Baron Walsingham

Baron Walsingham, of Walsingham in the County of Norfolk, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1780 for Sir William de Grey on his retirement as Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. He had also previously served as Solicitor General and as Attorney General. His son, the second Baron, represented Wareham, Tamworth and Lostwithiel in the House of Commons and served as Joint Postmaster General from 1787 to 1794. Lord Walsingham was also Chairman of Committees in the House of Lords for many years. His eldest son, the third Baron, was a Lieutenant-General in the Army. The latter was succeeded by his younger brother, the fourth Baron. He was Archdeacon of Surrey. His grandson, the sixth Baron, was a Conservative Member of Parliament for Norfolk West and served as a government whip from 1874 to 1875 in Benjamin Disraeli's second administration. On his death the title passed to his half-brother, the seventh Baron. As of 2010 the title is held by the latter's grandson, the ninth Baron, who succeeded his father in 1965.

Walsingham

Coordinates: 52°53′38″N 0°52′25″E / 52.89385°N 0.87357°E / 52.89385; 0.87357

Walsingham is a village (actually two conjoined villages: Little Walsingham and Great Walsingham) in the English county of Norfolk. The village is famed for its religious shrines in honour of the Virgin Mary and as a major pilgrimage centre. It also contains the ruins of two medieval monastic houses.

The civil parish, which includes the two Walsinghams, together with the depopulated medieval village of Egmere (grid reference TF 897 374), has an area of 18.98 km² and in the 2001 census had a population of 864 in 397 households, the population decreasing to 819 at the 2011 census. For the purposes of local government the parish falls within the district of North Norfolk.

Walsingham became a major centre of pilgrimage. In 1061, according to the Walsingham legend, a Saxon noblewoman, Richeldis de Faverches, had a vision of the Virgin Mary in which she was instructed to build a replica of the house of the Holy Family in Nazareth in honour of the Annunciation. Her family name does not appear in the Domesday Book.

Walsingham (surname)

Walsingham is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:

Walsingham (music)

Walsingham was a popular Elizabethan ballad tune. There are various versions of the lyrics, which relate to the pilgrimage site.

The tune provided inspiration for Elizabethan composers, notably William Byrd. Byrd wrote a set of keyboard variations called Have with Yow to Walsingame ("Be off to Walsingham"). In some sources it is called "As I went to Walsingham", the first line of the following quatrain.

As I went to Walsingham,
To the shrine with speed,
Met I with a jolly palmer
In a pilgrim's weed.

History of the pilgrimage

Walsingham is a pilgrimage site in Norfolk, England, where, according to Catholic belief, a Saxon noblewoman, Richeldis de Faverches, had a vision of the Virgin Mary. The shrine was dismantled in 1538 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. (It has since been revived). Attitudes towards pilgrimages varied, reflecting the Catholic/Protestant divide.