Great Fransham
| Great Fransham | |
|---|---|
 All Saints Church, Great Fransham |
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 Great Fransham
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| Great Fransham shown within Norfolk | |
| Civil parish | |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Dereham |
| Postcode district | NR19 |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
Great Fransham is a village in Norfolk, roughly about an equal distance between Swaffham and Dereham. There is also a Little Fransham; the two villages, both a part of the civil parish of Fransham , were once served by Fransham railway station.
The church of All Saints is flint in the Early English style, consisting of chancel, nave, north porch and a square tower with spire; it contains two ancient brasses: it was restored in 1878 at a cost of about £700 and is a grade II* listed building. The register dates from the year 1558. The living is a rectory, yearly value £552, with residence and 62 acres of glebe, in the gift of Magdalen College, Cambridge, and held since 1853 by the Rev. Vincent Raven M.A. late fellow, tutor, and president of that college.
Alongside is a schoolhouse, built in 1871. Kelly's directory Cambridgeshire, Norfolk & Suffolk, in 1883 claims "The school is for 80 children, average attendance 51, supported by voluntary rate & school pence; Miss Esther Quartermain, mistress".
Gt. Fransham towermill was a four-storey mill that stood at Mill Farm described as a very wide-towered Mill, not very high, but thick & heavily built. The mill used four patent sails to power two pairs of French burr stones. A pulley wheel was set onto the outside of the mill to allow auxiliary power via a belt from a steam engine. In 1886, two windmills were advertised to be let, along with a bake office on the same site. The Mill had a history of tragedy. The Norfolk News of 10 February 1866 reported On Thursday in last week a distressing accident accompanied by a fatal termination occurred in Mr. Perkins’ mill, the unfortunate victim being a respectable & steady married man in his service, named Crispin Howard. About ten minutes before eleven in the forenoon Mr. Perkins left the deceased following his usual avocation. On his return shortly after eleven, Mr. Perkins thought the mill was not working so smoothly as before he left & on looking upwards he discovered the lifeless body of his workman resting on the beam to which he had been elevated after having been drawn in & passed between the two cog wheels. From the nature of the wounds inflicted, it was obvious death must have been instantaneous. The dead man who was fifty five years of age leaves a widow & three children to mourn his loss & for whom much sympathy is felt. At the inquest held on Saturday, the only verdict that could be found in the circumstances was returned – that of "Accidental death". Just a few years later The King's Lynn Advertiser reported in April 1874 that Jonathan Perkins, miller of Gt Fransham was fatally injured on being thrown out of a pony cart when it hit a gatepost. By the early part of the 20th century, the end had come for Great Fransham Mill. The Dereham & Fakenham Times - 28 August 1909 reported the sale of the mill by auction at the George Hotel, East Dereham, on 23 August 1909. Mr. Heyhoe next offered the substantial built brick tower windmill situate at the Mill Farm, Great Fransham. This contained patent sails, two pairs of stones, shafting gear and fittings in good order and were sold subject to being removed from the occupation by 11 October next, from instructions from the trustees of Court 1246 A. O. F. (Swaffham). Mr. Crane was the purchaser for £7. This was the Crane family who owned the wagon works at Gt Fransham.
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