Thorpe St. Andrew / Thorpe by Norwich / Thorpe-next-Norwich / Thorpe Episcopi / Torp

Blomefield (1805-1810) writes: "T[horp, by Norwich], Called Torp in the survey [i.e., Domesday]. Stigand Archbishop of Canterbury was lord of it in the reign of the Confessor" [i.e., 1042-1066]; the Domesday entry for "Torp" cited in this author mentions neither church nor cleric in this town. Blomefield (ibid.) adds: "The Church is dedicated to St. Andrew [...] Thomas de Middleton was vicar, and presented [...] about 1200 by the prior" [of the priory of Norwich], which indicates that a vicarage existed here prior to 1200, and must have become a rectory at a later date since in 1303 "John de Nassington" was "rector, collated by the Bishop" [of Norwich]. The old church was abandoned in favout of a new one built in the 19th century. The baptismal font from the old church appears to have been missing at the time [cf. infra] but was found and installed in the new building at some point. White's Directory of 1836 describes the old church before its demise: "a thatched Gothic fabric, with a nave, chancel, porch, and embattled tower. The living is a rectory", but does not mention the font. The old font is noted in Michael Ireland's Thorpe St. Andrew page [www.michaelireland.co.uk/16253.html] [accessed 8 September 2008]: "At the west end there is a 13th century font. It is plain and octagonal and was once in the former church. A new font was provided when the present church was built because the 13th century font was “missing“. However it was found and replaced the Victorian font (now used as a flower bed in the churchyard)."