Major events in the life of the village
6,000BC “Wotsisname” loses an axehead near Mobb’s Hole, Guilden Morden
300s AD Roman road from Arrington bridge – which Fleck’s Lane & Silver St now respect – Roman villa built and cemetry opened (for interring burial urns).
700s Anglo-saxon cemetery at Thompson’s meadow – see photo above
1086 Sheriff (Baron) Picot, “the crafty fox, filthy swine” etc acquires the major part of Guilden Morden
1092 In 1092 he endows land and a chapel at Ruddery or “Redreth” (a hamlet) to support St Giles – later Barnwell Abbey. “Redreth” lay off the Ashwell Rd, left, beyond Cold Harbour farm (an old Roman station) near to the green lane called Ashwell Street. — also in the Norman period &emdash earliest structures of existing St Mary’s put in place.
1279 – view of frankpledge and assize of bread and ale held by the Hospitallers of Shingay – see also The Templars & Royston Cave
1327 – now under the Honour of Clare a meeting of the Court Leet, at Litlington see transcript
1381 Peasants’ Revolt – an attack on Morden Hall /Bondesbury manor – Peasants’ Revolt 1381
1645 The puritan Wm Dowsing has an iconoclastic go at St Mary’s church ornaments 1660 Maypole restored at parish expense.
1805 The result of the Inclosure Act (1800) changes the landscape and livelihood of the village and villagers
1841 An Independent Chapel is built at Pound Green – see Chapel History
1847 School built, eventually absorbing the British (chapel) and National (church) schools see History of the School
1850 The Hitchin to Royston railway – station of Ashwell and Morden opens.
1845 Disaster at sea as 23 villagers emigrating to Australia drown in a shipwreck accident
1851 *Kelly’s lists– 5 farmers; 6 beer retailers; 2 pubs (6Bells & 3Tuns); 2 butchers, a grocer & draper; a tailor, a milliner, a shoemaker, a wheelwright; a general shopkeeper ; 2 blacksmiths (Ree & Newell); 3 teachers and 2 bakers
1866 Railway disaster at the Litlington crossing – driver and fireman both die
1875 *Kelly’s lists– 13 farmers 5 beer retailers; 3 pubs (6 Bells, 3 Tuns, Black Swan); 1 butcher, a shopkeeper; a tailor, a shoemaker; only 1 baker (Reavell) a miller; a castrator; carpenter; overseer coprolite & coal merchant (H Fordham, Odsey)
1881 Great Fire of Guilden Morden – 50 homeless – see Great Fire
1890s Parish Council forms part of Melbourn Rural District
1900 *Kelly’s list– 6 farmers ; 5 beer retailers 3 pubs (6 Bells, 3 Tuns, The Swan); 1 butcher; 2 bakers (Harper & Rule); 2 blacksmiths (Newell & Kaye) ; PO & shop (Jarman), shopkeeper, shoemaker, miller; coal dealer. castrator; cattle dealer, saddler, carpenter, cooper, higgler; bailiff. Old Post office
1912 parish buys 8 acres for a recreation field
1914-18 Roll of Honour
1928 First Village Hall built
1934 Parish Council incorporated into S Cambs Rural District (S Cambs District 1974)
1939-45 Roll of Honour
1950 Mrs Jo Murfitt can list 5 farms in this the year she came to live here
1970 Last Forge ends generations of the Kaye family as blacksmiths [img_assist|nid=78|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=135]
1974 Village School re-opens on new site in Pound Green — Old School in Church St sold
1977 Railway link Royston/King’s Cross electrified. Ashwell & Morden service opens Feb 6
1988 Railway link to Cambridge opens as a diesel-electric service on 16 May
1990 Of the pubs, Black Swan (Swan Lane), The Pear Tree (47 New Rd), Six Bells, The Chestnuts, The Pig & Whistle (63 High St); The Fox, The Black Horse (Potton Rd), Three Tuns and King Edward VII – only the last two survive
1998 Post Office and Shop closes.
2002 New village hall ? – not yet!
2002 Cicely Murfitt elected local councillor for South Cambs replacing Richard who served for many years.
2003 Nick Crane leaves Three Tuns after 20 years; Clive Gilley puts Linda in as new manager.
2005 A new village shop, Guilden Groceries, opens on May Bank Holiday.
2008 Aug/Sep The recreation ground is transformed by a new children’s play area.
*Note: Kelly’s Post Office Directories were the Yellow Pages of the day and are available year by year in the Cambridgeshire Collection for all the county villages and towns.
School c1912