10/03/2026
The newly formed Hainford History Group will now meet on the 2nd Monday of each month.
In March we heard about George C Coleman who had a general store in Hainford from 1882. His book "On Sea and Prairie" published in 1901 recounts his adventures in America where he worked as a farmer, sometimes going back to sea, where he served his apprenticeship age 13-17. He was born in Norwich, the son of a draper. His maternal grandfather was organist at St Peter Mancroft Church.
He encountered all the turmoil of 1870/80's Texas and California. Gold hunters, “Indians” cowboys, Mexican bandits, feisty women, and snakes to name but a few. At one point he failed to return to the American Guard ship he was assigned to – he had fallen in love with an island girl who saved him from drowning, – when caught and returned to ship, he was fed on bread and water for 2 months.
When he visited home in Norwich, he related a story involving a housekeeper, her lover and a shotgun. After his father died, in 1882 George Coleman married and settled in Hainford with the shop. His daughter Stella Grace married John Newton Garrod. They had 2 sons. J W Garrod Butcher - can be seen on the photo on Hainford Village hall archive photo wall. We heard that this photo is of the father, John Newton Garrod. It seems likely then that the lady is Stella, the daughter of our intrepid traveller.
We also discussed some of the school photos in the village hall, and Facebook was useful in providing the names of all the boys in the football team.
We hope that a copy of the parish news from 1934 will be available to have another look at again.
We heard some stories about an “assortment of women” attending the Maid’s Head (that was) in more recent history….
Hainford appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, as Hamforda and existed before that since the Norman’s took land from existing owners in 1066.
From the National Archives:
There were two Domesday books: Great Domesday contains most of the counties of England and was written by one scribe and checked by a second. Little Domesday, which contains the information for Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk, was probably written first and is the work of at least six scribes. … Most of the land originally owned by 2000 Saxons belonged to 200 Norman barons in 1086….
That is over 960 years ago. Our next meeting, however, is only a few weeks hence: Monday 13 April 2-3.30pm at the village hall, £3 per person. Everyone welcome, come and listen or bring and tell.
