Swanton Morley
| Swanton Morley | |
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 All Saints, Swanton Morley's parish church |
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 Swanton Morley
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| Swanton Morley shown within Norfolk | |
| Area | 11.14 km2 (4.30 sq mi) |
| Population | 2,415 (2001 census) 2,100 (2011) |
| • Density | 217/km2 (560/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TG015165 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | DEREHAM |
| Postcode district | NR20 |
| Police | Norfolk |
| Fire | Norfolk |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | swantonmorley |
Swanton Morley is a village and civil parish situated in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated in the heart of Norfolk 18 miles from the centre of Norwich and three miles from Dereham, at the geographical centre of Norfolk. It covers an area of 11.14 km2 (4.30 sq mi) and had a population of 2,415 in 783 households at the 2001 census, reducing to a population of 2,100 in 723 households at the 2011 Census.
The village has a long history; it was documented in the 11th-century Domesday Book, and was home to the ancestors of Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States. It has links to the armed forces through the nearby Robertson Barracks.
The village has won several awards including the Calor Village of the Year award 2009/10 for the East of England. For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of Breckland.
Swanton Morley is a self-sufficient village located centrally between the market towns of Dereham, Swaffham and Fakenham, Dereham being the closest at three miles away. The village is adjacent to Bylaugh and Bylaugh Hall and is 18 miles (29 km) from the city and county town of Norwich.
The first part of the village's name "Swanton" is derived from the Old English for herdsman's enclosure. The second part, "Morley", refers to Robert de Morli, who held the lordship of the manor in 1346. The village was the home of Richard Lincoln (1550–1620), a local churchwarden who built the building which is today The Angel public house. Lincoln was the wealthy grandfather of Samuel Lincoln and Richard's coat-of-arms can be seen today in the east window of All Saints Church in Swanton Morley. Richard Lincoln disinherited Samuel's father Edward from his will in favour of his fourth wife, thus throwing the Lincoln family into penury and forcing young Samuel to flee to Hingham, Massachusetts. His great-great-great-great-grandson was Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States. Richard Lincoln is buried under the centre aisle of St Andrew's Church in Hingham, Norfolk, a privilege reserved for the gentry.
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Wikipedia