Wistowpedia

The History of Wistow

The Cromwell Connection

21 Feb 13 by admin 2 Comments

 

The Cromwell Connection to Wistow actually begins after the period we now call The Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536 when Henry VIII dismantled the monasteries and other religious houses, appropriated their income and gave away their lands and assets.

 This article will look back to a slightly earlier time to explain the steady development of the Cromwell family connection to Wistow taking each generation at a time.

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We start with Walter Cromwell a.k.a. Walter Smyth (c. 1463–1510), variously described as a cloth worker, a smith and an alehouse keeper, who appears to have been a bit of an unsavoury character. Walter had a son, Thomas, and two daughters, Katherine and Elizabeth.

 

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Thomas Cromwell was born c. 1485 in Putney and married Elizabeth (Liz) Wykys in 1513. They had a son, Gregory, and two daughters, Anne and Grace. Sadly in 1527 Liz and her young daughters all died from the sweating sickness. Gregory Cromwell, 1st Baron Cromwell, married Elizabeth Seymour, who was Queen Jane Seymour’s sister. Jane Seymour was Henry VIII’s third wife and mother to Edward VI.

Thomas Cromwell was a lawyer by profession and the founder of the family’s fortunes. He became chief minister to Henry VIII from 1532 to 1540 and was raised to the peerage as the first Earl of Essex. He fell from favour after arranging the King’s disastrous marriage to Anne of Cleves and was executed on 28th July 1540.

(The Sweating Sickness was a serious illness which appeared first in England then spread into Europe at different intervals during Tudor times. It claimed many lives during a series of epidemics between 1485 and 1551. The onset of symptoms was dramatic and sudden, with death often occurring within hours. It is not known exactly what caused it or even what it was because it disappeared entirely after 1578).

 

Bet (Elizabeth) married a Mr Wellyfed (what a fantastic name).

 

In 1497 Thomas’ older sister Kat (Katherine or Catherine) married Morgan ap Williams, a Welshman and distant relation to Henry Tudor (VII). They had three sons, two of which were named Richard and a third son called Walter, who married his cousin Alice Wellyfed. They had three children and Walter died in 1544.

One of the Richard Williams’ married, had a child named Henry and died in 1588.

The elder Richard was taken in by Thomas Cromwell when both his parents died very close to each other. Richard then took the name Cromwell in honour of his uncle and it is through this Richard that the Cromwell connection to Wistow is first established.

(Hilary Mantel in her novel Wolf Hall suggests that Richard was taken into Thomas’ household when both his parents died of the sweating sickness in close succession. This is possibly the reason for Richard’s gratitude and to be fair to him he did not reclaim his birth name Williams when his uncle was disgraced and beheaded. In fact all three of the Williams’ sons began calling themselves Cromwell in honour of their famous maternal uncle. Most of their descendants also used the surname Cromwell or occasionally Williams-alias-Cromwell. After the Restoration in 1660, when it may have been unwise to be seen to have close links with Oliver Cromwell, some members of the family reverted for a time to calling themselves Williams, though generally just as a temporary measure).

 

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It is unclear exactly when Richard Williams alias Cromwell was born or when he died. He was born either in 1495 or c. 1500 and most likely died on 20th October 1544. His will was dated 20th June 1544 and was proved on 24th November 1546. (The conflicting birth years could be because there were two brothers both named Richard).

Richard Cromwell was a courtier during the reign of Henry VIII and the nephew of the King’s minister, Thomas Cromwell. Richard married Frances Murfyn (a.k.a. Martyn) who died in 1533 and was a relative of the King’s second wife, Anne Boleyn.

In the aftermath of the Reformation and the Dissolution of the Monasteries Richard, who by this time had been knighted, was granted most of the estates of Ramsey Abbey, Sawtry and Hinchinbrooke Priory with an annual income of £2500. The Hinchinbrooke House website states

– it was in 1538 that Richard Williams alias Cromwell received a royal grant of the priory with its “church, steeple, churchyard and house and all lands”.

Sir Richard was also granted Ramsey Abbey lands including WISTOW on 4th March 1539 or 1540.

