Between the 10th and the 19th centuries the hundreds of Norfolk and the boroughs of Norwich, King's Lynn, Thetford and Great Yarmouth were the administrative units of the English county of Norfolk. Each hundred had a separate council that met each month to rule on local judicial and taxation matters.

The system of dividing shires into hundreds was established in East Anglia following the conquest by Wessex in the early 10th century.'The Historical Context', Anglo-Saxon Settlement on the Siltland of Eastern England, Lincolnshire Archaeology and Heritage Reports Series, 7 (2005), 264-88, David Roffe, quoting Williamson, T., 1993 The Origins of Norfolk (Manchester), pp The boundaries described at the time of the Domesday Survey of 1086 remained largely unchanged up to the 1970s. The 36 Domesday hundreds were subdivided into leets, now lost, and the boroughs of Norwich and Thetford ranked as separate hundreds, while Great Yarmouth was the chief town of three hundreds. Two of Thetford's parishes now lie partially in Norfolk with the remainder in Suffolk. The Domesday hundred of Emneth is now included in Freebridge, which was split into Freebridge-Lynn and Freebridge-Marshland. Docking hundred was then incorporated into Smithdon, and the boundary between Brothercross and Gallow hundreds was changed. By the 19th century there were 33 hundreds.

The leet court boundaries were more fluid and transient than the hundred court boundaries. At the time of Domesday, the parishes of the hundreds of Brothercross and Gallow "were strangely intermixed".

Sites of hundred courts The hundred courts were held at various sites across the county: Name of hundredSite of hundred courtBrothercrossAt the cross by the ford over the BurnhamClackcloseClackclose Hill on Stradsett commonDepwadeAt the "deep ford" over the TasEarshamAt an encampment near Earsham church.EynsfordReephamForehoeParish of Carleton ForehoeFreebridgeAt Flitcham Burgh, afterwards at an oak at Gaywood and still later at an oak at Wiggenhall St GermansGallowIn the 15th century at Fakenham and in the 16th century at Longfield StoneGreenhoeBy the tumuli on the London road to SwaffhamGrimeshoeAt a tumulus between Brandon and NorwichHumbleyardParish of SwardestonLaunditchAt the crossing of the Norwich road with the long ditch between Longham and BeestonMitfordIn 1639, at "Brokpit"North ErpinghamAt Guneby Gate near GuntonSmithdonParish of Bircham MagnaSouth ErpinghamAt Cawston Park GateTaverhamFrettenham Hill

Parishes

In 1845 the hundreds of Norfolk contained the following parishes.

