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Five ParishesTheir People and Places

A History of the Villages of Castor, Ailsworth, Marholm with Milton, Upton and Sutton

By the CAMUS Project

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Published by the CAMUS Project, The Rectory, Castor, Peterborough, PE5 7AU, United Kingdom

Copyright remains with the individual writers as listed in the Contents who have given non-exclusive rights to publish to theCAMUS Project.

All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, except by reviewers for the public press, withoutpermission from the CAMUS Project.

All sales and distribution inquiries to The Rectory, Castor, Peterborough, PE5 7AU, United Kingdom

Printed by Stylaprint, Ailsworth, Peterborough.

ISBN 0-9547881-0-9 (Hardback)ISBN 0-9547881-1-7 (Paperback)

This book has been produced with assistance from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Cover design by Bev Rigby, using a map of 1828 by ET Artis as the background.

Ordnance Survey map reproduced by kind permission Crown Copyright

THE CAMUS PROJECT

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FOREWORD – Sir Stephen Hastings

The CAMUS Project is a collection of personal reminiscence, record and research about a group of five Englishvillages on the borders of Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire. It may be unique: for it is compiled not from externalresearch by questing academics or historians but, in their own words, by the people of these rural communitiesthemselves. Several of them farm the same land their grandfathers did; some may trace their presence back to theDomesday Book. It tells of their history, their architecture, their way of living and their means of livelihood from thecoming of the Romans until the edge of living memory.

Tenant farmers many were, and still are: first of the Abbey of Medehamsted (now Peterborough); later of theFitzwilliam family, whose progenitor, Sir William, stapler of Calais and client of Cardinal Wolsey, purchased the estateof Milton in 1502. Milton has remained in the ownership of this family ever since and their benign influence still formsmuch of the background of life in these Parishes. As with many great rural estates, the story of Milton would beincomplete without a note on the Fitzwilliam Foxhounds, one of only four private Packs still left in the country.Kennelled at Milton, an account of their Masterships, Huntsmen and coverts provides a vivid impression of how fromthe early 18th century until the present day, hunting has been woven into the fabric of country life. The church bells arerung by willing hands, today, when hounds meet on Castor village green.

Through these pages we trace the changes in shape and method of farming, from the excavation of a Roman holdingthrough the open field system of ridge and furrow, to the Enclosures of the late 19th century and on to the age of thecombine harvester. Here are recalled the very names of the last teams of working horses; splendid Percherons andShires, and of the fields they ploughed. The rattle of the milk pails in the early morning was still greeted in thesevillages as late as the 1950s.

The section on the Parish records makes compelling reading. Not simply for the pattern and identity of birth, death andmarriage, historically significant though some were, but as a social study. The Parish system was used ‘to administernearly all local matters’ including the Muster rolls, Tithe rolls and the Poor Law. ‘Bastardy’ for instance, and the careof illegitimate children, was a matter for the Parish. It seems to have been dealt with fairly, practically and withhumanity – the fathers’ responsibility generally established and admitted – be he married parishioner, village doctor, oreven Abbot! A useful example perhaps for those responsible for these matters in our cities today.

We learn the names of those villagers called to the service of their country, from the indentured archers and billhookmen on the Muster rolls of the parishes in Henry VIII’s reign, to the long rolls of honour from the two great wars of the20th century.

Thus, from their Celtic ancestors to the coming of Rome; from the earliest Anglo Saxon settlements through theferocious Danish raids; from the establishment of Ecclesiastical administration and the power of the Great Abbey, tothe Dissolution and the arrival of the Tudor dynasties; from the depredation of Cromwell’s puritans to the Restoration;here is the testimony of Peer, Parson, Ploughman and Poacher. It is the veritable story of the centuries in a corner of theheart of England.

But for all their sense of history and heredity, there is no static nostalgia here. The authors of these essays and thepopulation of these villages represent a vital and energetic community. The integrity of life has held against the assaultsof time and the King’s enemies. In the age of television and computer, Sunday worship is still normal and the bondswhich have linked folk for generations remain. People look after each other in these villages and respect theirmonuments and their institutions. Here is the evidence to prove it.

Apart from its great intrinsic interest the CAMUS Project is of public importance and deserves to be widely read. Theauthors are too numerous to mention here but they deserve our profound thanks and congratulations. Finally, no praiseis too high for the Editor, The Rev William Burke, Rector of these Parishes, who promoted and organised the wholeenterprise, as well as contributing four fascinating chapters himself.

