Back Lane was renamed before the 1881 census. Chesterton Introduction British History Online refers to a ‘back lane to the north, mentioned in 1600, renamed Scotland Road by 1881.’ House numbering first appeared by the 1901 census.
The Northern Star and Leeds General Advertiser 3/3/1849:
“Fire which consumed a considerable amount of property and some livestock broke out on premises attached to Scotland Farm in Back Lane Chesterton, the property of Mr William Wragg and occupied by Mr Jabez Ablett. Fire was first observed just before midnight. A man sleeping in the granary to guard the poultry against thieves, immediately gave the alarm. Although the hour was late, a considerable portion of the village population immediately turned out to assist. The houses were thatched and so rapid and destructive was the progress of the flame. Every effort was made to save the livestock but one heifer and 16 fat hogs fell pray to the flames. There was no doubt that the fire was the handiwork of an incendiary.”
This fire was only a week or so after a fire in Cottenham on premises also owned by Jabez Ablett. This fire is described (Bury and Norwich Post 11.4.1849) as taking place on 23rd February 1849; however it is not listed in the catalogue of Cottenham fires by Francis Garrett, Cottenham Ablaze.
In the 1851 Census there are 11 households listed for Back Lane.
Francis Mansfield
William Jolley
William Coxall
Jabez Ablett, 59, employing 5 men and 1 boy, b Gamlingay
[Jabez married Ann Finkell of Steeple Morden and moved to Cottenham. It seems very likely that he lived, and possibly built, Ablett’s House and Ablett’s Row there according to Cambridgeshire Place Names by A. Poulton-Smith.)]
Ann, 66, b Steeple Morden
Mary, 34, b Cottenham
Finkell, 20, b Cottenham
Jabez, 17, b Cottenham
Jane Desborough, 17, servant, b Rampton
[The Ablett family also had two married daughter, Sarah and Elizabeth, living elsewhere.]
Charles Smith
William Salmon
David Middleton
William Munday
Rebecca Bede
William Pitt
Thomas Smith
Caroline Meeks
Sarah Mansfield
Henry Philips
William Coxall
Charles Smith
(Farm House)
Jabez Ablett, 69, farmer 135 acres employing 5 men and 1 boy
Ann, 66,
Finkle, 30,
Sarah Ragford, servant, 19,
Edward Wratten
Thomas Smith
James Norfield
Rebecca Peak
John Chapman
Elizabeth Whybrew
Owen Cambridge
Jabez Ablett died 1866, aged 75. Buried 29.9.1866.
He bequeathed to his wife al his household effects and £100. The Leasehold of the Chesterton farm was passed to his son Finkell. The residue was shared between his children, his daughters’ legacies left in their sole control. The share for his daughter Sarah was kept in the family’s control since her husband, Henry Mann, had gone bankrupt in 1861.
In 1871 Ann Ablett was living at 16 Brunswick Place.
Thomas Willson
Robert Frost
James Strudwick
Samuel Winters
William Saunders
James Page
Thomas Smith
Alfred Humphrey
Rebecca Peek
Thomas Willett
John C Moule
Georgina Wallace
James Dewey
1872 After Ann’s death the property in Chesterton was auctioned off. It is described by the Cambridge Chronicle as:
“a comfortable brick and slate dwelling house situate in the centre of the village, together with a stable, chaise-house, premises and garden at the back. Also six tenaments with small gardens and separate lodge and pigsty to each.”
In the census preface provision is made to record Back Lane but in fact this has already been renamed Scotland Road.
Henry Gray, 50, groom, b Chesterton
George Smith, 34, coal porter, b Chesterton
Alfred Collins, 47, labourer, b Chesterton
John Smith, 60, general labourer, b Chesterton
William Chapman, 21, carpenter, b Chesterton
William Carrington, 32, gardener, b Kingston
Honour Mansfield, 57, charwoman, b Milton
George Winters, 30, farmer 118 acres employing 3 men and 3 boys, b Chesterton
John Rayner, 70, gardener, b Trumpington
William Walter Laurence, 31, nurseryman and florist, b Cambridge
1 uninhabited
Harry Gray, 59, gardener, b Chesterton
John Pearce, 57, Cambs Corp servant, b Madingley
Robert Patman, 50, gardener, b Madingley
(Scotland Farm House)
Samuel Walter Doggett, 30, farm foreman, b Chesterton
James Rush, 27, ag.lab., b Longstanton
Charles Moule, 50, gen. dealer, b Chesterton
Laura Franklin, 23, laundress, b Cambridge
William Mansfield, 33, ag.lab., b Chesterton
Walter Nelson, 54, shepherd, b Chesterton
Benjamin Brown, 44, gravel digger, b Chesterton
William Bain, 27, college servant, b Peterborough
Elizabeth Chapman, 72, living on her own means, b Chesterton
William Cuttinge, 39, labourer, b Waterbeach
Thomas Jackson, 66, ag.lab., b Great Chesterford
Thomas Lindsell, 70, retired labourer, b Debden
George Smith, 45, coal porter, b Chesterton
Daniel Howe, 46, wheelwright, b West Wratting
