Kelly Directory 1900

CHATTERIS — in Domesday Book written " Cetriz " and "Cateriz," by some old authors "Chateriz" and by Camden "Cheaterizt" - is a parish and market town with a station on the Wisbech and St. Ives branch of the Great Eastern Railway, 71 miles from London by road and 83 by railway, 19 south from Wisbech, 25 1/2 north-by-west from Cambridge, 10 3/4 north-by-east from St. Ives and 12 north-west from the city of Ely by road, but 26 1/2 by railway, in the northern division of the county, hundred and union of North Witchford, in the Isle of Ely, petty sessional subdivision of Chatteris and county court district of March, and in the peculiar archideaconal juresdiction of the Bishop of Ely.

Under the provisions of the Local Government Act, 1894 (56 & 57 Vict.c73) the town is now governed by an Urban District Council, having been from 1873 under the control of a Local Board: it is lighted with gas from works the property of the Chatteris Gas and Coke Co. Limited: the water supply is derived from wells.

The church of St. Peter is an ancient building of stone, in various styles, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, south porch and an embattled western tower with a low spire containing a clock and 5 bells: the chancel is divided from the body of the church by a handsome screen: there are 750 sittings, 500 being free. The register dates from the year 1650. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £1050 with 330 1/2 acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of the Rev. Charles Henry Brocklebank M.A. of Willoughbhby Hall, Grantham, and held since 1877 by the Rev Sidney Anderson Smith M.A. of Corpus Christi college, Cambridge. The Particular Baptist chapel in Hive Lane was endowed by Miss Claridge in 1800 with lands now producing £50 yearly for the support of a minister, and has settings for 250; there is another in Park Street with 900 sittings; and a General Baptist chapel in West Park street holding 700 persons; the Congregational chapel, Park street is a brick building in the Tudor style seating 350; there is a Primitive Methodist chapel at Slade End with about 200 sittings; the Wesleyan chapel, New road, was enlarged in 1855, and now has about 600 sittings. The Society of Friends have a meeting house in High Street with sittings for about 300.

There are two cemeteries, both in New Street: the Parochial cemetery, formed in 1856, covers an area of nearly 6 acres with two mortuary chapels, and is under the control of the Urban District Council: the General cemetery was formed by a company in 1850 and is 3a. 2r. 13p. in extent.

The trade of Chatteris consists almost entirely in supplying the neighbourhood with necessaries, but it is also an important thoroughfare, being on the direct road from Norfolk, to Huntingdon and the western country, and also on the road between Peterborough and Newmarket. The Corn Exchange is in High street. The market, established in 1834, is held on Friday and there are two fairs. Here are two banks, a brewery and engineering, mat and rope works. At Ferry farm, in this parish, B. G. Heaton esq. has a stud farm for the breeding of horses. The poors land of 48 acres produces about £140 yearly.

A convent of Benedictine nuns, dedicated to St. Mary, was founded here about the year 980, by Alwina, niece to King Edgar, and wife of Athelstan, Earl of the East Angles; in the reign of Henry I. the nunnery was annexed to the church of Ely, and wholly dissolved in 1538.

Many antiquities have been dug up here in excavating for gravel; not many years since part of the skeleton of an elephant was found, 10 feet below the level of the ground; and in 1824 an earthen jar, containing about 1000 copper coins, was ploughed up, about 2 miles from the village; they were mostly Roman, of the Emperors Constantius (A.D. 305) and Constantine (A.D. 306); various other relics of the Romans have been met with at several times hereabout, as well as celts and a double edged sword, the hilt of which was embossed with figures of men fighting; this, when found, was in a perfect state of preservation.

In several parts of the fen lands large oak trees have been brought to the surface from a great depth. Near here is Vermuyden's Drain, so named after Sir Cornelius Vermuyden, a celebrated engineer, who drained the Bedford level in 1649-53. St. Matthias Court, a piece of land of 34 acres, formerly held in trust by by the Bishops of Ely, was conveyed in 1860 to 24 inhabitants of Chatteris as trustees, and the rent is applied to the general improvement of the town.

John Dunn Gardner esq. D.L., of 37 Grosvenor place, London S W, is lord of the manors of Chatteris Ramsey and Bartle-nuper-Gardiners; Thomas Jennings esq. of Newmarket, is lord of the manor of Chatteris Nunns; the Master and Fellows of Corpus Christi college, Cambridge are lords of the manor of Benet College, Chatteris. The principal landowners are John Dunn Gardner esq. Martin O'Connor esq. J. Edward Fryer esq. the Master and Fellows of Christ's College, Cambridge, John Nix esq. The Limes, Chatteris, John Curtis Smith esq. J.P. of Grove House, Thomas Richards esq. of Wimblington, Arthur Ruston esq. and Herbert Fortescue Fryer esq. The Priory, Chatteris.

The soil is clay, loam and fen land; subsoil, clay. The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats, mangolds, carrots and potatoes. The land around has been rendered very productive by draining and gaulting. This area is 13,683 of land and 36 of water; rateable value, £26,813; the population in 1891 was 4,587.

Parish Clerk, Joseph Basham.