Wistowpedia

The History of Wistow

The Cromwell Connection

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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

Changing Populations

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Villeins, Virgaters, Cotmen and Hidemen

At the time of the Domesday Survey the Abbey at Ramsey held 16 complete manors and part of 8 others.

In the early Middle Ages – 12th and 13th century – of the free tenants two classes may be distinguished. Firstly those who held land by military service and from whom the Knights were chosen, and secondly those holding land by non-military tenure who owed homage and followed the hundred and county courts and the court of Broughton.

Sometimes a money rent was paid for a free hide and occasionally light labour services were also performed.

The censuarii were tenants paying money rent for their land but owing labour service as well, and thus were hardly to be distinguished in many cases from villeins, who themselves by the 13th century are to be found paying money rent too. Villeins held land by labour tenure and amongst those on the Ramsey estates are found virgaters, cotmen and crofters.

The services consisted of week-work and boon-work. Of week-work services, ploughing was required as a rule one day a week, usually Fridays. If it could not be done e.g. bad weather or a feast day falling on a Friday, then it may or may not be required on another day. In some cases the service might be put ‘ad censum’  meaning at the lord’s pleasure, or deferred for two or three weeks.

In certain manors if a villein was ill for a year and a day, he was excused all services except ploughing. The work was distributed according to the number of ploughs and not the number of villains and penalties were imposed for bad work. In addition the lord had his own demesne plough on each manor worked by the tenants, usually the semi-virgaters, holding their own land on condition of following the plough, called ‘akermanni’ or ‘carucarii’.

In addition to the weekly ploughing the tenants by labour service were required to work on other days, the number varying from manor to manor, for the performance of miscellaneous services e.g. weeding, haymaking, ditching, threshing, collecting rods or nuts, making hurdles or watching at the fair.

An important item in the weekly works was carting, the amount constituting a load was strictly defined. Carting might be within the manor, including rushes cut from the marshes and brought if necessary by boat, loads of hay or crops, or to adjacent manors or markets and particularly to the Abbey. Occasionally longer journeys were involved. Villeins from Broughton were sent to London. A villein from Abbots Ripton received 1d from those remaining at home if he went beyond the water of St Ives or Huntingdon. At Wistow carrying a cartload to Ramsey was reckoned as two works i.e. the villein was released from two weeks work with the exception of ploughing.

Besides the week-work, additional boon-work was required, boon ploughings and harvest boons were supplementary to increased week-work, which was fixed and regular. Boon ploughing were usually three times a year, in early winter, spring and summer and the land thus ploughed was usually sown with the villein’s own seed. Harvest boons were required in August and September when the regular increase in the week-work was not sufficient. Similarly during haymaking, the villein might be required to work the whole week until the hay was in. Occasionally the villein received food from his lord for the boon-work, usually one meal only and sometimes known as nonemetes’. At Wistow in 1324 – 80 men with 20 ploughs received fish worth 3s 2d, 2 rings of corn and 3 rings of malt; in 1351 – 102 men received 2 cows, 6 rings of corn, 2 rings of malt, 8lbs cheese and 2 geese.

Small holders by labour tenure were known as cotmen or crofters, the cotland being larger than the croft, with 5 to 12 acres and the croft 2 to 3 acres. The services of these are not easy to distinguish from those of the villein, though fewer days of week-work were required.

Generally a day’s work was sunrise to sunset but at Wistow harvesting from dawn to noon was regarded as one work. At harvest time the villein arrived with his whole household except his wife but including his children.

Nowadays, even though the village is still encompassed by farmland, the people of Wistow are no longer tied to the land as they were until 150 or even 100 years ago. Today, although some still live here and work on the farms, the majority of working villagers commute to the surrounding area, the larger towns nearby such as Cambridge or Peterborough and to London, which is only an hour away by rail.

 

 

Written by Sharon Waters

June 2011

Coloured Strip Map of Wistow Manor 1617

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Huntingdonshire Archives Reference LR20/362

The original Wistow maps held at Huntingdon Records Office are very large and show the whole of the manor including the surrounding countryside with the names of the land owners right down to individual fields.

In the top left hand corner of the 1617 map there is an inscription describing the purpose of the map, or the PLOTT as it is called, and interestingly in 1617 our small village was referred to as the TOWNE.

In 1617 the fields seem to be divided into furlongs with some very descriptive names. Many of the names are geographical or refer to landmarks e.g. Bridge Furlonge, Brown Bridge Furlonge, Broc Furlonge, Church Furlonge, Town Side Furlonge, Copdich Furlong, Conduite Furlonge, White Cross Furlonge and Farr Little Hills Furlonge.  Others describe the type of land or what grew there e.g. Upper and Middle Stoney Landes, North and South Clayhill, Water Lande, Hemplande Balke Furlong, Berrie Woods Furlonge and Berrie Side Furlonge. Other names of note are Twelve Shillinges meadowe, Upper and Long Larke Landes and Buttes Furlonge.

