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Huntingdonshire |
"BLUNTISHAM, a parish in the hundred of Hurstingstone, in the county of Huntingdon, 4 miles to the north-east of St. Ive's, its post town. It is situated on the borders of Cambridgeshire, on the west bank of the river Ouse, and includes the village of Earith. The manor belonged to the monks of Ely before the Norman Conquest, and part of it is still held by the dean and chapter. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Ely, of the yearly value of £1,070, in the patronage of the Bishop of Peterborough. The church stands on elevated ground, commanding a wide prospect over the rich meadow lands and the river. It is dedicated to St. Mary, and is in the early English style of architecture, containing a screen, piscina, and an octagonal font. Here is also a neat marble monument to Dr. Samuel Knight, who once held the rectory, and was the author of the biographies of Erasmus and Dean Colet. Dr. Knight died here in 1746. There are chapels belonging to the General and Particular Baptists, Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists, and Quakers in the town, and a free school founded in 1708, which has an income from endowment of about £88 per annum. The other charitable endowments of the parish-the principal of which is the estate held by feoffees for the benefit of the poor-produce about £140 a year. In September, 1741, this place was visited by a destructive storm of wind, which lasted nearly a quarter of an hour and did fearful havoc in the village. It also touched upon Cambridge, Downham, and Lynn, at the latter place injuring St. Margaret's church.
- "EARITH, a chapelry in the parish of Bluntisham, hundred of Hurstingstone, county Huntingdon, 6 miles north-east of St. Ives, its post town, and 3 south-east from Somersham. The village is situated on the navigable river Ouse, near the border of the county, and is a place of considerable trade. The chapel-of-ease, dedicated to St. James, has been demolished. The Baptists and Wesleyans have each a chapel, and the Friends a meeting-house. There is a school for boys, founded in 1703 by John Skeeles, with an endowment of £50 per annum. An industrial school for girls has an endowment of £16 per annum. The town lands produce a rental of £50, which is applied to the repair of a bridge and other public works. To the east of the village is a rectangular encampment called Earith Bulwarks, with bastions at each corner. Fairs are held on the 4th May, 25th July, and 1st November, chiefly for cattle."
[The above was transcribed (and edited) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868]
by Colin Hinson ©2023