Hundred Area ParishesBlofield Blofield, Braydeston, Brundall, Buckenham, Cantley, Freethorpe, Great Plumstead, Hassingham, Limpenhoe, Lingwood, Little Plumstead, North Burlingham, Postwick, South Burlingham, Southwood, Strumpshaw, Thorpe, WittonBrothercrossBurnham Deepdale, Burnham Sutton and Burnham Ulph, Burnham Norton, Burnham Overy, Burnham Thorpe, Burnham Westgate, North Creake, South Creake, WaterdenClackcloseBarton Bendish, Beachamwell, Bexwell, Boughton, Crimplesham, Denver, Downham Market, Fincham, Fordham, Hilgay, Holme next Runcton, Marham, Outwell, Roxham, Ryston, Shingham, Shouldham, Shouldham Thorpe, South Runcton, Southery, Stoke Ferry, Stow Bardolph, Stradsett, Thorpland, Tottenhill, Upwell, Watlington, Welney, Wereham, West Dereham, Wimbotsham, Wormegay, WrettonClaveringAldeby, Bergh Apton, Brooke, Burgh St. Peter, Ellingham, Geldeston, Gillingham All Saints and St. Mary, Haddiscoe, Hales, Heckingham, Howe, Kirby Cane, Norton Subcourse, Raveningham, Stockton, Thorpe, Thurlton, Toft Monks, WheatacreDepwadeAshwellthorpe, Aslacton, Bunwell, Carleton Rode, Forncett St Mary, Forncett St Peter, Fritton, Fundenhall, Great Moulton, Hapton, Hardwick, Hempnall, Morningthorpe, Shelton, Stratton St. Mary, Stratton St. Michael, Tacolneston, Tasburgh, Tharston, Tibenham, WactonDissBressingham, Burston, Dickleburgh, Diss, Fersfield, Frenze, Gissing, Roydon, Scole, Shelfanger, Shimpling, Thelveton, Thorpe Parva, Tivetshall St. Margaret, Tivetshall St. Mary, WinfarthingEarshamAlburgh, Billingford, Brockdish, Denton, Earsham, Mendham, Needham, Pulham Market, Pulham St Mary, Redenhall with Harleston, Rushall, Starston, Thorpe Abbotts, WortwellEast FleggCaister, Filby, Great Yarmouth, Mautby, Ormesby St. Margaret, Ormesby St. Michael, Runham, Scratby, Stokesby with Herringby, ThrigbyEynesfordAlderford, Bawdeswell, Billingford, Bintree, Brandiston, Bylaugh, Elsing, Foulsham, Foxley, Great Witchingham, Guestwick, Guist, Hackford, Haveringland, Hindolveston, Little Witchingham, Lyng, Morton on the Hill, Reepham, Ringland, Salle, Sparham, Swannington, Themelthorpe, Thurning, Twyford, Weston Longville, Whitwell, Wood Dalling, Wood NortonForehoeBarford, Barnham Broom, Bawburgh, Bowthorpe, Brandon Parva, Carleton Forehoe, Colton, Costessey, Coston, Crownthorpe, Deopham, Easton, Hackford, Hingham, Honingham, Kimberley, Marlingford, Morley St. Botolph, Morley St. Peter, Runhall, Welborne, Wicklewood, Wramplingham, WymondhamFreebridge-LynnAnmer, Ashwicken, Babingley, Bawsey, Castle Acre, Castle Rising, Congham, Dersingham, East Walton, East Winch, Flitcham, Gayton, Gayton Thorpe, Gaywood, Great Massingham, Grimstone, Harpley, Hillington, King's Lynn, Leziate, Little Massingham, Middleton, Mintlyn, North Runcton, North Wootton, Pentney, Roydon, Sandringham, Setchey, South Wootton, West Acre, West Bilney, West Newton, West Winch, WolfertonFreebridge-MarshlandClenchwarton, Emneth, Marshland St James, North Lynn, St Peter West Lynn, Terrington St. Clement, Terrington St. John, Tilney All Saints, Tilney St. Lawrence, Tilney cum Islington, Walpole St. Andrew, Walpole St. Peter, Walsoken, West Walton, Wiggenhall St. Germans, Wiggenhall St. Mary Magdalen, Wiggenhall St. Mary the Virgin, Wiggenhall St. PeterGallowAlethorpe, Bagthorpe, Barmer, Broomsthorpe, Dunton, East Barsham, East Raynham, East Rudham, Fakenham, Fulmodeston, Great Ryburgh, Helhoughton, Hempton, Kettlestone, Little Ryburgh, Little Snoring, New Houghton, North Barsham, Pensthorpe, Pudding Norton, Sculthorpe, Shereford, South Raynham, Stibbard, Syderstone, Tatterford, Tattersett, Testerton, Toftrees, West Barsham, West Raynham, West RudhamGrimshoeBuckenham Tofts, Colveston, Cranwich, Croxton, Feltwell, Hockwold cum Wilton, Igborough, Lynford, Methwold, Mundford, Northwold, Santon, Stanford, Sturston, Weeting All Saints, West ToftsGuiltcrossBanham, Blo' Norton, East Harling, Garboldisham, Gasthorpe, Kenninghall, North Lopham, Quidenham, Riddlesworth, Rushford, Snarehill, South Lopham, West HarlingHappingBrumstead, Catfield, East Ruston, Happisburgh, Hempstead, Hickling, Horsey, Ingham, Lessingham, Ludham, Sea Palling, Potter Heigham, Stalham, Sutton, Walcott, WaxhamHensteadArminghall, Bixley, Bramerton, Caistor St Edmund, Framingham Earl, Framingham Pigot, Holverstone, Kirby Bedon, Poringland, Rockland St. Mary, Saxlingham Nethergate, Saxlingham Thorpe, Shottesham All Saints, Shotesham, Stoke Holy