; Rev. Henry S. Marriott , M.A. , curate , Rectory ; Mrs. Susan Page Rout , Onehouse Lodge ; John Green , sen . and jun . , farmers ; Jere miah Oxer , farmer ; and James Riley , maltster and vict . , Shepherd and Dog .
1855 White’s Directory
ONEHOUSE, 2 miles W. by N. of Stowmarket, is a small parish of scattered houses, containing 865a. 1r. 17p. of well-wooded land, and 432 inhabitants, including 225 in Stow Union Workhouse, which is situated here, and is already described at page 407. In the reign of Edward III., it was the seat and estate of Bartholomew de Burghersh, who was one of the twelve barons to whose care the Prince of Wales was committed at the battle of Cressy. He died here in 1300, without male issue, and his sole daughter and heiress married Edward, Baron Dispenser. On the site of the old hall, encompassed by a moat, a commodious farm house was built many years ago. The grandeur and solitary situation of the ancient mansion probably gave name to the parish, which, little more than two centuries ago, was covered with wood, except a narrow strip, which ascended from, the valley to the hall. Queen Elizabeth, in one of her ” progresses” through this county, breakfasted at Onehouse. The parish still abounds in fine timber trees, and on the glebe adjoining the secluded Rectory House is a wood of ten or twelve acres. Lady Hotham is lady of the manor, and owner of the greater part of the soil, and the remainder belongs to J. Garnham, Esq., (owner of Onehouse Lodge,) and a few smaller owners. It is mostly freehold.
The Church (St.John,) is a small ancient fabric, with some remains of Saxon architecture. The tower is circular, and the font is of unhewn stone.
The rectory, valued in K.B. at £7. 2s. 6d., and now at i:246, has 84|a. of glebe. Lady Hotham’s Trustees, or rather the Trustees of the late Roger Pettiward, Esq., are the patrons, and the Rev. T. M.
Pyke, M.A., is the incumbent.
Post from Stowmarket.
Ablitt Edward & Mrs Eliza, master and matron of Stow Union Workhouse
Ablitt Edmund, schoolmaster, ditto
Martin John, corn miller
Pollard Elizabeth, schoolmistress
Pyke Rev Ts. Massingberd, M A. rector
Riley Jas. brewer, maltster, and vict.Shepherd and Dog
Sparrow Francis, builder
FARMERS.
Crosse Wm., Esq., Onehouse Hall
Green Jacob, Star House, (and Stowmarket)
Matthew James, Chilton House
Phillips Uriah || Riley James
Wilson John, Onehouse Lodge
Harleston … In The Beginning
Well we all have to start somewhere so …
Start with the place name of Harleston. The earliest mention so far is 1086 in the Domesday Survey and it is spelt as Heroluestuna. It is a Saxon word and means Herowulf or Herewulf’s estate or farmstead. Herowulf or Herewulf is a person’s name.
Look at the following map (click on the highlighted text) of listed buildings for Harleston. It shows you where people were living.
Sketch map of listed buildings in Harleston
How many of these old buildings can you name? What we can see today of these listed buildings are timbers dating from the 1600s, but it would be a safe bet that these buildings were made on top of, or adjacent to, older dwellings.
Domesday 1086 …28 households
Somehow there were 28 households here at the time of the Domesday (Just Click Here for a look) survey in 1086. Perhaps we might be missing a few dwellings on our Sketch map?
Any thoughts where they could be?
Poll Tax 1381 …9 households
The next time that we got a glimpse of the whole population was in the dreaded Poll Tax returns that contributed to the Peasants Revolt in 1381. If you want more information about this then look HERE.
Shelland, Harleston and Onehouse are combined as a separate entry
But in “Harlistone” we appear to have 24 individuals in 9 households recorded. Here is the list that is still legible. It is interesting to note those names still in use today. A knight of the realm would be 6/- (six old shillings) and the poorest serf would be 4d (4 old pence).
| John & Matilda | de Freton | 2/7d |
| Roger & Margery | Shaldry | 2/4d |
| Roger & Margaret | Cokeman | 2/4d |
| John | Alderyd | 8d |
| John & Agatha | Lilye | 20d |
| Robert & Joanna | Syre | 20d |
| Robert & Margaret | Mere | 20d |
| Johannes & Agnes | Sl??? | 2/4d |
| ?? & Margeria | Trust | 20d |
There appears to be an absence of very poor and very rich. The ?? shows where the original document was damaged.
