Death and a Steaming Pile of Horse Manure

Two hundred years ago a tragic death occurred in the wide-open fields between Whittlesea and Thorney. It was around 4pm on Monday 28^th May 1821, and three men were working out in the fields shovelling manure onto the ground (you can make your own jokes there!) from their horse-drawn carts to fertilise the crops. This was, of course, a very undesirable job, and the men were described as poor men, probably scrabbling for any work to put food on their table.

One man, John Smith, was working alone, far from the other two. He’d shovelled half his load onto the field and was determined to finish his work as quick as he could. He would have seen the oncoming storm, which was described as ‘dreadfully alarming’, with violent winds and a barrage of thunder and lightning. On the expansive snooker table flat fields, it would have looked spectacular, if a little concerning. There would have been nowhere for him to hide, so John carried on shovelling, hoping it would soon pass.

The other men in the field had seen the storm approaching and decided they could sit it out under their carts, which were decisions that saved their lives. With no other high point for the lightning to hit as it passed over the fields, it aimed for John, who was mercifully killed instantly. His horse bolted, dragging his cart, still half-full of manure, and ran towards the two other men in the field. They managed to stop it with great difficulty but were then able to use the horse to lead them back to their colleague, who they very much suspected was dead.

When they arrived they were taken back by the horror of the scene. John Smith was no more. His body lay burnt and lifeless next to his burning pile of manure which had been ‘set on fire by the electric fluid.’ John was largely naked, his clothes being torn to shreds by the impact of the lightning and scattered around him in the field. His shoes were described as ‘high shoes’ – presumed to mean high-heeled – were also affected by the blast. One shoe had its ‘laces torn to atoms’ and the other was blown from the body and could not be found, which was the same outcome for his hat. He also suffered a broken leg and there was a considerable indent in the ground where his head had hit the earth, despite the ground being dry at the time the storm arrived.

Once the men had overcome their initial shock at the scene before them, they conveyed the man home to his family in the manure cart. An inquest took place the following day and the cause of death was given as ‘killed by lightning’.

What lesson can we learn from this tragic tale? If you’re shovelling manure and you see a storm approaching, put your shovel down and take shelter. You can take this literally and figuratively!

If you want to read about another fascinating death involving lightning only a few miles west of this event, please check out my friend Sophie's blog and her story about ball lightning in Helpston here.

References:

Stamford Mercury, 8 June 1821, p.3

Awful Tempest, Sun (London), 1 June 1821, p.3

Image by Terry McGraw from Pixabay

Sibberton: Peterborough’s Lost Medieval Village

Situated in the far west of the Soke of Peterborough, Sibberton was once a thriving medieval village. Nothing remains of the village now, but the first written reference to the village was in 1189. It was located just north of what is now the A47, northwest of Wansford and southwest of Thornaugh. The village was supposedly deserted following the great plague in the 14^th century which killed a large proportion of the population and created many deserted medieval villages around the country.

The only remaining fragment of the village is Sibberton Lodge, a large 17th century house with a 13^th century wing purported to have once been a chapel (and potentially the oldest domestic building in Peterborough, if you haven’t read my previous post). The 17^th century addition features a datestone of 1657, which does beg the question what happened to the chapel between the 14^th and 17^th centuries? It’s very possible that the 17^th century lodge replaced an earlier building on the site and the 13^th century building was in continuous use either as a chapel or domestic building before being subsumed into the new build.

The core of the village was located north of Sibberton Lodge in fields that are currently used for grazing. Peterborough HER records indicate evidence of a church and coffin have been found there, as well as earthworks including an infilled moat. Lidar images suggest the location contains a lot of buried features, some of which can be seen on aerial images of the site. The evidence of a chapel and church so very close together suggests that the chapel was in private hands rather than a site of communal worship, which would explain its survival when the rest of the village decayed.

An online search of the records at The National Archives sheds a little more light on Sibberton, with the names of a few inhabitants jumping out of the records. Stephen de Siberton (sic), son of Henry Wynter of Sibberton appears in a dispute with the Prior and convent of Fineshade somewhere between 1100 and 1600. And we learn that the rector of Sibberton Church (written Sybirton) in 1338 was Thomas de Overton who was present at a debt hearing with the clerk John le Garlickmonger! By far the largest number of records relate to nearby Thornhaugh Manor, which was also known as the manor of Thornhaugh, Walmseford (Wansford) and Sibberton. The records are part of the Russell family archives and it is possible that more information about the inhabitants and homes of Sibberton are sitting amongst the boxes in Bedfordshire Archives, waiting to be discovered.

