White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk 1883
Transcribed by Nigel Pendall
MENDHAM, is a parish in Hoxne union and petty sessional division, Harleston county court district, Ipswich bankruptcy district, Hoxne rural deanery, and Suffolk archdeaconry. It had 751 inhabitants in 1881, and comprises upwards of 3000 acres of land. Only 251 inhabitants, and 1200 acres adjoin Harleston, and are in Earsham hundred and Harlston polling district of South Norfolk; the rest, with the village Church (All Saints), and some vestiges of a priory, is in Hoxne hundred of East Suffolk, on the south side of the river Waveney, 2 miles S.E. of Harleston. The executors of the late Rev. T. W. Whitaker, M.A., are patrons of the vicarage, valued at £122 a year, and the Rev. Arthur Henry Brereton is the incumbent. Dove House belongs to and is occupied by the Rev. James Watson Stote Donnison, M.A. This and several other scattered houses near Shotford Bridge , are in the Norfolk part of the parish. John Sancroft Holmes, Esq., of Gawdy Hall, is lord of the manor of Walsham Hall, and Lord Waveney is lord of the manors of Mendham King's Hall and Priory, and owner of Shotford Hall estate, &c. The copyholds are subject to arbitrary fines. Part of the great tithes has been purchased by the landowners, and Lord Waveney is impropriator of the remainder, which has been commuted for £270 per annum. A Congregational Chapel, endowed with an estate at Topcroft, is in the Norfolk part of the parish. A School Board was established here in 1874, and consists of the Rev. A.H. Brereton (chairman), Messrs Joseph Dimmock, W.P.Riches, J.J.Beaumont, John Munnings, C.Hayward, and C.W. Chaston. Mr George Good is clerk to the Board. The School was built to accommodate about 120 children; cost of building school about £1200. (see also our Suffolk work.)
Post from Harleston.
| Name | Occupation |
| Allured Alfred | Tailor |
| Beaumont James John | Farm Steward, Shotford Hall |
| Borret Edward | Corn and flour dealer |
| Borret Samuel | Bricklayer, &c. |
| Bunn Ambrose Edward Nichols | Solicitor's clerk, secretary to Literary Club, and agent for the Liverpool, London, and Globe Insurance Co. The Chestnuts |
| Charlish Charles | Butcher and farmer |
| Crisp Mrs Emma | |
| Donnison Rev. James Watson Stote M.A. Dove house | |
| Durrant Mrs Mary & Misses Mary & Jane Louisa | Day & boarding school, Laurel cottage |
| Gibbs Mrs Mary | |
| Gill Robert | Tailor and draper |
| Gillman Chas | Thrashing machine owner |
| Gillman Walter John | Watchmaker |
| Goodwin Frederick | Farmer and owner, overseer and surveyor |
| Ingate George | Draper, &c |
| Leguen de, Lacroix Mons Eugene Francois Louis | White House |
| Miles John Rackham | Stamp distributor, agent for the Life Association of Scotland Assurance Co.; and farmer, Stamp office |
| Nichols John William | Farmer |
| Pratt Mr James | The Beeches |
| Prime Mrs Rachel | |
| Read Henry James | Farmer |
| Reeve John | Victualler, Sir Robert Peel Inn |
| Shibley Walter | Vict Magpie Hotel (commercial and posting), and wine and spirit merchant |
| Smith Charles | Saddler |
| Vincent Arthur Edward | Auctioneer, valuer, house, land and estate agent, public accountant, and collector, and agent for the Gresham Insurance Co |
| Wells James | Lodgings |