Reepham Life

Previously, the Reepham Archive had no records of any of the soldiers who came to Reepham to recover from their wounds during the First World War. There are several photographs that record 30 or more faces, but no names.

In 2022 we were intrigued and pleased to receive an enquiry: “Did we have any records about Frank Leiper and Ethel Keeley who met in Reepham during World War I?” This was soon followed with further details and photographs.

Frank and Ethel Leiper, pictured around 1918.

We learnt that Ethel died young, only 36, but her daughter, now 98, wanted to learn more about her parents. This set the Archive volunteers on a flurry of research to find out more.

We found that Ethel Keeley was listed in a photograph of all the VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment) hospital staff taken in the gardens of Hackford House (the present-day Bircham Centre, Market Place, Reepham).

Sadly, she is named as the night sister and must have been off-duty when the photograph was taken as none of the nurses look like her.

Red Cross records confirm that Ethel was indeed engaged as a night sister from October 1916 until June 1918 in Reepham VAD Hospital.

Frank’s army records show he was enlisted with the Glasgow Pals Battalion in January 1915 and sent overseas. He was wounded twice, in 1916 and 1917, and it is not known after which incident he came to Reepham.

Frank was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal in 1917, and demobilised and transferred to the Army Reserve in 1919.

We could not find a face to match Frank in any of our photographs but we did discover that they married in Edinburgh in 1918 and that Ethel gave her occupation as certificated nurse at the Red Cross Hospital, Reepham, Norfolk.

Frank’s occupation is shown as a farmer but he is still recorded as a company sergeant major of the Highland Light Infantry.

Their grandson, who sent the initial enquiry, visited Reepham this summer and spent time walking around the town, visiting Hackford House, the gardens, the Market Place, the town hall and the churches that his grandparents would have known more than 100 years ago.

The Reepham Archive is open to the public on the first Wednesday and Saturday of the month from 10 am – 12 noon (or by appointment), upstairs in the Bircham Centre, Market Place, Reepham. For more information about opening times and current services, contact the Archive by email.

The Reepham Archive also welcomes new volunteers to support its work. If you are interested, please email.

The enthusiasm for the Volunteer movement following an invasion scare in 1859 saw the creation of many rifle, artillery and engineer volunteer units, which comprised part-time soldiers eager to supplement the regular British Army in times of need.

A general meeting was called in Reepham in June 1859 with the intention of raising subscriptions towards the expenses of a volunteer rifle corps for the Eynsford area, and local gentry were called upon to support their local troops.

Prominent Reepham residents were listed with their contributions: Rev. Edward Holley, Robert Leamon of Whitwell Hall and the brewers Bircham & Sons all donated £10, the equivalent of £1,000 in today’s money.

Pictured above in the Reepham Life 2023 Calendar for April, Harry Hawes is a familiar figure with his recollections of life in the town in the late 19th century.

Excerpts from his memoires – Harry Hawes’ Walk – can be found on the Reepham Archive website.

The drummer is John Flatman (born Arthur John Flatman) who, when he enlisted in the regular army in March 1894, gave his address as Beck Cottage, Reepham.

Military records show Arthur as completing 18 years’ service – in India for eight years and also in South Africa for a further two years – before being discharged in 1912.

A ball, organised by the Reepham Volunteers, was held on 4 January 1894 in Hackford and Whitwell old school room (the present town hall).

The ball commenced at 8.30 pm and “dancing was kept up with unabated vigour” until five the next morning. A quadrille band provided the music and 27 quadrilles were danced.

More than a hundred people attended even though the weather was severe, and Dr Charles Perry, father of Dr Edward Verdon Perry, sent his carriage to take home many of the women, presumably exhausted.

Janet Archer

The Reepham Archive is open to the public on the first Wednesday and Saturday of the month from 10 am – 12 noon (or by appointment), upstairs in the Bircham Centre, Market Place, Reepham. For more information about opening times and current services, contact the Archive by email.

This photograph of the Pyke family of Castle Farm (Swanton Morley?) was found in the Reepham Archive’s image collection (it was actually glued to the Archive’s door in the Bircham Centre).

Who are the people in the photo? When was the photo taken? Is there any connection with the Reepham district?

If you have any idea or information, please contact the Archive by email.

November’s illustration in the 2022 Reepham Life Calendar shows a copy of a 19th century lithograph published by Stone & Hodgson in “The Picturesque Views of all the Bridges belonging to the County of Norfolk”, based on detailed accurate drawings made by Francis Stone (1765-1835).

A previous item on the Reepham Life website (December 2013) stated that the bridge over the Eyn Brook was erected in 1820 and that David Williams, riding back from dinner with his brother-in-law Peter Elwin at Booton Hall, fell from his horse and broke his neck crossing the ford over the Eyn Brook at Booton.

Part of this information originally came from a photocopy of a handwritten item in our files. An excerpt is shown, signed HEH, which stands for Henry Edward Hawes (1863-1957).

Researching the Williams family it transpires that David Williams died in 1811, with no mention of an accident in his death announcement and no reports of an inquest into his death (Norfolk Chronicle, 28 December 1811).

Harry Hawes wrote down his recollections when he was in his 80s, so he will have first heard versions of this tale in the 1870s when he was a child.

David Williams’ son Peter Elwin Williams (1789-1826) was a surgeon living in Reepham. His death was recorded in the local papers (Norwich Mercury & Bury and Norwich Post, March 1826).

Below is a photograph of the plaque on the bridge as it is today (Courtesy of M. Rogers).

There was a discussion at a Booton parish meeting in the summer about restoring the memorial stone on the bridge, but, as the inscription is barely visible, this is probably not possible.

Janet Archer

The Reepham Archive is open to the public on the first Wednesday and Saturday of the month from 10 am – 12 noon (or by appointment), upstairs in the Bircham Centre, Market Place, Reepham. For more information about opening times and current services, contact the Archive by email.