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The Old Rectory, Fowlmere

History of the Old Rectory

Listed Building

Rectory now a house. 1853-4, by H.E. Kendall (1805-85). Italianate style.

The old rectory had dated from the 16th century and had a medieval aisled hall.


Additional notes taken from Remembered in Stained Glass by Iverna Moss

Remembered in Stained Glass


1814

Rev William Metcalfe arrived in Fowlmere aged c.30 and moved into rectory with new bride Susannah née Golborne. he was son of Rev William Metcalfe, canon of Ely Cathedral and JP for Isle of Ely.


1815

Anna Maria Metcalfe born


1816

William Metcalfe senior instrumental in suppression of the Littleport riots. William Metcalfe junior was Overseer of the Poor Law for Fowlmere. He was then appointed JP for the county of Cambridgeshire.


1830

Farm labourers went on strike for two days for higher wages. The strikers assembled in open space next to the Swan armed with sticks and shovels. Ringleaders arrest and taken to Cambridge but there were no excutions.


1833

Rev Metcalfe officiated at wedding of Charles Sherwood and Mary Perry at St Mary. Charles Sherwood was charged two weeks later with assault on Shadrach Hopwood, 13. Charles was 21. He was convicted by Henry Hawkin and William Metcalfe at a court held in the Rose Public House, Melbourn. Charles was fine 6d and 9s6d costs.


1841 Rectory House

Rev William Metcalfe, 55, rector

Susan, 55,

Anna Maria, 25,

Elizabeth, 23,

Emily Jane, 20,

Frederick, 16,

Robert, 15,

Henrietta, 13,

William Jenkins, 15, pupil

Osborne Jenkins, 14, pupil

Thomas More, 15, pupil,

Edmund Cantly, 13, pupil

William Cantly, 11, pupil

Sarah Browsley, 15, servant,

Ann Kitson, 20, servant,

Louisa Matlock, 30, servant

Elisa Elbourn, 20 servant,

Anna Maria Metcalfe married Rev Jonathan Blackburne, widower and vicar of Duxford in 1841. She died the following year. Her infant son died the following year and both are buried at St Mary’s.

Elizabeth Metcalfe was living at Little Shelford rectory in 1851 with her brother Frederick, curate there.

Emily Jame Metcalfe married Alexandr Chisholm in 1844 but he died a year later. In 1851 she was also living in Little Shelford as a widow with a four year old daughter.

Frederick Metcalfe had studied at Corpus Christi Cambridge and been a curate in Lancashire before taking up the post of curate of Little Shelford in 1850 where he stayed for 8 years.


1850

William Metcalfe died 22nd June and was interred in St Mary’s chancel. His wife died in 1858 and was also interred at St Mary’s. In 1860 a memorial window was dedicated by the children at the hurch. See:

Remembered in Stained Glass

Rev Arthur Savile arrived and decided to demolish rectory and rebuild.


1851 (no address given)

Arthur Savile, 31, unmarried, rector of Fowlmere, b Yorks

Sara Wilson, 46, housekeeper, b Yorks

Sarah Metcalf, 19, b Yorks

John Beeby, 25, groom, b Warwicks


1852

Lucy Georgina married Arthur Savill and moved into the Rectory. She was the youngest of three daughter of Richard griffin, 3rd baron Braybrooke and lady Jane Cornwallis. Richard Neville legally changed his name to Richard Griffin when he inherited the title from his father in 1825 and at the same time moved the chief family seat from Billingbear Park, nr Wokingham to Audley End which had been left to his father in 1798 by Lord Howard de Walden.


1861

Arthur Savill, 41, rector of Fowlmere, b Yorks

Lucy Georgina, 32, b Essex

Elizabeth Jane, 7, b Fowlmere

Mirabell Ann, 6, b Fowlmere

Alethea Maud, 5, b Fowlmere

Georgina Lucy, 1, b Fowlmere

Vera Phillipa, 3 mos, b Fowlmere

Sarah Jones, 43, nurse, b London

Emma Ward, 24, cook, b Fowlmere

Ann Shelton, 22, parlour maid, b Beds

Ann Smith, 24, nursemaid, b Wimpole

Clarissa Benton, 22, housemaid, b Wilts

Emma Smith, 14, nursemaid, b Wimpole

Arthur Savile died in 1870. His widow, still only 41, with 10 children, moved to the village of Heydon where her brother Latimer Neville (Master of Magdalene) was the Rector. Lucy herself lived at Heydon House.


1871

Henry Martyn Lower, 50, rector of Fowlmere, b Hants

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This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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