Post Office Directory of 1865.
ALDRINGHAM-cum-THORPE.
ALDRINGHAM is a parish and small straggling village, in Blything hundred and
union, Framlingham and Saxmundham county court district, rural deanery of
Dunwich, archdeaconry of Suffolk, and diocese of Ely, East Suffolk, 4 � miles
south-east from Saxmundham, and about 3 northwest from Aldborough. The hamlet of
THORPE, which joins it on the eastern side, is united with this parish, the two
being described as Aldringham-cum-Thorpe. The church of St. Andrew is built in
the Saxon style, and was formerly thatched and had a tower, which, from want of
sufficient repairs, became so much dilapidated that it was taken down, but the
church is in good repair: it consists of a nave, and has a slated roof and new
ceiling: the interior is quite plain, but well seated, and the western end has
been entirely rebuilt, partly at the expense of Lord Huntingfield, the remainder
being defrayed by a general subscription of the parishioners: a small belfry for
1 bell has also been erected at the west end of the church. The living is a
perpetual curacy, annual value �59, from Queen Anne's Bounty, and 13 acres of
land, with a small endowment of �10 from Lord Huntingfield, held by the Rev.
Robert Taker, M.A. The village of Thorpe, the adjacent hamlet, is an assemblage
of about forty fishermen's huts, intermixed with a few tolerable houses,
bordering on the sea-shore on a bleak unsheltered beach. South of Thorpe runs
the Hundred river, forming a shallow basin or haven. On the left of the road,
near the village of Thorpe, is an enclosure called Chapel Field; there still
remain some vestiges of a chapel, which has long since fallen into decay. There
is a Baptist chapel at Aldringham. Here is a National school attended by about
77 boys and girls. A pleasure fair is annually held on Coldlair Green, a mile
and a half west, on the 11th of December. Lord Huntingfield is lord of the
manor, and the principal landed proprietors are Lord Rendlesham and Miss L.
Shuldham. At Aldringham Green is a barrow. The population of Aldringham, Thorpe,
and Potter's Street (a small village in Aldringham parish) amounts to 471 souls,
and the parish contains about 1,233 acres of sandy soil.
Letters through Saxmundham, which is also the nearest money order office
National School, Miss C. Rowe, mistress
CARRIER � Sawyer passes through Aldringham on his route to Aldborough at 2 on
thursday, returning same day at 6 p.m. to Halesworth
Brand Rev. Joseph [Baptist]
Garrett Mrs. Aldringham house
Milbourne F. W. esq
Chard Joshua. Fisherman &owner. Thorpe
Chason Charlotte (Mrs.), shopkeeper, Thorpe
Coles James, farmer
Freeman Thomas, shopkeeper
Gowing Thomas, farmer, Thorpe
Hunt Samuel, farmer
Kemp Charles, Parrot & Punchbowl
Kemp Daniel, blacksmith
Kersey Charles, farmer
Milbourne F. W. surgeon
Murrell James, farmer
Nunn Isaac, farmer
Ralph John, Cross Keys
Turner Misses, farmers