Edith Louisa Cavell was a British nurse during the First World War.  She is celebrated for saving the lives of soldiers from both sides and in helping over 200 Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium.

She was born on  4^th  December 1865 in Swardeston, a small village not far from Norwich, where her father was the Reverend.

In 1896, Edith began her training at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel.  After completing her nurse training in 1898, Edith held a number of roles in British hospitals before returning to Brussels, where she had once lived, to nurse a sick child.

At the outbreak of war Edith was at home in Norwich visiting her family.  She told those closest to her that “at a time like this, I am needed more than ever” and made plans to return to Belgium.

Edith cared for all the wounded, regardless of nationality.  Edith soon began to work with others to smuggle the Allied soldiers under her care, out of the hospital and across the border to neutral Holland.  It is believed that she saved the lives of over 200 men thanks to her bravery.

Robert Kett, the fourth son of Tom and Margery Kett, was born in Wymondham, near Norwich in 1492.  Little is known of his early life but he lived in the village as a tanner later on.

During the early part of the 16^th century large numbers of farmers changed from growing crops to raising sheep.  This involved enclosing arable land and turning it into pasture.  As sheep farming was very profitable large landowners began to enclose common land.  Many people became very angry about this.

In March 1549 a poll tax was introduced against sheep to stop landowners converting their land.  Popular rebellions and riots began to take place all over the country.  In July 1549 rebellion broke out in Norfolk.  Initially protests were against Kett and other landowners who had enclosed common land.  Kett admitted that he had been wrong and agreed to help the protestors persuade other landowners.  The Kett rebellion grew rapidly and a gathering of about 16,000 people camped at Mousehold Heath.  Kett drew up a list of demands and formed a governing council made up of representatives from the villages that had joined the revolt.  The elected council sent their list of demands to Edward VI and his government.  The Duke of Somerset responded by calling for the rebels to abandon their protests and return home.  He offered them a free pardon if they did so but warned them he would use force if they refused.

The council rejected this on the 21^st July and the rebels, armed with spears, swords and pitchforks successfully stormed the city walls and entered Norwich.  In August 1549, the Earl of Warwick and an army of 12,000 English troops surrounded Norwich and Kett was ordered to surrender.  Warwick eventually seized Norwich after several days of fierce street fighting, in which 3,000 people died.  Kett was captured the day after the battle.  By early September he and his brother William were prisoners in the Tower of London.

Kett was found guilty of treason and was hanged at Norwich Castle.

Nelson was a British naval commander and national hero, famous for his naval victories against the French during the Napoleonic Wars.

He was born on 29^th September 1758 in Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk.  Nelson was the sixth of eleven children.  He joined the navy aged 12, on a ship commanded by his uncle.  He became a captain at 20 and saw service in the West Indies, Baltic and Canada.

As a commander he was well known for bold action, and the occasional disregard of orders from his seniors.  His most famous engagement, at the Battle of Trafalgar, saved Britain from threat of invasion by Napoleon, but it would be his last.  Before the battle on 21^st October 1805, Nelson sent out the famous signal to his fleet ‘England expects that every man will do his duty’.  He was killed by a French sniper a few hours later.  His body was preserved in brandy and transported back to England where he was given a state funeral.

Anna Sewell was born on the 30^th March 1820 in Great Yarmouth.  Her parents were Quakers and soon after they left Norfolk and moved to London.  However, she and her brother Philip made frequent returns to Norfolk to stay with their grandparents, who lived at Dudwick Farm in Buxton.  It was here that Anna first learnt to ride.

Anna wrote ‘Black Beauty’ at a house on Spixworth Road in Old Catton and it was published by Jarrold’s in 1877.  Anna was bed-ridden from 1871 to 1877 and wrote the book on slips of paper or dictated it directly to her mother.

Anna died shortly after ‘Black Beauty’ was published so she never lived to see the popularity of her creation.  She died on the 25^th April 1877 and was buried in the Quaker Cemetery in Lamas.