March in Cambridge County England History and Geography

MARCH, a market town and chapelry in the parish of DODDINGTON, northern division of the hundred of WITCHFORD, Isle of ELY, county of CAMBRIDGE, 31 miles (N. by W.) from Cambridge, and 80 (N.) from London, containing 3850 inhabitants. The town is situated on the banks of the navigable river Nene, by means of which corn, and the local horticultural produce, are conveyed to Cambridge, Lynn, Peterborough, and other places. The market, granted to Sir Alexander Peyton, in 1671, is on Friday, chiefly for butchers' meat; and there are two fairs, each of which continues three days, commencing on the Monday before Whitsuntide, and on the second Tuesday in October: at the first of these, horses are sold only on the third day. Manorial courts are held in the guildhall, a modern and commodious edifice situated in the High-street; and this place is within the jurisdiction of a court of requests, for the recovery of debts under 40s. throughout the Isle of Ely, established by act of parliament passed in the 18th of George III., held here once a month. The chapel, which is dedicated to St. Wendreda, is a very ancient structure, with a spire at the west end: it was erected about the year 1343, at which period an indulgence was granted by the Pope to all who should contribute to it; in the interior are several ancient monuments. A school was founded, in 1696, by William Neale, Esq., for the education of eight boys in Latin and English, and endowed with thirty-three acres and a half of land in Whites Fen, upon the special condition that the land should never be broken up, unless overgrown with rushes, and in that case it was to be once cropped with oats, and again laid down as greensward; a forfeiture of the property to the heirs of the donor to be the penalty of infringing this condition. Mr. Henry Wade having bequeathed a house and lands for charitable purposes, the rents were appropriated, under a decree obtained in the court of Chancery in 1713, in the following manner: £20 per annum to a schoolmaster, for the instruction of twenty poor children of March; £20 per annum for apprentice fees; £5 per annum for decayed housekeepers; and the residue in the purchase of heifers, on Easter Monday, for poor housekeepers: the schoolmaster on Neale's foundation receives the above-mentioned salary, and the further sum of £6.15., arising from land devised, in 1653, by Mr. James Sheppard, and the interest of £30, the gift of Mr. Gabriel Sheppard, for the instruction of children. There are some unendowed almshouses for the parochial poor. Between this town and Wisbeach, in the year 1730, urns enclosing burnt bones, and a vessel containing one hundred and sixty Roman denarii of different emperors, were discovered.

From Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England 1831, courtesy of Databases 4 Sale

Related Information of Interest:

Marching Along
1. In England, until the Gregorian calendar was adopted in 1752, March was considered what month of the calendar year?
A. First
B. Fourth
C. Eighth
D. Last

A. First
QQ: In England, until the Gregorian calendar was adopted in 1752, March was considered the first month with the legal year beginning on March 25.

2. What animal is honored on March 1?
A. Pig
B. Horse
C. Cow
D. Chicken

A. Pig
QQ: March 1 is National Pig Day. It was started by Texas art teacher Ellen Stanley in 1972 to honor and give thanks to our most intelligent domesticated creature.

3. Also known as St. David's Day, what country holds March 1 as its National Day?
A. Ireland
B. England
C. Wales
D. Scotland

C. Wales
QQ: March 1, St. David's Day, is the national day of Wales. St. David was the founder and first abbot-bishop of Menevia, now St. David's in Dyfed, South Wales. The day is commemorated by the wearing of daffodils or leeks. Both plants are traditionally regarded as national emblems.

4. What organ of the body is honored the third week in March?
A. Heart
B. Skin
C. Lungs
D. Brain

D. Brain
QQ: The third week of March is Brain Awareness Week in support of brain disease and research.

5. What favorite food is honored in March?
A. Soup
B. Eggs
C. Steak
D. Noodles

D. Noodles
QQ: As legend has it, noodles were first made by 13th century German bakers who fashioned dough into symbolic shapes, such as words, birds and stars. These "nudels" were then baked and served as bread. March national noodle month.

6. According to Roman mythology, Mars is the God of War. He was also regarded as what?
A. Father of Rome
B. Destroyer of Rome
C. Founder of Rome
D. Builder of Rome

A. Father of Rome
QQ: One of the most important Roman deities, Mars was regarded as the father of the Roman people because he was the father of Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome. Although his original nature and functions are obscure, Mars was identified by the Romans with the Greek god of war, Ares. The month of March was named for Mars.

7. The week of March 20-26 is designated to honor what childhood pastime?
A. Chewing Gum
B. Bubbles
C. Slinky
D. Yoyo

B. Bubbles
QQ: March 20 to 26, 2004, is "National Bubble Week," the week for kids of all ages to celebrate the fun and enchantment of bubbles. The first-ever Bubble Week was in 2000 and was initiated by Oddzon, makers of Koosh Bubbles. The event was created to herald the first day of spring -- the unspoken first day of the bubble-blowing season.

8. March has its own insect, the March ____. What is it?
A. Bee
B. Moth
C. Beetle
D. Fly

D. Fly
QQ: There are about 119,500 known species of flies and they make up the fourth largest insect order, after the beetles, butterflies and moths, and bees and wasps.

9. What piece of foul weather gear is honored in the month of March?
A. Raincoat
B. Galoshes
C. Rubber boots
D. Umbrella

D. Umbrella
QQ: March is national umbrella month As a shade from the sun, the umbrella is of great antiquity. It is only more recently we have come to see the umbrella as protection from rain.

10. What favorite snack food is honored in the month of March?
A. Corn chips
B. Popcorn
C. Peanuts
D. Cheese curds

C. Peanuts
QQ: March is National Peanut Month. National Peanut Month had its beginnings as National Peanut Week in 1941. It was expanded to a month-long celebration in 1974.

You can enjoy more trivia created by Deanna Mascle at A Trivia Break, The QuizQueen, and Trivial Topics. Submitted with Article Distributor.