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THE MYSTERY OF THE DENNES FAMILY
THE MYSTERY OF THE DENNES FAMILY
During repairs to the tomb at the west end of the church the following inscription was revealed.
In a vault beneath are deposited the remains of
TM DENNES
Who died 11th April 1811
Aged 57 years
Also of Henry his son
Who died March 1806
Aged 12 years
Anne Dennes his wife
Died Dec 20 1813
Aged 55 years
An investigation into the Dennes family led to the discovery that Thomas Martin Dennes once owned large parts of Kettlestone and the Snorings and that on his death his estate was auctioned in several lots.
The Norfolk Chronicle Saturday 29th May 1813
The sale particulars are filed in the County Archive in Norwich along with the map below.
Altogether there were 14 lots at the sale, including land and buildings in Kettlestone, Pensthorpe and the Snorings. The house and 80 acres of land sold for £5,000 and a further 121 acres sold for £4,000. In total the sale raised over £14,000 which in today’s money is over £1,000,000.
A page from the sale particulars is shown on the right on which has been written the prices that the lots reached.
To be sold by auction
In the month of June next, at the Red Lion Inn at Fakenham in the county of Norfolk by order of the trustees under the will of Thos. Martin Dennes, gentleman, deceased [unless previously disposed of by Private Contract]
The valuable manors of Great Snoring, Cantlow Netherhall, and Snorings, in Great Snoring, in the county of Norfolk with their Quit-rents, Fines, [arbitrary] Rights, Royalties and Privileges.
Also a most substantial brick Mansion-house, with commodious attached and detached offices, a good farmhouse with barns, stables, and other outbuildings in excellent repair and about 300 acres of rich arable meadow and pasture land in well-formed enclosures, in Kettlestone, in the said county, late in the occupation of the said Thomas Martin Dennes
LOT 1
MANSION HOUSE
YARD AND GARDENS
WILLIAMS PIGHTLE
PARSONS PASTURE SAWPIT CLOSE
HALLBRIDGE CLOSE
PIRTS CLOSE
FRONT PASTURE
LOT 2
LANGHAM BRIDGE FIELD
GIBBETS CLOSE
THE 18 ACRES
OLD PARR PASTURE
BARN CLOSE
THE 20 ACRES
THE 30 ACRES
The discovery of the map in the county archive made it possible to identify the substantial brick mansion in the sale particulars as Kettlestone House. Some of the field names from the map [date unknown] match the names on the sale particulars - Langor Bridge Piece, Gibbets Close, Common Pirts Close. These pastures surround Kettlestone House
WHO WAS THOMAS MARTIN DENNIS?
Thomas Martin was born on the 4th January 1755, the son of John and Jane Dennis and he was baptized the following day. Little is known about the circumstances of his parents or his early life, however his father died a very wealthy man. As can be seen from this sale notice, his executors disposed of a substantial collection of livestock following his death.
An extract from the will of John Dennis. In it he bequeaths his three sons £ 2000 apiece. This is about £163 000 each in today's money. There were other valuable bequests to his wife and daughters.
THE NORFOLK CHRONICLE 18TH JUNE 1803
' Thursday se'nnight died at King's Lynn aged 73 much and deservedly lamented by his family and friends, Mr John Dennis formerly a considerable farmer at Mintlyn in ths county'
WHERE DID THOMAS LIVE?
No censuses were taken until 1841 and so it is not easy to find out where Thomas lived. The first evidence is his marriage to Anne Edgar in 1785 at East Barsham .
EAST BARSHAM CHURCH
Following their marriage in 1785, Thomas and Anne had 5 children, four sons and a daughter, all born at East Barsham.
The document on the left is part of the land tax records for Norfolk in 1798. It shows the residents of East Barsham who had to pay land tax to the government.
The 3rd entry on the page shows that Thomas Dennis was a tenant of Sir Edward Astley of Melton Constable Hall and that he paid £25 8 shillings in tax. Thomas also rented land from Sir Edward Astley in West Barsham for which he paid £4 16 shillings tax and in Sculthorpe - £17 16 shillings in tax.
The 'Land Tax' - was paid by the more prosperous sections of society, and the amount that Thomas paid suggests that he was a wealthy man and was living somewhere in the Sculthorpe/Barsham area.
Poll book for 1802. Thomas owned freehold property in Kettlestone but was registered to vote in East Barsham
Poll book for 1806. Thomas is registered to vote in Kettlestone.
The poll book records suggest that Thomas was living in Barsham in 1802 but owned property in Kettlestone. Perhaps the money he inherited from his father enabled him to build Kettlestone House or refurbish it. The house is grade 2 listed and its description on the National Heritage List states that it is late 18th century or early 19th century. It is therefore possible that the house was built on the instructions of Thomas Martin Dennis.
After his death, Thomas 's estate was sold and the proceeds were divided between his children and other dependents.
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