By 1541 he was Sheriff of both Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire. This is after the execution of Thomas Cromwell, so he appears to still be in favour with the king at this time. He was also appointed gentleman of the Privy Chamber; served in France in 1543 as general of infantry; was made constable of Berkeley Castle, steward of the lordship of Urchenfield, and constable of the castle of Godrich in Wales. Sir Richard Cromwell died full of honours and wealth. It was Richard’s son and grandson who weakened the family fortune.

Sir Richard and Frances had two sons – Henry and Francis (died 1598).

 

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Sir Henry Cromwell (born c 1524 or 1537 and died 6th January 1603 or 1604) inherited his father’s estates including WISTOW.

He was born at Hinchinbrooke Priory and rebuilt it as a mansion. He was made a Knight in 1563 and was nicknamed ‘The Golden Knight’ because of his lavish expenditure.

Henry married Joan Warren (1524 to 22nd August 1584) and they had eleven children, six sons and five daughters, most of whom survived into adulthood, married and had children of their own.

The four sons of interest to Wistow are Oliver, Henry, Phillip and Robert.

 

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Sir Oliver Cromwell (c 1559 to 28th August 1655) married twice and had many children.

He was even more lavish than his father, Sir Henry, and was forced to sell Hinchinbrooke House to the Montague family on 20th June 1627 or 1629.

In 1648 he sold WISTOW to Sir Nicholas Pedley, Serjeant-at-law, who was later elected to Richard Cromwell’s parliament in 1659..

 

Henry Cromwell (c 1566 – 1630) is possibly the Henry Cromwell shown owning some land on the outskirts of the manor in the 1617 map of WISTOW.

 

Sir Phillip Cromwell (c 1576 – 1629) is the most likely candidate for the Sir Phillip shown in the 1617 map of WISTOW as owning the Manor House and much of the land in and around the village.

(In 1618 the Rector of Wistow church was Phillip Cromwell B.A. and he was likely to be related to Sir Phillip Cromwell, maybe a son or nephew).

 

Robert Cromwell (born c 1559  or 1560 and died 1617) married Elizabeth Steward or Stewart (1564 to 18th November 1654). They had ten children.

Their most famous child was Oliver Cromwell (25th April 1599 to 3rd September 1658) of Civil War fame, who became the Lord Protector of England.

Their eldest daughter was named Joan and either died aged 8 or married a William Baker in 1611. The reason Joan is of interest is because one of the Rectors of Wistow church was William Baker M.A. who was Rector from 1642 to 1645 and then again from 1661 to 1687. These periods of time give away the fact that William was turfed out of the church during the time of The Commonwealth but returned with the Restoration of Charles II, which probably means he had Royalist leanings. The question is did Joan Cromwell marry Wistow’s Wiiliam Baker or some other William Baker? Or was William Baker Joan and William’s son? If Joan was related to Wistow’s Rector she may have had conflicted loyalties during the Civil War, torn between her family member and her brother.

(See the Wistowpedia article Two Defiant Priests for more information about William Baker)

Another of Robert and Elizabeth Cromwells’ daughters was Anna and she was most definitely connected to Wistow.

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Anna Cromwell (2nd January 1603 to 1646) was married to John Sewster of WISTOW, County Huntingdonshire, Esquire (died c 1682). They lived and brought up their family in WISTOW. Their children were baptised in WISTOW church and some of their children were buried there. Anna and John Sewster were both buried in WISTOW. The parish record shows that Anna was buried in WISTOW on 1st November 1646.

The parish record has a number of entries about Anna, John and their six children:

  • Lucy Sewster 26th November 1631 to 1654
  • John Sewster c. 8th April 1638 to 1680. (One of John’s daughter’s, Mary, married William Gosling of WISTOW. They lived in what is now Mill Farm).
  • Catherine Sewster 1642 – 1642, Baptised in WISTOW church 30th April1642
  • Anna Sewster 6th May 1644 to 1647, Baptised in WISTOW church 15th May 1644
  • Robina Sewster marries Sir William Lockhart
  • Robert Sewster, a clergyman who died 1705

 

Author: Althea Walker

February 2013

Filed Under: 3 - Tudors & Stuarts 1485-1714, People, Places, The Church Tagged With: abbey, church, Knight, lord, manor, rector, rectory

Two Defiant Priests

22 Mar 12 by admin Leave a Comment


Stephen Wakefield Rector of Wistow from 1559 to 1587

With the emergence of Protestantism after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539 support for the Catholic faith did not entirely disappear in Huntingdonshire. In 1584 the diocese of Lincoln investigated two ministers, Stephen Wakefield of Wistow and William Dickinson of Elton. They were accused of being Recusants, individuals who refused to attend Anglican services.  The ‘Recusancy Acts’ began during the reign of Elizabeth I and imposed a number of punishments on those who did not participate in Anglican religious activity, including fines, property confiscation, imprisonment and in some cases those adhering to Catholicism faced capital punishment.

