LACEY
Samuel LACEY (1825 - 1885) was one of the shoemakers in Trunch for much of the 19th. Century. His father was Thomas LACEY an agricultural labourer from North Walsham and his mother was Ann PITT from Trunch. He and his 10 siblings were all born in North Walsham but one of his sisters got married in Trunch. As a young man Samuel lived with his maternal grandfather, James Pitt, in Bullen's Yard in Chapel Street. In 1844 he married Charlotte BUTCHER in Trunch, but she died tragically young in 1847. His second marriage in 1848 was to Elizabeth HOWES who was 20 years his senior and a nurse. I haven't found any evidence of them having children.
Earlier Lacey's with links to Trunch are more difficult to trace; partly because the name LACEY is quite common in this part of Norfolk, they moved about a bit and most were non-conformists, so they don't always appear in the parish records. John LACEY (1759? - 1820) was a school master in Trunch from at least 1802 until his death. His will, written in 1816, mentions his wife Mary, son Robert, daughter Elizabeth and his sisters Hannah and Elizabeth (Thompson). John was often asked to witness and be the executor of Trunch wills and in 1816 he was making an oath about changes to William HOWES' will. It suggests that he may have had another son John Ezra and a daughter Mary Ann but they are not mentioned in his own will. I don't know where his school was, presumably in his own home, but his will shows that he was wealthy, owning lands and properties in Trunch and Worstead.
Of other LACEYs, Ann was married in Trunch in 1768, Richard LACY a North Walsham farmer, married Ann LONG in Trunch in 1797 and John LACY of Norwich married Elizabeth LONG in 1831 in Trunch.
Another LACEY link and a bit of a mystery is this 1903 newspaper cutting -
Death of William Thompson of Ipswich. His grandmother was a daughter of Mr. William LACEY of Trunch who kept a school for the education of the sons of Noncomformist parents who at that time were debarred from entering grammar schools. Both families were members of the Baptist Church at Worstead from the time of its formation in 1717.
So far I have not been able to find any evidence of a William LACEY in Trunch. Certainly John, above, was a teacher but he does not seem to have had a daughter Hannah who was William Thomson's grandmother. The Worstead non-comformist records might yield more information.
Death of William Thompson of Ipswich. His grandmother was a daughter of Mr. William LACEY of Trunch who kept a school for the education of the sons of Noncomformist parents who at that time were debarred from entering grammar schools. Both families were members of the Baptist Church at Worstead from the time of its formation in 1717.
So far I have not been able to find any evidence of a William LACEY in Trunch. Certainly John, above, was a teacher but he does not seem to have had a daughter Hannah who was William Thomson's grandmother. The Worstead non-comformist records might yield more information.