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CONTENTSForeword Sir Stephen Hastings 3

The CAMUS Project William Burke 6

Subscribers List 7

Introduction - The Historical Background Keith Garrett and William Burke 8

Time Line A Chronology of our Parishes Gill Slidel 11

Colour Plates

THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND - Archaeology and HistoryChapter 1. Prehistoric and Roman Times Andrew Nash, Stephanie Bradshaw, Ben Wood 17Chapter 2. Survey of the Roman Roads Michael Brown 31Chapter 3. The Early Anglo-Saxon Period – General Ben Wood 41Chapter 4. The Anglican Period: Royal Ladies of Castor Avril Morris 45

OVERVIEW OF VILLAGE AND CHURCH HISTORIES CASTORChapter 5. Castor Village William Burke 57Chapter 6. Castor Church William Burke 67Chapter 7. The Buildings of Castor Kath Henderson and Elaine O’Boyle 85Chapter 8. Castor House and its People Claire Winfrey 97

AILSWORTHChapter 9. Ailsworth Village Carol Humphries and Joan Pickett 105Chapter 10. The Buildings of Ailsworth Carol Humphries and Joan Pickett 115

SUTTONChapter 11. Sutton History Keith Garrett 121Chapter 12. Sutton Church Keith Garrett 129Chapter 13. The Buildings of Sutton Keith Garrett 137

UPTONChapter 14. Upton History and Buildings John Howard 143Chapter 15. Upton Church John Howard 151

MARHOLMChapter 16. Marholm Village and Buildings Hazel Yates 157Chapter 17. Marholm Church Hazel Yates 169

AGRICULTURE and VILLAGE LIFEChapter 18. Farming and the Villages William Burke 177Chapter 19. Occupations and Businesses John Howard 193Chapter 20. Leisure, Recreation and Village Organizations John Howard 205Chapter 21. Rural Pastimes Mark Smith 219

MILTONChapter 22. Milton Park and The Fitzwilliam Family William Craven 227

TRANSPORT Chapter 23. The Railways through the Parishes Richard Paten and Keith Garrett 239Chapter 24. The River Nene Nigel Blanchford 247

NATURAL HISTORYChapter 25. Natural History John and Emily Finnie 255

PEOPLEChapter 26. People from the Parish Records William Burke 263Chapter 27. Military – People of Two World Wars Joan Marriott and Margaret Brown 269Chapter 28. Reminiscences - People and Places Brian Goode 283

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATIONChapter 29. Castor Parish Council Stephanie Bradshaw 297Chapter 30. Castor Schools Kath Henderson 305

JUBILEES Chapter 31. Celebrations Brian Goode 317Chapter 32. Flags and Bunting Fred and Grace Gibbs 329

APPENDICES Appendix One Domesday Book Records for the Hundred of Upton 339Appendix Two Rectors of Castor from AD1228 339Appendix Three Rectors of Marholm from AD1217 340Appendix Four Anthem for the Feast of St Kyneburgha 341Appendix Five Castor, Inventory of Church Furnishings AD1558 342Appendix Six Marholm, Inventory of Church Furnishings AD1558 342Appendix Seven Compton Census of 1676 342Appendix Eight Muster Rolls 1536 for all Five Villages 342Appendix Nine Militia List, Ailsworth 1762 343Appendix Ten Militia List, Castor 1762 343Appendix Eleven Militia List, Marholm 1762 344Appendix Twelve Militia List, Sutton 1762 344Appendix Thirteen Militia List, Upton 1762 345Appendix Fourteen Population - Castor, Ailsworth, Sutton, Upton 345Appendix Fifteen 1801 Population Return – Castor 345Appendix Sixteen Tithe Register for Castor – 1844 List of Owners and Tenants 346Appendix Seventeen Tithe Roll 1847 List of Owners, Occupiers and Locations, Castor and Ailsworth 347Appendix Eighteen Mr Hales’ Lecture, Extracts, Castor, 28th April 1883 348Appendix Nineteen Listed Buildings – Ailsworth 350Appendix Twenty Listed Buildings – Castor 350Appendix Twenty One Census 1881 Analysis Douglas Gillam 351Appendix Twenty Two Gazetteer all Five Villages 1849 352Appendix Twenty Three Gazetteer all Five Villages 1874 353

PICTURE GALLERY 354

INDEX 375

GENERAL MAPS1xA3 1:25000, Whole of Benefice (Map in colour section)5xA4 1:10000, Village Centres in Village History ChaptersRoman Roads, 1:50000 Map in Chapter 2

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THE CAMUS PROJECT The CAMUS Project (named after Castor, Ailsworth, Marholm, Milton, Upton and Sutton) grew out of the CastorParish Church Archive Group, which was concerned with researching, collecting and indexing material about thehistory of the five villages and Milton estate. In 2002 a group from the villages agreed to write a book and to put all thearchives and material collected, including the parish registers, on to a web-site, to make the information more widelyavailable and ensure its survival. The project was awarded a Local Heritage Initiative Grant by the Heritage LotteryFund. The web-site has now been established (www.thearchive.org.uk) and the lengthy process of transferring materialonto the web has started. This is a process that will be continuous as more information is collected. Meanwhile, the firstfruits of the project are the chapters in this book.

