History

The village is lucky to have had a thriving history group since 1980 which receives a steady stream of enquiries from around the world from people tracing their ancestry to Walsham-le-Willows which has a rich history that is based on the survival of exceptionally good 14th-century Manorial Court Rolls (judicial records).

So good are the records that Walsham was chosen as the setting for the fictionalised history The Black Death: An Intimate History, by John Hatcher set in the years following the summer of 1348 as the Black Death ravaged European society. John Hatcher used these excellent manorial records to ‘fill in the gaps’ for his story.

The historian, Lucy Worsley and a BBC film crew visited Walsham in the summer of 2021 to film part of her new series Lucy Worsley Investigates.

This episode highlights the impact and outcomes of the Black Death giving a fascinating insight into this period of history when roughly half of the population in Walsham (between six and seven hundred people) died of the plague.

The Black Death decimated communites across the country and continent which resulted in significant social and political change. This episode and the rest of the series are available to view on iPlayer.

Old Photograph showing a traction engine accompanied by three smartly dressed gentlemen, followed by a horse and carriage which is full of gentlemen in top hats. The procession (approaching the photographer), is proceeding along Walsham’s main street and is about to pass William Clamp’s shop, now known as the Old Stores. The photograph appears to be of a funeral procession.

On this site you will find the fruits of the work of the Walsham History Group, that provide a Brief History, the presentation of much more detailed and in depth historical records in the form of Reviews that have been published at the rate of four a year since 1997, a selection of books and compact discs full of the history of Walsham-le-Willows, as well as a bit more information on the group itself which still meets regularly. Search the events calendar for talks and meetings. Use the links here or from the main menu.

Image: funeral procession passing William Clamp’s shop on The Street.