Buckden - a Huntingdonshire Village

48 perhaps best known for his service with the Buckden Branch of the Royal British Legion: as Chairman (1982-92), President (1996-98) and Vice Chairman (1998-2007). He was married for some forty-seven years to Jean Bartram (1921-97). marina , Mill Road . Buckden Marina is a 92 acre leisure development on the banks of the Great Ouse. Its tranquil surroundings include facilities for water- and jet-skiing, holiday lodges, boat moorings, chandlery and a Royal Yacht Association Training Centre. It is one of the village’s largest employers. Marshall, Sir Arthur Wellington (1841-1918) was the co-owner of Huntingdon Brewery. His marriage into an old-established Huntingdon banking family and subsequent occupation of Buckden Towers made him one of the area’s leading residents between 1872 and 1911. Both the Towers and the brewery were bought for him by his father James Marshall, co-founder of the famous London store, Marshall & Snelgrove. He served with the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, reaching the rank of Lt-Colonel and Honorary Colonel. When he resigned in 1886, he was permitted to ‘retain his rank and wear the prescribed uniform’. The local papers liked to refer to him as Colonel Marshall until his knighthood in 1898 enabled them to use the even more impressive title Sir Arthur. He was Deputy Lieutenant of Huntingdonshire, Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire, and thrice Mayor of Huntingdon,. He was president of the Huntingdon & Godmanchester Conservative Association and would almost certainly have become Huntingdon’s MP in 1885 had not the Redistribution of Seats Act earlier that year disenfranchised the town by absorbing its seat into the two county constituencies. These were the preserve of well- connected county families – no admittance for tradesmen, however distinguished. In April 1893, he was elected first president of the newly formed Diddington and Buckden Horticultural Society. He also offered the grounds of The Towers as the venue for its first show. See also Laundry Cottage. Marshall’s Corner was a late 19thC name given to the junction of Church Street and the High Street; it was derived from the then occupier of The Towers, Sir Arthur Marshall. It was also known as the ‘Lion’ corner. Maurice, Rev. Lionel Selwyn [Powys] (1899-1991) , sporting clergyman who spent his latter years in Buckden, was a canon, the son of a canon, the father of a canon, and both the grandson and great-grandson of Anglican priests. He grew up in Kimbolton, where both he and his father (the vicar) were enthusiastic members of the local Rifle Club. But his great love was for cricket. A right-hand batsman, he played two first class seasons for Northamptonshire, in 1922 and 1923, making 156 runs in 19 innings at an average of 8.21. His highest score was 65. He then dropped the Powys from his name, and played one season for Blackheath, his first curacy. He was also a keen golfer, and became a leading light of the Ely Diocesan Golf Team. He served as parish priest of, among other places, St Peter’s, Offord Darcy, and All Saints’, Cottenham. On his retirement from Cottenham in 1964 he and his second wife Molly moved to Buckden, first to Hardwick Dene and then to Perry Road. During the active years of his retirement, he played his part in Buckden life, helping out with church services and encouraging the young to take up sport – particularly cricket. Mayfield joins the southern end of the High Street to Lucks Lane. Although quite short, it was an essential link in the residential expansion of Buckden in the late 20thC. Medical Services in Buckden is the title and subject of Chapter 14 which in particular contains biographies of many of the doctors who have contributed to the health of Buckden’s population. A characterful group, they also enriched village life by being sportsmen, parish councillors, gardeners, club secretaries, singers of comic songs and (sometimes) eccentrics. meeting houses. Under the Toleration Act 1689 and an amending act passed in 1812, protestant dissenters had to petition their local bishop or archdeacon to certify and register any premises in which they wished to assemble for worship. Several such petitions are known from Buckden, which has a long tradition of non-conformity. They include: 1811 Francis Pestill and others, to use the house of William Holmes 1811 Charles Green and others: to use own house 1815 Thos Usher and others: to use house occupied by Samuel Chapman 1816 Thos Usher and others: to use house occupied by Robert Moon 1828 William Whitney and William Cade, to use the house of one of them 1838 John Roberts, to use chapel situate in Buckden 1839 Henry Creamer of Silver Street, trunk maker: to use own house 1844 James Thomson of Bakers Lane, carpenter, later inventor and engineer: to use own house 1845 William Pole: to use Edward Attwell's house 1846 Richard Wimpress of the High Street, shoemaker: to use chapel in Buckden Registered premises could not be ‘locked, bolted, barred, or otherwise fastened’ while a meeting was being held. The Manor House with the Vicarage beyond Philip Gale Collection