Why these Five Villages and this Park? Quite simply, because there have always been close historical, ecclesiasticaland personal ties between them. It would be very difficult to write a history of one without much reference to theothers. They have always been in the same Hundred (the Upton, later to become the Double Hundred of Nassaburgh).All five villages and Milton Park were part of the Abbey Lands, with the Abbot of Peterborough as their feudaloverlord. Castor, Ailsworth, Belsize, Sutton, Upton and Milton were in the same parish from the earliest days ofChristianity until 1851 (Ailsworth, Belsize and Milton are still in Castor Parish.) Marholm, while being a separateparish since 1217, was originally probably part of the same parish, and for much of its history has shared the sameparish priest as the others since then.

Today these parishes share the same rector. Many of the farming families, such as the Darbys, Jarvises, Longfoots andHarrises extend across the parishes, as do Milton’s lands and interests. Today the villages share the same school. Theystill support each other in many ways.

An old navigational epithet states that “You cannot know where you are going, unless you know where you are, andyou cannot know where you are, unless you know from whence you came.” The same may be said of communities.There is something metaphysical in talking and writing about communities. There is a sense of seeking for that essencewhich is larger than us as individuals, something greater than us, but of which we are part. By being members of acommunity we become part of, and contribute, to history. This book is an attempt to distil something of the historywhich has brought us to the beginning of the Third Millennium.

The authors of the chapters are not professional writers, but are members of the communities about which they havewritten - many of them born in the villages. The contributions are in many respects highly personal. Foot-notes andappendices have been included, where appropriate, in an attempt to assist anyone who wishes to follow up a subject forfurther research.

There are many people who have not written articles but without whom the project could not have been completed.Among other people, we owe thanks to Steve Walker, co-ordinator of the CAMUS Project, and Nigel Blanchford ourTreasurer, and to the Heritage Lottery Fund who with Nationwide and the Countryside Agency funded the writing ofthe book. Others have contributed behind the scenes: Jim Tovey, Stuart Weston and Edmund Burke helped with andproduced much of the art work and graphics; Jim Tovey and Tracey Blackmore took many of the photographs; MillieWeston maintained the Data-Base, set out many of the appendices and typed articles for people; Helen Tovey, GillSlidel and Sally Leeds proof-read texts. Ben Robinson, Curator of Peterborough Museum, acted as our archaeologicaladvisor. The Nene Valley Archaeological Trust allowed us to reproduce their material, as did the NorthamptonshireRecord Society and the Victoria County History Society. The Northamptonshire County Record Office and RichardHillier of the Local Studies Section of Peterborough Library have been invaluable resources. We had no publisher andhave consequently imposed hugely on our village printer, Andy Vernum of Styalprint in Ailsworth - many thanks tohim for his advice, guidance and forbearance.

Lastly, many in the villages provided us with information, photographs and valuable advice and encouragement. It isjust not possible to include all the material we have collected – over 2000 documents – in one book. All the materialhas been kept, recorded and placed in the Parish Archives in the Cedar Centre at Castor, and will find its way onto theArchive Web-Site, the second stage of the CAMUS Project.

