Kelly’s 1904 Directory for Cambridgeshire
Entry for Swaffham Prior (pages 212-213)
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SWAFFHAM PRIOR (or Great Swaffham) is a village and parish, with a station on the branch line from Cambridge to Mildenhall, half a mile south-west of the churches, and is 6 miles west from Newmarket, in the Eastern division of the county, hundred of Staine, Bottisham petty sessional division, Newmarket union and county court district, rural deanery of Quy and archdeaconry and diocese of Ely: it is remarkable for its two
churches, both standing in one churchyard.
The church S of St. Mary, which had long been in ruins, but was used as a burying place for the Allix family, having been restored, was declared by the bishop to be the parish church, and has been in use since Oct. 1902: the restoration of the tower and the rebuilding of the steeple still remain to be done : a very beautiful rood-screen, with loft and figures, was presented to the church in 1903 by C. P. Allix esq. : there are sittings for 366 persons : the building as it lately stood consisted of nave, with a portion of the clerestory, fragments of the aisles, part of the western tower, Norman and Early English, and remains of the western porch: the chancel and vestries were completed in 1879: the total cost of restoration amounted to about £6,000. The church of St. Cyriac and St. Julitta is a plain embattled structure of debased Gothic character, consisting of a small chancel, nave with three small and low transeptal chapels, and an ancient 15th century tower, terminating in an embattled polygon lantern and containing 6 bells: there are 300 sittings: in 1878 a faculty was obtained for the demolition of the church, which has, however, been left standing. The register dates from the year 1559. The living consists of the consolidated vicarages of St. Mary and SS. Cyriac and Julitta, net yearly value £315. derived from 385.5 acres of glebe, with residence, in the gift of the Bishop and the Dean and Chapter of Ely alternately, and held since 1897 by the Rev. Lawrence Fisher M.A. of St. John's College, Cambridge. The famous Puritan, Dr. Edmund Calamy the elder, held the living from 1625 to 1631 ; Dr. George Davys, Bishop of Peterborough (1839-64) and Dr. Henry Pepys, Bishop of Worcester (1841-61). were curates here. The Most Rev. H. W. Jermyn D.D. late Primus of the Episcopal Church in Scotland, was born here. The Baptist chapel was built in 1862. The churchyard, with a few reservations, was closed by Order in Council on May 19, 1899; a new burial ground adjoining the east side of the churchyard having been opened for use on Nov.15, 1898.
There is a reading-room, erected in 1868 by Miss Marianne Allix, Mrs. Roberts and Miss Juliana Allix, and under the control of C. P. Allix esq. Charities producing £84 yearly are appropriated partly to the school and partly to the poor. Swaffham-Prior House, built on the site of an old Elizabethan mansion, a portion of which it incorporates, is the seat of Charles Peter Allix esq. D.L., J.P. There are several manors in the parish, the chief of which are Swaffham Prior, belonging to the Dean and Chapter of Ely; Shadforth, the property of Queens' College, Cambridge, and Knights and Baldwins, belonging to C. P. Allix esq. C. P. Allix esq. the Dean and Chapter of Ely, and Queens' College, Cambridge, the Ecclesiastical Commissioners and the Goodwin family are the principal landowners. The soil is loamy; subsoil, chalk. The chief crops are wheat, barley, turnips and mustard seed. The area is 5,563 acres of land and 24 of water; rateable value, £5,923; the population in 1901 was 950, including part of the ancient British hamlet of Reach, which is about 2 miles north at the western end of the Devil's Dyke or ditch, partly in this parish and partly in that of Burwell. The names will be found under a separate heading.
Sexton of the Parish, P. T. Preston.
Post, M. 0. & T. 0., T. M. 0., E. D., S. B. & A. & I.
Post Office.—Frederick Clark, sub-postmaster. Letters arrive through Cambridge at 6.50 a.m. & 2.30 p.m. for callers; dispatched at 12.10 & 6.30 p.m. & 6.30 p.m. on Sundays. The telegraph office is open on Sundays from 8 to 10 a.m.