All of which give us clues to historic Wistow. Buttes Furlonge would have been where archery practice was undertaken, Twelve Shillinges meadowe was the worth of that meadow at some point in time, the land called Clayhill was the obvious choice when the Wistow brick works needed to be sited and probably there were once two bridges across the brook, one of which was brown.

By 1832 the fields have mostly lost their individual names and are generally labelled with the name of the land owner. (See the item on The Original Inclosure Map of Wistow 1832).

The following map photographs are published with the permission of David Walker

1617 Map - Narrative

 

1617 Map - Village Centre

 

1617 Map - Village and Surrounds

by Althea Walker

December 2011

1911 article by John Meadows (transcript)

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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.)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

David Titmarsh

September 2010

Peggy Glover nee Coles – Memories

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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)

_______________________________________________________________________

David Titmarsh

Interview 2009

Porch House Deeds Listings

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From Patsy Coles  Deeds of Porch House, Manor Street, Wistow

The oldest papers come from 1786, when the property was simply known as ‘the land almost nearly opposite the Manor House in Wistow.’

List of documents found:-

1786- Stanhope Pedley (lord of the manor) passed it to John Green.

1787- It was leased to Moses Joy, the local blacksmith, who worked for Daniel Bohagg.

1800- Moses Joy passed it to Thomas Robinson, with William Fisher as Trustee.

1808- Sir Walter Stirling and Richard Wallis passed it to William Dring and Henry Sweeting the younger (?may have been a trustee)

1816- John Dring passed it to Edward Johnson, who were workers for John Sherman and John Williams (John Dring marked the document with a ‘x’ – ? illiterate)

1834- Henry Foley was now lord of the manor, with Edward Western as Deputy Steward and James Western as Chief Steward.

The property was divided into several dwellings occupied by Edward Road, William Fletcher, Joseph Smeddows, John Jackson, Thomas Cooper-Nettleton and Faithful Chapman (a man) of Wistow (Innkeeper of the Plough Inn, Wistow)

1846- Henry Foley was Lord of the Manor of the Plough Inn, with Edward Western as Deputy Steward and James Western as Chief Steward. The tenants now were Joseph Smeadows, William Shepperson (carpenter), William Moulds, Jonas Samworth, Thomas Cooper-Nettleton, and John Macer.

1874- The road was now known as Manor House Street. John Thomas Shepperson (carpenter) passed it to Edward Fellowes. Frederick Robert Serjeant was Deputy Steward. Both William Henry Fellowes and Mr Fisher William Macer were reported as deceased.

1891- Edward Western now listed as Steward, and Elizabeth August Foley was Lady of the Manor. Elizabeth Shepperson (widow of William Shepperson) and formerly Elizabeth Mary Day mentioned, with tenants of Jackson Buddle, William Turnill, George Turnill and George Phillips.

Another document in 1891, talks of an Award of Enfranchisement (under the Copyhold Act of 1852), where John Thomas Shepperson got some Compensation Money.

1892- Elizabeth Shepperson was allowed to live in the property, until she died in 1896. Edward Foreman, a builder from London, bought the now four tenements, he was the nephew of Mrs Shepperson.

1899- Albert Gibson was Steward of the Manor now.

1906- Edward Foreman deceased, executors were William Arthur Foreman and Edward James Knowles Foreman of Great Raveley. Also mentioned in document were John and Mary Ann Harrity. Road still called Manor House Street, but had also been called Town Street at some point. The current tenants mentioned were Thomas Peach, George Sansome, Arthur Willows, with one empty tenement.

1933- The current tenants were Walter Smith, Ben Baker, Mrs Taylor and ?Mr or Mrs Upchurch.

1935- Mary Ann Hanritty Deceased, and passed it in her will to Sarah Jane Agger (?her daughter). It was now known as Porch House.

1961- Sarah Jane Agger deceased.

1963- Mrs Doris Jenny Fawkes inherited it and sold it to Fred Kilpack Peacock. It was still four tenements, and the street was still known as Manor House Street.

1964- Fred Peacock passed it to Elizabeth Mary Hartley.

1965- Another document showing that Mrs Hartley owned it.

1992- Mr and Mrs Coles bought it from Mrs Hartley.

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David Titmarsh

March 2010

Monks Flee Floods 1178

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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.

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Floods at Wistow  Bridge Winter 2009

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Althea Walker

Heritage Day 2009