Directory Entry of Suffolk 1883

Tuddenham St. Mary

Is a parish & village, pleasantly situated on gently rising ground 3 ¼ miles south-east from Mildenhall, 9 north-west from Bury, and 3 north from Higham railway station on the Cambridge, Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds branch of the Great Eastern railway, in the western division of the county, Lackford hundred, Mildenhall union and county court district, Fordham rural deanery, Sudbury archdeaconry, and diocese of Ely. The church of St Mary is an ancient building of stone and rubble, in the Early English style, consisting of chancel, nave, south aisle, tower with 5 bells, and porch: it was thoroughly restored and roof rebuilt in 1876 at a cost of £2500, defrayed by the Marquis of Bristol, the Rev. E. Sparke M.A., J.P. and other subscribers, paved with encaustic tiles, and seated with open oak benches: within the chancel rails is a piscina and there is also one in the aisle; in the nave are tombstones; one to Thomas Shelley, dated 1680; and one to his wife , 1695; one to Henry Goldwell, one of the burgesses of Bury St Edmunds, dated 1693; also to his wife, 1712; one to James Davies, dated 1719. . The register dates from 1563. The living is a rectory, yearly value £283, with 17 acres of glebe land and residence, in the gift of the Marquis of Bristol, and held since 1852 by the Rev. Ezekiel Sparke, M.A. of Caius College, Cambridge J.P. for Suffolk. The Baptists have a chapel here. There is one charity of about £6 yearly value. There is an extensive flour mill, worked by Mr J R Hammond, driven by water & steam. Here are the remains of an abbey. The Marquis of Bristol is lord of the Manor and principal landowner. The soil is light & sandy; subsoil gravel & sand. The chief crops are wheat, barley and turnips. The area is 2644 acres; rateable value £1,823 and the population in 1881 was 377.

Parish Clerk, Ambrose Mason.

POST OFFICE

Frederick Manning, receiver. Letters by foot from Soham via Mildenhall, arrive at 7.30a.m.; dispatched at 5.55p.m. Mildenhall is the nearest money-order and telegraph office.

The Free school was founded by John Cockerton, who endowed it, in 1723, with 100 acres of land, also a dwelling-house attached for the use of the schoolmaster: the school-house and masters house have been rebuilt: it will hold 60 children, average attendance 50; Frederick Vanhagan, master; Mrs Laura Vanhagan, mistress

CARRIER TO BURY

passes through every Wednesday from Mildenhall.

Sparke Rev Ezekiel, M.A.,J.P. rectory
Haggart Duncan, farm bailiff to the Marquis of Bristol
Hammond John Robert, miller (steam & Water) & farmer
Howard Robert, shopkeeper
Jude Susanna (Mrs.), shopkeeper
Kendall Alfred, Wheelwright & Beer retlr
Nedwick Dvd, market gardener & shopkeeper
Rumbelow Mrs. Mary , blacksmith
Sparrow Sarah Ann (Mrs.), shoemaker
Spooner william, shopkeeper
Wilkes John, White Hart
Wright Robert John, Anchor

©2000 Jean Ridley