How Not to Deal With Ice

28/02/1795

Information

A nationwide extreme cold spell thawed suddenly and unexpectedly on this Sunday. Thick, broken ice was washed down and formed a complete bank across the rive at the bridge. It stopped the current, threatening major flooding in the town. One man attempted to resolve the situation by blowing up the ice with gunpowder wrapped in oilskins. However, he became stuck on an ice floe close to the explosive with his boat adrift. To save himself he plunged into the river and was eventually rescued by four men in a boat. Soon after, the gunpowder exploded, blowing ice everywhere and generating a massive flood which caused a great disaster for hundreds of families living on the banks of the Nene. What they did to 'gunpowder man' is not recorded! (Currie, Ian, Frost, Freezes and Fairs: Chronicles of the Frozen Thames and Harsh Winters in Britain from 1000AD, Frosted Earth, 1996)

Taken from The Peterborough Book of Days by Brian Jones, The History Press, 2014.

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Edmund Hockridge Peaks at the West End

1950

Information

Edmund Hockridge was born in Vancouver, Canada. He moved to England after the Second World War and became a huge West End star. He was a baritone singer best known for performing in the musical Carousel. He performed as Billy Bigelow for well over 1,000 performances, both in London and on the road.

Hockridge's connection to Peterborough came with his second wife. He met Jackie Jefferson, a dancer, whilst both were performing in Carousel. After they had married they moved to Peterborough, next door to Ernie Wise, on Thorpe Road.

Although his name is rather obscure at present, Hockridge was possibly the best known male lead in the 1950s. As well as performing in Carousel, he featured in Guys and Dolls, The Pajama Game and many others. He released 11 albums and sang with many other celebrities, including Cliff Richard and Suzi Quatro. His songs are still played on the BBC to this day. He died on 15th March 2009 in Peterborough and left behind his wife Jackie and several children.

Reference: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/mar/18/edmund-hockridge

Ernie Wise Took His Final Bow

1999

Information

Comedian Ernie Wise OBE, one half of the legendary double-act Morecambe and Wise, died on 21st March 1999. He lived on Thorpe Road in Peterborough for many years with his wife Doreen, next door to singer Edmund Hockridge.

Proud of his home, he often made references to Peterborough in sketches on the Morecambe and Wise Show. The show ran from 1968 to 1983 on BBC then Thames Television and featured some of the biggest celebrities of the day. Comedic sketches were interjected with dance and musical numbers, for which the pair are best known. The two outstanding sketches are Singin' In The Rain and The Breakfast Sketch.

Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise were honoured with OBE's in 1976 for their many years of service on television, radio and films. They won many awards during their careers, including 8 BAFTAs and Freedom of the City of London. During one of their Christmas episodes in 1977 the pair broke all previous viewing figures with over 20 million viewers. Both are remembered with statutes in Morecambe and Morley respectively.

Woodcroft Manor's Royal Owner

1570

Information

Woodcroft Castle used to be known as Woodcroft Manor. It dates back to the twelfth century and appears frequently in court papers over the centuries. It is best well-known for the Civil War siege and death of Dr Michael Hudson, but it has a much better connection.

On 6th October 1570 Woodcroft Mansion house was referred to as having been 'purchased of the late King Edward VI'. Many of the local manors have been owned by monarchs, often being given as presents. However the ownership of Woodcroft might suggest that it was once much more important than it is now. Indeed, in 1575 the manor was valued at £15, 6 shillings and 8 pence, which was more than Milton Manor.

Milton Manor Purchased

1502

Information

Milton Manor, situated to the West of Peterborough, has existed since at least 1381. The manor has long been associated with the Fitzwilliam family, but they did not create it.

William Fitzwilliam purchased the manors of Milton and Marholm from Robert Wyttilbury/Whittlebury in 1502. He also bought Longthorpe Tower in the same year.

In 1575 all of the manors belonging to the Fitzwilliams were valued. Milton Manor, now the main residence, was only valued at £15, but Marholm Manor was valued at £32 and 5 shillings.

A Hill in the Middle of Peterborough!

1736

Information

For some time during the eighteenth and nineteenth century, the market place in Peterborough was known as Market Hill.

The earliest reference from the papers is an advert from 1736 for the letting of 'An old-accustom'd Grocer's Shop... situate upon the Market Hill in Peterborough'.

A reference to the Talbot Inn from 1774 states it is 'on the market hill'. This continued until an 1898 reference to J. A. Bingham, Auctioneer of Market Hill, Peterborough. Currently the area is known as Cathedral Square.

Cambridge and Chatteris still use the word for their market places. It certainly is an odd choice of word for towns in areas with little or no hills!

Source: Stamford Mercury, Thursday 5th August 1736, page 4, col 1

A Snapshot of Thorney Wildlife Park

1975

Information

Thorney Wildlife Park was a popular local tourist attraction in the 1970s and 80s. Run by the Roberts brothers, the park contained a wide mix of exotic animals. The animals ranged from lions and tigers to elephants, birds and kangaroos. Unlike modern zoos and parks, Thorney Wildlife Park closed during the winter season. It was during this closed season that reporter and camera crew visited the site.

The park was situated in the grounds of Thorney Manor, originally home to the Dukes of Bedford. The house, featured in the film, was used as a café and as shelter for animals during the winter. In 1971 a large fire in the house killed three monkeys valued at £150 each. Thankfully it was brought under control before the house or other animals were destroyed.