William BurkeThe Rectory, Castor

The Summer Festival of St Kyneburgha of Castor 2004

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Mr Richard and Mrs Karen Anker (nee Conkey)Jon and Ann ArdronRoy and Diane ArmitageJack and Delsia Bailey Val and Bob BaileyIan and Donna BalfourClyde and Beverley BanksDavid BanksJames BarclayLiz Berryman and Steve BarkerRev John A H and Mrs D E BarleyGraham and Pauline BarnesGeoffrey and Heather BartonIan and Fiona BaughMrs Joan BaxterWilliam and Anne BaxterMr and Mrs E A BealeLyn and Michael BellThe Bennett FamilyMrs Gwendoline BerridgeMargaret Berridge and JudithMick and Evelyn BiddleTracey and Justin BlackmoreJohn and Christine BladonLynette, Nigel, Claire, Tom and Alastair BlanchfordGraham and Carol BoyallDavid and Gill BoymanStephanie and Martin BradshawVincent and Rosalind BrierleyHelen and Michael BrocksomChris and Alison BrownColin BrownColin and Margaret BrownAir Vice-Marshal and Mrs M J D BrownN S BrownSimon and Christopher BrownKen and Christine BryanMargot and Norman BurdenA BurgessMr E W D BurkeDiana BurkeWilliam Burke Jerry and Diane CaesarMichael and Delia CaskeyDavid, Carol, Alice, Benjamin and Samuel CastleCastor Church of England SchoolJune CawseyGordon and Sue ChambersThe Chillcott FamilyArthur and Jeanne ChilversEvelyn and Peter ChittyAlbert and Moira ClarkCharles and Joyce ClarkeJanet CoddMr Kevin and Mrs Deborah ConkeyMrs Margaret ConkeyMr Martin George and Mrs Deborah ConkeyJonathan and Jackie CookPam CooperMr and Mrs J H W CostinWilliam and Bella CravenJonathan and Corinne CraymerNeil CunninghamRichard and Susan Custance (Sutton)Helen and Kevin DalyLeonard and Erika DanksNoel and Joan DarbyAdrian and Kerry DaviesRobert Dickens and Judith DickensJoy and Harold DillistoneCarlos and Wendy DominguezMrs Rebecca DudgeonBetty DunhamNorma and Clive DunnMr and Mrs T P J DykeIn memory of John and Ann EadesTony and Rosemary EvansMr and Mrs J A FellJohn, Emily and William FinnieMr Andrew and Mrs Victoria FisherJudy and Roy FisherLorna and Leonard FisherMr William Forman David Frankland and Judith Arrowsmith

John and Helen FranksM GailerClive and Marilyn GardnerMr & Mrs Keith GarrettFreddie and Grace GibbsBrian and Alison GibsonChloe GibsonHannah GibsonJoyce and Wallace GiddingsBryan and Pauline GoldingBridget and Brian GoodeJohn and Susan GowlerBarbara and Malcolm GrovesVic and Sandra GriffinAmber GrysCara GrysNadia GrysShelley GrysStephen GrysValerie GrysColin and Claire HaileyMr and Mrs P HammondPeter and Claire HarrisJoyce Harris KendalSir Stephen HastingsStephen and Melanie HawkinsGwen HeightonKath and David HendersonCharlotte and Dominic HensmanMeena and Theo HensmanAllen and Joyce HerbertRichard and Sian HigginsJohn and Gina HillMelvyn and Miriam HillJohn and Sue HodderEleanor HoggartMike and Jean HooperAnna, Barry and Trevor HornsbyMr and Mrs P HuckleMichael and Angela Hudson-PeacockColin and Carole HumphriesChris HuntMollie and Wilf HutchinsonMr and Mrs G H IngleRichard, Caroline, Amy and Simon IngramMandy Ireland (Whizz)Andrew and Helen JarvisStanley and Fay JarvisEric and Margaret JinksMelvyn and Enid JohnsonJohn and Margaret Kennedy, AustraliaMr and Mrs K KimberReg LambertRachel LayPeter and Janet LeeThe Leeds FamilyDavid and Maureen LewisDinah Lewis and David SillettChris and Bob LittleMr and Mrs B W LongMichael and David LongfootProfessor and Mrs R LymanMr and Mrs Andrew LytwynchukThe MacDonald FamilyRichard and Jennie ManningGeoff MarriottJoan M MarriottAndy, Jenny, Annabel and James MartinMargaret and Derek MathiesonMrs Jill McGarrySue and Bill McKenzieJoyce McMillanNigel, Jackie and Niki MercyMilton (Peterborough) Estate David and Berenice MollAvril M MorrisAndrew and Sue NashElizabeth NashThomas NashSir Philip Naylor-Leyland Bt.David and Noreen NewtonIris Beryl Florence NewtonHugh and Jan NichollsDavid Nobbs

