California

One of the more unusually named places in Fincham is California.  Situated to the south of the High Street, behind Holly House and School House. It consists of 8 semi-detached cottages built in the 1850s.  There is an older date stone on one of the cottages, but previous owners believed this to have come from another building. The date of 1850 and GA for George Aylmer is on another pair.  

There is one other California in Norfolk, that at Great Yarmouth. It apparently owes its name to the discovery of some 16th-century gold coins on the beach in 1848.  There is a Fincham village story that gold pieces were found in the field at Fincham when the cottages in California were being built but unfortunately little evidence to show this is true.  It is not mentioned in Blyth’s diary or any newspapers at the time but the Rev. William Blyth does mention in his Historical Notices and Records of the village and parish of Fincham published 1863

“Many ancient copper coins and tokens of various reigns from the times of the Roman Emperor downwards, have been found in the parish but I have not leisure sufficient to enquire into their history”

It is also possible that George Aylmer who built the cottages came into more money and land named the cottages California Cottages with the gold rush in mind!

There are no dwellings shown on the 1636 map, the 1772 enclosure map or the 1840 Tithe map (although sheds or barns are shown on the tithe map). For more detail see Maps and tithe apportionment section. 73 on the Enclosure map and 6 on the Tithe map

Cottages in California

George Aylmer

Just to confuse local historians, in the 1850s there were three George Aylmers living in the village. 

George Aylmer (1) senior who lived in Talbot Manor and died in 1852 at the age of 86,

George Aylmer (2) a grocer and draper, who also had another shop in Wereham, referred to as George Aylmer junior until 1862 and then sometimes called George Aylmer senior. He lived next door to Ivy House and then is shown living in Moat House, Boughton Road in the 1861 census. He died in May 1867 aged 68. 

The youngest George Aylmer (3) was married to Harriet Arthy and lived in Ivy House.  He drowned in an unfortunate accident while skating on Stradsett lake in January 1867 aged 33.

It is difficult to say exactly which George Aylmer had the cottages built in California but George Aylmer, (2) the grocer and draper, was one of the executors of his uncle George Aylmer’s (1) will in 1852 and together with other Aylmer family member was left land and money.  George’s (2) draper’s business was advertised for sale in 1853 ( the land and building had been owned by the Parish family) and he was living in Moat House, Boughton Road by 1861. He bought the other half of the Glebe land that the school was built on and built Holly House for his sister Frances and her husband William Cater the village doctor. The groom to Holly House lived in one of the first sets of the cottages. George Aylmer (2) certainly owned California Cottages when he died in 1867, He left a life interest in Holly House to Mr and Mrs Cater and the California Cottages to his other unmarried sisters who still lived in Moat House but later went to live with their sister in Holly House.  On their deaths the building reverted to the ownership of John Boughen Aylmer.

William Blyth gave a precis of George Aylmer’s will in the Land Tax book.  Later entries refer to both Moat House and California Cottages being owned by the Aylmer sisters.

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References to California

Possession Case Dismissed

Lynn News and Advertiser 9th December1938

An application by Leonard Maurice Mason for possession of a cottage in Fincham was dismissed.

Mr DCC Ferrier (Messrs. Alan G Hawkins and Co Lynn) appeared for the applicant and Mr G Pettifer of Messrs Metcalfe Copeman and Pettifer Wisbech) for the respondent.

Leonard Maurice Mason said that he was the owner of California cCttage Fincham ,occupied since 1928 by Mr R Howlett on a weekly tenancy at the rent of three shillings a week paid annually. He desired possession in order to install another workman.

Edward William Maurice Fayers in the employ of Messrs Allen G Hawkins and Co  gave evidence of serving the notice to quit .

Mr Ronald Reginald Cuff managing clerk for Messr Allen G Hawkins and Co and Wilfred Creasy formally agent of Mr Mason’s father also gave evidence .  Mr Pettifer submitted that the application was misconceived.  the applicant had given evidence before a tribunal and before the court on previous occasions and had stated that it was a yearly tenancy. he now stated that it was a week.

The Chairman said the Justices had no option but to dismiss the case.

Lynn News 29th October 1946

28^th November 1994 sale of 8 California Cottages Boughton Road.

The land has the benefit of the following rights granted by conveyance of the land in this title and other land dated 12^th February 1955 made between 1) John Alfred Picton Bagge and 2) George Arthur Colman purchaser)