 

William Baker M.A. Rector of Wistow from 1642 to 1645 and 1661 to 1687

The period between 1643 and 1660 was a time of almost uncontested Parliamentary control of Huntingdonshire and some locals took advantage to overturn the old order. Puritans introduced their own ideas on church worship and deprived former ecclesiastical opponents of office. Then in 1644 the new Presbyterian Church government introduced an even more exacting ordinance, which evicted about twenty clergymen. Some were treated quite harshly, Mr Baker of Wistow being ‘imprisoned at Huntingdon jeyl where he was abused and barbarously treated’. William Baker returned as Rector of Wistow in 1661 after the Restoration of Charles II.

Filed Under: 3 - Tudors & Stuarts 1485-1714, People, The Church Tagged With: church, crime, prison, rector

1911 article by John Meadows (transcript)

21 Sep 10 by admin 6 Comments

1911 ARTICLE BY JOHN MEADOWS (TRANSCRIPT) –
from the Peterborough Advertiser 15th July 1911
a few bits unreadable, so these have been shown as —— in the text

WISTOW and its PEOPLE – a typical Huntingdonshire Parish.
The old times of a native.

The following notes of Wistow and its people are extracted from a MS written by the late John Meadows, a native of Wistow coming from a long line of an old Wistow family. He wrote the bulk of the notes, here reproduced, on or about his 86th birthday. He died at Fallowfield, Manchester in the early part of the present war at the age of 87. We are indebted to his son, Mr William Meadows, of the Lion Hotel, Ramsey for readily responding to our request and placing his fathers MS at our disposal.
I was born, writes Mr John Meadows at Rooksgrove House, Wistow on the 8th October, 1823. The village was not then as it is now. My ——- had resided there, on the self same spot for many generations. It is said that ‘Uriah Harris’ had built the house and also the great dovecot adjoining.
At the top end of the village street grew some ancient lime trees, and when walking under them, it was difficult to see through their luxuriant leafy branches. It was there the village boys and girls met to play in the evenings, but most of those whom I remember have now gone to their account.
When about five years of age I went to Mrs Wilkins school. She was a kind old lady and kept a magpie in a cage which could talk a little. The magpie so much amused us that it was no doubt a grave distraction to our infant studies. From Rooksgrove House I used to get to Mrs Wilkins by crossing several home closes.
KITES AND HAWKS.
Kites and hawks were abundant in the district in those days, their home being in Monks Wood, and I have often heard my mother lament the loss of her chickens and poultry which were continually being pounced upon by these birds of prey and carried off.
The high road from the White Stone had deep dikes on either side half full of water after rain, and this water rushed down the village at full tide. The village children made boats of wood, which they throw on the rushing stream, and great excitement was manifested in seeing which boat could go the fastest. The old brook being crooked and clearly banked up in places, the water going down it would often suddenly rise, and then the village would be flooded for several days. On these occasions, the road would be quite impossible until the water had subsided. The water ran freely down by the blacksmiths shop, then crossed the surface of the road and emptied itself again into the normal course of the brook. A footbridge had been erected here which had hand rails on either side, and this was very convenient in times of flood, especially on dark nights, enabling the villagers to pass over safely and dry.
WHEN THE FIELDS WERE OPEN.
The land throughout the parish was then all one great open field, and the yield as each succeeding harvest time —– —– was not always very ———. The parish was not then enclosed. The farmers called a parish meeting with a view to effecting this improvement, and they all agreed that the parish should be enclosed, leaving each owner to object if they thought well. It was decided to employ a Commissioner, Mr John Jackson to task a survey and fair valuation, and make the necessary apportionments, according to the number of common rights. There were sent —- —- to which the common rights belong. Each of the old farmhands had a given number of common rights, —– the owner or his tenant to —- —- on the common to graze during the summer months, according to the number of common rights they possessed. At the —– — — — — land was allotted to each owner in lieu of common rights, (next several sentences very unreadable including a new subtitle)
