19. THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA

This span of 200 years from 1700 t0 1900 is one of massive change. At home there are  revolutions in industry, transport, and agriculture which are to transform the national economy and living conditions. Abroad the emergence of British naval supremacy enables the development of colonies in North America, India, Africa and Australasia to form the British Empire. Through all this Willingham remains an agricultural fen village, but sees big changes in the character of its agriculture. Together with the arrival of the railway this is to change the base of the village’s economy and its size.

The Dissenters. The first half  of the 18^th century in Willingham saw a revolution in the religious life of the village. The three rectors appointed to the Anglican church over this 50 year period were often absent, during which time a total of  seven curates stood in for them. One of the curates, Thomas Ibbot, also acted as schoolmaster for two years until he was said to have been ‘found somewhat disordered in the head, made worse by the perverse humour of the people of this parish’. Membership at the parish church fell. These were obviously ideal conditions for the growth of the ‘dissenters’ – protestant Christians who had separated from the Church of England. They were first established in Willingham by Nathaniel Bradshaw in 1662 as Congregationalists and by 1714 over 100 members were meeting twice each Sunday in the thatched ‘Meeting House’, newly built on the east side of George Street. Growth, however, was not without problems. Between 1711 and 1751 disputes led to three successive Congregationalist ministers being forced to leave, the last two on charges of immorality. Nevertheless the Baptists who succeeded them were to dominate the religious scene in Willingham for the next 200 years.

Agriculture in the early 1700’s was now benefitting from the fen drainage schemes of the previous century, when the flow of the River Ouse had been diverted away from the Old West river into the newly engineered New Bedford river at Earith.  Four windmills were now being built along the Old West between Earith and Queenholme Farm to lift water from a system of drainage ditches up into the river. The stream that we now know as the Lode running past the Recreation Ground and the QEll play area was part of this network of drainage ditches and dates back to this period. A significant development in the 1740’s was the growth of dairy farming in Willingham for cheese production, perversely under the name of Cottenham cheese. Indeed production of this cheese in Willingham continued for another 200 years until the second world war.

The population of the village continued to grow, albeit slowly. It had reached around 650 by 1728 after new cottages had been built in what is now Silver Street (formerly Mill End), and the south end of High Street. John Brownell continued as Lord of the Manor of Willingham until 1735, when it is said that he shot himself, The manor was left to his steward, with the memorable name of Dingley Askham. It then passed to the Hatton family in 1752 and remained so for another 170 years until 1922. The Parker and Hamond families meanwhile continued as Lords of the smaller Manor of Bourneys until 1893.

Nationally the 1700’s were a period of growing expansion. It began in the reign of Queen Anne with the union of England and Scotland in 1707 to form Great Britain. The newly unified country started well with a major victory over the French at Blenheim led by the Earl of Marlborough. After Queen Anne’s death in 1714, the monarchy passed to the Hanoverian dynasty from Germany. This led to a succession of Georgian monarchs over the next hundred years, and despite a great deal of initial doubt and resentment over this German background (King George l spoke no English), Great Britain developed and expanded rapidly. At home, driven by a new spirit of innovation, a revolution in industry and agriculture was taking root. Overseas, new colonies were being established in America and India, which provided ready markets for manufactured goods as well as supplying raw materials.  The Royal Navy was expanded to protect the colonial trade routes from French and Spanish interference. East Anglia had long been a source of emigrants to the new colonies, and a small but steady number were continuing to leave this area for a new life in the British colonies on the east coast of America.

Next time:  ‘The Wonder Boy Prodigy of Willingham