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Post Office Directory of 1865.
LIDGATE in 1844, is a pleasant scattered village, near the source of a
rivulet, 7 miles S.E. of Newmarket, and 10 miles W.S.W. of Bury St. Edmund's,
has in its parish 450 souls, and 1957 acres of land. Near the church is a moated
mound, on which there are still some traces of a castle, though the foundations
have been nearly all dug up for the reparation of the roads. The inhabitants
usually call it King John's Castle, but its origin is unknown. The parish gave
birth and name to John Lydgate, the learned monk of Bury. In the 49th of Edward
III., it was the lordship of John Hastings, Earl of Pembroke, and it afterwards
passed to the Jermyns, Davers, and Seymours. The Conqueror is said to have given
it to one of his followers called Reynold sans Nase, from having lost his nose
in battle. The Duke of Rutland is now lord of the manor, but the soil belongs to
T. J. Ireland, Esq., Col. Wollaston, Mrs. F. A. Osborne, N. W. Bromley, Esq.,
and several smaller owners. The Church (St. Mary) is a neat edifice, with a
tower and five hells, and the living is a rectory, valued in K.B. at £15. 10s.
5d., and now having 54a. of glebe, and a yearly modus of £480, awarded in 1817.
The Rev. John William Travis is incumbent, and the Duke of Rutland patron, but
the next presentation has been purchased by Mrs. Jackson, of Doncaster. A
handsome new Rectory House was built in 1842. The Independents have a preaching
room here. A National School was built by subscription in 1835, at the cost of
£160, and it is attended by about 60 day, and 100 Sunday scholars. At the
enclosure in 1814, an allotment of 7a. 2r. 12p. was awarded, in lieu of land
appropriated from ancient time to the payment of the clerk's wages, and to the
repairs of the church. It is let, together with 2a. 2r. 12p., allotted to the
poor, and the rent, about £15 a year, is applied as follows:- £2 to the parish
clerk, £6 to the National School, and the remainder towards the repairs of the
church and the relief of the poor.
Bailey James, cattle dealer
Bell Sampson, victualler, Oak
Charvill Joshua, shopkeeper, and carrier to Bury, Wednesday
Day John, bricklayer
Dowding Rev Chas. curate, Rectory
Hammond Philip, collar maker
Longster James, National schoolmaster
Pawsey Rt. grocer, draper, & shoemaker
Pryke Thomas, shoemaker
Ransom Gooch, blacksmith, and parish clerk
Silverston James, surgeon
Turner Thomas, wheelwright, &c
Farmers.
Baldry James
Bell Sampson
Carsboult John
Day Jno. & Robert
Dobitz George
Harvey Richard
Pask Simon (and beer house)
Pawsey George, Hall
Phillips Charles (owner) and William