—– Green was choked with mud and woods where the carts went through the stream. It was therefore thought desirable to cut a new course for the brook straighter, with a bridge crossing it near to Gossum-gate. A man named Carter with his three sons from Kings Lynn came to carry out this work. Since then the flood water had got away with much greater rapidity, and it was generally considered that the money had been well spent.
The old system of cropping was the —- of the field to be fallow each year, and then either wheat or grain, and no other system was allowed.
PROPERTY OWNERS OF WISTOW I REMEMBER
At the time of the enclosure the names of the owners, occupiers, farmers, tradesmen and labourers in Wistow, are given below. All of them I well remember, many of them are now deceased, in fact there are only three living, other then myself. This was written on Mr John Meadows 80th birthday, October 8th 1903, many have left and gone to live elsewhere.
First with regard to the owners, the land in 1842. The church — was held by the Rev Geo. Mingay, who owned the tithes throughout the parish. (The next few sentences are completely unreadable.)
Mr Edward Fellowes of Ramsey Abbey owned two farms, one near the Bridge, Brook Street occupied by Mr —– Macer, and the other farm was at Kingsland, occupied by Mr John Julian of Bury. Mr Fellowes also owned Raits Wood and other small plots about the parish. Mr John Margetts owned the Hill Farm, also a farmhouse in the village where he occasionally resided and kept the farm on in his own occupation up to the time of his death. The house has since been pulled down and the premises sold to Mr Pryme. Mr Alexander Malcomb Wales owned about 20 acres of land in the parish occupied by Mr William Mitchell near to the Windmill in Wistow Field. Mr John Longland owned the Brook House Farm occupied by Mr John Fullard. Magdalen College, Cambridge owned the farm in Mill Street, occupied by Mr William Mitchell. Miss Jackson of Huntingdon, owned the Rooksgrove Farm, occupied by Mr Thos Meadowe. The Rev S Cooperowned several odd plots of land, and also occupied a farm south-west of the village, owned by the Rev W Cooper of West Rasen, Lincolnshire and he also occupied odd bits of land owned by Miss Betsy Nettleton, who resided at the top end of the village, with her uncle, the Rev Samuel Cooper. Mr Thomas Cooper Nettleton owned and occupied a house and some grass fields next the village street. Mr Jas Peppercorn owned a house and premises, and also several plots of land, where he resided. The land was on Wistow Hill, the house was on Manor Street. Mr John Cope owned and occupied a grass close called Huntingdon Close, situated beside the road leading to Huntingdon, and he resided in a house next the lane. Huntingdon Close as was owned and occupied by Arthur Cope, a descendant of the Cope family, who is a nephew of mine. His mother is also a niece of mine, named Betsy Meadows. Her father, Thomas Meadows, was my brother, who died a few years ago. Huntingdon Close has been in the family over 300 years. Mrs Macer owned and occupied a house with orchard and grass close, called Michael’s Close, next Back’s Lane. Her maiden name was Sarah Cope. Mr Hugh Jacks of Wisbech, was owner of a wood close, near Warboys Wood and next to Broad Place, Fen Lane Wood. The close and land are now in the occupation of Thos Meadows. Mr Thos Meadows Senr, owned and occupied a wood close, near Warboys Wood called Grey’s Close. There were also two plots of land belonging to Holme Poor. Also a plot of land up Wistow Hill, owned by Mrs Turner. A plot of land called —– Grounds, below the wood, was owned by Mr Edward Macer. A plot of land in Crabb Tree —- and a wood near Warboys Wood owned by Mr Macer. There was also —- —– about 50 acres, owned by the Rector, near the Wistow Poor Allotments. Land in Conduit Field was owned by the Duke of Manchester, or Lady O B Sparrow, and occupied by Mr John Rowell of Bury.
THE OLD AND NEW INNS
The Wistow Allotments contained nearly 20 acres. The Overseers and Churchwardens were the Trustees for the time being. They were situated on the Mill Road. Mr Faithful Chapman owned two plots of land which he occupied himself. There was also about 20 acres of land by Broughton owned by Mr Jonathan Martin of Broughton, which he occupied himself. Mr Joseph Saunders occupied a house (then several sentences totally unreadable.)