Heather NobbsDavid and Maggie NobleMick and Elaine O’BoyleDes O’ConnellKeith and Lindsay OliverRon and Roz PearsonMr W and Mrs J M PearsonIn memory of Annetta Peel (nee Bass)Michael and Lois PetersJane M PickettJoan and James PickettJack and Joyce PittsMr James and Mrs Monica PollardBen and Rosie PounsettChris and Antonia PounsettDr and Dr (Mrs) N RajagopalanMrs Eileen RattenburyMr and Mrs George ReadRobbie, Jane and Lisa ReidMrs Leslie RigbyQuentin & Beverley Rigby, Benjamin, Alastair, & RobynRoz, Joanna and Fiona RodenIan and Marilyn RogersMichael and Glenis RoseJennie Russell (nee Bass)Keith and Brenda SalterMr David and Mrs Angela ScottThe Shannon FamilyMrs Margaret SharpeDianne and David ShawIan and Ginny SheldonFreda ShimminCharles and Gill SlidelMark, Denise, Kevin and Reece SmithJohn and Brenda SouthMary SpeechleyMr Graham and Mrs Gaynor SpenceMrs Susan SpenceReg and Monica SpooncerJane and Robert StewardMrs Lesley (Daffodil) and Mr Paul StubbsMiss Danica SummerlinPaul, Susan, Jennifer and Rebecca SykesJohn and Julie TaylorJill TebbuttMr and Mrs R J TedcastleMr and Mrs Derek TerrillTed and Lynne ThainThe Church of St John the Baptist, Upton The Church of St Kyneburgha of Castor The Church of St Mary the Virgin, Marholm The Church of St Michael & All Angels, Sutton The Royal Oak, CastorJim and Tess Thompson-BellMarian and Peter TomkinAmelia ToveyJames and Helen ToveyPoppy ToveyHelen and Len TrundleNick and Bridget VergetteDuncan, Gill, George, Claudia and Molly VesseySteve and Jo WalkerSophie, Ben and Emily WalkerNorman and Jean WarnesMrs Mildred Watt (former resident of Ailsworth)Valerie and James WebbSue WelchNorman, Rachel, Simon and Hannah WestcottMillie WestonStephen and Sharon WestonStuart WestonJim and Margaret White (nee Ward)Mr and Mrs Maurice WickhamMr and Mrs Ben WinfreyClaire and Ian WinfreyDrs Peter and Rebecca WinfreyJay Winfrey and FamilyJim and Patsy Wood and FamilyStewart and Sarah WoodMr and Mrs John WyldeRodney and Hazel YatesDaryl and Philip Yea

Subscribers We are grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Countryside Agency and the Nationwide Building Societyfor the Local Heritage Initiative grant that made this project possible. We would also like to thank thefollowing subscribers for additional financial support:

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THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The Villages, the Park and the Soke of PeterboroughWelcome to the story of our villages as told by the villagers. The book will take you through the life, work, worship,joy and pain of our history from the time of the Roman Empire to the present day. Whilst Castor itself has a muchlonger history, the history of the Benefice (of Castor-cum Ailsworth with Sutton and Upton with Marholm) really startswith the grant of lands to the Monastery of Medeshamstead – the old name for Peterborough - by Wulfhere, King ofMercia, in AD664. The grant to the monastery included among others ‘Eylesworthe, Castre, Sutton, Milton andMarham.’ The monastery was subsequently sacked by the Vikings, but a further grant was made by Edgar, King ofEngland, in AD972 for the re-founding of the monastery at Medeshamstead. These two charters included the Hundredof Upton, later with Burgh to become Double Hundred of Nassaburgh, otherwise known as the Soke or Liberty ofPeterborough as we know it today. These early charters were confirmed by subsequent kings, such as William I in1070, King John on 29 December 1215 and others.

TopographyThe villages are grouped on the North bank of the Nene between Peterborough and Wansford and extend across the

higher land to the North which forms part ofthe watershed between the rivers Nene andWelland. They are part of the Ness of Burgh.The Ness (literally the “nose-shaped” piece ofland) of Burgh (an old name for Peterborough)is shown on Mordern’s map of 1695. It is veryroughly triangular, bounded by the RiverWelland to the North and the River Nene to theSouth, with its apex where the two rivers usedto meet under Croyland’s ancient three-archedtriangular bridge. The third side runs roughlyNorth-West/South-East and forms theadministrative boundary with the WillowbrookHundred to the West. The river banks werealluvial gravels and water-meadows. Furtherinland lay the arable land between 20-30 feetAbove Mean Sea Level (AMSL), with virtuallyunoccupied forested uplands (hanglands) at thewatershed of the two rivers, about 100 feetAMSL, which were used for timber andhunting. Castor and Ailsworth sit on the springline of the upland edge and face Southwards.

In 1849, the managed acreage of the beneficewas 8810 acres, which would not have beengreatly different from that in the 12th century.The Domesday acreage of the whole Soke ofPeterborough was given as 70 hides and three-and-a-half virgates.

HistoryMost of the Soke of Peterborough wasoriginally a woody swamp, but Abbot Adulph(972-992) cleared it by degrees and built manorhouses and granges. Indeed the place namesindicate the Westward spread of settlements bythe Abbey. The word ton is Old English for asettlement or farmstead, so we have Netherton(nether=lower), Orton (originally Overton),Milton (Middleton), Upton (Upper Settlement)

Fig 1. Mordern’s map of 1695, showing the Nassaburgh or Upton Hundred

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and Sutton (South of Upton). In the time of Abbot Ernwulf (1107-1114), revenues were set aside for parochial minstersand from this stems the rebuilding of Castor’s magnificent minster church.

