The Old Bakehouse, Church End, Cottenham

History of the Old Bakehouse

9.5.1891: two cottages were destroyed here. A fire was discovered in the morning on the premises of Gabriel Smith (baker). Two neighbouring thatched cottages occupied by John Maskell (Sen.) and William Wilkin also burnt down. Both tenants had insured their belongings but the landlord, Zenas Spackman, had let the insurance of the buildings lapse.

By 1901 this was the home of William Coles. he had come to Cottenham in 1888 as a journeyman baker. By 1901 he had married and went on live at this address with his family for his working life, retiring by 1939 to ‘The Bungalow’ Church Lane. He was a well known Methodist preacher in the area and ‘Memoirs of W Coles – 60 Years a Lay preacher in the Cottenham Circuit’ was published in 1949.

1901 Church Lane

William Coles, 33, baker, b Whaplode Drove Lincs

Agnes W, 29, b Cottenham

Winifred M, 5, b Cottenham

James H, brother, 20, journeyman baker, b Lincs

Ernest Maskell, apprentice, 16, apprentice baker, b Rampton

Elizabeth Watson, servant, 12, b Cottenham

1911

William Coles, 43, bread baker, b Lincs

Agnes, 39, assisting in business, b Cottenham

Winifred, 15, b Cottenham

May, 9, b Cottenham

Arthur, 7, b Cottenham

George Ding, assistant, 19, journeyman baker, b Oakington

Albert Douglas, assistant, 19, journeyman baker, b London

Lily Kidman, servant, 20, b Cottenham

1921

William Coles, 53,

Agnes Winifred, 50,

May Elizabeth, 20,

William Arthur, 18, bakers assistant,

Winifred Mary Smith, daughter, 25,

Bertram Smith, 26, son in law, farmer, b Cottenham

William Francis Sanders, 30, visitor, boot and shoe dealer, b Middlesex

Constance Ellen Sanders, 28, visitor, b Cottenham

1939 The Bungalow

William Coles, b 1868, baker retired

Mabel, b 1884

?

Elizabeth Day, b 1933

In his memoirs William Coles says he came to Cottenham in 1888. he would have been 20 years old. he had been brought up in Lincolnshire, Whaplode Drove, where his father, John was a farm labourer and lay preacher. William was one of nine children. He went to ork when he was 10 years old, earning 5s a week out of which he was allowed to keep 3d.

When he was a young man he became interested in astronomy and would go on to give talks on the subject in Cottenham. Around 1887 he worked in London for a year and saved some money; he heard some of the well-known preachers of the day such as C H Spurgeon.

He saw an advert in ‘Christian World’ and went to Cottenham. After 6 years, apparently as a baker’s assistant, he married; he and his wife were active in the Methodist church. By the time he wrote his memoirs he had done 60 years of service to the Methodist church.