Fred Cook, 23, cycle machinist, b Cambridge
14 Scotland Road
William Speed, 47, labourer, b Chesterton
23 Scotland Road
Frederick Daish, 50, gardener, b Isle of Wight
12 Scotland Road
Mary Gawthorp, 59, retired laundress, b Huntingdon
Scotland Farm
Walter Doggett, 39, foreman on farm, b Chesterton
Scotland House
David Camps, 59, dealer, b Cambridge
19, Scotland Road, Broton Cottages
Alfred Phillips, 36, labourer, b Chesterton
17, Scotland Road, Broton Cottages
James Driver, 32, railway labourer, b Chesterton
15, Scotland Road
Joseph Farrington, 44, maltster labourer, b Cambridge
13, Scotland Road
Benjamin Brown, 57, foreman roadman, b Chesterton
11, Scotland Road
William Downham, 57, horsekeeper, b Norfolk
9, Scotland Road
Nellie Mansfield, 26, laundress, b Chesterton
7, Scotland Road
together with 9
8, Scotland Road
Thomas Jackson, 77, parish clerk, b Chesterton
6, Scotland Road
James Kent, 26, bricklayer’s labourer, b Cambridge
4, Scotland Road
George Smith, 55, labourer, b Chesterton
2, Scotland Road
Sylvanus Shipp, 34, bricklayer’s labourer, b Great Wilbraham
End of Parliamentary Borough of Cambridge
(7 Howes Cottages)
Francis Crick, 51, farm labourer, b Comberton
(6 Howes Cottages)
Charlotte Langley, 50, char woman, b Elsworth
(5 Howes Cottages)
Jacob Negus, 68, farm labourer, b Fen Ditton
(4 Howes Cottages)
Martha Worboys, 67, widow, b Littlington
(3 Howes Cottages Green End Road)
James Stanford, 55, bricklayer’s labourer, b Chesterton
(2 Howes Cottages)
William Curtis, 35, labourer, b Kingston
(1 Howes Cottages)
David Howe, 58, wheelwright, b West Wratting
(14) William Raymond Speed, 58, labourer, b Chesterton
(5 Masters Cottage)
Arthur Doggitt, 39, labourer, b Chesterton
(4 Masters Cottage)
William Mansfield, 37, labourer, b Chesterton
(3 Masters Cottage)
Robert Shallow, 41, labourer, b Scotland
(2 Masters Cottage)
John Henry Franklin, 38, carman, b Chesterton
(1 Masters Cottage)
Fred Cooke, 33, cycle repairer, b Cambridge
(23) Ellis William Headly, 52, private means, b Croydon
(12) Joseph Unwin, 44, labourer, b Cambridge
(21) Walter Doggett, farm foreman, b Chesterton
(10) Henry Webb, 52, baker, b Shelford
(19) Alfred Phillips, 46, labourer, b Chesterton
(17) Robert Chapman, 39, none invalid, b Chesterton
(15) Arthur Norfield, 50, farm labourer, b Chesterton
(13) Benjamin Brown, 64, labourer, b Milton
(11) William Downham, 67, farm labourer, b Westleigh Cambs
(9) George William Downham, 40, labourer, b Chesterton
(8) Eliza Minns, 48, charwoman, b Duxford
(6) Elizabeth Mansfield, 64, jam factory hand, b Chesterton
(4) George Smith, 68, coal carter
(2) Sylvanus Shipp, 44, bricklayer’s labourer
(34) Cyril S Webb, b 1894, taximeter motor cab owner
(36) William D Laughley, b 1899, wood machinist
(38) Reginald F Newport, b 1909, soft furnishing salesman
(40) William Jackson, b 1896, scaffolder
(42) Walter C Merry, b 1911, corporation gardener
(44) Charles Y Cole, b 1883, unemployed painter
(46) William A Deeks, b 1879, labourer
(48) Ernest W Constable, b 1898, college kitchen porter (ARP warden)
(50) Jack Daisley, b 1907, van driver
(52) George Spring, b 1883, postman
(54) Percy Taylor, b 1904, bricklayer’s labourer
(56) John Bavister, b 1885, labourer
(58) Arthur Hall, b 1894, labourer
(60) John F Symonds, b 1887, gasworks retort house tap jumper
(62) Frederick E Hayward, b 1902, statistical clerk
(64) Arthur E Coney, b 1898, builder’s foreman
(66) Arthur Pell, b 1889, foreman packing radio works
(68) Stanley F Bell, b 1910. assistant chef
(70a) Albert E Phillips, b 1901, brewery cellarman
(70) James William Symonds, b 1909, scientific instrument maker
(72) William Couch, b 1910, plasterer
(74) Alfred Hulyer, b 1906, carpenter
(76) John Wisbeach, b 1892, stableman
(78) Herbert Rayment, b 1871, farming smallholder
(80) Alfred Ward, b 1899, technician chief in University Nutritional laboratory in wholesale employment of government Dept of Medicine
(82) Ivat H Hazel, b 1894, master house decorator
(84) Donald G Farrant, b 1911, estates agent managing clerk
(86) Maud S Piercy, b 1873
(96) George Patten, b 1911, bricklayer
(98) Thomas C R Haigh, b 1908, fitter in food factory
(100) Charles G Wilson, b 1909, under manager retail and food provisions
(102) vacant
(104) Arthur Doggett, b 1871, retired labourer
(132) Frederick Gawthrop, b 1872, retired gravel digger
(134) Anne C Wasbrough, b 1917
(136) Edwin L Batterbee, b 1889, steel erector
(138) Linda L Palmer, b 1902
(140) Walter Stonebridge, b 1902, labourer
(142) Gastow Denson, b 1876, railway engineer
(144) Robert F Daynes, b 1885, labourer
(146) Leslie M G Barham, b 1908, window cleaner
(148) Ann Lofts, b 1859
(150) Leonard Savidge, b 1908, general shop keeper
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