St Mary the Less (Little St Mary’s)

History of Little St Mary's

Originally St Peter-without-Trumpington-Gate, it served as Peterhouse college chapel until 1632.

Further information can be found on Wikipedia.

Railings, gates and gas lamp are listed 

An interesting feature is the memorial to Godfrey Washington, Fellow of Peterhouse and vicar of the church; he was the great uncle of George Washington, first president of the USA.

Professor of Botany and Minerology, John Stevens Henslow, was curate from 1824 to 1832.

John Stevens Henslow (MoC418/56)

J S Henslow, 1859

St Mary the Less, R Farren 1881

John Henslow had pointed out in 1845 that it was thought a stratum of Greensand, only a foot thick, occurred widely round Cambridge.  Henslow believed these deposits to be coprolite at first though changed his mind later. However he did consider them to be economically valuable. It was the discovered of these deposits in Burwell in 1851 that sparked off the coprolite rush.

1930s – 1950s:

This was the home of the 11th Cambridge St Paul’s Scouts (pack). They moved here from 61 Panton Street.

Little St Mary churchyard (RGL2023)