The special privileges granted to the Abbey were freedom from the jurisdiction of King, Bishop and Sheriff ‘with Soc(Soke) & Sac, Toll & Team, Ingfangethef & Outfangenthef,’ that is: to receive revenues and services from manorialand hundred courts, and to hold judicial courts. In 1361, quarter and petty sessions were established throughoutEngland, but the abbot retained control in the Soke, setting up his own sessions and nominating justices. The originalmeeting places for the Upton or Nassaburgh Hundred were the sites of Sutton Cross and the Langdyke Bush, (so-calledafter the old name for King Street, ‘the Langdyke’-long dyke) where the Roman road crosses the Northern parishboundary of Upton. The Court Baron for the whole Liberty (Barony or Soke) of Peterborough was for much of its timebased at Castor.

At the dissolution of the monasteries, in 1541, these rights reverted to the crown, but, on the formation of the Dioceseof Peterborough, were granted to Bishop John Chambers (the last abbot), while the lordship of the manors with ‘allother manner of portions, tithes and pensions in the parishes of Castor etc ...meadows, woods, rents, waters, fisheriesetc of Castor, Ailsworth, Sutton, Upton, Belsize, Marholm,’ were granted to the Dean and Chapter.

Canon Symon Gunton in the 17th century writes ‘Here I must acknowledge myself at a stand, as not able to give aperfect account of all Mannors, Lands, and Tenements belonging to the Monastery of Peterborough at the time of theDissolution; for it had Lands, or Tenements in…Upton…Marholm…etc. Which, how or when they were alienated fromthis Monastery, whether by the King, or by the Monastery itself before, I cannot say; But of such lands as the Abby wasat this time in full tenure and possession of, King Henry made a tripartite kind of division, assuming a third to himself,confirming another third upon the Bishop, and the rest upon the Dean and Chapter.’

Bishop Scamler returned his privileges to Queen Elizabeth I, who granted them and the title ‘Lord Paramount of theSoke of Peterborough and Custos Rotularum’ (Keeper of the Rolls) to William Cecil, Lord Burghley, ancestor to laterMarquises of Exeter.

The church initially owned most of the land in the parishes until the beginning of the 17th century, when the Lord ofthe Manor of Upton was Bishop Dove in his own right, (he also happened to be Rector of Castor.) The Dove familysold their land and interests to the Fitzwilliams in the 18th century. Meanwhile the Fitzwilliams, having been feudalvassals of the Abbey and then the Dean and Chapter, came to hold much of their land freehold, although it was notuntil after 1836, that they finally bought Belsize from the church. In the case of Sutton, the church remained the Lordof the Manor until the 1898 when the Hopkinson family bought the Manor of Sutton from the Church. The Lord of theManors of Ailsworth and Castor today is still the Church Commissioners, although most of their land has been sold,either to Milton, or compulsorily purchased by the Peterborough Development Corporation. When talking of church-owned land, note the distinction between land owned by the Bishop, the manors owned by the Dean and Chapter, andglebe land, that which was owned by the local parish church. This latter land - the Glebe - was previously used to fundthe local church and its ministry until it was removed from rural parishes by Act of Parliament in the 1970s. Itsownership and control was centralized under the Church Commissioners, but the effect was to remove from ruralparishes the historic resources used by the local church.

In 1888, most local administration passed tocounty councils, but the third Marquis ofExeter, as Lord Paramount, ensured that theSoke became an administrative countyseparate from the County of Northampton,with full powers retained. In 1964 the Sokebecame part of the County of Huntingdon, andthe Liberty of Peterborough Quarter Sessionswere absorbed into the Huntingdon andPeterborough Sessions. In 1972Huntingdonshire became part of the newgreater County of Cambridgeshire. In 1998 theCity of Peterborough, including our villages,became a unitary authority.

Keith Garrett and William BurkeFig 2. Prospect of Castor by Stukeley 1724; interesting but not especially

accurate.

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Fig 3. Tithe m

ap of 1847, 50 years before the Enclosures. E

ach strip in the Open F

ields is numbered – the dark black m

ark on each strip is its number; the m

ap has been reduced in size tofit, in fact the original m

ap is some 10ft by 10ft. N

orth is at the top.

North

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A Chronology of our ParishesThis chronology is intended to help the reader to find his bearings in the lengthy period considered. The dates given are not allconcerned with the events of our parishes; some refer to matters of wider significance including a selection of landmarks innational history. Local events are in bold.

