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Who Should Live in Castor

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25/01/1913

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At the monthly meeting of the Peterborough Rural District Council on this Saturday there was a deep debate recorded by the Peterborough Citizen the following Tuesday under the headline 'Castor invasion by Peterborough house hunters - What Castor Expects.' Peterborough was expanding and new houses were desperately needed, leading to what we now call 'Not in my backyard' syndrome rearing its head. Castor parish council did not think it was desirable to erect the proposed houses and suggested a different type of house, each having a rood of land and being more suitable for widows and retired men. Cllr Goodyer argued that the new houses should be for working men, as there were already more cottages for the elderly than workers in Castor. Cllr Kemp commented that there were already plenty of cottages for widows and old men. It was workmen's cottages that were needed now. Cllr Lee responded that he did not think that, as agricultural people, they would not be able to pay the rent. The clerk, having heard these comments, concluded that it would be impossible for people to pay 4s 6d and rates. The meeting moved on with no decision recorded.

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

St John's Church , Abbot William Genge

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St. John the Baptist Rebuilt

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1407

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The citizens of Medehamstede, lived to the east of the abbey and what is now the Cathedral, on the edge of the fenland. After the great fire of 1116, the inhabitants were moved to the west of the abbey where the land was drier. Unfortunately they did not move the church to the west, and for several centuries the inhabitants of the town had to walk round the vast abbey grounds to reach their isolated church. This was made more difficult by flooding from streams that ran in front of the church, making attendance problematic in the winter.

A petition was made to move the church to the west of the abbey, which was granted by the Bishop of Lincoln in 1402. The new church was built using stone from the old one and the Becket Chapel, as well as oak from Abbot William Genge's park. He dedicated the church to St John the Baptist on 26th June 1407.

It was originally built with a large leaded spire, which was conspicuous from some distance. Unfortunately, due to instability, it was removed in the 1820s, but it can be seen in John Speed's Map, A Prospect of Peterborough and an old photograph.

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St John's Church , Abbot William Genge

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  • Brick Town to New Town
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