Hearth Tax 1674 …16 households
The next time we get a glimpse of the population of “Harlston” is in the the Hearth Tax returns of 1674. Charles II introduced a tax on each hearth in the house. Each house was inspected. Each chimney usually carried two flues and each flue ended in a hearth. A third hearth indicates a separate flue, possibly in an additional chimney for a kitchen or bake house.
| Dwelling | Hearths | Head of Household |
| 1 | 2 | Thomas Shawe |
| 1 | Thomas Osborne | |
| 2 | 4 | An Darkin |
| 2 | Thomas Brooke | |
| 3 | 3 | Edward Lyst |
| 4 | 2 | Thomas Osborne |
| 5 | 2 | Jo Driver |
| 5 | Chr Rowland | |
| 6 | 3 | Robert Garnham |
| 7 | 6 | Mr. Crosman |
| 9-16 | poor received collection. |
In the returns we only see just 1 dwelling with 6 hearths , making it look like a likely contender for “Harlston” Hall.
It is interesting to note that 8 dwellings were recorded as “poor no collection”. These were 8 dwellings where the household were recognised by the local officials then as being unable to pay the tax.
1844 White’s Directory
HARLESTON , 3 miles N.W. of Stowmarket , is a small parish containing only 90 souls , and 620 acres of land , partly copyhold , and partly in the manors of Haughley and Dagworth , but mostly in the mayor of Harleston Hall , which belongs to Lady Hotham , who rebuilt the Hall in the Elizabethan style , a few years ago ; but it is occupied by a farmer . Charles Tyrell , Esq . , has an estate here . The Church is a discharged rectory , valued in K.B. at £ 7 , and in 1835 at £ 175 . It has ll a. of glebe in Shelland parish , and is in the gift of Lady Hotham , and incumbency of the Rev. Charles Green , B.A. , of Bux hall . The farmers are Jacob Bradley Cooper , ( Hall ; ) James Davis , Wm . Peddar , ( Moor ; ) and Robert Moyes .
1855 White’s Directory
HARLESTON, three miles N.W. of Stowmarket, is a small parish containing only 90 souls, and 620 acres of land, partly copyhold, and partly in the manors of Haughley and Dagworth, but mostly in the manor of Harleston Hall, which belongs to Lady Hotham, who rebuilt the Hall in the Elizabethan style, some years ago; but it is occupied by a farmer.
Charles Tyrell, Esq., has an estate here. The Church is a discharged rectory, valued in K.B. at £7, and in 1835 at .£175. It has 11a. of glebe in Shelland parish, and is in the gift of the Trustees of the late E. Pettiward, Esq., and incumbency of the Rev. Charles Terry, M.A., of Great Finborough.
The Farmers are,
Jacob Bradley Cooper, Hall;
James Davis, White House;
Spencer Peddar, Moor Farm;
and Robert Moye, Gipping Green.
In the Twentieth Century
Click Dick Pollard Recording to find out more about living in Harleston in the 1920s-30s Dick Pollard was recorded by the Library service as part of an oral history project in the county. This fascinating recording is now in the Suffolk Archives in Ipswich, but sadly filed under Great Finborough. The original transcript of that tape was collated by Pauline LLewellyn and then digitised by Stephen Horne for this website.
Shelland … In The Beginning
Well we all have to start somewhere so …
Start with the place name of Shelland. The earliest mention so far is 1086 in the Domesday Survey and it is spelt as Sellanda. It is a Saxon word and means newly cultivated land on an edge or a shelf. From this it looks as if Shelland was only recently brought under the plough at the time of Domesday.
Look at the following map (click on the highlighted text) of listed buildings for Shelland
A Sketch map to show the listed buildings in Shelland
How many of these old buildings can you name? What we can see today of these listed buildings are timbers dating from the 1600s, but it would be a safe bet that these buildings were made on top of, or adjacent to, older dwellings.
Domesday 1086… 4 households
There were 4 households here at the time of the Domesday (Just Click here for a look) survey in 1086. The buildings at the bottom of the map appear to be a lost settlement straddling the border with neighbouring villages. Note that Shelland Hall is now in the parish of Rattlesden, someone redrew the boundary here!
With all that in mind it does seem uncanny that Shelland can still show 4 main farming estates.
Poll Tax 1381 … 19 households
The next time that we got a glimpse of the whole population was in the dreaded Poll Tax returns that contributed to the Peasants Revolt in 1381. If you want more information about this then look HERE.
