Cambridgeshire History On The Net

Information about Cottenham circa 1900

COTTENHAM is a large village and parish, 4 miles north from the Histon station on the St. Ives and Cambridge branch of the Great Eastern railway, 2-and-a-half miles south-west from Oakington station on the same line and 6-and-a-half north from Cambridge, in the Western division of the county, hundred and union of Chesterton, petty sessional division and county court district of Cambridge, rural deanery of North Stowe and archdeaconry and diocese of Ely. The principal street is lighted with gas from works the property of the Cottenham Gas Co. Limited. The church of All Saints is an edifice of stone and rubble in the Decorated and Perpendicular styles consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, north and south porches and lofty tower with four pinnacles containing a clock and 6 bells: the chancel is Perpendicular, and has richly carved sedilia and a piscina: the east window is a copy from one in Prior Crauden's chapel at Ely: the nave arcades are Early Decorated, and part of the tower is also of this perios: there are two memorial windows and an oak chest bound with iron: in 1867 the church was partially restored and fitted with oak benches, enriched with carvings reproducing the forms of the plants, ferns and flowers of the district: there are 500 sittings. The register dates from the year 1572. The living is a rectory, net yearly value about £500, with residence, and including 133 acres of glebe, in the gift of the Bishop of Ely, and held since 1886 by the Rev. David Greig M.A. of Marischal College, Aberdeen. A Mission room, in connection with the church, was opened in November, 1882. The old Baptist chapel was erected in 1731 and rebuilt in 1856; Ebenezer Baptist chapel was built in 1837; there is also a Wesleyan chapel and a Salvation Army hall. The Nonconformist cemetry here has an area of one acre. There are eight charities, producing together about £420 yearly, which sum is expended in education and apprenticing, the maintenance of charity houses and in gifts of money to the poor, as well as bibles and prayer books. The church and causeway are repaired out of a fund left for that purpose, producing £162 18s. yearly. The "Cottenham Philo-Union," a species of village club, opened in February, 1881, is well supplied with the daily and weekly papers, and has a coffee and reading room. The recreation ground, on which a handsome pavilion has been erected, can be flooded in case of severe frost and used for skating. The road from Belsar's Hills to Aldreth High bridge, which was the old British road out of the Isle of Ely, runs along the corner of the parish. The ancient Carr Dyke traverses the fens, and close to it, on the boudary next to Landbeach, many remains of Roman pottery have been found, and in 1855 a beautiful bronze bust was discovered on this site. This village was formerly noted for the superior quality of its cheese, produced here some years ago in large quantities, but latterly the extensive pastures have been converted into arable land. The fruit gardens are extensive and increasing and hundreds of tons of fruit are sent during the season to London, Manchester and other markets. There are six manors-viz. Crowlands, Lyles, Sames, Burdley or Harlston, Rectory manor and Pelhams. The representatives of the late Dr. Thomas Musgrave, Archbishop of York 1848-60, are lords of the manors of Crolands, Lyles and Sames; Christs's Colledge, Cambridge, of Burdley or Harlston, and the rector, of Rectory manor; the grwater part of the land in the parish has been enfranchised. The principal landowners are Thomas Hall and the Messrs. Ivatt. This was the birthplace of Thomas Tenison, archbishop of Canterbury, 1694-1715. The soil is various; subsoil, loamy clay. The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats and beans, fruit and vegetable produce. The area is 7,224 acres; rateable value, £10,495; the population in 1891 was 2,517.
Meresman, Ebenezer Chivers Schools:-

A School Board of 5 members was formed July 23, 1873; Thos. Saintey, clerk & attendance officer to the board

  Board.-

The British school, erected in 1864 at a cost of about £1,000 is now leased to the School board, who also erected additional schools in 1873 at a cost of £1,550 for 500 boys and girls; average attendance, 145 boys, 130 girls & 160 infants; Alfred Goddard, master; Miss Eleanor Hatley, mistress; Miss Lilly Cunnungham, infants' mistress
An evening school is also held in the Board school; average attendance, 30
A Free school was founded and endowed here in 1703 by Catherine Pepys, for 16 boys, but the present school house was built out of the funds belonging to the Moreton's charity. The school was closed in 1882 & the funds accruing from this charity, which together with £10 from Alice Roger's charity, amount to £95 yearly; after the payment of outgoings a sum of about £50 is available for scholarships & rewards to children attending the Board school Carriers to:-
Granby, William Payne, tues. thurs. & sat. returning 4 p.m.
Pickeral, Cambridge, Jonathan Chivers, wed. & sat
* Kelly's Directory of Cambridgeshire 1900 (London: Kelly's Directories Limited, 1900), pp.112.