By one of our History Group Volunteers
A bit of background:
After the dissolution of Denny Abbey in 1539, the lodgings in and around the church building were converted into a farmhouse and the land around the Abbey was divided into several large farms. By the time of Queen Victoria, there were still three large farms in this area, to the north of Waterbeach:
- Denny Abbey Farm (approximately 600 acres)
- Denny Lodge Farm (approximately 375 acres)
- Winfold Farm (approximately 635 acres)
At their peak, these farms employed about 75 to 100 people, with majority of the workers living locally. Each of the farms had several cottages attached to them, housing some of these workers and their families.
The census data from the period 1841 to 1921 shows that there were some people who worked on the same farm for many years. Sometimes their children grew up to work there as well. In the second half of the 1800’s, on average, there were about 5 or 6 people living in each of the farm cottages. Most of the cottages had four rooms (‘2 up and 2 down’), plus a kitchen or scullery. It is most likely that the children would have had to share one bedroom. This layout is similar to Walnut Tree Cottage except from the more recent additions of the porch and laundry.
The following are examples of the lives of the people who worked on the farms around Denny during these times.
- George Beeton
George was born in Great Wilbraham in 1849 to mother, Elizabeth and father, William. He had elder brothers, Charles and John, and an elder sister, Judy, and younger sister, Mary Ann. They lived in a cottage linked to Toller’s Farm on Mill Road in Great Wilbraham. His father was a shepherd, working for Jospeh Toller. Mr Toller employed 22 men, 10 girls and 6 boys on the 656 acre farm there.
By 1861, the family had moved to just off the Ely Road, to the North of Waterbeach. George, aged 12, was working as an agricultural labourer and his father was working as a shepherd. In 1869, George married Harriet Edwards, who was born in Waterbeach.
By 1871, they were living at Denny End and had a 1 year-old daughter. George gave his occupation as an agricultural labourer.
In the 1881 census, he gave his occupation as a shepherd, like his father before him. He was living at Chittering Fen, just to the north of Denny. He now had 4 children, with the first three being born in Waterbeach but the fourth was born in Prickwillow, near Ely. At that time, his elder brother, Charles, was an agricultural labourer, living at Ely Road, Denny End with his family.
In 1891, George was working for James Toller as a shepherd at Winfold Farm. He was living with his wife, along with 6 children. One of his nephews was married and was living at Denny Gate Cottages with two children. The nephew gave his occupation as a shepherd at Denny Abbey Farm and he continued to live and work there until 1921, at least.
In 1897, one of George’s daughters married David Wye, a local man. Various members of the Wye family worked on the farms around Denny Abbey around this time.
In 1901, George gave his occupation as an agricultural labourer and was living at Church End, Waterbeach together with his wife and two of his younger children. Of their other children, one was living at Denny Abbey Cottages and was a Yardman on the farm and another was a shepherd at Winfold Farm. In 1906, his second daughter was married in Waterbeach.
In 1911, George, aged 62, again gave his occupation as a shepherd. He was living at Flint House on Winfold Farm. One of his nephews was a bootmaker, living in Waterbeach. His youngest son, Richard, was said to be a decorative gardener. Richard married on the 20th November 1913 aged 23 and later volunteered to join the army during the First World War. He became a Private in the Duke of Cambridgeshire’s Own Regiment but was killed in action at Flanders on the 10th May, 1917.
By 1921, George was 72 and he described himself as a retired shepherd for James Toller of Winfold Farm. He was living with his wife Harriet (aged 69) at The Lanes in Waterbeach. Harriet died, aged 72, in 1923 and George died in 1927, aged 78. They were both buried in Waterbeach Cemetery.
2. Henry Gifford
Henry Gifford was born in 1842 in Aldreth and he was baptised in Haddenham in February 1843. By the time he was 19, in 1861, he was lodging in one of the Denny Abbey Cottages with John Wyatt, aged 60, who was a bailiff at Denny Abbey Farm. Henry was working as an agricultural labourer on the farm.
In 1863, Henry married Harriet Bowman. They subsequently had 9 children, but only 4 survived childhood.
Over the next 50 years, Henry gave his occupation in the census records as either an agricultural labourer or horse keeper. Henry and his family were recorded as living at Denny Abbey Cottage, Denny Gate, Ely Road Denny End, Denny Gate Cottage, Denny Abbey Farm and Denny Abbey. This might sometimes be because different names were used to describe the same place or it could be because the family moved in and around the Denny area, as their circumstances changed.
In 1901 and 1911, Henry’s youngest son was working as an agricultural labourer at Denny Abbey whilst living at home. In the 1911 census, Henry’s nephew was living with them as well and he gave his occupation as an agricultural labourer at Denny Abbey Farm.
There is no record of Henry having retired but he died in 1921, aged 79. At that time, he was living with his wife in Winfold Road in Waterbeach. He is buried in Waterbeach Cemetery. His wife Harriet carried on living there with her nephew until she died in 1923, aged 80. She was buried in Waterbeach Cemetery.
These are two examples of the lives that people had around Denny, to hear more stories, make sure to visit the Farmland Museum and listen to recollections of the past in our displays including Sandra Barker in the Basketweavers display and Mrs Pell in the Village Shop.