Directory Entry of Suffolk 1900

Tuddenham St. Mary

Is a parish & village, pleasantly situated on gently rising ground 3 miles south-east from Mildenhall terminal station, and 3 ½ north from Higham station on the Cambridge, Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds branch of the Great Eastern railway, and 9 north-west from Bury in the North Western division of the county, Lackford hundred and petty sessional division, Mildenhall union and county court district, rural deanery of Mildenhall, archdeaconry of Sudbury and diocese of Ely. The stream which formerly drove the mill here was made navigable in 1895, and placed in connection with the undertaking of the lark Navigation Company by the Marquis of Bristol, and in 1897 it was opened to the barges carrying stone from the estate. The church of St Mary is an ancient building of stone and rubble, in the Early English style, consisting of chancel, nave, south aisle, south porch and an embattled western tower containing 5 bells: it was thoroughly restored and roof rebuilt in 1876 at a cost of £2500, the chancel retains a piscina and there is also one in the aisle; in the nave are stones inscribed to Thomas Shelley, dated 1680; and his wife, 1695; Henry Goldwell, one of the burgesses of Bury St Edmunds, 1693; his wife, 1712; and to James Davies, dated 1719: there are 250 sittings, of which 200 are free. The register dates from the year 1558. The living is a rectory, net yearly value £270, with 17 acres of glebe land and residence, in the gift of the Marquis of Bristol; the Rev. John Hubbard, of Ayerst Hall, Cambridge, has been curate in charge since 1899. There is a Baptist chapel here. There is one charity of about £6 yearly value. 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 £1,852 and the population in 1891 was 329.

Parish Clerk, Ambrose Mason.

POST OFFICE

Frederick Manning, sub-postmaster. Letters from Mildenhall S.O. arrive at 7am & 4pm.; dispatched at 6.15pm week days; Sundays, dispatched at 10.50pm. Postal orders are issued here, but not paid. Mildenhall is the nearest money-order office and Herringswell is the nearest telegraph office, 2 miles distant

The Free school was founded by John Cockerton, who endowed it, in 1723, with 100 acres of land, and an attached dwelling-house for the use of the schoolmaster: the school-house and masters house have been rebuilt in 1846: the former will hold 60 children, average attendance 47; Frederick Vanhagan, master; Mrs Laura Vanhagan, mistress

Hubbard Rev. John (curate in Charge), Nether Hall
Haggart Mrs
COMMERCIAL
Barkham Daniel Aaron, shoemaker
Brand Frederick, White Hart P.H
Grimwood Peter, Coal dealer
Howard Robert (Mrs.), shopkeeper
Jude Susanna (Mrs.), shopkeeper
Kendall Alfred, Wheelwright & Beer retlr
Kendall Harry, blacksmith
Kidby Charles, baker
Lomas Alfred M.P.A.O. estate agent, mill house
Pepper Herbert, head gamekeeper to Marquis of Bristol, Old Hall farm
Spooner william, grocer & draper
Wright Robert John, Anchor P.H

©2000 Jean Ridley