All Saints Church is chiefly of the “Decorated” (1245-1360) and “Perpendicular” (1360-1485) Periods with a 15th-century font, roof and carved seats.

Traces of a longer chancel can be seen at the east end. Some fascinating people worshipped and lived here in this attractive hamlet in the 17th century, prior to leading amazing lives: Christopher Calthorpe the emigrant and two of the three great Glaven Valley admirals, Admiral Sir John Narborough and Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell.

A fine church up on the hill overlooking the sea. Did the view from here after worship, inspire Calthorpe, Narborough & Shovell  to such great naval ventures? 

The Calthorpe Family's "Thorpland and Virginia" Line Line

The church contains a fine Jacobean altar-tomb to Sir James Calthorpe and his wife, Barbara nee Bacon, “who was much comforted by the sight of her 193 children and their offspring – at the age of 86 years” – in 1639.

This is fascinating, as this huge number of offspring must be composed mainly of those who lived in Norfolk, London and Essex (Great Parndon), but presumably excluded their Virginian Calthorpe descendants, who were just as prolific.

Their grandson, Christopher Calthorpe, Jr., who emigrated in 1622 to New Poquoson (pronounced “P’-caw-son”), Virginia.  In 1648 his neighbour, Oliver Segar, for fishing on the Sabbath and so “disregarding the sacred character of the day”, was sentenced by the Minister and Churchwardens of New Poquoson Parish, to build a bridge over the swamp between Captain Christopher Calthorpe’s and Lieutenant William Would’s plantations.

By 1665 Christopher had 67 cattle, and at the time of his death in 1662, he was a Member of the House of Burgesses and Commissioner for York County. By the 1690s his grandsons, James and Charles Calthorpe, both of Charles County, Virginia, held, respectively, 900 acres in York  County & 165 acres in New Poquoson.

The Calthorpes of Cockthorpe are traceable in Charles Parish and Isle of Wight County in, respectively, the 1740s and in 1775, the year before American Independence. Christopher “Calthrope”, originally  of Cockthorpe, is a “Qualifying 17th Century Ancestor” for the prestigious “Jamestowne Society” today. 

Cockthorpe's two great admirals

John Narborough was christened here on 11th October 1640, serving early in his naval career as a Lieutenant in the Portland under the distinguished Admiral Sir Christopher Myngs (a native of nearby Salthouse) - probably in the West Indies, before serving under him in four further ships including finally the Victory.

Narborough was present at the Battle of Lowestoft and of Sole Bay, before becoming a protégé of the great diarist, Samuel Pepys in the 1670s. In 1674 he was appointed Rear Admiral of the Red, and in 1680-87 was a commissioner in the Navy. He died of a fever after a trip to the West Indies and was buried at sea, except for his bowels, which were buried at his estate at Knowlton, near Deal in Kent.  

Terracotta statue of Cockthorpe’s famous son, Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell, attributed to John Bushnell. (Courtesy of the Strangers’ Hall Museum, Norwich). Here you can see Shovell’s home hamlet. To see this fine bust for real, visit the Museum in Charing Cross, Norwich.

Cloudesley Shovell was christened here on 25th November 1650. Not long after joining the Navy, he was in 1674 a Lieutenant aboard the Harwich, the flagship of “the Admiral from Cockthorpe”, Sir John Narborough. In 1675 he led a successful attack on Tripoli. By 1689 Shovell was Rear Admiral of the Blue, in 1691 he married Admiral Narborough’s widow, and by 1705 he was appointed Admiral and Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet. He died at sea, shipwrecked off the Scilly Isles in 1707.

All Saints' Carol Service

The annual Christmas carol service is usually so well attended that it is hard to get a seat (and it stretches out of the door) – but ‘tis said that Admirals and Virginians can always get a seat!