Then there was the ‘Fleur de Lys’ owned by Mr John Harding, with a piece of land on the Mill Road, the tenant being Mr John Piggott. The Plough Inn was owned by Mr Turner of Brampton, and with it was a plot of land, the tenant being Mr Faithful Chapman. There were afterwards three new licensed houses, via ‘The Oddfellows Arms’ built by Mr Thos Meadows, the owner, and occupied by Mr —– Allpress, ‘The Chequers’ occupied by Mr Jonas Bamworth, and ‘Uncle Toms Cabin’ built and occupied by Mr George Ross.
WISTOW TRADESMEN
The tradesmen of Wistow about that time, though not all living there at one time, were as follows- Wm Cope, brewer, Thos Mitchell, shopkeeper, John Dickenson, miller, baker and shopkeeper, John Page, beer retailer and shopkeeper, John Cope, brewer and shopkeeper, Ed Foreman, carpenter and builder, Wm Shepperson, carpenter, —– and builder, George Ross, brewer and catcher, Charles Samworth, butcher and also a dealer, Henry Furnell, blacksmith, Wm Shepperson, senr, blacksmith, Henry Allpress, saddler and harness maker, John Hall, shoemaker, Jos Butler, shoemaker and shopkeeper, Wm Boast, pig dealer, Thos Howles, tailor, Jos Swinton, tailor, Wm Gifford, shopkeeper, Goods, shoemaker, and Thos Goods junr, carrier.
GENERATIONS!! OF LABOURERS
The ——— living at Wistow whom I —— —– many of whom are now deceased. —– —– was Wm Adams and his sons. (The next few lines are unreadable.) and his son John and grandson Robert and great grandson Robert, John Elmore and his sons, William, George, Flowers, Fred and John, Wm Payne (shepherd) and his sons Thomas, William, Edward, Joe and Fred, Jos Burton (shepherd) and his son William and grandson, John Tom, John Peach and his sons John, Jerry, Robert, James, Thomas, Henry, William, Robert Peach and his sons George and another, Thos Peach’s son William, and Henry Peach’s son William, Edward Ross (shepherd) and his sons William, George and his grandsons George and Edward, Wm White (farm foreman on Mr Pryme’s farm) and his son William, and grandsons William, Thomas and John, Richard Buddle and his sons John, Thomas, Samuel, Richard, and his grandsons Tom, Edward, John, Elijah and his great grandson Jackson Buddle, Henry Pettit and his brother John, John Dring and his sons, John, William, and Robert, Isaac Moulds (higgler) and his sons, Abraham, William, Isaac, his brother Jacob and his sons, Abraham, Richard, his grandson Abraham and great-grandson Elijah, Wm Phillips (parish clerk) and his sons William, John, Edward, Joe, Frank. Frances Phillips (brother of Wm Phillips senr) and his sons, George, Benjamin, William, Nathaniel Phillips (also brother of William senr, and his sons, William, Richard, George, Robert, Wm Phillips junr’s son, George, Peter Behagg and his sons, Peter, John, Charles, Daniel, and his grandson John, Wm Blowers and Charles Elmore, butchers, John Piggott and his son John and grandson William, John Godby, his son John and grandson Lewis, John Creek, and his son Charles, John Smith and his sons William, John, Matthew, Edward, Charles Elmore and his son Charles, Joseph Wilkinson, Jos Fletcher (bricklayer) and his sons, Abraham, William, Isaac, Cornelius Burton and his sons James (shepherd) and Cornelius, Frank Payne (soldier) and his sons, William, John and Thomas, Robert Squires and his sons Fred, and his brothers William, James and Samuel, Wm Garton (roadman) his son Thomas and his grandsons, William, John, Tom, and another, John Cowling and his sons John, William, Joseph, Matthew, George, Henry, David and his grandson James, John Harding and his sons William, Peter, George and John, Charles Berridge and his brother William, Joel Peacock and his son William, William Dickenson and his sons William and John, Thomas Hancock and his son William, William Williams (soldier), Thos Hart (clerk), Henry Furnell (blacksmith) and his sons Ben, John, William, Osborne, David and grandson Henry, Fred Clarke and his son, James Chaplin (labourer and watchman) and his son, William Churchman and John Adam Taylor (pinder!!) and John Chaplin (—– to the watchman.)
I do not know whether the family named Cowling, some of whom lived and died in Fenstanton, were related or not to the Wistow family, but after the death of the last of the Goslin family, the furniture of the Goslins went to the Cowlings, —- —- —–. The Goslin family I understand had lived at Wistow for nearly 300 years being —- and occupiers of land there to a considerable extent. The Goslins of Wistow were related to the Cromwell family by marriage, being so recorded in Carlyle’s History of Cromwell.