There are also records in The National Archives relating specifically to Sibberton Lodge, with John Bullock ‘Farmer, grazier and flour dealer’ taking out insurance for the lodge in 1792. The will of William Death of Sibberton in 1685 had the potential to reveal a great deal about the house and lands, but unfortunately the will makes no specific mention of Sibberton, referring largely to his lands in Balderton.

South of the deserted village site and A47 are enormous quarries, stripping away the land that the medieval inhabitants of Sibberton would have known well. Prior to quarrying, a number of assessments were carried out which identified a number of early medieval features including evidence of metalworking, ditches, pottery, and animal bones. It is very possible that these items related to the inhabitants of Sibberton as they worked the land around the village.

One last feature of the village (I’ve saved the best for last) is now kept in Wansford: the font from Sibberton Church. Dated to the early 12^th century, the font features a range of characterful people under arcading that runs around the font. If these people in anyway represent the people of Sibberton then it must have been quite an entertaining place to live! Apparently the font was found at Sibberton Lodge which, as we know, supposedly had its own chapel. So was the font made for the church and moved to the chapel on its demise, later being removed from the chapel as it was enveloped into a home? Or had it always lived at the Sibberton Lodge chapel? Future research may reveal these answers, but if you know more, please do get in contact to solve the mystery.

Although it is not possible to visit the site of the medieval village, Sibberton font can be viewed in Wansford Church when it is open, and Sibberton Lodge can be seen via Bunny Guinness’ National Garden Scheme webpage.

 

References and links: 

Great English Churches entry for Wansford with pictures of Sibberton font                           http://greatenglishchurches.co.uk/html/wansford.html

National Garden Scheme: https://ngs.org.uk/bunny-guinness-sibberton-lodge/

Historic England Listing: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1331255

Peterborough Interactive Mapping: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=1e47538c3218418e86741bf13a33a04b

The image is of the font from Greatford Church and is a placeholder until I am able to visit it in person

The Oldest Buildings in Peterborough: Part Two

This time I am focussing on domestic and ancillary buildings and I’m certain you’re desperate to know the oldest building, but there needs to be a little explanation first.

The oldest group of buildings in modern Peterborough and the soke are, of course, churches. So it’s no surprise that buildings associated with the churches are also some of the oldest, specifically the buildings in the Cathedral precincts. I have therefore separated the cathedral buildings into their own little table. You can decide whether you think the buildings belong with the churches, or domestic buildings. The dates are from the buildings listing and it should be made clear that some of the buildings have changed names. I have given The Deanery (was no. 15) the top spot as the oldest building because other people have told me they believe it is the oldest and that there are Norman features in the building. As ever, if you know more, then please let me know. As with all of these buildings, if you get the chance to visit during the Heritage Open Days, I highly recommend it. The King’s Lodgings has some incredible features and is an entrance route into the Great Gate, which has a fantastic dual aspect views over Cathedral Square and the Cathedral (as shown in the picture). I would love to lead a creative writing class in that space – just imagine the tales that people would be inspired to write!

 

Deanery (was no. 15)	Cathedral precincts	12th
King’s Lodgings	Cathedral precincts	12th
Chapel of St Thomas of Canterbury (Becket’s Chapel)	Cathedral precincts	1174-77
Great Gate	Cathedral precincts	1174-94
Prior’s Gate (was Deanery)	Cathedral precincts	13th core
Table Hall	Cathedral precincts	15th
Canonry House	Cathedral precincts	Medieval

To reiterate the parameters I used in the first part of this blog, a building can only be dated from the first substantial, structural element that it contains. It needs to be more than a wall or window i.e. to remove it would change the look or integrity of the building. It’s also worth adding that datestones are not always good indicators of a buildings age. Datestones often commemorate improvements (raised roofs, new wings, new owners) and can even be fitted into later buildings from earlier demolished buildings. Therefore, datestones should be treated with some scrutiny, only being believed if the architectural features agree. Also, with the number of buildings on the list they have been grouped based on the date given. Some of the time periods – medieval, for example – make it very difficult to compare one building to another because the period is so long, so what might be the oldest building today may change as information is discovered.

