THE SEAPEY FAMILY

This page would not have been possible if it was not for the help and generosity of

Jackie & Ron Roberts

The surname Seapey is sadly another name lost in the long history of Thornham, as is the name of the farm they lived on. Tile Kiln Farm can be seen on the picture above, to the left hand side of picture, people today know it as Dairy farm. It is thought that Dairy farm was called Tile Kiln Farm because George Seapey is described in William Whites general survey of the County of Norfolk in 1883 as a farmer and lime merchant. It is also shown on a map of Thornham dated circa 1890 the Farm was located almost at the end of Ringstead Road and almost in sight of the Lime Kiln and Chalk Pit.

Elizabeth Temple's mother Caroline (nee Barrett) had her photo taken at Mrs Dexter's likeness rooms in Lynn in about 1850. This is one of the earliest pictures printed on glass and is a valued possession of the family.

This is on the reverse of the photo of Caroline above,

a piece of history within itself.

Madge Maude Beckett and her cousin, Marjorie

Paddling. The lady smoking is Ethel Seapey and the lady in black is Ethel and Lillian's mother Elizabeth Seapey.
On the right are the remains of the jetty at Thornham beach which disappeared years ago, it was located not far from "The Firs"

Ethel Seapey

Ethel, worked as a monitor at the village school but eventually went to London to work.

She lived the rest of her life with Lillian and Tom Oliver in Wansdsworth

In the boat we have

Ethel Seapey, Bon (Marjorie Oliver), Lillian Oliver (nee Seapey) and Eric Oliver.

George Seapey

George Seapey was born in Holme the second son of William Seapey and Maria Seapey

(nee Spanton)

May Butters

(Born Ellen May Seapey)

Picnic on Thornham Beach. Ethel Seapey is 4th from the left and Ada is 7th from the right (discounting the men playing fisticuffs in the background!) CC early 1900s.

Is this a Sunday school outing?

Ada Haines (nee Seapey) Her husband Tommy fought at Passchendaele and was injured and thereafter walked with limp. It may be interesting to know that my Grandfather (Alfred Greef) thought himself lucky in WW1 when he did not fight in Passchendaele, he fought in what is known as The battle of The Somme, some luck

The above two photo's show

Flora Seapey

Grandmother to Jackie Roberts who has donated the photographs to this page.

Flora went on to marry Harry Edward Beckett from Chelmsford

William J Seapey

William James Seapey brought up in Thornham and later worked in Lynn and later in London before returning to keep the general store in Great Massingham. He married Ellen Day from Newmarket.

Standing in the field we have Tommy Haines (butcher) with his wife Ada Haines beside him - we do not know the names of the other couple