walstlist

Walstan, A Village Christian Name.

<>     For 500 years the cult of St.Walstan, patron saint of farmworkers, was observed in the village
of Bawburgh where a medieval shrine existed until its destruction at the Reformation.
    St. Walstan is almost peculiar to Norfolk, being little known elsewhere. It is reputed that he
was born in Bawburgh c.975 and died in 1016 at Taverham. His body was then carried on an
ox-cart through the village of Costessey (Cossey) to Bawburgh, where he was interred. Springs
of clear water were said to have sprung up at the place of his death in Taverham , in Costessey
park where the oxen rested, and near Bawburgh Church where he was buried.
    St. Walstan would have been well known to the Jerningham family, Lords of the manor of
Costessey, who carried on the tradition of Catholic worship there after the reformation. In 1830
the Rev F.C. Husenbeth chaplain to Sir George William Jerningham (8th baron Stafford) wrote
that "Lady Stafford expressed a wish that he would undertake the erection of a public chapel in
the village of Cossey....this wish accompanied by an assurance that Lord Stafford would give
ground for a chapel." In 1830 there were 514 Catholics in Costessey and surrounding districts in
the care of Rev Husenbeth.
    The foundation stone was laid in 1834, however through lack of funds the building was not
completed until 1841 when it was dedicated to 'Our Lady and St. Walstan'.
    The earliest use of the name Walstan appears, from the 1851 census, to be Walston Simmons
who was born in Cossey in 1827 . It is possible that the name was used before then. In the 1851
census for Norfolk there were 10 Walsans(ons) recorded , all were in or about Cossey.
    In the 1881 British Census there were only 19 occurences of the name, 3 of whom had also
appeared in the1851 Census.
    Of the 26 names on the list only one appears to have no connection with Cossey or, its vicinity.
Walstan Walsh was recorded in his birthplace of Seacombe, Cheshire. Further research could
find he also had a link with Costessey.
    Since 1881 the name has been used many more times in Costessey and spread wider through
dispersion of population. However it remains significant that in 1881 a christian name should
have been almost entirely restricted to one village.

<>All Persons with the Christian Name Walstan or Walston
<>

<>in the 1851 Norfolk census and the 1881 British Census.

Birth Christian
Name Surname Occup.
1851 Birth
Place Census Place
1851 Occup
1881 Birth
place CensusPlace
1881

1 1827 Walston Simmons Brickl. Labr. Cossey Cossey Brickgrd.
Labr. Cossey Cossey

2 1832 Walston Drake Farm Labr. Cossey Cossey Brewer Norwich Bury
St.Edmunds

3 1839 Walston Hastings Scholar Cossey Cossey

4 1840 Walston Sissons At home Cossey Cossey

5 1841 Walston Sadler Scholar Taverham Taverham

6 1844 Walston White Scholar Cossey Cossey

7 1844 John
Walstan Sparke Mark.Gdnr - Cossey

8 1844 Walston Ribband/s Scholar Drayton Cossey PostalClerk Drayton Heigham
Norwich.

9 1845 Walstan Laws * Scholar Thorpe
Nflk Thelveton
Nflk

10 1849 Walstan Grant Infant Cossey Cossey Coach
Builder Cossey Farnham
Surrey

11 1849 Walstan Hall ** Stationers
Clerk Brighton Brighton

12 1850 Walstan Laws Infant Cossey Cossey

13 1851 Walstan Smith R.C Priest Cossey Daventry
Northhamp.

14 1853 Walstan Leggatt Gen Labr. Weston Nflk Clapham
Surrey

15 1857 Walstan White *** Gdnrs. Labr. Cossey Cossey

16 1858 Walstan Barnes Butler Cossey Paddington
London

17 1860 Walstan
Charles Savage Harness
Maker Cossey Cossey

18 1866 Walstan Doggett Genl. Labr. Cossey Cossey

19 1868 Walstan Paul Scholar Cossey Cossey

20 1868 Walstan Skipper Scholar Cossey Cossey

21 1870 Charles
Walstan Sparke Scholar Cossey Cossey

22 1873 Walston Castleton Scholar Norwich Norwich
Heigham

23 1875 Walston Bealey Scholar Norwich Norwich
St.Benedicts

24 1877 Walston Barnes Infant Cossey Cossey

25 1879 Walstan Walsh Infant Seacombe Cheshire

26 1880 Walston Rudd Infant Norwich Norwich
Heigham

Notes
(1)The variation in spelling is probably due to the decision of the Census taker.
(2)The spelling Wolston was only found once in 1881,in Nottinghamshire, and is not included.
(3) * Walstan Hall was a boarder with Frances Edwards who was born in Cossey.
(4) ** The christian name was transcribed as Halstan, an obvious error.
(5) *** Walston Laws' father was born in Cossey.

T.G.Barley
Perth, Western Australia.
16th September 2002

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	Birth	Christian Name	Surname	Occup. 1851	Birth Place	Census Place 1851	Occup 1881	Birth place	CensusPlace 1881
1	1827	Walston	Simmons	Brickl. Labr.	Cossey	Cossey	Brickgrd. Labr.	Cossey	Cossey
2	1832	Walston	Drake	Farm Labr.	Cossey	Cossey	Brewer	Norwich	Bury St.Edmunds
3	1839	Walston	Hastings	Scholar	Cossey	Cossey
4	1840	Walston	Sissons	At home	Cossey	Cossey
5	1841	Walston	Sadler	Scholar	Taverham	Taverham
6	1844	Walston	White	Scholar	Cossey	Cossey
7	1844	John Walstan	Sparke				Mark.Gdnr	-	Cossey
8	1844	Walston	Ribband/s	Scholar	Drayton	Cossey	PostalClerk	Drayton	Heigham Norwich.
9	1845	Walstan	Laws *	Scholar	Thorpe Nflk	Thelveton Nflk
10	1849	Walstan	Grant	Infant	Cossey	Cossey	Coach Builder	Cossey	Farnham Surrey
11	1849	Walstan	Hall **				Stationers Clerk	Brighton	Brighton
12	1850	Walstan	Laws	Infant	Cossey	Cossey
13	1851	Walstan	Smith				R.C Priest	Cossey	Daventry Northhamp.
14	1853	Walstan	Leggatt				Gen Labr.	Weston Nflk	Clapham Surrey
15	1857	Walstan	White ***				Gdnrs. Labr.	Cossey	Cossey
16	1858	Walstan	Barnes				Butler	Cossey	Paddington London
17	1860	Walstan Charles	Savage				Harness Maker	Cossey	Cossey
18	1866	Walstan	Doggett				Genl. Labr.	Cossey	Cossey
19	1868	Walstan	Paul				Scholar	Cossey	Cossey
20	1868	Walstan	Skipper				Scholar	Cossey	Cossey
21	1870	Charles Walstan	Sparke				Scholar	Cossey	Cossey
22	1873	Walston	Castleton				Scholar	Norwich	Norwich Heigham
23	1875	Walston	Bealey				Scholar	Norwich	Norwich St.Benedicts
24	1877	Walston	Barnes				Infant	Cossey	Cossey
25	1879	Walstan	Walsh				Infant	Seacombe	Cheshire
26	1880	Walston	Rudd				Infant	Norwich	Norwich Heigham