Portway, Melbourn

History of Portway

In 1923 (Cambridge Chronicle) W M Palmer described:

….. a bank at right angles to the road can be seen running through the orchard. This represents the north side of a Roman camp, which was quite plain before 1840, but has now been almost obliterated by cultivation. The camp was 200 yards square and surrounded by a vallum … between this camp and Black Peak, a Roman burial place containing 17 urns was discovered by Mr Joseph Campkin, brother to the two ladies who used to teach many of us when we were infants. The objects he found are now in the British Museum.

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1881

First Family

William Reynolds Day, 43, labourer, b Melbourn

Mary Jane, 19, b Melbourn

Harry, 17, labourer, b Melbourn

Charles, 9, b Melbourn

Frank, 11, b Melbourn

Flora, 6, b Melbourn

Second Family

Thomas Godfrey, 67, small farmer, b Bluntisham

Mary Ann, 56, b Dry Drayton

John, 69, brother, income from rent of land, b Bluntisham

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1891

Mary Ann Godfrey, widow, 67, Farmer, born Dry Drayton

Emma Laurie, visitor, 19, born Cambridge