Below are details of people connected over the years with Hethersett. Some will be well remembered in the village, others virtually unheard of. I will be building this into a comprehensive database of people who have helped make our village what it is.

TONY CURSON 1928-1999

Hethersett (the horse)

Peter Hoult

Peter is well known in the village as owner of the tool hire business in Great Melton Road.

He was educated at the William Lilley Infant School in Stapleford, Nottinghamshire (1954-1957), Fairfield County Primary School, Stapleford (1957-1961), Bramcote Hill Grammar School (1961-1965) and Beeston College of Further Education (1965-1966).

After a Merchant Navy induction course in London in late 1966, he joined Houlder Bros. & Co. Ltd., as a Navigating Apprentice. With the same company he obtained all his certificates of Competency up to Master (Foreign Going), which he gained in 1977.

Peter then served then served a further six years to the rank of Master in a Swedish, then American company, before finally deciding to make a break with the sea and start a home-based career. 

Instead, he entered the world of self-employment in 1984, operating an equipment hire business, and subsequently a machinery repair arm since 1989.

Peter's wife Jenny is equally well known in the village as Head Librarian at Hethersett Library.

Much of the credit for the building of the British School in the village must go to the efforts of Caroline Lindley who tirelessly raised money to provide education for both children and adults in the Great Melton district.  

The original benefactor of the British School was Edward Lombe of Great Melton Hall who financially supported the project but died in 1852 which is the point at which Caroline Lindley enters the story. 

She visited her brother Joseph who was the agent for Edward Lombe.  Caroline had a great interest in the provision of education for children and, although by this point in her 50s and living in London, she raised sufficient capital for the school to be established in Henstead Road. 

Caroline Lindley was a friend of London businessman William Ellis who, despite having no connections with Hethersett, was to play a major part in education in the village. 

Ellis was manager of the Indemnity Marine Assurance Company and had a reputation for integrity whilst being both successful and affluent.  He had little use for personal extravagance and devoted a large portion of his income to education throughout the country. 

His wishes were for children to study Social Economy alongside the 3 Rs.  This included the study of moral principles and behaviour 'leading to honest workmanship and reliable business dealings.'  Ellis believed these principles would lead to a happy and prosperous society full of industry, skill, economy, sobriety, honesty, punctuality, courage and fidelity. 

Ellis established schools in numerous parts of London including the Birkbeck School, London Mechanics (1848), the Finsbury Birkbeck School (1849), Paddington Birkbeck School (1850), Bethnal Green Birkbeck School (1851), Westminister Birkbeck School (1851) and Beckham Birkbeck School (1852).  The Birkbeck schools were named in memory of George Birkbeck a mechanics lecturer, scholar and philanthropist. 

Outside London he established schools in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leith, Manchester, Salford, Blandford, King’s Sambourne in Hampshire, Dunton Bassett in Leicestershire and of course Hethersett. 

When Caroline Lindley approached Ellis she found his heart as open as always and in her diary of 23 July 1853 notes: 

'Received Mr Ellis’ answer to my letter, overjoyed with it and school bought.' 

Ellis purchased the British School with money belonging to himself and vested the property in four trustees – himself, his son Edward, Joseph Lindley and Julian Hill.  The first management committee consisted of Caroline Lindley of London and William Buckingham, William Morton, Benjamin Baker and James Spurgeon of Hethersett.   

Ellis was obviously much taken with Caroline Lindley whom he described as: 

'Possessing feelings ever ready to melt at the sight of misery and an intelligence prepared to examine the various means suggested for its relief, and to seize and apply the real ones.'  

In commending Caroline’s efforts, Ellis said: 'To us be the delight of aiding her in her labour of love.' 

Obviously altruism ran in the Lindley family as Caroline’s sister Kate founded a school at Warmfield in Yorkshire.   

Today in the 21st century Caroline Lindley's name lives on in an Educational Foundation which exists to offer support to students from Hethersett going on to study at university, college or other Higher Education establishments. The trustees meet twice a year to make their awards.

The above information on Caroline Lindley is taken from a chapter on education in the village written for the book of Hethersett by Peter Steward. The full text of this is available by clicking here.

Fred, who was an active Methodist and keen supporter of TOC H, died on April 7^th, 2007 at the age of 96 after what was described as a "life of service."

Fred was born in September 1910 and  came to Norfolk with his family at the age of two, firstly to North Elmham and subsequently to Dereham. After leaving school he was employed in the accounts department of Hobbies and continued to live in Dereham when his parents moved to Wymondham. 

It was at Dereham that Fred became interested in the work of the local branch of TOC H – an organisation founded to provide respite care for servicemen during the First World War. 

“Fred always engendered the aims of TOCH which were fellowship, service, fair mindedness and a celebration of the kingdom of God. I have heard some lovely things said about a wonderful man. Fred was a man who loved and was loved dearly,” Rev Derek Grimshaw told a memorial service in the Methodist Church. 

Fred became secretary of the local branch of TOC H and in 1936 travelled to Great Yarmouth to hear the Rev Tubby Clayton speak about leper colonies in Nigeria. 

Fred’s nephew Richard Flower spoke of this meeting being a “defining moment in Fred’s life.” 

“Three weeks later he decided to work amongst the lepers and sailed from Liverpool to West Africa. He later said that going to Nigeria was the best thing he ever did,” Mr Flower said. 

Whilst in Nigeria Fred met and married his wife Edna and they were married for 54 years before Edna’s death in 1995. 

Fred and Edna returned to the United Kingdom in 1958 and Fred worked for eight years  for the Methodist Church in London and then for seven years at the Queen Victoria Seamen’s Rest. He later worked for the justice department on the Isle of Wight before moving back to Norfolk to live in Hethersett in 1975. 

He became closely involved with the village Methodist Church and was also a founder member of Wymondham Probus Club. Fred was also a keen supporter of Norwich City Football Club and loved music, poetry and literature. 

“He had a mischevious sense of humour, but was a true gentleman,” Mr Flower added. The memorial service was preceded by cremation at St Faiths. The readings and hymns featured at both the crematorium and Hethersett were chosen by Fred himself.

Elizabeth Watts