(The final paragraph is completely unreadable.)
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David Titmarsh

September 2010

Filed Under: 5 - Victorians 1837-1901, 6 - The Modern Age From 1901, Buildings, Events, Places, Public Houses, The Church Tagged With: children, church, family, manor, mill, pub, school, war, WW2

Joe Howes – Memories

12 Apr 10 by admin 2 Comments

Joe Howes (son of Olive Howes nee Hales)

Aunt Lizzie (Polly) was the Wistow School Teacher for many years.
Polly lived on land opposite Juggins Farm in a bungalow no longer there.
Harry Woolley ran the school from 1913 onwards, which was church run.
The Howes family ran the Three Horseshoes pub from 1912.

The Three Horseshoes landlords were as follows;-
Howes family
Closed as a pub but occupied by a man called Adams
Reopened by Frank Harding (nicknamed ‘Pop’)
Bomber Wells
Mrs Rose
Mr Lilley (ex policeman)
Reg Stanton
Rolph Turner
John and Eileen Cooper
now Julia and Gerry

Joe Howes was born at 10 Oaklands Avenue in 1928, then lived at Upwood for a short while.
The Wistow Feast was on the weekend of 20th June for about 3 days.
They had a Wistow Cricket Match all week as well then, playing a different team every day.
There was an Open Air Prom dance on Miss De La Pryme’s lawn.
Ramsey Town Band played on these occasions as well.
The Church was full every Sunday back then.
There used to be a walk from Moss Lawn to Blackhurst Farm.
Joe went to the school in the village.  Children could then either go to the Grammar School or Warboys.
The Assistant Teacher was Alice Whitehead.
There was a cobblers business run outside the Three Horseshoes pub.
A name from the village that Joe remembers was Mr James Swiffen who died on 20/7/1917.
There were May Pole dances on Miss De La Pryme’s lawn as well.
The Aggar family sold milk from a three wheeled trolley in the village.
Olive Howes helped to deliver the bread from the bakers in Mill Road.  She even went to Kings Ripton on foot.
She found the Reverend Noble in the ditch one night, drunk, on the way back from Kings Ripton.
There were twelve Hales children, all survived, four children went to live in New Zealand.
Bert and Fred Hales lived in Manor Street.
The family had an unexploded bomb they used as a doorstop for many years –  they weren’t aware it was unexploded!!
Names from the village were the Fosters (farmers), Dorringtons (farmers- lived in Ted Benson’s house, Mill Road), Miss Saunders and her dog, Mr Cook (lived in the Juggins house – he was the old miller, and had a big dovehouse in the front garden.)
The Brook used to be a lot deeper than it is now and could take small boats.

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David Titmarsh

Interview 2009

Filed Under: 6 - The Modern Age From 1901, Buildings, Events, People, Places, Public Houses, The Church Tagged With: children, church, school, WW2

Harold ‘Jack’ Lindsell – Memories

12 Apr 10 by admin Leave a Comment

Harold (Jack) Lindsell – Harris Lane (in his 80’s)

At 12 yrs old he used to walk to Warboys for school.

Came to live in village at 4 yrs old from Warboys.

In Church Road, by the Bance’s land, was a place that mended horse’s harnesses.

Rev Pratt lived in Rectory.

Where Phone Box is now, used to have a Coconut Shy during Wistow Feast time and the Ramsey Band played there as well.

They used to regularly do a Xmas party for the children in the school.

Mrs Murrell and her son ran the Old Shop (the Shielings)- they did newspapers and was also the Post Office.

The Giffords ran the other shop which did womens clothes, but not food.