Cross, Surlingham, Trowse, Whitlingham, YelvertonHoltBale, Bayfield, Blakeney, Bodham, Briningham, Brinton, Briston, Cley-next-the-Sea, Edgefield, Glandford, Gunthorpe, Hempstead, Holt, Hunworth, Kelling, Langham, Letheringsett, Melton Constable, Morston, Salthouse, Saxlingham, Sharrington, Stody, Swanton Novers, Thornage, Weybourne, WivetonHumbleyardBracon Ash, Colney, Cringleford, Dunston, East Carlton, Flordon, Great Melton, Hethel, Hethersett, Intwood, Keswick, Ketteringham, Little Melton, Markshall, Mulbarton, Newton Flotman, Swainsthorpe, Swardeston, WreninghamLaunditchBeeston All Saints, Beetley, Brisley, Colkirk, Dillington, East Bilney, East Lexham, Gateley, Great Dunham, Great Fransham, Gressenhall, Hoe, Horningtoft, Kempstone, Litcham, Little Bittering, Little Dunham, Little Fransham, Longham, Mileham, North Elmham, Oxwick, Pattesley, Rougham, Scarning, Stanfield, Swanton Morley, Tittleshall, Weasenham All Saints, Weasenham St. Peter, Wellingham, Wendling, West Lexham, Whissonsett, WorthingLoddonAlpington, Ashby, Bedingham, Broome, Carleton St. Peter, Chedgrave, Claxton, Ditchingham, Hardley, Hedenham, Hellington, Kirstead, Langley, Loddon, Mundham, Seething, Sisland, Thurton, Thwaite St. Mary, Topcroft, WoodtonMitfordCranworth, East Dereham, East Tuddenham, Garvestone, Hardingham, Hockering, Letton, Mattishall, Mattishall Burgh, North Tuddenham, Reymerston, Shipdham, Southburgh, Thuxton, Westfield, Whinbergh, Wood Rising, YaxhamNorth ErpinghamAldborough, Antingham, Aylmerton, Barningham Town, Barningham Norwood, Beeston Regis, Bessingham, Cromer, East Beckham, Felbrigg, Gimingham, Gresham, Gunton, Hanworth, Knapton, Matlask, Metton, Mundesley, North Repps, Overstrand, Plumstead, Roughton, Runton, Sheringham, Sidestrand, South Repps, Suffield, Sustead, Thorpe Market, Thurgarton, Trimingham, TrunchNorth GreenhoeBarney, Binham, Cockthorpe, Egmere, Field Dalling, Great Snoring, Great Walsingham, Hindringham, Holkham, Houghton-in-Dale, Little Walsingham, Quarles, Stiffkey, Thursford, Warham All Saints, Warham St. Mary, Wells-next-the-Sea, WightonShrophamAttleborough, Besthorpe, Brettenham, Bridgham, East Wretham, Eccles, Great Ellingham, Hargham, Hockham, Illington, Kilverstone, Larling, New Buckenham, Old Buckenham, Rockland All Saints, Rockland St. Andrew, Roudham, Shropham, Snetterton, West Wretham, WilbySmithdonBarwick, Bircham Newton, Bircham Tofts, Brancaster, Choseley, Docking, Fring, Great Bircham, Great Ringstead, Heacham, Holme-next-the-Sea, Hunstanton, Ingoldisthorpe, Sedgeford, Shernborne, Snettisham, Stanhoe, Thornham, TitchwellSouth ErpinghamAlby with Thwaite, Aylsham, Baconsthorpe, Banningham, Barningham Parva, Belaugh, Blickling, Booton, Brampton, Burgh, Buxton, Calthorpe, Cawston, Colby, Coltishall, Corpusty, Erpingham, Great Hautboys, Hevingham, Heydon, Ingworth, Irmingland, Itteringham, Lammas with Little Hautboys, Mannington, Marsham, Oulton, Oxnead, Saxthorpe, Scottow, Skeyton, Stratton Strawless, Swanton Abbott, Tuttington, West Beckham, Wickmere, WoltertonSouth GreenhoeBodney, Caldecote, Cockley Cley, Didlington, East Bradenham, Foulden, Gooderstone, Great Cressingham, Hilborough, Holme Hale, Houghton-on-the-Hill, Langford, Little Cressingham, Narborough, Narford, Necton, Newton, North Pickenham, Oxborough, South Pickenham, Southacre, Sporle with Palgrave, Swaffham, West BradenhamTaverhamAttlebridge, Beeston St. Andrew, Catton, Crostwick, Drayton, Felthorpe, Frettenham, Hainford, Hellesdon, Horsford, Horsham St. Faith, Horstead with Stanninghall, Newton St. Faith, Rackheath, Salhouse, Spixworth, Sprowston, Taverham, WroxhamTunsteadAshmanhaugh, Bacton, Barton Turf, Beeston St. Lawrence, Bradfield, Crostwight, Dilham, Edingthorpe, Felmingham, Honing, Horning, Hoveton, Irstead, Neatishead, North Walsham, Paston, Ridlington, Sco Ruston, Sloley, Smallburgh, Swafield, Tunstead, Westwick, Witton, WorsteadWalshamAcle, Beighton, Fishley, Halvergate, Hemblington, Moulton, Ranworth-with-Panxworth, Reedham, South Walsham, Tunstall, Upton, Wickhampton, WoodbastwickWaylandAshill, Breckles, Carbrooke, Caston, Griston, Little Ellingham, Merton, Ovington, Rockland St. Peter, Saham Toney, Scoulton, Stow Bedon, Thompson, Threxton, Tottington, WattonWest FleggAshby, Billockby, Burgh St. Margaret, Burgh St. Mary, Clippesby, East Somerton, Hemsby, Martham, Oby, Repps with Bastwick, Rollesby, Thurne, West Somerton, Winterton-on-Sea

In addition the following four towns were considered as separate boroughs.

Borough AcresGreat YarmouthKing's LynnNorwichThetford

References

See also History of Norfolk List of hundreds of England and Wales