Did you know that most of the inhabitants of America’s first permanent English settlement came from Norfolk, England? 2007 marks the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, Virginia and a longstanding link between our two parts of the world. Read more about Jamestown, the festivities, signature events and community projects at the official
Jamestown2007 site.
A great many local people left this area of Norfolk for the New World. The town sign of Hingham in South Norfolk shows some of the parishioners of the early 17th Century leaving the town to set sail. One of those who made this journey was Samuel Lincoln, a forefather of President Abraham Lincoln. Hingham church contains a bronze bust of the 16th President, commemorating his family’s roots here. Another local notable was Founding Father Thomas Paine, author of the “The Rights of Man”. He was born in Thetford and also lived for a time in Diss, where he worked as a maker of stays (ropes and cables). He later emigrated to the New World in 1774.
Settlers from this region often took the names of their towns, villages and county with them (for example, to found Hingham, Massachusetts). There are many places throughout the USA that are named after Norwich and Norfolk: Norfolk City, Virginia; Norwich, Pennsylvania and Norwich City, Connecticut, to name just a few. Discover more about this international namesake community known as the
Norwich and the Norfolk World Family
In 1942, migration was in the other direction. 750,000 personnel of the USAAF 8th and 9th Air Forces were based in Britain, with the greatest concentration around air bases in the East of England. They brought with them a slice of transatlantic culture and took away with them memories of their time in Norfolk. Fans of the actor James Stewart may know that the Hollywood star was among those who flew from the air base at
Tibenham in South Norfolk.
the theme of Norwich’s 2nd Air Division Memorial Library. Based in the Forum in the centre of the city, this is a collection of some 4,000 volumes on American topics, with approximately a quarter related to the role of the 2nd Air Division in the US 8th Air Force during World War II. Alongside these is a roll of honour, and aviation paintings and a mural.
The Memorial Library’s web site also gives details of the 2nd Air Division Archive Collection. This is an archive of personal items (such as diaries, photographs, maps, manuals and other memorabilia) relating to the 2nd Air Division USAAF servicemen and women who were based in Norfolk during the Second World War. These are held at
Norfolk Record Office
memorials are scattered throughout the region. One example is at Seething, to the south east of Norwich. Here, the original Control Tower displays an exhibition of photographs and stories demonstrating the part that Seething airfield and the 448th Bomb Group played in World War two. The tower has free open days on the first Sunday of every month - May to October, and is open from 10 to 5.