Pigot & Co.’s 1839 Directory for Cambridgeshire
Entry for Burwell, Swaffham Prior and Swaffham Bulbeck
(pages 42-43)
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BURWELL is a large and populous village and parish in the hundred of Staploe, 13 miles N.E. from Cambridge, 5 s. from Soham, and 3 N.W. of Newmarket. A most attractive ornament to this village is its beautiful church, built in the Gothic style, and scarcely excelled by any village church in Great Britain : it is dedicated to St. Mary, the living is a vicarage, in the patronage of the Earl of Guildford ; the present incumbent is the Rev. J. J. Baines. The malting business is carried on here very extensively, and the timber trade is likewise of considerable importance. A dreadful circumstance, which occurred on the 8th of September, 1727, renders
this village lamentably memorable:—A great number of persons had assembled in a barn to see a puppet
show, and during the exhibition the building accidentally took fire. The rush towards the only passage of
egress was tremendous and desperate; unfortunately the door had been affixed so as to open inwardly, and by
the pressure from within, this means of escape became Impracticable; at length the door was demolished by
the crowd that had assembled outside, and the surviving persons were dragged over the dead or expiring victims. Seventy-seven individuals perished by this appalling catastrophe: the bodies were all interred in one capacious grave on the following day, they being so disfigured as to preclude recognition by their relatives. Population of the parish, in 1831, 1,668
SWAFFHAM PRIOR is a village and parish in the hundred of Staine, 2 miles s. by w. from Burwell, and be-
tween 5 and 6 w. by n. from Newmarket—situated in an agricultural district, noted for the growth of red
wheat. In this village are two churches—the one dedicated to St. Cyrie (or St. Cyriac), and the other to St.
Mary ; the latter has long been in ruins: they arc both in the same church-yard, and present a very interesting
and conspicuous spectacle. The living of the parish is a vicarage, in the alternate patronage of the bishop and
the dean and chapter of Ely. The present incumbent is the Rev. George Jenyns. There is a charity school
• conducted upon the national plan, which has proved of material advantage to the children of the labouring class. Population of the parish, in 1831,1,102
About one mile from and in the same hundred as the above village is SWAFFHAM BULBECK. The trade that it possesses is dependent upon the agricultural population. From the river Cam, which partly bounds the
parish, there is a branch called Swaffham Lode, navigable to the village. The church is dedicated to St.
Mary; the living is a discharged vicarage, in the patronage of the bishop of Ely and incumbency of the
Rev. Leonard Jenyns. A charity school was founded here in 1721, by Mrs. Frances Towers, and endowed
with £50. per annum. The remains of a benedictine nunnery are visible here. Population, 727.
POST OFFICE BURWELL, Michael Bayly, Post Master. - Letters from NEWMARKET arrive every morning at eight, and are despatched every evening at seven.
POST, SWAFFHAM PRIOR, Receiving-House at Thomas Palmby's.—Letters arrive from and are despatched to NEWMARKET every morning at nine.
GENTRY AND CLERGY.
Alix John Peter, esq. Swaffham Prior
Baines Rev. John Johnson, Vicarage, Burwell
Buckpitt Rev. James, Burwell
Casburn Mr. William, Burwell
Doggett Mr. Jeremiah, Burwell
Dunn Mr. Salisbury, Burwell
Ellis Mr. John, Swaffham Bulbeck
Giblin Charles, esq. Swaffham Bulbeck
Giblin Henry, Esq. Swaffham Bulbeck
Hawthorn Rev. Rout. Swaffham Prior
Jenyns Rev. George, Swaffham Prior
Jenyns Rev. Leonard, Swaffham Bulbeck
Lucas Mr. Thomas (surgeon), Burwell
Mulbery Mr. John, Swaffham Bulbeck
ACADEMIES AND SCHOOLS.
Bayly Michael, Burwell
NATIONAL SCHOOL, Swaffham Prior
—William Shaw, master
Saunders Benjamin, Swaffham Prior
BAKERS
& FLOUR DEALERS.
Bailey Matthew, Swaffham Bulbeck
Powell Thomas, Burwell
Spalding William, Swaffham Prior
Webb Richard, Swaffham Prior
BLACKSMITHS.
