Norwich – Rosary Cemetery (Henry Brett)

Since I’ve been grounded again by the Government, I thought I’d meander around the Rosary Cemetery located near to me in Norwich, in an attempt to see what stories lie there. It might not be the most fascinating blog content, but it’ll keep me quiet for a few weeks….

Unfortunately, there’s not much story to be told here. But, on the grounds that I might find something else in the future, or someone might tell me more in the years to come, this is what I know so far.

Henry was baptised on 27 October 1797 in Swaffham, the son of William Brett and Elizabeth Brett.

He was probably married (by probably, I mean I’m not sure it’s the right person, rather than this being some kind of half marriage) to Ann Reynolds in Plumstead by Holt church on 19 October 1819. If this is the correct couple, neither of them could read or write, which wasn’t uncommon, but suggests a background of limited money in the families.

In the 1841 census, he’s listed as living on Mousehold Heath, along with his wife Ann, their daughter Elizabeth and two 15-year olds who I don’t know the link to, Ann Royall and Edward Fake (I think the transcriber might be wrong on that name, but I can’t read it either to improve on it).

Henry passed away on 4 May 1844, at the age of 47 years old. The Norfolk Chronicle duly reported this, adding that he was a farmer in Thorpe Hamlet. The gravestone has been attacked by foliage or weeds over the decades, so the bottom half is too hard to read.

So, annoyingly, that’s it for the moment, but I’m intrigued by who this farmer was on Mousehold Heath and where exactly he lived.