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
Population150 (2005)[1]
185 (2011)
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townColchester
Postcode districtCO7
PoliceSuffolk
FireSuffolk
AmbulanceEast 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
  1. Estimates of Total Population of Areas in Suffolk Suffolk County Council
  2. Philip's Street Atlas Suffolk, 2007 edition. p150
  3. "Civil Pariush population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  4. Gaskill 2005: p. 9
  5. Deacon 1976: p. 13
  6. 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
  7. Deacon 1976: pp. 13, 17
  8. Gaskill 2005: p. 23; Deacon 1976: p. 17; quoting James Hopkins' last will and testament
  9. Knowles, George. "Matthew Hopkins – Witch–finder General". Retrieved 2 October 2009.
  10. 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

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