Post & Postal Order Office, Prior Fen.—George Feast, sub-postmaster. Letters through Soham arrive at about 9.20 a.m. ; dispatched 3.40 p.m. Waterbeach or Swaffham Prior are the nearest money order & telegraph offices, 4 miles distant . Wall Letter Boxes.—Church End, cleared 6.35 p.m. week days & Sundays; & near Anchor, Upware, cleared; 4 p.m.
Public Elementary School, erected in 1852, for about 150 children; average attendance, no; the school is partly supported by funds administered under a scheme of the Charity Commissioners; Edwd. Atkinson, master; Mrs. Atkinson, mistress
Railway Station, Robert Arnold, station master
Carrier to Cambridge.—George Lane (Beach), wed. & sat
[Marked * receive letters through Soham]
GENTRY
Allix Charles I. L., D.L., J.P. Swaffham Prior house
Allix Charles Peter D.L., J.P. Swaffham Prior house
Dearsly Rev. William Augustus St.
John M.A. (curate), White Roses, Reach
Fisher Rev. Lawrence M.A. The Vicarage
Kent Harold Arthur, Liberty ball
MacMichael Miss, Bondgate
Tosetti Max, Swaffham Prior hall
Waters, Matthew
COMMERCIAL.
Adams Thomas & Philip, bricklayers
Aldhous Arthur, veterinary surgeon
Ambrose Charles Cole, farmer
Ambrose William J.P. farmer. Manor House farm
Asbee Charles, farmer
Asbee George Edwd. grocer & draper
Bailey Edward, blacksmith
*Benstead Christopher, farmer, Fen
Benstead William, coal dealer
Brown Robert, farmer
Bullman Thomas Moore, beer retailer
*Butler Samuel, farmer. Fen
Bye James, farm bailiff to Mr. Harold
Arthur Kent
Clark William, farmer
Collier Frederick, colporteur
Collins Alexander, gardener to Charles Peter Allix esq. D.L., J.P
Cooper Robert, grocer & draper
*Crawley Charles, farmer, Fen
Day Samuel, shoe maker
*Feast Geo. farmer, Post office, Fen
*Fison Frederick Carter, farmer, Fen
Foster Fitz Thomas, miller (wind)
Galley Robert, boot maker
Godfrey Herbert James, butcher
*Hares Joe James, farm bailiff to Charles Peter Allix esq. D.L., J.P. Fen
*Hatley John Wm. beer retailer, Fen
*Hatley Jn. Wm. Morris, farmer. Fen'
Hawkes Charles Peter, insurance agt.& assistant overseer
Horton William Leonard, Allix Arms P.H. Station road
*Housden Herbert, farmer. Fen
*Housden Samuel, farmer, Fen
*Housden William, farmer. Fen
*Hunt Robert, farmer, Fen
Javens Philip William, wheelwright
Kitching Thomas, farm bailiff to Charles Peter Allix esq. D.L., J.P
Lane Frederick, baker & C
Lowe Herbert, baker
Mansfield John, Anchor P.H. Upware
Millgate Edward. Cock P.H.
Millard Edward, farmer. Spring hall
Newton Augustus George, farmer, Vicarage farm
Palmby Frederick, grocer, draper &c
Parnell Charles, farmer
Peters Rich, Rose & Crown P.H. & shopkeeper
*Pratt Charles, farmer, Fen
*Pratt Charles Richard, farmer. Fen
Reading Room (Chas. Cole Ambrose, sec)
Reed Thomas, farmer
Scott Edward, beer retailer
Scott John, shopkeeper
*Stanford Henry, farmer, Fen
Stinson Edward, earthenware dealer
Wadham Mark, farmer
Wartnaby Walter, Red Lion P.H
Webb George, farmer. Reach
*Whitehead Harry, farmer, Fen
Willis Harry, coal merchant
Woollard Charles York, farmer, Cadenham farm
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