Buckden - a Huntingdonshire Village

39 J James, Charles is shown as the Charity School master in Pigot’s 1830 Directory, but died the following year and was succeeded by his brother: James, Henry (1814-1854), who was born in Hemingford Grey. His mother was a butcher in Fenstanton. According to his epitaph in St Mary’s churchyard he was ‘23 years schoolmaster of this parish’. This means he was only sixteen years old when appointed. Sadly, his long tenure ended in a falling out with the school managers. A few months after being dismissed he was dead of ‘consumption (many months)’ and the contents of his house were up for auction, ‘Sale to commence punctually at Eleven, on account of the number of lots’ (including his brewing utensils). He had married Anne Fox in 1838; after his death she found work as a cook to a Yorkshire farmer. James VI & I (1566-1625) , king and weeder-out of ‘tobacco-drunkardes’, was entertained at Buckden Palace at least twice: in October 1616 by Bishop Richard Neile, and in October 1619 by his successor, the ‘canary-sucking and swan-eating prelate’ George Mountain (or Montaigne). The charms of Buckden in the autumn clearly left James in a mellow mood; both his hosts went on to become Prince- Bishops of Durham and Archbishops of York. Presumably any smokers present during James’s visits were to be found huddled outside on the banks of the moat, ready to douse their pipes at the first hint of a royal footfall. Jefferson, the Rev. Francis, MA (1795-1838) was a Cumberland-born curate of Buckden and much-loved vicar of Ellington (1822-1838). On 14 April 1833 he married Sophia King of Buckden. Two months later Sophia died after giving birth to their son, Theophilus. Theophilus survived, only to die less than a year later. Jessamine House, High Street [MapRef 32], was singled out for praise by Nikolaus Pevsner in 1968 (Buildings of England: Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough ). Remarkably the house achieved its perfection through a series of alterations over the course of more than a century. It is believed to have begun as two cottages knocked into one in the early 1700s; further expansion followed the rising prosperity of its owners. The Bowyers were farmers, maltsters and millers, and by the mid-19thC were regularly listed among the leading landowners in the parish. The Victorian period saw the house extended further (but at the rear so that its Georgian facade remains an important part of the street scene), and its gardens were laid out in the style of the time – gravel walks, large rectangular borders, lawns and later a grass tennis court. In addition, now that the property is no longer a working farm, an orchard and vegetable garden have replaced some of the original livestock buildings. Although the Bowyer family ended their connection with the property in the mid-1970s, they took the name with them to a new site in Taylors Lane, west of the A1. There are therefore two Jessamine Houses in Buckden. Jolly, Eric James MB, ChB, Aberdeen (1899-1968) was another of Buckden’s Scots-born doctors, and one of its longest-serving. See Chapter 14 Jones, the Rev. Timothy, MA (1812-1875) , the ninth son of a Cardiganshire gentleman, was the vicar of St Margaret’s, Leicester, when in June 1875 he accepted a transfer to Buckden. He arrived in July; on 3 August he died. He had been in poor health for several months, and for a sick man it was an unfortunate time to move to Huntingdonshire: torrential rains had submerged low- lying areas (and would return in October, forcing the inhabitants of Buckden and Offord to flee upstairs). Jubilees. Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee was celebrated on 20 June 1897. Happily for the vicar this was a Sunday, enabling him to preach ‘appropriate sermons’ to large congregations at the morning and evening services. Celebrations proper began at 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday, 22 June with cycle races. Unlike those in some other villages, these were for men (and boys) only. At 1.30 p.m., a cycle parade was held on the village green and prizes were awarded for the most tastefully decorated machines. Next came the customary cycle procession through the village. As Buckden’s official tribute to the Queen, the parish council installed new staircases in South’s almshouses [MapRef 9] (q.v.); these allowed upstairs residents to reach their rooms without going through the rooms of their downstairs neighbours. The Silver Jubilee of Their Gracious Majesties King George Vth and Queen Mary was celebrated on Monday, 6 May 1935. The day began with a peal of the church bells, followed by a United Thanksgiving Service. At 12 noon the Schoolroom was the venue for the presentation of Jubilee cups and saucers to all children up to 15 years of age. At 2.30 p.m., the traditional parade set off from the village green for the Towers. After the best decorated bicycles and prams had been judged, an afternoon of sports began. This included several events that today would probably be banned on grounds of health and safety (riding the plank on a bicycle), hygiene (the boys’ mixed boots race), or sexism (ladies could not enter the obstacle race; they had to make do with an egg and spoon event). After the presentation of prizes, the village dispersed home to have its supper, milk cows, feed livestock, bed down babies, house hens and change into its gladdest rags for two hours of dancing on the Towers lawn to the men of the Buckden band (those of them who had recovered from running in the afternoon’s ‘bandsmen only’ race). At 10 p.m. all still on their feet went up Taylor’s Lane and cheered on the Boy Scouts as they lit the grand bonfire in Mr E. E. Mann’s field. Then they sang God Save the King and went home to bed – most of them to a short night’s sleep: no chance of a long lie-in in a farming community in May. The celebrations also included an outdoor production of ‘Merrie England’. See also soup kitchens. 1897 Jubilee Celebrations Philip Gale