Fromant Richard, Swaffham Bulbeck
Hills George, Burwell
Iverson John, Burwell
Iverson Thomas, Swaffham Prior
Stevens William, Swaffham Bulbeck
Waters Thomas, Swaffham Prior
BOOT
& SHOE MAKERS.
Arber Joseph, Burwell
Clarke Matthew, Swaffham Bulbeck
Day John, Swaffham Prior
Hunt John, Burwell
Mason Joseph, Burwell
Mellor John, Swaffham Bulbeck
BRICKLAYERS,
&c.
Arber John, Burwell
Gardiner Stephen, Burwell
Hunt Thomas, Swaffham Bulbeck
Watling John, Swaffham Prior
Watling William, Swaffham Prior
BUTCHERS.
Bloon Thomas, Burwell
Fuller Thomas, Burwell
Gunton John Swaffham Prior
CARPENTERS
AND WHEEL-
WRIGHTS.
Bridgeman William, Burwell
Cook Sanderson, Swaffham Prior
Cook Thomas, Swaffham Prior
Danby William, Burwell [well
Eastwell William (& builder), Bur- FaircliffWm. (& builder), Burwell
Martin Henry, Burwell
Palmby Frans. Danby, Swaffham Prior
COAL,
CORN, &c. MERCHANTS.
Ball Edward, Burwell
Giblin & Co. Swaffham Bulbeck
Shelverton Lamb, Burwell
COOPERS.
Eaton John, Burwell
Eaton Thomas, Burwell
LIME
BURNERS.
Adams Philip, Swaffham Prior
Arber John, Burwell
Gardiner Steplien, Burwell
Giblin & Co. Swaffham Bulbeck
Mason Robert, Swaffham Prior
MALTSTERS.
Ball Edward, Burwell
Dunn Salisbury, Burwell
Hall James and John, Burwell
MILLERS & MEALMEN.
Ball Edward, Burwell
Benson Thomas, Swaffham Prior
Danby David, Burwell
Livermore Thomas, Swaffham Bul-
beck
Stanton Benjamin, Swaffham Prior
SHOPKEEPERS
& DEALRS IN
GROCERIES
& SUNDRIES.
Ashby Charles, Swaffham Prior
Casburn Robert, Burwell
Dawson William, Burwell
Edmunds William, Burwell
Fromant Richard, Swaffham Bulbeck
Le Pla Joseph (& draper & brewer), Burwell
Miller James, Burwell
Munns Elizabeth, Burwell
Watling William, Swaffham Bulbeck
Webb Thomas, Swaffham Prior
TAILORS.
Adams Robert, Burwell
Barnes John, Swaffham Prior
dark Jonas, Swaffham Prior
Davey John, Burwell
Webb Edward, Swaffham Prior
TAVERNS
& PUBLIC HOUSES.
Anchor, Mary Durrent, Burwell
Cock, Thomas Feaks, Swaffham Prior
Fox, William Danby, Burwell
Horse & Groom, John Wrench, Swaffham
Red Lion, Samuel Hart, Swaffham Prior
Rose, John Bridgeman, Burwell
Rose and Crown, Peter Felton, Swaffham Prior
Royal Oak, Mary Muggleton, Swaffham
While Horse, Sarah Carter, Burwell
White Lion, Edmund Lucas, Swaffham Bulbeck
Miscellaneous.
Aldhouse Jas. veterinary surgeon, Swaffham Prior
Clark Matt. watch & clock maker, Swaffham Prior
Danby Robt. plumber & glazier, Burwell
Mason Henry, gardener, Burwell
Norman James, collar maker, Burwell
CARRIERS.
To LONDON, Joseph Ruse, from Swaffham Bulbeck, every Tuesday.
To CAMBRIDGE, Stephen Palmer, from Burwell, and Jonathan Gatlry, from
Swaffham Prior, every Wednesday and Saturday; John Chapman, from Swaffham Prior, every Tuesday and Saturday, and Peaks and Hancocks, From Swaffham Bulbeck, every Saturday.
To NEWMARKET, Daniel Livermore, from Swaffham Prior, daily.
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