290 High Street, Lack’s House, Cottenham

History of 290 High Street, Cottenham

Listed building:

House c. 1850

Lack’s House, Cottenham (date unknown) (photo E Smith)

According to ‘Cottenham in Focus’, 2002, this house was built about 1820 and was the first one in Cottenham built from brick and slate.

1872 Charles Lack came to Cottenham. They were agricultural engineers and well sinkers.

Cambridge Iron Founders, 1996, describes Charles lack as ‘a great innovator and a crucially important machine and general engineer working for Chivers and Sons. He left Chivers to join his father in his works in Cottenham that he had established in 1879; they still did much work for the Chivers factories and contributed to their success at the forefront of the canning and jam making industry. With his inventive mind, he designed and made such equipment as canning and bottling machines, and fruit and vegetable cleaning equipment. The latter of course needed lots of clean unpolluted water, which gave lacks another side to their business, artesian well borers. Charles lack and Sons bored many well, not only for Chivers. A large throw pump they made for Chivers is now at the Cambridge Museum of Technology.

1901

Charles Lack, 61, agricultural engineer, b Willingham

Elizabeth, 57, b Milton

Sarah, 22, b Cottenham

Albert, 20, b Cottenham

Alec S, 14, b Cottenham

Pheba Coulson, mother in law, 76, b Histon

1905 Lack’s designed a commercial dishwasher machine. There was also a jelly cutting machine.

1912 limited company formed, employing 32 men by 1932.

1966 business sold to Melford Engineering and closed in 1972.

Lack’s Yard was where Lack’s Close is now