The oldest house in Peterborough is probably Longthorpe Tower House – not the tower - with a date of 1250-1270 according to English Heritage. The house was built first and the tower was a later addition at the end of the century. They were part of the same property, but I have included them separately because they are distinct buildings and have different owners.  Why have I written ‘probably’? There is another building that it possibly older. Sibberton Lodge at Thornaugh is potentially older because of its 13^th century wing (possibly a previous chapel). The main building dates from 1657, according to the datestone, but would be much less of a building without the substantial 13th century wing, and so it stakes its place as a viable contender for the oldest building in the soke. There are videos online that show the gardens and views of the house, so do google it if you’re curious. (And if you’re extra curious you can google the deserted medieval village of Sibberton). 

In third place on the list is Woodcroft Castle – hurrah, a castle! Dated to the late 13^th century, it has its own moat and gruesome ghost story. At one time it was neighbours with Torpel Manor and Maxey Castle, which have both since returned to the ground, leaving this the last castle in the area. It is hidden away down a single-track road and is definitely not easy to visit, but you can find images of the interior online from its recent sale and there are some beautiful features.

The rest of the list deserves a lengthy note on each building, but that will perhaps have to become a book, or a talk to any local groups who are interested. A few points worth noting are that Barnack and Maxey are the top two destinations to visit if you’re looking for pre-1700 buildings. With Barnack having the oldest church (and therefore oldest building) in the district, it is perhaps not surprising that there are other old and fascinating buildings in the vicinity. Take a walk around the village and enjoy the landscape archaeology in the middle of the village too (particularly if you’re a fan of moats).

The addition of Peakirk Hermitage on this list is definitely up for debate. I could have placed it with the churches, and still might move it, but decided to include it in domestic buildings. This is because it was always designed as a living space, unlike the churches, and is now a private residence. If someone has a strong case for its removal to the churches list, I’m happy to listen and move it. But then it raises the question of whether rectories need to be moved too, and both lists could start to change a lot.

One way to enjoy the list it to identify a well-known building – Burghley House for example – and count the number of buildings that pre-date it or find buildings of a similar age. I have highlighted some of the best-known buildings for ease. I was surprised to find several buildings with datestones close to that of Thorpe Hall. It is noted as a Cromwellian mansion, but it was not the only Cromwellian building in the area, with three others having datestones from the era, and the potential inclusion of the Old Rectory at Thornhaugh and others also belonging to that period.

It's also worth pointing out that some of the buildings are available as holiday lets, so if you’re looking for a bit of local history and a get away for the weekend, they might just fit the bill. And if you’ve stumbled across this blog because you’re researching your holiday let, hello!

As ever, if you disagree with my placement of buildings, if you have further information, or if you’ve noticed a mistake, please do get in touch. I politely request that you don’t take this information and use it in your own work or social media, but reference it or place a link to it instead. Thank you.

Building	Location	Date
Longthorpe Tower House	Longthorpe	1250-70
Sibberton Lodge	Thornhaugh	13th wing (1657 main house)
Woodcroft Castle	Near Etton	Late 13th
Longthorpe Tower	Longthorpe	1290-1300
Hermitage	Peakirk	Circa 1300 chancel
7 Station Road	Barnack	13-14th
Old Rectory (Uphall)	Ufford	13-14th
The Rectory	Paston	13-14th
Northborough Manor and Gatehouse	Northborough	1330-40
Oxney Farmhouse	Oxney	14th origin
The Friary	Maxey	Medieval
Manor Farmhouse	Werrington	Part Medieval (17th)
Old Vicarage	Maxey	Probably Medieval
25 Mill Road	Maxey	Possibly Medieval
Stoney Croft	Barnack	Possibly Medieval
Feoffee Cottages	Barnack	15th
Lolham Hall	Lolham, near Maxey	Late 15th/early 16th
Castle Farmhouse	Maxey	15th/16th (17th and 19th)
College Farmhouse (was Helpston House)	Helpston	15th/16th
Barn to south-east of The Limes	Barnack	15th/16th
Village Farmhouse	Castor	Prob 15th/16th
Kingsley House	Barnack	Early 16th
75 Church Street	Werrington	16th
Etton Manor House	Etton	16th
Hake House	Peterborough	Probably mid-16th
Burghley House	Near Stamford	1555-87
Manor Farmhouse	Orton Wistow	1571
Abbey House	Thorney	Late 16th
Upton Manor	Upton near Ailsworth	Late 16th
Fayreholme, Church St	Werrington	Late 16th
Westwood Farm	Westwood	Possibly 16th
Milton Hall	Near Bretton	1594
46 Cherry Orton	Orton Wistow	1600
Wothorpe Tower (Ruin)	Wothorpe	1600
Church Farmhouse	Etton	16th/17th
Manor Farmhouse	Helpston	16th/17th (1660)
Maxey Hall	Maxey	16th/17th
Woodgate House	Maxey	16th/17th
Belsize Farmhouse and Barn	Near Marholm	Prob 16th/17th
Orton Hall	The Village, Orton Longueville	Late 16th/early 17th (part)

