Sy Mary's Church
Woodditton Parish War Memorial for the two World Wars, Remembrance Day November 2002.
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The Church stands three quarters of a mile from the main village centre and is set in peaceful rural surroundings with fine old horse-chestnut trees growing in the churchyard.
Its origins go back to the 12th century when it is believed to have been a wooden building but evidence has been uncovered pointing to the existence of a small monastery on the site, pre-dating the church. Like most old churches it has been altered or added to over the centuries but the pointed arch doors and windows date the present structure to the Early Gothic period. Inside there is a fine rood screen, separating the nave from the chancel. At the foot of the tower are iron gates with brass bosses. There are some alabaster figures dating from the 13th century that were disfigured during the Cromwell purges. In the south aisle are brasses of Henry English and his wife dated 1393. He is represented in plate armour, mail gorget and pointed helmet, with a lion at his feet. |
Pray for the souls of the gallant dead
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Jack Avis
Victor Avis Walter Avis Phillip Balls Henry Barrett Francis Brown Charles E Burling Joseph Burling Walter Burling Frederick G Cates Herbert C Cates Chris Chambers Joseph Chapman John Chapman George W Claydon Horace Claydon William Cook Frederick Cooke Harry Cooke Reuben Cooke Sydney Cooke Frederick Crick Bert Daines Frederick C Day Harry Thomas Day William Chapman Day Albert Edward Dean George Lazarus Dean Robert Denny Alfred Dooel Richard Drake George Dyer Cyril Duffield Harry C Everett Herbert C Everett George H Everett |
George Fisher
Alfred Foreman Frederick Frost Hubert Gent Norman Gent Augustus Hatley Edward Hatley Frederick Hatley Charles Harrington Frederick Harrington James Hazelwood Harold Hinkins Albert Howe Charles Howe Percy Howe Percy William Howe Alfred Hubbard Charles Hubbard John Hubbard Ernest Hurst William Jacobs Samuel Jacobs Arthur Jaggard David Jaggard Frederick Jeffries Richard Jeffery C Hugh Jennings Arthur Jonas Alex Law Kenneth G Levett Jack Lorkins James Marsh Noah Marsh Edward H Miles Frederick Mills |
Philip Moore
Charles Mynott Herbert Mynott Percival Mynott Ben Mully Robert Murton Vic Newman Fred Norman Frederick Nunn George A Nunn Herbert Nunn Isacc Nunn John A Nunn Clive Pettitt Frederick Pettitt Luke Pettitt Sam Pettitt Stephen Pettitt Frederick Peachey Joseph Peachey Reuben Peachey Robert Peachey Percy Plume George Prentice Bert Price Thomas Price Ernest Plume Leslie Paine Frederick Reynolds Alfred Rannes Arthur Scrivener George Scrivener James Scrivener William Sharp Edward Sharpe William Sharpe |
Arthur Joseph Smith
George Henry Smith Joseph Arthur Smith Charles Smith James Smith William Starvis James Stone Ernest Surrage Robert Swan Albert Swann Edward J Swann Harry Swann Charles Rannes Arnold D Taylor Sidney Taylor Edward R Thompson Herbert Thompson Hilory Thompson Sam C Thompson Edmund Tilbrooke Peter Turner Ernest G Wake John Wallage William Watkinson Israel Webber Thomas Williamson Benjamin Wilson Charles Wiseman Donald Wiseman Ernest Wiseman George Wiseman Arthur J Woollard Frederick Woollard John Woollard Jonas Woollard |
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This record was copied from Cambridgeshire History and can be found on their site. It is not for publication but for personal information and is compiled and copyright © Dave Edwards 2001
http://www.cambridgeshirehistory.com/cambridgeshire/index.html | ||
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THE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS
The church has seven fine stained glass windows, one in each of the west and east end walls, two in the south aisle, two in the south wall of the chancel and one in the north wall of the chancel. Left to right: The west window, the first window in the south aisle, the second window in the south aisle, the first window in the south wall of the chancel, the second window in the south wall of the chancel, the east window, the window in the north wall of the chancel. |
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VICARS OF WOODDITTON FROM 1577
1577 William Ridgewell M.A.; 1618 Robert Levitt M.A.; 1661 John Bridge M.A.; 1661 John Sheppard M.A.; 1714 John Dighton D.D.; 1752 Thomas Barnard D.D.; 1782 - 1806 Henry Turner M.A.; 1806 - 1834 James Barker B.A.; 1834 - 1847 Plumpton Wilson L.L.B.; 1847 - 1882 Josiah Walker L.L.B.; 1882 - 1897 Joseph Wiggins Kyte; 1897 - 1913 Hugh Guy M.A.; 1913 - 1922 Arnold Douglas Taylor M.A.; 1922 - 1925 John Henry Crick M.A.; 1925 -1937 Stanley Austin M.A.; 1937 - 1941 Ambrose Maryon Watson M.A.; 1941 - 1966 Robert Arthur Geoffrey Binns; 1966 -1975 Claud Edward Flood; 1975 - 1987 Arthur Vivian Davis; 1987 - 1996 Alan Fellows Homer; 1996 - 2007 Christine Ann Sindall; 2008 - Ann Gurner.
