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Manor House, Newton

History of Newton Manor House

According to ‘About Newton – Town Street’ Jessie Hall, 1987, the Manor at Newton probably predates the chapel that was the forerunner of the church. In 975 Edric, a thegn of Essex, left land at Newton and Hauxton to King Edgar. Following a period of dispute, the land was purchased for the monks of Ely Abbey. In the reign of Cnut (1016-1035), Newton was obliged to supply enough food to support the abbey for two weeks each year. At the time of the Domesday Book the manor at Newton was still included with that of Hauxton.

After the Dissolution in 1539, the Ely Dean and Chapter were allowed to keep the manor at Newton. In 1564 it was leased to Robert Swann.

After 1600, Dr John Hills, a canon of Ely had the lease, followed by his widow Anne.


1661 Thomas Shipp

1669 Edward Atkins of Lincoln’s Inn

1690 Gideon Harvey, a Dr of ‘Physick.’


1701

William Hurrell married a daughter of Robert Swann. From 1701 to 1715 William Hurrell was churchwarden.


1718

William Hurrell took over the lease of Manor Farm.  From 1729 to 1731 William was Overseer of the Poor.


By 1837 the house was a long building. There was a pond between the house and the church where possibly carp were kept. There was also an ice-house.

William Hurrell (later) was a wealthy landowner in Newton who bought the reversion of the lease in 1858. He started an evening class in the Old Vicarage coach house for men in the village. This provided instruction in reading, writing and arithmetic but later expanded to include metalwork.

William’s son Harold was educated at Eton and Trinity Hall, Cambridge. In 1890 he attended an Arts and Crafts School in London. This was probably the Guild and School of Handicraft set up by Charles Robert Ashbee in 1888. A lady named Ann Eliza Nash also trained as a metalworker and was to come and teach in Newton.

Manor Farm itself was owned at this time by the Dean and Chapter of Ely Cathedral.


1841

William Hurrell, 70, farmer

Elizabeth, 65

Eliza, 25,

William, 25,

Henry, 25,

Charlotte Hardwick, 35, servant

Sarah Seeby, 20, servant

James Fuller, 15, servant


1851

William Hurrell, 80, landed proprietor, b Foxton

Eliza, 38, b Newton

Mary, niece, 24,  b Herts

Henry, 35, landed proprietor, b Newton

Mary Ann Gates, 25, servant, b Dry Drayton

Sarah Clark, 23, servant, b Little Shelford

Thomas Ives, 19, servant, b Castle Camps

In the 1850s the old farm house was demolished and the modern ‘Victorian Tudor’ house replaced it.


1861 census: Rectory Farm

William Hurrell, 47, landed proprietor, 600 acres employer 34 men 9 boys, b Newton

Charlotte Jane, 34, b Suffolk

William Phillip, 1, b Newton

Sarah Suckling, 31, servant, b Suffolk

Sarah Knights, 41, servant, b Swavesey

Elizabeth Austen, 41, nurse, b Newton


1871 Manor House

William Hurrell, owner of 886 acres occupier of 217 –  25 men and 7 boys

Charlotte Jane

Harold William, 7, b Newton

William Park, 44, coachman, b Southoe

Sarah Suckling, 41, servant, b Suffolk

Sarah Knights, 51, servant, b Swavesey

Mary Ann Stubblefield, 24, servant, b Newton

Ellen Bateson, 27, servant, b Fowlmere


1881 Top Farm

William Hurrell, 68, farmer and landowner 910 acres employing 40 men

Charlotte Jane

William Phillip, 21, college student

William, 23, coachman, b Fulbourn

Sarah Knights, 62, cook, b Swavesey

Susan Bevan, 39, parlour maid, b Cambridge

Henrettia [sic] Lambert, 16, housemaid, b Hauxton


1891 Manor House

William Hurrell, 76, land owner and farmer

Charlotte

Harold W, 26, land owner and farmer, b Newton

Emma Mayle, 29, parlourmaid, b Trumpington

Eliza Yard, cook, 28, b Gt Chesterford

John J Hockliffe, 19, coachman, b Oakington

Ellen Yule, 14, kitchenmaid, b Connington


1901 Manor House

William Hurrell, 87, farmer, b Newton

Harold W, 37, farmer, b Newton

Mary Wilson, 30, cook, b Girton

Bertha L Tadler, 17, domestic helper, b Coton

Ernest Gray, 19, coachman, b Hinxton

In 1901 William P Hurrell is living in  Dallington St James, Northants.


1911

Harold William Hurrell, 47, farmer

Mary Ann Wilson, 40, cook housekeeper, b Girton

Ethel Maud Frost, 22, parlourmaid, b London


1926

Death of Harold W Hurrell

Cambridge Daily News 21.9.1922:

“Deep regret will be felt of the news of the death of Councillor H W Hurrell of Newton Manor. A staunch Conservative, he took a prominent interest in public affairs and was chairman of the County Education Committee since 1922.

“He will always be remembered for the Newton School of Metalwork where boys produce beautiful works of art in copper, brass, silver and pewter which are sent all over the country as well as to America and India. ‘It is one of the finest things the village ever had,’ said a resident.”

More information:

https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/forging-a-history-of-the-newton-school-of-metalwork/

News 7

https://www.hammeredhewn.com/newtonschoolsconce

 

 

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