This is the pertinent area of southwest Norfolk, England  in which generations of Benedicts and related families lived prior to Thomas Benedict's migration to America in 1637. No roadways are indicated, but major waterways are shown. Dotted lines are the boundries of "hundreds", subdivisions of shires or counties, each having its own court. Two artifacts of historical interest that are omitted (taken for granted at that time?) are the site of the Roman town, Venta Icenorum, (west of present-day Caistor St Edmund) just south of Norwich between the villages of Swardston and Armingale, marked on the map by a tree; the other missing item is the Roman road that ran southward from Norwich, by Venta, through Saxlingham, Tasborough and Stretton (modern Stratton St Michael). The Roman road is now the route of the A140, the major north-south Norfolk highway, which divides old Saxlingham into Saxlingham Thorpe, to the west, and Saxlingham Nethergate, to the east. At lower righthand corner, River Waveney separates county Norfolk from Suffolk, and the border town of Bungay may be seen. Just east of Bungay, within two miles, is the location of Metingham (modern Mettingham), but not shown on this map of Norfolk. And about seven miles due south of Tasboro is the location of Pulham St Mary.

The bright green circles identify:

  • Norwiche (Norwich) - the county seat;
  • Saxlingham (now comprising Saxlingham Nethergate and Saxlingham Thorpe)
  • Tasboro (Tasborough, modern Tasburgh)
  • Stretton (modern Stratton St Michael)
  • Hapton
  • Mourning Thorpe (modern Morningthorpe)
  • Boddingham (now extinct as a town; a farm area with Bedingham Green and Bedingham Corner)
  • Pulham Mary (modern Pulham St Mary)

The bright red circle may suggest the origin of Jane Hales' first husband's family.

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  Some approximate distances:
Saxlingham to Norwich -- 7 miles
Saxlingham to Bungay -- 10 miles
Saxlingham to Tasborough -- 2-1/2 miles
Saxlingham to Mourning Thorpe -- 3 miles
Saxlingham to Boddingham -- 4 miles
Hapton to Tasborough -- 2 miles

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