The church comes within the Ely diocese. The minister (from July 9th 2008) will be the Revd. Margaret (Ann) Gurner, The Rectory Cheveley, who is also responsible for the parishes of Ashley, Cheveley and Kirtling. The church magazine 'The Link' also covers the four parishes and is published monthly.
1577 William Ridgewell M.A.; 1618 Robert Levitt M.A.; 1661 John Bridge M.A.; 1661 John Sheppard M.A.; 1714 John Dighton D.D.; 1752 Thomas Barnard D.D.; 1782 - 1806 Henry Turner M.A.; 1806 - 1834 James Barker B.A.; 1834 - 1847 Plumpton Wilson L.L.B.; 1847 - 1882 Josiah Walker L.L.B.; 1882 - 1897 Joseph Wiggins Kyte; 1897 - 1913 Hugh Guy M.A.; 1913 - 1922 Arnold Douglas Taylor M.A.; 1922 - 1925 John Henry Crick M.A.; 1925 -1937 Stanley Austin M.A.; 1937 - 1941 Ambrose Maryon Watson M.A.; 1941 - 1966 Robert Arthur Geoffrey Binns; 1966 -1975 Claud Edward Flood; 1975 - 1987 Arthur Vivian Davis; 1987 - 1996 Alan Fellows Homer; 1996 - 2007 Christine Ann Sindall; 2008 - Ann Gurner.
The church comes within the Ely diocese. The minister (from July 9th 2008) will be the Revd. Margaret (Ann) Gurner, The Rectory Cheveley, who is also responsible for the parishes of Ashley, Cheveley and Kirtling. The church magazine 'The Link' also covers the four parishes and is published monthly.
The organ. The single manual church organ has been maintained in good condition. It was described by a visiting organist as "a lovely little organ."
Number 4 and 3 bells at rest in the up position,
with their pulley wheels to which are attached the bell-ropes.
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THE BELLS
There are five bells in the tall octagonal tower, regularly rung by a small but enthusiastic group of bell-ringers - usual practice Tuesday evenings. If you are running Windows 98 or later you should be able to hear the bells with your sound turned on.
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The Wood Ditton Bell-ringers August 28th 2002. L to R standing: James and Nigel Hotchkiss,
Roy Steggles (Tower Captain), Maurice Potter, Keith Lucas. Seated: Jill Steggles, Veronica Aspland.
The coloured pulls on the bell ropes are known as sallies.
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The five bells of the Church of St. Mary the Virgin Wood Ditton ring out for Tuesday evening practice, at weddings and other special services, kept alive by a small but dedicated team of bell-ringers.
Wood Ditton Church originally had only four bells but in 1823 it acquired a fifth. The tower at Weston Colville Church had collapsed, and the only bell to survive intact was the treble, which was brought to Wood Ditton. A new bell-frame was constructed from locally felled oak by W. Hart of Brinkley to accommodate the fifth bell.
The largest bell (the fifth or tenor) cast by Stephen Tonni in 1588, weighs 12.5 cwt., the fourth also by Tonni weighs 10.25 cwt. The third (founder unknown) weighs 7.5 cwt., the second, cast in 1825 by W. Dobson weighs 6.5 cwt. and the treble originally cast by J.Draper in 1608 and recast in 1899 by J Taylor weighs 5.5 cwt.
By the mid-nineteen fifties the main beams supporting the bell-frame had deteriorated to the point where it was considered unsafe to continue ringing and the bells fell silent for nearly thirty years.
