Samuel
Lewis's Topographical
Gazeetter 1831
COTTENHAM,
a parish in the hundred of CHESTERT0N, locally in that of Northstow, county
of CAMBRIDGE, 6¾ miles (N.) from Cambridge, containing 1488 inhabitants.
The living is a rectory, in the archdeaconry and diocese of Ely, rated
in the king's books at £36.15., and in the patronage of the Bishop of
Ely. The church is dedicated to All Saints. There is a place of worship
for Particular Baptists. The dairies, which are numerous in this parish
and neighbourhood, are famed for producing excellent cheese. The adventurers'
land, chiefly enclosed from the old river Ouse and the common adjoining,
was sometimes subject to inundation, but, in consequence of late improvements,
this has been in a great measure prevented. A branch of the old Ouse passes
near the village, and meets the river Cam below Streatham. It was to this
village that Geoffrey, abbot of Crowland, sent the monks who first established
a regular course of academical education at Cambridge: in 1676 two thirds
of it were destroyed by fire. A charity school was founded by Mrs. Catherine
Pepys, in 1703, who gave a house for a schoolmaster, and £150 to purchase
land, directing the rent to be paid as a salary for teaching sixteen poor
children; and, in 1728, Mrs. Alice Rogers augmented this endowment with
£10 per annum, for five more, and the same sum annually for apprenticing
pour children, a bequest for the same purpose having been previously made,
in 1671, by Mr. Moreton, who gave a moiety of an estate in the parish
of St. Andrew, Holborn; in 1715, Mrs. Jane Bingliam gave £15 per annum
for the like use. This is the birthplace of Archbishop Tenison, author
of several theological works, who died in 1715.
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*** ----
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
"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 greater
part of the land in the parish has been enfranchised.
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.
[Extracts
from Kelly's Directory - Cambridgeshire - 1900]
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Domesday Book Entry
In CHESTERTON Hundred.
COTTENHAM answers for 10 hides. Land for 8 ploughs.
In lordship 6 hides and 1 plough. 16 villagers and 10 cottagers with 6
ploughs. 2 slaves; meadow for 8 ploughs; pasture for the village livestock.
The total value is and was 100s; before 1066, £8. This manor lies
and lay in the lordship of the Church of Ely.
The Abbot of Crowland holds COTTENHAM. 11 hides. Land
for 8 ploughs. In lordship 6 hides; 1 plough there; a second possible.
12 villagers and 8 smallholders with 6 ploughs. 1 slave; meadow for 8
ploughs; pasture for the village livestock; from the marsh 500 eels; from
presentation 12d. The total value is and was £6; before 1066, £8.
This man always was and is in the lordship of St. Guthlac's Church.
In COTTENHAM Roger holds 5 hides from Picot. Land for
3 ploughs. In lordship 1; another possible. 6 villagers with 8 cottagers
have 1 plough. Meadow for 3 ploughs; pasture for the village livestock;
from the marsh 150 eels. Value 40s; when acquired 50s; before 1066 60s.
3 Freemen held this land. One of them, St. ethelreda's man, held 3½
hides less 14 acres; he could not grant because it was of the Church's
lordship. Another man of the Abbot's had 1½ hides and could grant without
jurisdiction. The third, Earl Waltheof's man, had 14 acres; he could grant
and sell.
In COTTENHAM Picot holds 40 acres and 1 garden of the
lordship of the Church of Ely.
In
CHESTERTON Hundred (these men) swore
| ROGER
of CHILDERLEY |
Bruning
of CHESTERTON |
| Giffard
of (DRY) DRAYTON |
Aelmer
of COTTENHAM |
| Gilbert
of HISTON |
Ledmer
of (DRY) DRAYTON |
| Sturmid
of COTTENHAM |
Ernwy
of CHILDERLEY |
and
all other Frenchmen and Englishmen of this Hundred swore.
War
Memorial
The
war memorial and the men on it have been documented on the Genweb
Cambridgeshire page
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