1598 travel book: Paul Hentzner’s Travels in England.
Observed that beds in the inns in Puckeridge were made by waiters – the first place where this had been noticed.
17th century offences
- Swearing.
- Not attending Divine Service for 2 months.
- Grinding malt on the Sabbath.
- Keeping an alehouse without a licence.
- Trading as a grocer or baker without having served 7 years as an apprentice.
- 1637 – The Bell was a common receptacle for cheaters and other lewd people.
- Entertaining vagabonds at unreasonable hours.
1837/2 penalties
- 3 labourers for stealing 2 sheep – transportation for life.
- 2 labourers for stealing 7 handkerchiefs – transportation for 7 years.
Fires
- 1702 – 9 inhabitants of Puckeridge totally impoverished when their houses were destroyed by fire – total loss £549-11-0. A charitable collection throughout the County was proposed.
- 1888 – 4 cottages at entrance to Puckeridge on left side of Standon Road, opposite meadow, completely destroyed.
1863 Railway
Early problems:
- Aug 1863 – 3 acres of barley destroyed by fire caused by burning coal from engine.
- Jan 1864 – Shunting engine left track at Standon.
- Oct 1867 – Standon Station burnt down – rebuilt (1869?)
1866:
Special train to Broxbourne to connect with August Bank Holiday excursion to Hunstanton.
1888/90 Activities
- Black and white entertainment.
- Summer outing (fortnight in Standon) for London children.
- Visiting art exhibition
- Total abstinence society.
- Workmen’s Institute acquired a piano and added games and reading to its activities.
- Minstrel troupe.
- Visiting theatre company.
- Visiting menagerie (animals and waxworks).
- Congregational Sunday School.
- Display of lantern pictures.
- Billiard tables added to Puckeridge Reading Room and Standon Workmen’s Institute.
- Concerts at Standon Workmen’s Institute and Puckeridge Church School.
- Cricket Club formed.
- Home industry exhibition.
- Fretwork Association.
- School treat at Vicarage – 260 children from Puckeridge and Standon schools marched with banners and flags flying. Sports, swings, Punch, puppets (from Hamleys). Cricket match. A German band passing through the village was invited in.
- Choir excursion to Margate (by train).
- East Herts Choral Festival.
- Talk on slave life by a former American slave.
- Lecture on New Zealand hot lakes region.
- Flower service at Congregational Chapel – flowers sent to London hospitals including Great Ormond Street.
- Standon Fair.
- Old Hall Green Fair – once considerable, almost died out, new landlord of Bay Horse trying to revive it – presented prizes for races.
- Windmill Benefit Club Dinner.
- Schoolchildren received a bun and sixpence at Christmas.
- Puckeridge Hunt – internal disputes reached the High Court.
- Volunteer Forces – annual camps in the County – no doubt included local men.
- Shooting season postponed in 1889 because of late harvest.
1912
- Scouts
- Girls’ social evenings.
- Drum and Fife Band.
- Entertainment “Sleeping Beauty” – 9 children, including Ivy Clark (Whitaker) and Emmie Whitaker(Chapman).
Reproduced by kind permission of Alistair Kennedy