In 1984, after a major fund-raising campaign, the main supporting beams were replaced with steel girders, the bells were re-hung and other improvements carried out. The bell-frame constructed in 1823 was still in sound condition. Once more the sound of Wood Ditton bells rang out over the countryside.
Number 4 and 3 bells at rest in the up position,
with their pulley wheels to which are attached the bell-ropes.
Wood Ditton has a long tradition of bell-ringing and the initials of former ringers with dates going back a hundred years or more can be seen carved in the stone pillars in the ringers' chamber.
At rest the bells are left 'up' at just over top centre, where a wooden stay attached to the bell headstock comes up against a slider stop which prevents complete rotation. The call "Look to, trebel going - she's gone", starts the ringing sequence as the lightest of the five bells is pulled off its resting position, followed by the other four in order of size. When all five are in action the tower can be felt to sway slightly in reaction to the vigorous swinging of more than two tons of bells.
Basic bell-ringing is not too difficult to learn, although care must be taken not to become entangled with the bell-rope, as it leaps upward to the swing of half a ton or more of bell. More of a challenge is keeping time with the other ringers and effecting the changes, as when the tower captain calls out a new sequence, such as "3 to treble, 2 to 3, 4 to 2." One hundred and twenty different changes are possible with five bells and considerable co-ordination of mind and body is needed to bring in the new order of ringing and quickly recover the timing. This is evident by the concentration on the faces of the ringers.
The team are always looking for new recruits so if you would like to try your hand give Roy or Jill Steggles a call on 01638 730899
Wood Ditton Church originally had only four bells but in 1823 it acquired a fifth. The tower at Weston Colville Church had collapsed, and the only bell to survive intact was the treble, which was brought to Wood Ditton. A new bell-frame was constructed from locally felled oak by W. Hart of Brinkley to accommodate the fifth bell.
The largest bell (the fifth or tenor) cast by Stephen Tonni in 1588, weighs 12.5 cwt., the fourth also by Tonni weighs 10.25 cwt. The third (founder unknown) weighs 7.5 cwt., the second, cast in 1825 by W. Dobson weighs 6.5 cwt. and the treble originally cast by J.Draper in 1608 and recast in 1899 by J Taylor weighs 5.5 cwt.
By the mid-nineteen fifties the main beams supporting the bell-frame had deteriorated to the point where it was considered unsafe to continue ringing and the bells fell silent for nearly thirty years.
In 1984, after a major fund-raising campaign, the main supporting beams were replaced with steel girders, the bells were re-hung and other improvements carried out. The bell-frame constructed in 1823 was still in sound condition. Once more the sound of Wood Ditton bells rang out over the countryside.
Number 4 and 3 bells at rest in the up position,
with their pulley wheels to which are attached the bell-ropes.
Wood Ditton has a long tradition of bell-ringing and the initials of former ringers with dates going back a hundred years or more can be seen carved in the stone pillars in the ringers' chamber.
At rest the bells are left 'up' at just over top centre, where a wooden stay attached to the bell headstock comes up against a slider stop which prevents complete rotation. The call "Look to, trebel going - she's gone", starts the ringing sequence as the lightest of the five bells is pulled off its resting position, followed by the other four in order of size. When all five are in action the tower can be felt to sway slightly in reaction to the vigorous swinging of more than two tons of bells.
Basic bell-ringing is not too difficult to learn, although care must be taken not to become entangled with the bell-rope, as it leaps upward to the swing of half a ton or more of bell. More of a challenge is keeping time with the other ringers and effecting the changes, as when the tower captain calls out a new sequence, such as "3 to treble, 2 to 3, 4 to 2." One hundred and twenty different changes are possible with five bells and considerable co-ordination of mind and body is needed to bring in the new order of ringing and quickly recover the timing. This is evident by the concentration on the faces of the ringers.
The team are always looking for new recruits so if you would like to try your hand give Roy or Jill Steggles a call on 01638 730899
The details of the history of the bells have been taken from the booklet 'St. Mary the Virgin Woodditton - The Bells' compiled by Dr. Tony White in 1984. The booklet contains much more about the history of the Church and the bells. Anyone interested in obtaining a copy should contact one of the Churchwardens.
