Wenham Magna
St. John's Church
Wenham Magna is located in Suffolk
Wenham Magna
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

Wenham Magna, also known as Great Wenham, is a village and a civil parish in the Babergh district of Suffolk in eastern England.

The parish also contains the hamlets of Gipsy Row, Vauxhall and Wenham Hill. In 2005 it had a population of 150,[1] increasing to 185 at the 2011 Census.[2]

Wenham Magna is the birthplace of Matthew Hopkins, the infamous witchfinder general.[3][4][5] His father, James Hopkins, was vicar of St John's Church[5][6] and the family held land in the area.[7][8] James Hopkins appears to have been popular with his parishioners, one of whom left him money to purchase bibles for his children.[4]

Church of St John

The parish church of St John is a Grade II* listed building.[9]

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.[9]

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 Estimates of Total Population of Areas in Suffolk Suffolk County Council
  2. ↑ "Civil Pariush population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  3. ↑ Gaskill 2005: p. 9
  4. 1 2 Deacon 1976: p. 13
  5. 1 2 Sharpe, James (2004). "Hopkins, Matthew (d. 1647)". Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/13751. Retrieved 18 October 2009. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  6. ↑ Deacon 1976: pp. 13, 17
  7. ↑ Gaskill 2005: p. 23; Deacon 1976: p. 17; quoting James Hopkins' last will and testament
  8. ↑ Knowles, George. "Matthew Hopkins – Witch–finder General". Retrieved 2 October 2009.
  9. 1 2 Historic England. "Church of St John, Wenham Magna (Grade II*) (1033403)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 January 2024.

Bibliography

  • Deacon, Richard (1976), Matthew Hopkins: Witch Finder General, Frederick Muller, ISBN 978-0-584-10164-5

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