There used to be a row of cottages facing the old school.

There was also wooden air raid shelters in many of the gardens.

The Fosters, Dorringtons and Moss’s were the local farmers.

Used to have a May Pole during the Wistow feast as well.

There used to be a Bowling Green and an orchard down Church Road.

For the Coronation, they had a kids party by the old bowling green.

There was a beuatiful hand-drawn hearse in the Fleur de Lys, which was the funeral directors.

The Fleur de Lys landlord did the bell ringing as well.

The Gartons lived up the hill past the Bridge, which was an old Brickyard.

Harold’s dad was the old Blacksmith in the village, who worked from the Fleur de Lys.

In 1956 he remembers the Windmill being there, but not working then.

Oaklands Avenue near Harris Lane end was mostly blackberry bushes and grass, no houses at all.

In the Mill House lived Mr Bell, who ran a taxi business and was the local postman.

Rooks Grove Farm used to be called Lime Tree Cottage.

Ann Juggins is believed to have an old map of the village in her hall

Harold’s dad used to wind the clock in the church.

Toll Bar House used to be on the right by the Toll, which was the only house on that side of the road.

The Bus only came into the village on Saturdays.

For many years, most of Bridge Street was flooded.

Harold used to be the gravedigger in the village.

In the alley way half way down Mill Road, used to be barn, where a man hanged himself. (He might have been a Sansum).

_______________________________________________________________________

David Titmarsh

Interview 2009

Filed Under: 6 - The Modern Age From 1901, Buildings, Events, People, Places, Public Houses, The Church Tagged With: children, church, school, WW2

Peggy Glover nee Coles – Memories

12 Apr 10 by admin Leave a Comment

Peggy Glover (nee Coles)- Kingston Way (about 75-80 years old)

Remembers a water pump near Fleur De Lys and by the Old School.

There was a Blacksmith in the Fleur De Lys, who came daily from Wennington village.

Also in Fleur De Lys, was the undertakers business, lovely hearse used to be parked there.

Charlie Buddles parents ran the Plough Pub.

The Sheilings was the local Shop and Petrol Pump and Post Office, which sold everything.

The other shop that closed only few years back, used to be run by Mrs Gifford, sold only certain items.

No electric in village till 1951/52.

Mr Harrison the vicar lived in the Rectory on his own.

Nick Peacocks dad was the local Special Constable.

John Green’s house by back of old Plough pub was the site of the local bowling green, which proved very popular.

There was a Wistow Football team for men in the village.

Had a Street Party for the Queens Coronation in 1952.

The Village Hall used to be the Chapel, which had Lantern Shows on there when Peggy a girl.

Peggy used to live in some cottages on land which is now the 3 Horseshoes Pub Car Park.

The Gartons used to live in a house on the left past the Bridge half way up the hill to the Toll.

Bridge Street often got flooded completely.

Opposite the Allotment Field, there used to be searchlight in the 2nd world war manned by soldiers.

Lots of evacuees in the village in the war, many stayed in the Fleur De Lys.

Girl Guides and Boy Scouts groups used to meet in the Village hall.

The young men of the village used to congregate outside the Plough Pub on the corner.

Mrs Buddle used to arrange several coach trips from the village, men went to Ascot annually, and there was a ladies club outing as well.

Peggy’s husband, Mr Glover used to volunteer to cut the grass in the churchyard.

Kit Garton lived in Vine Cottages on the left going towards the Bance’s farmhouse.

There is a small photo which the History Society has in its possession, which was of the May Day celebrations held every year in Miss De La Pryme’s place (called the Lodge)

On the 19th June or so annually, was held the Wistow feast, on Mrs Foster’s lawn (property called the Tellings). A fair was also held there.

There was also a Promenade dance held every year, which stopped in the 1950’s.

There was a Dance Hall on the land at the back of Porch House, the RAF men went as well during the war, Panto’s were also held there.

During the war, bombs landed at the end of Harris Lane.

Used to be a proper track leading to Upwood via Kingsland Farm

Win Robson did the costumes for the Panto’s, lived in a cottage in Manor Street.

Old family names, Gartons, Buddles, Litchfields, Coles (the Coles lived in the village for three generations), Abrahams, Sansums, Elmores, Lindsells, Peacocks, Bishs, Moulds and Burtons.

