Burrough Green (RGL2024)

Burrough Green data

Burrough Green data

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See https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/cambs/vol6/pp141-147

The following notes are taken from A History of the Parish of Borough Green by W M Palmer, 1939.

In the Domesday Book Burch (Burrough Green) and Westlai (Westley Waterless) form a 10 hide unit. Whereas Westley Waterless was split into four holdings, Burrough Green was only one, in the name of Earl Alan, of 1020 acres.

This holding by Earl Alan is assessed as 5 hides with 1020 acreas. 480 acreas are in the earl’s demesne farm; 540 are in the hands of tenants (7 villeins, 10 bordars or cottagers and 2 slaves.) There is a meadow for 4 oxen and a deer park. It is worth £9 per year.

Before the Conquest this estate was held by Edith, probably Ealdgyth daughter of Godwin Earl of Wessex. All of her vasts estates went to Earl Alan.

In 1086 the name was Burch but in the 400 years subsequent it is spelt Burgh and pronounced Burrow. Burgh refers to a fort or earthwork and remains of this survived in Park wood.

The controlling family after the Conquest were the De Burgh family of whom Count Alan was a member. Their line can be traced from 1086 until the 16th century. In the 15th century the inheritance passed to the Ingoldesthorpes. Sir John Ingoldesthorpe had married Elizabeth de Burgh; both were buried c.1421 at Burrough Green.

In 1574 the last member of this family line, John Cutts, sold Burrough Green to Anthony Cage for £5420. At that time it is described as a manor with 10 messuages, 10 barns, 10 gardens, 10 orchards, 200 acres of land, 30 acres of meadow, 200 acres of pasture, 300 acres of wood, 20 acres of heath and 13s in rent.

Anthony Cage was a London merchant, a member of the Salters’ Company who was born in Suffolk and owned a lot of property. His son, Anthony Cage II, was appointed in charge of a muster of 42 light horsemen in 1588 at the time of the Spanish Armada. In 1596 he was sheriff of the county. he died in 1603 and was succeeded by his eldest son, John Cage.John was knighted and also served as sheriff; but he also fell foul of the authorities and was heavily fine.

He was succeeded by his son, Anthony when he was 21. During the Cvil War, in 1645, his estate was assessed at £300 for the committee for the advance of money. When he failed to pay, his estate was confiscated and the contents sold; for 7 years there were complex arguments over compensation and payments.

On his death, the estate went to his son in law, Henry Slingsby. He was a friend of John Evelyn and an original member of the Royal Society. he was also a friend of Samuel Pepys. In 1670 Evelyn visited Slingsby at Borough Green. He was there again in 1674 where he listened to the harpsichord, violin and singing. However Slingsby had inherited considerable debts and was never able to sort out his financial affairs effectively.

The manor had been mortgaged to Edward Russell in 1696 and a few years later he was made Earl of Orford and then  bought the manor right out. In 1727 it was bought by the Duke of Somerset who then gave it in marriage to his younger daughter with the earl of Aylesford.

In 1820 the earl sold it to Thomas Redhead. It was bought from his descendants in 1909 by Sidney Taylor who split up the estate and sold it. The manorial rights passed to Mrs W J Taylor.

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10 January 1900

A whirligig proprietor was summoned for driving horses and vehicles on to the village green at Burrough Green and doing damage to the amount of sixpence. Afterwards they fixed swings and roundabouts there. The things were spread about so as to prevent the green being used as a playground as usual. Alfred Ward, (56) said that from his boyhood the green had been used for games by village boys and girls. It was only within the last ten years the fair people had taken their stand on it. They were fined 30s for refusing to leave — Mike Petty, Burrough Green Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.

27 November 1901

A hawker from Chelmsford was charged by Burrough Green Parish Council with drawing horses on the village green, in contravention of the bye-laws. The clerk said he saw 15 horses on the green and drew attention to a notice prohibiting vans or horses from standing or staying there. The men refused to give their names. A policeman uncovered a name on the van but there is such a thing as putting a person’s horses in another person’s van and there was not enough evidence to convict. The proper thing would be to impound the animals. They would then soon find the owner — Mike Petty, Burrough Green Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.

1 July 1910

A roundabout proprietor was fined for damaging the grass at Burrough Green. The Parish council clerk produced minutes directing him to prevent persons from turning horses onto the village green. On morning he was called to 19 horses grazing there. He told the man to take them off, but he only laughed. It had always been a place of public recreation. The showman said the horses had been taken to the blacksmiths and went across the green, they had not grazed and he’d offered £4 for the horses’ feed. The council did not wish to be vindictive and withdrew a second charge of doing damage to the green by driving in a stake 10 07 01d — Mike Petty, Burrough Green Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.

12 July 1912

A whirligig proprietor was fined for driving stakes into the soil of the village green at Burrough Green. Alfred Ward, (69), said the Green had been a recreation ground as long as he could remember. The fair followed the public houses: 40 years ago it was near the White Hart but when that closed it moved to the Bull. The showmen had pitched on both side of the Green from time immemorial. Landowner Robert Lacey said that when he bought his estate the Green was measured in with it and he paid tithes on it. He had no objection to its use. The Parish Clerk had refused permission but the man had ignored him and a swinging boat proprietor had also parked wagons on the Green. It was only a pleasure fair and had no fairstead rights. 12 07 12i — Mike Petty, Burrough Green Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.

2 February 1924

An inquiry was held into establishing a water supply for Dullingham, Brinkley, and Burrough Green. In normal times the supply of water to Brinkley was sufficient for their needs. But there was only one pump and in dry seasons the people had to go very early in the morning and wait a long time. Mrs Webb of Dullingham, said they had not been able to get enough water to wash their clothes, and she could not fancy drinking it after she saw a rat going into the well. The rector of Burrough Green considered the proposal absurd. There was no public water supply. The majority of the cottages were owned by absolutely poor people, everybody was jolly hard up, and now was not the time to put a large expense for a useless object on the backs of the ratepayers. — Mike Petty, Burrough Green Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.

31 March 1952

Burrough Green was still cut off by snow this morning and has been without milk since Saturday. The driving wind which accompanied the snow have created huge drifts around the village. Speaking by phone from the Post Office Mrs Walsh said: “We are completely snowed up. They tell us we shall be lucky if the road is cleared by this evening”. The heavy snow has piled up on the rooftops and percolated beneath the tiles, causing considerable discomfort. Tiles have been ripped off roofs and people have been forced to move their beds downstairs. Everyone was busy shovelling snow. — Mike Petty, Burrough Green Scrapbook 1897 to 1990.

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Mike Petty’s Scrapbook:

Mike Petty Archive Project