17th Century

22 Main Street	Barnack	Prob 17th or earlier
23 and 24 Main Street	Barnack	Prob 17th or earlier
The Gordon Arms, Oundle Road	Orton Longueville	Early 17th (part)
Grange Farmhouse, The Village	Orton Longueville	Early 17th
Manor Farmhouse	Maxey	Early 17th
The Willows	Werrington	Early 17th
Winterfold, The Village	Orton Longueville	Prob early 17th
Old Smithy	Castor	Prob early 17th (1676 datestone)
Glinton Manor and Stables	Glinton	1630-1640
Marholm Farmhouse	Marholm	1633
Old Rectory	Thornhaugh	Mid 17th (possibly 1620s according to estate agent listing)
Yew Tree House	Longthorpe	Mid 17th
Thorpe Hall	Peterborough	1653-56
Ivy Cottage	Maxey	1655
Cromwell House	Helpston	1658
The Old Nursery House	Wothorpe	1658
Thorney Abbey House	Thorney	1660
Blue Bell	Dogsthorpe	1665
1103 Lincoln Road (Heading’s Farm/Walton House)	Walton	1668
The Guildhall	Peterborough	1671
Walcot Hall	Near Barnack	1678
Walcot Hall Stables	Near Barnack	1680
Barn End, Cherry Orton Road	Orton Waterville	1682
Ye Olde Corner Shop	Barnack	1684
Model Farmhouse	Upton	1685
1 Lover’s Lane	Sutton	17th
7 Castle End	Maxey	17th
8A and 9 Church Street	Peterborough	17th
14 and 15 Main Street	Barnack	17th
320 Thorpe Road	Longthorpe	17th wing
Apple Acre Cottage	Thornhaugh	17th
Barn, Wothorpe House	Wothorpe	17th
Blue Boar	Eye	17th
Gate House	Barnack	17th
Fitzwilliam Arms	Castor	17th
Littlefield	Barnack	17th (Saxon Window)
Malthouse	Glinton	17th
Manor House	Thornhaugh	17th
Old Rectory	Castor	17th
Pilsgate House	Pilsgate	17th
Rectory Farmhouse, Cherry Orton Road	Orton Waterville	17th
Rose Cottage	Maxey	17th
Workhouse/Almsrooms, Cumbergate	Peterborough	17th
Wothorpe Farmhouse	Wothorpe	17th
19 Graeme Road	Sutton	Late 17th
24 High Street	Maxey	Late 17th
35 South Street	Stanground	Late 17th
51 Priestgate (Old Vicarage)	Peterborough	Late 17th
71, 73 Wharf Road	Woodston	Late 17th
Eyebury Farmhouse and Barn	Near Eye	Late 17th
The Grove Farmhouse	Longthorpe	Late 17th
Nunton House	Near Maxey	Late 17th
Oxney Farmhouse Barn	Oxney	Prob 17th
Walnut House	Ailsworth	Prob 17th
Dovecote to Longthorpe Tower House	Longthorpe	Possibly 17th
Outbuildings to Longthorpe Tower House	Longthorpe	Possibly 17th
8 Station Road	Barnack	17th/18th or earlier
4 Ladds Lane	Maxey	17th/18th
7 High Street	Maxey	17th/18th
11 High Street	Maxey	17th/18th
19 West End Road	Maxey	17th/18th
28 High Street	Maxey	17th/18th
36 High Street	Maxey	17th/18th
Blue Bell Pub	Maxey	17th/18th
Cook’s Hole Farmhouse	Thornhaugh	17th/18th
Green Man	Marholm	17th/18th
House on the Square	Barnack	17th/18th
Lolham Hall Cottages	Maxey	17th/18th
Old Butcher’s Shop	Barnack	17th/18th
The Old Cottage	Barnack	17th/18th
Pasque Cottage	Barnack	17th/18th
Wisteria Farmhouse	Maxey	17th/18th
Chester Cottage	Barnack	17th/early 18th
Westways and Hillside	Pilsgate	17th/early 18th
52 North St	Stanground	Late 17th/early 18th
Longacre Cottage	Maxey	Late 17th/early 18th
Manor House Farmhouse	Stanground	Late 17th/early 18th

Update: three buildings from Longthorpe have been added to the 17th century section