AD43 Roman invasion of Britain

47 Roman legions reach River Trent

Area under Roman occupation; building of Roman villas in the parishes commences

122 Building of Hadrian’s Wall (Tyne – Solway) commenced

c250 Praetorium built at Castor

312 Constantine the Great proclaimed Emperor at York

314 Council of Arles (Gaul) attended by Bishop of Lincoln

367 Attacks on Britain by Picts, Scots and Saxons

406 Constantine III withdraws forces from Britain: probable end of Roman military occupation

418 Romans bury, by order, gold hoards – or move them to Gaul

Burial of Water Newton treasure?

432 St Patrick begins mission to Ireland.

448 Barbarian invasions of Britain – appeal to Rome for help

Saxons arrive in East Anglia

515 ‘King’ Arthur killed at battle of Camlann

563 Columba at Iona

582 Penda – son of king of Mercia - born

597 St Augustine arrives in Kent

627 Edwin – King of Northumbria - baptised

632 Penda – father of Kyneburgha – becomes King of Mercia

634 Oswald becomes King of Northumbria

641 Penda kills Oswald

655 Penda killed. Succeeded by Peada and Wulfhere

Peterborough Abbey - ‘the Abbey of St. Peter’ - built

664 Synod of Whitby (attended by Kyneburgha?)

Castor Convent built

c710 Death of Kyneburgha. Her sister, Kyneswitha, takes over as Abbess.

735 Death of Venerable Bede

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787 First Viking raids

827 Egbert – King of Wessex – becomes King of all England

856 King Alfred recaptures London from the Danes

870 Castor Convent attacked by Danes; subsequently functions as a minster church with chapels-of-ease in neighbouring villages

899 Death of Alfred the Great

937 West Saxon Kings become masters of England

1012 Castor Church in ruins from Viking raids. 7th March – Bodies of Kyneburgha and Kyneswitha translated to Peterborough Abbey by Elsinus

1016 Canute becomes King of England: builds short-lived Danish ‘empire’

1066 Norman Conquest of England under William the Conqueror

1070 Hereward the Wake (Saxon) seeks to retrieve ‘his’ land from Abbot of Peterborough

1086 Compilation of Domesday Book: probably to enable William to maximise taxation prospects

1124 Castor Church rebuilt and rededicated (17th April)

1126 Jury system established in England

1214 Belsize Farm founded as an assart

1215 Authority of Medieval Church & Papacy at height. Barons extort Magna Carta from King John

1217 Marholm becomes a separate parish

1304 Milton receives Charter for market

1338 Beginning of Hundred Years’ War between England and France

1340 Castor receives Charter for market and fair

1348 Black Death reaches Europe (England 1349 – Scotland 1350)

1362 English becomes official language of Parliament and Courts

1415 Battle of Agincourt: great success of Henry V of England in France

1455 Beginning of Wars of the Roses: Yorkists v Lancastrians

1476 William Caxton sets up his printing press at Westminster

1485 Henry (VII) Tudor victorious at Bosworth Field: beginning of Tudor period. Leonardo da Vinci

1492 Christopher Columbus reaches the New World

1502 Fitzwilliams buy Milton

1509 Henry VIII - King of England (1509-47). Michelangelo: Sistine chapel ceiling

1515 Thomas Wolsey becomes Lord Chancellor of England and Cardinal

1534 Act of Supremacy: Henry VIII asserts control over English Church. Start of English Reformation

1536 Dissolution of smaller monasteries (remainder dissolved 1539). Execution of Ann Boleyn

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1541 Reformation – Peterborough Abbey becomes Peterborough Cathedral

1553 Mary Tudor - Queen of England (1553-8); persecution of Protestants

1558 Elizabeth I - Queen of England (1558-1603)

1587 Mary Queen of Scots executed

1588 Spanish Armada defeated. Wilbores, Darbeys, Tebbotts were among those mustered from this parish for the defence of London.

