Wenham Magna
Wenham Magna, also known as Great Wenham, is a village and a civil parish in the Babergh district of Suffolk in eastern England.
Wenham Magna | |
---|---|
St. John's Church | |
Wenham Magna Location within Suffolk | |
Population | 150 (2005)[1] 185 (2011) |
District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | Colchester |
Postcode district | CO7 |
Police | Suffolk |
Fire | Suffolk |
Ambulance | East of England |
The parish also contains the hamlets of Gipsy Row,[2] Vauxhall and Wenham Hill. In 2005 it had a population of 150,[1] increasing to 185 at the 2011 Census.[3]
Wenham Magna is the birthplace of Matthew Hopkins, the infamous witchfinder general.[4][5][6] His father, James Hopkins, was a Puritan clergyman and vicar of St John's church[6][7] The family at one point held title "to lands and tenements in Framlingham 'at the castle'".[8][9] James Hopkins was popular with his parishioners, one of whom in 1619 left money to purchase Bibles for his then three children James, John and Thomas.[5]
St John's church
The parish church of St John is a Grade II* listed building.[10]
The chancel is 14th-century with a later, timber-framed, south porch. There is a 14th-century nave with north and south porches and a 15th-century west tower of flint with stone dressings. The rest of the church is plastered with only the stone windows exposed. The church has red plain tiled roofs.[10]
References
- Estimates of Total Population of Areas in Suffolk Suffolk County Council
- Philip's Street Atlas Suffolk, 2007 edition. p150
- "Civil Pariush population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
- Gaskill 2005: p. 9
- Deacon 1976: p. 13
- Sharpe, James (2004), "Hopkins, Matthew (d. 1647)", Dictionary of National Biography ((subscription or UK public library membership required)) (online ed.), Oxford University Press, retrieved 18 October 2009
- Deacon 1976: pp. 13, 17
- Gaskill 2005: p. 23; Deacon 1976: p. 17; quoting James Hopkins' last will and testament
- Knowles, George. "Matthew Hopkins – Witch–finder General". Retrieved 2 October 2009.
- Good Stuff (22 February 1955). "Church of St John - Wenham Magna - Suffolk - England". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
Bibliography
- Deacon, Richard (1976), Matthew Hopkins: Witch Finder General, Frederick Muller, ISBN 978-0-584-10164-5