Church Leaders Little Thetford and Stretham since 1222

Researched by Alan Hall for the St. George’s Church Flower Festival May 2009
Little Thetford in the 19th Century with Notes from Peter Cockerton.
Updated 23 October 2010 – NOTE: The information below is taken from two sources. (1) the board inside the church at Stretham and (2) some of the names have been confirmed from other sources such as The Times notices of appointments and clergy databases.
Church of England

From

To

Name

Comment
1222 Arnulf
1276 Wymbisse, Thomas de
1302 Dogelly, Richardus de
1338 Hatherston William de; Bagthorpe, Nicholas de Sub Deacon
1351 Seyr, Robert; Thomas Darrant
1366 Stratton, Robert de Prebendary of Masam at York Minster and Prebendary of Biggleswade, Lincoln Cathedral
1383 Osgodby, William de By exchange with Thomas de Dalby
1383 Lindesay, John
1407 Burgess, William
1415 Braunston, John; Spalding, William
1458 Redman, Richard Distinct from Richard Redman, who became Bishop of Ely
1488 Ryplingham, John
1488 Ryplingham, Richard
1523 1554 Ryseley, Richardus
1554 1559
1559 1570 Ridley, Lancelotti Father of Mark Ridley (physician)
1570 1592 Parker, John Archdeacon of Ely
1592 1598 Jones, Edwardus
1598 1621 Lawrence, Willimus This gives dates 1598-1621, but tentatively.
1621 Brownrigg, Ralp Afterwards Bishop of Exeter
1623 1638 Felton, Nicholaus Deprived by the Earl of Manchester and Parliamentary Visitor
1643 Clarke Matthew; Car, Robert Rector in the time of Richard Cromwell (son of Oliver)
1662 1678 Brunsell, Henricus He married Anne, a sister of Christopher Wren
1678 1690 Oldham, Richard
1690 1691 Kemp, Robert
1696 1727 Perkins, Ralph
1727 1771 Thomas, Charles
1771 1784 Brown, James
1784 1802 Swaine, John
1802 1812 Morgan, Caesar
1812 1818 Law, Henry As a JP he was a figure of the 1816 Littleport riots.
1818 1827 Sparke, John Henry Canon of Ely; he was eldest son of Bowyer Sparke
1827 1869 Baber, Henry Hervey Keeper of printed books at British Museum
1869 1884 Pigot, Hugh
1885 1906 Cockshott, John William Hon. Canon of Ely.
1906 1945 Stitt, S Stuart
1945 1952 Cowgill, John E Lambeth Palace records
1952 1955 Loughborough, George W
1955 1965 Foulds, Dennis
1966 1974 Hornby John H
1974 1993 Askey, John Stuart
1994 1998 Kilner, Fredrick James From 1994 incumbents are known as Team Vicars
1999 2005 Sansom, John
2005 2009 Scott, Pauline Claire Michalak
2009 — Harper, Margaret

Records before 1523 have not been confirmed; they have been checked (other than minor spelling differences) with the painted board in the south-west corner of the nave

Note: Before 1374 there were three churches in Little Thetford –

  1. Haveryngmere, situated on Chapel Hill, near the ferry
  2. Church of Etheldreda, the site of which cannot be traced, and
  3. The present Church of St. George
Baptist Church
The chapel built in 1839 became too small and the present building was built on the same site in 1867.Names of those led by God to be Pastors and leaders of the Baptist Church appointed to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the salvation of souls at Little Thetford.

  • 1839-1842 : Rev William Harris (Landbeach)
  • 1865-1886 : Rev Henry Bereford Robinson (Haddenham)
  • 1889-1896 : Rev Fred Wheaton Dunster (Soham)
  • 1897-1945 : Rev Alfred Robert Routledge (Stretham)
  • 1942-1948 : Rev R. F. Gascoyne (Hahhenham)
  • 1948-1951 : Rev Arthur Tilling (Haddenham)

In 1952 the church departed from being held by one of the larger churches such as Haddenham, and the Wiburton group of churches was formed. The four churches were Wilburton, Aldreth, Witchford and Little Thetford under the charge of a Deaconess.

  • 1952-1957 : Sister Cynthia Allegro
  • 1961-1967 : Sister Kathleen Simons
  • 1970-1972 : Sister Doreen Mudge

In 1972 Little Thetford became totally autonomous.

  • 1972 – 2009 : Pastor Peter John Cockerton
  • 2009 – present : Pastor Tudor Parsons