The Fosters family were large landowners in the village.

Dorringtons lived in large farmhouse on Bance’s old farmhouse land, which got burnt down.

Sansums lived in Old Schoolhouse, had one room as a school with a curtain across it, to separate younger and older children.

School closed in 1945 roughly.

Miss Geeson and Mrs Howes were two teachers.

Used to be dairy at Porch House, they used to deliver milk etc. daily on a bike.

Opposite Porch House was a bakery, Bertie Hales brought bread round to the village people.

Windmill was outside the village on the left on way to Kings Ripton before dip (called Huntingdon Road)

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David Titmarsh

Interview 2009

Filed Under: 6 - The Modern Age From 1901, Buildings, Events, People, Places, Public Houses, The Church Tagged With: children, church, manor, school, WW2

Wistow Past and Present in Photos

28 Mar 10 by admin 2 Comments

churchpub churchpub-now

The Church and the Three Horseshoes Pub


churchstreet churchstreet-now

millroad millroad-now

Church Street


bridgestreet bridgestreet-now

Bridge Street


manorstreet manorstreet-now

Manor Street


parsonagestreet parsonagestreet-now

Parsonage Street


millstreet millstreet-now

Mill Road


rectory rectory-now

The Rectory


millhouse millhouse-now

Mill House


ploughpub ploughpub-now

The Old Plough


porchhouse porchhouse-now

Porch House


sheilingshop sheilings-now

The Sheilings


wistowhouse wistowhouse-now

Wistow House

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Debbie Booth, Jenny Head, Althea Walker

Heritage Day 2009

 

Filed Under: Buildings, Gallery, Photos, Places, Public Houses, The Church Tagged With: church, home, mill, pub, rectory

Monks Flee Floods 1178

11 Mar 10 by admin Leave a Comment

Wistow Warbler       Winter 1178

 

MONKS FLEE FLOODS

The increasing frequency of flooding has finally
forced the monks to move from Wistow to Bury

 After 200 years the last Benedictine monk has left Wistow to take up residence in the new church at Bury, which has wisely been built on high ground.

The Abbot said that the distance of Wistow from Ramsey coupled with the winter flooding of Bury Brook has at times made it difficult for the monks to remain in contact with their mother church at Ramsey Abbey. He regrets that the monks have to leave Wistow but promises that there will still be regular services available for the villagers.

Bury will assume the role of importance in Kingstune and Wistow will take on a subordinate position as a berewick and chapelry of Bury. The revenues from the manor of Wistow are still assigned to the support of the office of cellarer of Ramsey monastery and the manor will continue to be let to farm by the Clairvaux family of Upwood. The abbot maintains the right to gallows, tumbrel, and view of frankpledge.

clip_image004

Floods at Wistow  Bridge Winter 2009

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Althea Walker

Heritage Day 2009

Filed Under: 2 - Normans & Plantagenets 1066-1485, Eras, People, Places, The Church Tagged With: abbey, Abbot, church, manor, Monk

Extract from Samuel Lewis’ Topographical Gazeetter – 1831

27 Feb 10 by Richard Farrar Leave a Comment

WISTOW, a parish in the hundred of HURSTINGSTONE, county of HUNTINGDON, 3¾ miles (S.S.W.) from Ramsey, containing 352 inhabitants. The living is a rectory, in the archdeaconry of Huntingdon, and diocese of Lincoln, rated in the king’s books at £10, 17.8½ and in the patronage of J. Torkington, Esq. The church is dedicated to St. John the Baptist.

Filed Under: 4 - Georgians 1714-1837, Eras Tagged With: church, rectory

The Domesday Book – 1086

27 Feb 10 by Richard Farrar Leave a Comment

In WISTOU the Abbot of Ramsey had 9 hides to the geld. [There is] land for 16 ploughs, and [he had] land for 3 ploughs demesne, apart from these hides. There are now 2 ploughs in demesne: and 32 villans having 11 ploughs. There is a priest and a church, and 1 mill [rendering] 2s, and 24 acres of meadow, [and] woodland pasture 1 league long and a half broad. TRE worth £9: now £8.

Filed Under: 2 - Normans & Plantagenets 1066-1485, Eras Tagged With: abbey, church, mill

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