1603 James VI of Scotland becomes James I of England (1603-25)

1604 Gunpowder Plot

1611 Authorised Version of the Bible in English

1613 Thomas Dove – Bishop and Rector of Castor

1616 Death of William Shakespeare

1625 Charles I - King of England (1625-49)

1642 English Civil War begins (1642-9): Roundheads v Cavaliers

1645 Battle of Naseby. Anglican priest killed at Woodcroft by Puritans

1646 Rector of Castor imprisoned by Cromwell in Tower of London: dies there in 1648

1649 Charles I executed. England governed as Commonwealth. Oliver Cromwell - ‘Protector’ (1653-8)

All church property in Castor, Ailsworth, and Sutton stolen and sold

1660 Restoration of Charles II (1660-85). Church property restored in parishes

1665 Great Plague of London

1666 Fire of London. Newton’s discovery of laws of gravity

1684 Great fire of Sutton

1685 James II - King of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1685-8)

1688 William (1689-1702) and Mary (1689-94) reign

1707 Act of Union between England and Scotland

1750 Dove family sell Upton Manor to Fitzwilliams

1776 Declaration of Independence by ‘The Thirteen Colonies’: American War of Independence

1793 Start of the Long Wars (Revolutionary and Napoleonic)

1795 White family buys Castor House from the Church

1797 Norman Cross Depot receives its first French prisoners-of-war

1805 Battle of Trafalgar

1815 Battle of Waterloo (end of Long Wars)

1829 Castor Fitzwilliam School founded

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1831 Great Reform Act: greatly improves arrangments for electing Members of Parliament

1837 Accession of Queen Victoria

1843 Upton fields enclosed

1845 Peterborough’s first (limited) railway connection – through Northampton to Blisworth

1851 Sutton and Upton become separate parishes. Bishops no longer rectors at Castor

1861 Castor Infant School founded

1868 Restoration of Marholm Church – side aisles rebuilt

1870 The “Forster” Act : moves towards the principle of compulsory education

1875 First intelligible telephonic transmission (Alexander Graham Bell)

1896 Motoring made legal – London to Brighton motor car ‘run’. First (silent) cinema film in England

1898 William Hopkinson buys Lordship of Sutton Manor off Cathdral Dean and ChapterEnclosures at Castor and Ailsworth

1903 Enclosures at Sutton

1908 Old Age Pensions introduced - for those of seventy years and over - at five shillings a week

1914 World War I (1914-18)

1918 Votes for women aged thirty years and over. (1928 – for women aged over twenty-one years)

1922 BBC starts broadcasting regular programmes on the ‘wireless’. BBC TV (1930); ITA (1955)

1936 January: Accession of Edward VIII. December: Accession of George VI

1939 Outbreak of World War II (1939-45)

1944 Education Act: leads to sweeping changes especially as regards post-primary education

1948 Welfare State legislation based on ideas of Sir William Beveridge Last recorded use of horses for ploughing in the benefice (Fred Hornsby)

1952 Accession of Elizabeth II

1963 USA President John Kennedy assassinated. Beeching Report axed railways

1971 UK decimal coinage introduced. Divorce Reform Act in force. End of free school milk

1973 UK, Ireland and Denmark join European Economic Community. VAT introduced in UK

1977 New Township – ‘Battle of Castor’. Nene Valley Railway started

1979 Margaret Thatcher first woman Prime Minister

1989 Berlin Wall comes down. Church of England Synod votes in favour of ordination of women

2000 Global celebrations mark the advent of the new millennium. Celebrations throughout the parishes; bulb planting; opening of the Cedar Centre; two new bells and new vestments at Castor Church

Gill SlidelGill Slidel is a former headteacher who was born in Hampshire but has lived in Castor – at first in Stocks Hill and subsequently in High Street - with her husbandand family since the early 1970s.

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Roman ‘herring-bone’ masonry: foundations of the Roman Praetorium onStocks Hill Castor.

Sutton Cross, an ancient meeting place beside another Roman road, ErmineStreet.

The site of Salter’s Tree on the Castor-Marholm road. The stump of an oldelm could be seen until recently. This is thought to be the site of an old

gibbet.

Poplar Farmhouse, Marholm.

Jack Wood who lived at The Elms Castor in the 1920s.

Milton Temple asrebuilt in 1986,

having originallybeen built before

1775. It hadcollapsed before1884. The bust inthe niche of theTemple is of the

4th EarlFitzwilliam.

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The barns and old farmyard at ‘ The Cedars’ Castor.

Castor Infants School 1929 can you work outwho still lives in the villages?Back (l-r): Miss Hales, unknown, unknown,Alec Jakes, Walter Pendred, unknown, HarryHill, Kenny Baker.2nd Row from back: Doris Ward, MonaWodward, Maisie Hill, Joan Nix, Olive Afford,Margaret Ward, Joan Brown, Joyce Milford,Hilda Parker.3rd row: Don Harman, SheilaCatmull, Horace Ward, Ewart Hill, BarbaraSharpe, Betty Taylor, June Milford. Front:Ernest Hornsby, Geoff Ward, Peter Dudley,Billy Pearson, Clem Rylott (Upton).

Castor Church the oldest building is still usedfor its original purpose. The Church is built ofstone from the oolitic limestone outcrop knownas ‘Barnack Rag’, distinguished by its ‘shelly’content. This stone has not been quarried sincethe 16th century.(Photo: J Tovey)

The newest meeting place - The Cedar Centre,2000AD