Ludham, Norfolk Genealogy

Guide to Ludham, Norfolk ancestry, family history, and genealogy: parish registers, transcripts, census records, birth records, marriage records, and death records.

Parish History
LUDHAM (St. Catherine), a parish, in the Tunstead and Happing incorporation, hundred of Happing, E. division of Norfolk, 13 miles (N. E. by E.) from Norwich. Also includes or is known as How Hill.

Ludham St Catherine is an Ancient parish in the Waxham deanery of the Diocese of Norwich.

When King Canute founded St. Benet's Abbey in the 11th century he endowed it with several manors and so the village of Ludham on the River Thurne came into being.

Although the oldest parts of the current church of St. Catherine only dates back to the 14th century there is evidence that an earlier church stood here back in the 11th century.

Legend tells of a dragon that terrorised the village of Ludham. The dragon made a lair of tunnels under the churchyard and across to the main street. Whilst the dragon was out basking in the sunshine one day a young fellow blocked the entrance to its tunnel. Enraged, the dragon flew off to St. Benet's Abbey and after smashing its tail against the wall, vanished, never to be seen or heard of again!

Church Records
parish registers of christenings, marriages and burials are available online for the following years:

Norfolk Record Office reference PD 653

Non-Conformist Records

 * 1717 England & Wales, Roman Catholics, 1717 at FindMyPast ($), index and images
 * 1613-1901 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index (dates may vary by parish)

Poor Law Unions
Norfolk Poor Law Unions
 * The Tunstead and Happing Workhouse (Smallburgh)

Registration Districts

 * Tunstead 1837-1869
 * Smallburgh 1870-1938
 * North Walsham 1939-1974

Probate Jurisdictions
Norfolk Probate Jurisdictions Parishes I through N

Maps
England Jurisdictions 1851

Websites

 * Ludham on GenUKI
 * Ludham Community Archive for history and images of the village
 * Wartime Memories Project - RAF Ludham
 * Parish Info on AChurchNearYou
 * Ludham Norfolk Churches website