The Dark Ages
We know very little of the history of this part of Norfolk during what are refered to as the ‘Dark Ages’.
The Iceni tribe were here before the Romans arrived, and when the Romans departed some 500 years later the Saxons moved in from the Continent.
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There were centuries of conflict as the Danes began to invade, and then to settle in East Anglia.
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In 1066 the Norman Conquest began and from the Domesday Book survey we have the first written records of Whissonsett.
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At the time of the survey the Manor of Witcingheseta was held by Ralph Bigot.
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The Manor was soon passed to the family of Bozoun who held it until 1657 when Thomas Bozoun sold the entire estate to Mrs. Katherine Calthorpe for £3,600. It is possible that the Bozoun family lost much of their money during the Civil War.
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The only building in Whissonsett dating from the time of the Normans is St. Mary’s Church which was built of flint with freestone dressings c. 1250. It has been much altered and restored since.
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Life in Whissonsett would have centred around the church and the land with farming methods carrying on with little change for generations. The great events of history passed unnoticed unless there was a call for men to go to war. There was the occasional famine if the weather was bad and a plague or two.
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