Shelland, Harleston and Onehouse are combined as a separate entry
But in “Shellond” we appear to have 29 individuals and 19 households recorded. Here is the list that is still legible. It is interesting to note those names still in use today. A knight of the realm would be 6/- (six old shillings) and the poorest serf would be 4d (4 old pence)
| John Hegsete | 20d |
| John & Alicia Hamond | 2/4d |
| John & Cecilia atte Fen | 2/- |
| Thomas and Margery Tynton | 2/6d |
| John & Margery Mundegome | 2/- |
| John & Anita atte Hell | 16d |
| John Scot | 6d |
| Margery Broun | 8d |
| William Tynton | 12d |
| Marioita Hamond | 12d |
| Robert& Margery Cokeman | 2/- |
| John and Margery de Halle | 2/- |
| Amica de Halle | 12d |
| John & Joanna atte cros | 2/4d |
| William & Margaret Letyl | 2/4d |
| Roger Benet | 8d |
| John & “Amicia” Cobbe | 2/- |
| Matilda Trrist | 10d |
| Margeria B…oun | 10d |
There appears to be an absence of very poor and very rich.
Hearth Tax 1674 …14 households
The next time we get a glimpse of the population of Shelland is in the the Hearth Tax returns of 1674. Charles II introduced a tax on each hearth in the house. Each house was inspected. Each chimney usually carried two flues and each flue ended in a hearth. A third hearth indicates a separate flue, possibly in an additional chimney for a kitchen or bake house.
| Dwelling | Hearths | Head of Household |
| 1 | 2 | Jo Johnson |
| 2 | 11 | Mr Reeve |
| 3 | 2 | Edmund Harris |
| 4 | 1 | Jo Johnson |
| 5 | 5 | Jo Pooly |
| 6 | 3 | Jo Mudd |
| 7 | 3 | Widow Marriott |
| 8 | 5 | Widow Allum |
| 9 | Cert for 1 | Jo Jurden |
| 9 | Cert for 2 | Henry Carver |
| 10 | cert for 1 | Mat Motham |
| 10 | cert for 1 | Jo Wolfe |
| 11 | Cert for 4 | Widow Pole |
| 11 | Widow Button |
Here in Shelland we now have records for 11 dwellings and 14 households.
1844 White’s Directory
SHELLAND , a small secluded village and parish , near one of the sources of the river Gipping , 4 miles W.N.W. of Stowmarket , has 109 inhabitants , and 509 acres of well – wooded land , rising in bold undula tions , and all belonging to Charles Tyrell , Esq . , except 20A . belonging to J. Garnham , Esq . , and about two acres belonging to the glebe of Harleston and Onehouse . C. Tyrell , Esq . , is lord of the manor , im propriator of the tithes , ( commuted for £ 125 per annum , ) and patron of the Church , which is a donative , valued at £ 40 , and enjoyed by the Rev. Henry Ray . Shelland was held by the Bouchier and Devereux families , and was sold in 1591 , by that great but unhappy favourite of Queen Elizabeth , Robert Devereux , Earl of Essex . kockylls , now a farm , was held by the Drury family , and afterwards by the Rays . The poor have a yearly rent – charge of 20s . , left by Wm . Kent , in 1712 , outof a house and orchard , on Shelland Green . The principal inhabitants are , Wm . Brett , blacksmith ; Thos . Sparrow , bricklayer ; Eliz . Oxer , New Farm ; and Wm . Peddar , farmer , Rockylls Hall .
1855 White’s Directory
SHELLAND, a small secluded village and parish, near one of the sources of the river Gipping, 4 miles W.N.W. of Stowmarket, has 91 inhabitants, and 509 acres of well-wooded land, rising in bold undulations, and belonging to Chas. Tyrell, Esq., except 20a. belonging to J. Garnham, Esq , and about two acres belonging to the glebe of Harleston and Onehouse. C. Tyrell, Esq., is lord of the manor, impropriator of the tithes, (commuted for 4’125 per annum,) and patron of the Church, which is a donative, valued at £40, and enjoyed by the Rev. Wm. Steggall, M.A., of Thurston. Shelland was held by the Bouchier and Devereux families, and was sold in 1591, by that great, but unhappy favourite of Queen Elizabeth, Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex.
Rockylls, now a farm, was held by the Drury family, and afterwards by the Rays.
The poor have a yearly rent charge of 50s , left by Wm. Kent in 1712, out of a house and orchard on Shelland Green.
The principal inhabitants are
Wm. Brett, blacksmith ;
Thomas Sparrow, bricklayer ;
Wm. Clark, farmer;
Eliz. Oxer, New Farm ;
and Wm. Peddar, Rockylls Farm.