Moses Carter memorial, Histon

Clay Street, Histon

History of Clay Street, Histon

Clay Street was the home in the 1841 census of Moses Carter, the Histon giant. He lived in Histon from 1810 to 1860. By the time he was fully grown, he stood nearly 7 feet tall and weighed 23 stone. He became known as the Histon Giant.

Moses earned his living by growing vegetables on Histon Moor. It was said that Moses could pull a harrow by himself, as if he were a horse. He could often be seen in Cambridge with his handcart laden with vegetables.

Moses was very strong and entered boxing competitions for money; he was a regular fighter at Stourbridge Fair. Once he was wagered that he would not be able to carry a huge rock that was outside the village. Moses won the bet by lifting it up, carrying it into the village and dropping it in The Boot public house – where it can still be seen.

He was known locally as ‘Mo’.

See Enid Porter, Cambridgeshire Customs and Folklore,  p201f.