The video attached is part of a 'Portrait of a Place' series, which was produced by Anglian Television and is now part of the East Anglian Film Archive. It shows several local people, some of the most note-worthy buildings and the wildlife park.

St Mark's Supportive Hankey

1857

Information

St Mark's Church on Lincoln Road owes its existence to the arrival of the railways. The huge influx of railway workers and their families were provided with housing by the railway companies and churches were built for each new area. St Mark's was consecrated on 26th September 1856 and completed in 1857 thanks to a £25 donation by local M.P. Mr T. Hankey.

There was a ceremony to lay the first stone of the church in 1855. All the local dignitaries and school children gathered in Peterborough Cathedral to sing and listen to sermons before walking to the church. A total of £107 was raised by the congregation to pay for the building work.

The first foundation stone was placed in the ground with several commemorative items. These included a glass bottle with current currency and a role of parchment naming the dignitaries and architect connected to the building. Several tools were deposited which related to the Freemasons, who we may assume, were instrumental in raising money for the building and/or construction of the building.

The first vicar of St. Mark's was Rev. C. Camp/e who caused quite a commotion once by fainting during a sermon. The organ was installed in 1858 and was built by Messrs. Bryceson and Son, of London.

In 1957, to mark the centenary of the church, a new hall was added to the building.

Photo credit: St Mark's Church, Lincoln Road, Peterborough

Saint Pega Dies

719

Information

Saint Pega was the sister of Saint Guthlac of Crowland Abbey and the daughter of Mercian nobility. Her name is remembered in the village of Peakirk, or Pega's kirk, an earlier word for church.

Pega created a hermitage in what is now Peakirk. The hermitage was based on the edge of the desolate fens, close to Car Dyke. From here she could guarantee a quieter life and one full of many challenges due to the boggy fens.

The church of Saint Pega was built after her life, but contains the base of a Saxon cross. It also contains fragments of a monument similar to the Hedda Stone in Peterborough Cathedral. These were said to have been created in her honour.

She was said to have sailed to her brother's funeral in Crowland, along the river Welland. Whilst there she cured a blind man from Wisbech. Sometime after the funeral Pega travelled to Rome. She died there in 719. It is rumoured that Pega's heart was returned to the village and kept in a box there as a relic. Her saints day in 8th January.

Picture attribution: John Salmon / St Pega, Peakirk - Stained glass window

Waldram Hall Recorded on a Map

1543

Information

Situated on a turn in the River Welland to the east of Peakirk and Northborough, Waldrum or Waldram Hall has long disappeared. It was once an important hall and was owned by William Cecil and the Fitzwilliams. There is believed to have been a building on the site since the twelfth century. There are several references to the hall over the centuries, in parish records and poll books. It is also located on a map of 1543 which is stored in the National Archives.

The hall's position on the Welland was at a good crossing point. A ferry service was provided by the hall across the river and up to Crowland too. This would have been the only crossing point in this vicinity on the Welland before the bridge was built in Deeping St. James. The route was said to have been used by pilgrims heading to Walsingham and was a good source of income.

The hall belonged to the parish of Maxey and a fee was paid to the manor of Maxey to rent it. A fee was also paid that allowed the tenant to charge a toll for crossings and to fish the waters.

The hall was still in use in the first half of the Twentieth Century, when pictures and personal accounts exist. By this time the hall was an unprepossessing stone house, regarded as no more than a farm house. After the building of two bridges in the Deepings in the Seventeenth and Nineteenth Centuries, the ferry at Waldram Hall fell out of use and the building was no longer a decent source of income. The construction of the railway loop line to Lincoln effectively cut off the building rendering it useless.

Reference

D. Price, River Welland, Amberley Publishing, 2012

Northborough

Peakirk Wildlife Park Opens

1957

Information

Peakirk Wildfowl Park was situated to the north of Peakirk. It owes its existence in part to a natural spring on the site and the building of the adjacent railway line. The spring had provided a wetland perfect for osier beds. In the 1840s the Lincolnshire Loop railway line was constructed next to the site. Gravel was extracted from the land in Peakirk for its construction. As the gravel was extracted, small islands were left behind in the main lake. This allowed the land to be used again as osier beds.

In 1957 the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust opened a wildfowl park on the site, utilising the unique landscape features of the site. It was home to around 700 water birds, some of which were exceedingly rare or endangered. At its peak visitor numbers were around 64,000 per year.

By the late 1980s visitor numbers tailed off and the business was sold in 1990. In 1991 it was renamed the Peakirk Waterfowl Gardens whilst run by the East of England Agricultural Society, but it was not a successful business. It eventually closed in 2001, the birds being transferred to other parks. It is now a private home.

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How Not to Deal With Ice

28/02/1795

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Edmund Hockridge Peaks at the West End

1950

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Ernie Wise Took His Final Bow

1999

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Woodcroft Manor's Royal Owner

1570

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Milton Manor Purchased

1502

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A Hill in the Middle of Peterborough!

1736

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A Snapshot of Thorney Wildlife Park

1975

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St Mark's Supportive Hankey

1857

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Saint Pega Dies

719

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Waldram Hall Recorded on a Map

1543

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Peakirk Wildlife Park Opens

1957

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Edmund Hockridge Peaks at t…

Ernie Wise Took His Final Bow

Woodcroft Manor's Royal Owner

Milton Manor Purchased

A Hill in the Middle of Pet…

A Snapshot of Thorney Wildl…

St Mark's Supportive Hankey

Saint Pega Dies

Waldram Hall Recorded on a Map

Peakirk Wildlife Park Opens