Our Earliest Beginnings
By Steve Merrill
Early History
"Wherstead village lies three miles south of
Ipswich. It is an ancient settlement, and from its soil the plow has
brought to light many evidences of occupation by Romans and by early Britons. In
Doomsday Book the place is described under the names Querstede and Wervesteda. The
name of the village and parish is in our day generally pronounced Wersted
or Warsted by the residents, the a in the latter case having the sound of
a in father. A short ride by electric railway through Ipswich streets
carries one to Bourne bridge, which marks the boundary of Wherstead parish. Near
the bridge, on the Wherstead side, stands the Ostrich Inn, as it stood at
the time of the New England migration. In those days, however, oysters
were still found in Orwell waters, and the name "Oyster Ridge" had
not been corrupted to the name of the exotic bird whose effigy now adorns
the swinging signboard of the roadside tavern.
The fields, when in view -- as I saw them shaded by the
threatening clouds of a gloomy day in June, 1910 -- showed deep shades of
green, brightened sometimes in the foreground by the hectic flush of wild
poppies. The soil is light loam: the chief crops wheat, barley and roots.
Wherstead village is a scattered array of cottages lining
a crooked lane which branches of from the high road on the east. The
village is devoid of stores or public house, and the only industry, aside
from agriculture, is carried on in a modest smithy."
A Merrill Memorial, Samuel Merrill, 1928 (1983 reprint), p 48-49
St. Mary's Church
Situated just east of
the village of Wherstead, Wherstead Church resides in a lush green meadow
surrounded on three sides by a well kept cemetery of old tombstones. Some
are hard to read but others are well preserved. Looked for but did not
find any Merrill burials after a quick walk through. Closed most of the time
now, the vicar is known to visit and perform services about once a month.
If you wish to see inside, you will need to find out when services are
conducted.
"The
Wherstead church is not seen from the high road, nor generally from the village. It
stands apart, near Wherstead Park and "the Mansion," where the owners
of many of the broad acres of the parish have lived. The church shows
a mixture of Norman and Gothic architecture and is believed to date, in some
of its parts, from about 1100. It is built of small stone, mostly of
a flinty character, with gray sandstone trimmings, and have a red tile roof. The
square tower, ivy-grown, dating from about 1400, contains three bells, one
of which is about five centuries old. The newest bears the date 1675. The
church is small, seating only 122 people."
A Merrill Memorial, Samuel Merrill, 1928 (1983 reprint), p 49-50.
"The Wherstead
parish church is dedicated to St. Mary. There was a church there as early
as 1086 (with 3 acres of free land). The chancel was built in the 14th century.
The original structure was Norman with walls four feet thick. The north and
south doorways are also Norman. The main structure including the tower is
15th century. In 1800, a copper ball was placed on top of the tower as a landmark
for vessels on the Orwell. It was removed in 1902. The tower has been restored
with pinnacles.
There was also a monastery at Wherstead but it's only known
from documentary evidence It was established ca. 1225 and is believed to have
been united with the Priory of Sts. Peter and Paul in Ipswich ca. 1528.
Suggest you try to get a copy of Goult, A Survey of Suffolk Parish History, Vol. 2 (East Suffolk: I to Y), SCC, 1990. It's got lots of ancillary data about the parish."
Peter Wyant, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada (23 April 1999)
Photographs of the Area
 |
Looking down the River Orwell, east toward the English Channel. Photo was taken near the Wherstead Church. |
| Countryside view from the train looking east toward Wherstead. |  |
 |
 House at the crossroads, said to be over a hundred
years old, just west of the church at Wherstead.
Note the crest above the doorway although not of the Merrills. The family living there at the time (1983)
didn't know anything about it. |
|
Map of Wherstead Located 3 miles south of Ipswich in Suffolk county, England. |
 |
Additional information on the village may be found at www.wherstead.com.
The Author
Steve Merrill of Cullman, Alabama has been interested in
the Merrill genealogy since an early age when his grandfather showed him the
Merrill coat of arms. Not believing you could just mail-order your family
crest, he set out to find the supporting evidence. It was this interest that
lead him to a career in computers. He has since created almost 300 web
sites and maintains several dealing exclusively with Merrill family history and other genealogical topics including:
|
Wherstead.com |
He can be contacted by e-mail at Steve@Merrill.org