Here lies my corpse who was the man
That lov'd a sop in dripping pan But now believe me I am dead Now here the pan stands at my head Still for sop to the last I cry'd But could not eat and so I died My neighbours they perhaps may laugh Now they do read my epitaph |
The Dripping Pan Headstone and The Turnspit's Epitaph
In the churchyard the locally famous 'Dripping Pan Headstone' stands to the memory of William Simonds who died on March I, 1753 aged 80 years. The rusted remains of the pan are embedded behind the iron grill seen near the top of the stone. Research has revealed that he was Turnspit to the Duke of Rutland at Cheveley Park which explains how he was able to obtain dripping, a luxury food not available to the ordinary villagers. He was described in 1896 Cheveley Park records as "an eccentric 'lad' who for many years had filled the important office of turnspit at Cheveley Park". The original stone was accidentally broken on the occasion of a wedding party at Woodditton Church about 1871. Soon after it was removed and the present stone substituted in which the original dripping pan was placed; and it was re-erected at the expense of Miss Catherine Dobito, of Woodditton and executed by Richard Arber, Newmarket. |
WOODDITTON - SUPPLEMENT TO HISTORY PAGE
Some notes on the 17th century history of Wood Ditton Church and its then churchwarden Thomas Kilbourne, received as an e-mail on the 4th June 2005 from one of his descendants, Donald Kilburn who resides in Washington D.C., U.S.A.
Dear Mr. Vincent:
First, I want you to know that I enjoy greatly the “Wood Ditton and Saxon Street” website, and I return to it frequently, especially for the photos.
I am a descendant of Thomas Kilbourne, who in 1632 was a churchwarden at St. Mary’s Church in Wood Ditton. I reside in Washington, DC, USA. I hope you can help me in getting information on two matters.
The following quotation and footnote to it are from: 'Woodditton: Church', A History of the County of Cambridge and the Isle of Ely: Volume X: Cheveley, Flendish, Staine and Staploe Hundreds (north-eastern Cambridgeshire) (2002), pp. 95-7.
[See URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=18801.]
“Several 15th-century benches with poppy heads have been preserved. A matching bench end was apparently taken to America by an emigrant former churchwarden in the 17th century and survives in a museum there. (Footnote 62).”
“Footnote 62 --Inf. from Mr. and Mrs. Cook, including photocopy of cutting from Sunday Times [of New Brunswick, N.J., U.S.A.], 27 Nov. 1932.”
The 27 Nov. 1932 New Brunswick NJ Sunday Times, referenced in the above footnote, informs that heirlooms of the Kilmer and Kilburn families are housed at the Buccleuch Mansion, and states that among many listed items there is “1 carved oak pothy [sic] (probably a misprint of “poppy”) head. From St. Mary’s Church, Wood Ditton, England, where Thomas Kilburn, ancestor of Mrs Kilburn Kilmer was a church warden (1632).”
Do you know who may have additional information relating to the taking of the bench end from St. Mary’s Church to New England? I suppose the informants named Mr. and Mrs Cook in the footnote were of Wood Ditton in 1932, and are now deceased. But would there be a record they might have relied on for this information?
The second matter is about the motive that influenced Thoams Kilbourne, the 1632 churchwarden at St. Mary’s, to leave Wood Ditton for New England. He was among the 20,000 in the “great migration” to NE between 1630-1640. These emigrants were led by Puritan divines, but historians have doubted that many of the emigrants were motivated religious sentiments to go to NE. A Kilbourne family genealogist, Payne Kenyon Kilbourne in his “The History and Antiquities of the Name and Family of Kilbourne, in its varied orthography,” publ.1856, suggested that Thomas Kilbourn (1632), being of the Church of England, would not have found the Massachusetts Bay Colony to his liking, presumably because of its theocratic (Puritan) government, so moved to Connecticut Colony. I rather believe Thomas Kilbourn did have “Puritan” sympathies. So, my concern is to find out whether the Vicar(s) of Wood Ditton in 1630-1632 were sympathetic to Puritan or Independent beliefs, or were staunchly Church of England (Laudian, so to speak). I recall that at sometime in the past your website named a Vicar around 1610-1620, but I did not keep a note of his name. It was different from the only other name of a Vicar I have found for that time; viz., Robert Levitt, vicar 1618-58; see 'Woodditton: Church', A History of the County of Cambridge and the Isle of Ely: Volume X: Cheveley, Flendish, Staine and Staploe Hundreds (north-eastern Cambridgeshire) (2002), pp. 95-7.
URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=18801. There it is written:
“Until the Reformation, Woodditton's vicars seem rarely to have served more than a few years. (Footnote 33) Lights in the church were endowed with 2 a. by 1364, (Footnote 34) and there was a guild by 1471. (Footnote 35) During the longer incumbencies from the 1550s into the 18th century, vicars often employed curates. (Footnote 36) Robert Levitt, vicar 1618-58, though ejected from Cheveley in 1644, kept Woodditton despite his apparent unsuitability. (Footnote 37).”Footnote 37 - Walker Revised, ed. A. G. Matthews, 82-3; Bury Classis, ii (Chetham Soc. N.S. xli), 192.”
Also: “During the Civil War Robert Levitt (rector from 1623 [at Chevely Church]) fell foul of political opponents and village gossip and was sequestered in 1644, whereupon he withdrew only as far as Woodditton and hindered the collection of tithes for his successor Abraham Wright, an assiduous presbyterian who was heartily disliked by some of his flock.” See: URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=18784.
I am somewhat ignorant in matters relating to the Church of England during this period; am I correct in understanding that Vicar Levitt was not in sympathy with the Puritans in England. Can you steer me to some one who has knowledge about the religious atmosphere in and around Wood Ditton during the period 1630-1632.
The following may be of interest. The wife of Thomas Kilbourn, the 1632 churchwarden, was Frances Moody, who was the daughter of George and Margaret (Chenery) Moody, of Moulton. A niece of Frances Moody (by her brother Samuel Moody and his wife Mary Boldero) was Margaret Moody of Moulton. Margaret Moody married Thomas Westhorp. Thomas Westthop was an assistant to William Dowsing, the Parliamentary Visitor officially appointed in 1643 to carry out and supervise in Suffolk the destruction of altars, imagery and "superstitious" inscriptions. Following is from The Journal of William Dowsing: iconoclasm in East Anglia during the English Civil War, Trevor Cooper (ed.). : “On the Monday [Feb. 5, 1644?] he [Dowsing] made his way back to Cambridgeshire, journeying to Bury St Edmunds the first night. Whilst there he may have stayed with Moody family, perhaps at the suggestion of Thomas Westhropp (the deputy with whom he probably lodged on 6 January) who married a Moody a few years later.” And, “Wood Ditton, March 22. We brake down 50 superstitious pictures and crucifixes, and the Virgin Mary written, Oh Mother of God have mercy on us.”
I hope that someday I will be able to visit Wood Ditton. In the meantime, I take pleasure in visiting your wonderful website. It keeps getting better and better.
Thanks for any help you can give me in directing me to someone who may have information I seek.
Sincerely, Donald N. Kilburn
Email: [email protected]
Some notes on the 17th century history of Wood Ditton Church and its then churchwarden Thomas Kilbourne, received as an e-mail on the 4th June 2005 from one of his descendants, Donald Kilburn who resides in Washington D.C., U.S.A.
Dear Mr. Vincent:
First, I want you to know that I enjoy greatly the “Wood Ditton and Saxon Street” website, and I return to it frequently, especially for the photos.
I am a descendant of Thomas Kilbourne, who in 1632 was a churchwarden at St. Mary’s Church in Wood Ditton. I reside in Washington, DC, USA. I hope you can help me in getting information on two matters.
The following quotation and footnote to it are from: 'Woodditton: Church', A History of the County of Cambridge and the Isle of Ely: Volume X: Cheveley, Flendish, Staine and Staploe Hundreds (north-eastern Cambridgeshire) (2002), pp. 95-7.
[See URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=18801.]
“Several 15th-century benches with poppy heads have been preserved. A matching bench end was apparently taken to America by an emigrant former churchwarden in the 17th century and survives in a museum there. (Footnote 62).”
“Footnote 62 --Inf. from Mr. and Mrs. Cook, including photocopy of cutting from Sunday Times [of New Brunswick, N.J., U.S.A.], 27 Nov. 1932.”
The 27 Nov. 1932 New Brunswick NJ Sunday Times, referenced in the above footnote, informs that heirlooms of the Kilmer and Kilburn families are housed at the Buccleuch Mansion, and states that among many listed items there is “1 carved oak pothy [sic] (probably a misprint of “poppy”) head. From St. Mary’s Church, Wood Ditton, England, where Thomas Kilburn, ancestor of Mrs Kilburn Kilmer was a church warden (1632).”
Do you know who may have additional information relating to the taking of the bench end from St. Mary’s Church to New England? I suppose the informants named Mr. and Mrs Cook in the footnote were of Wood Ditton in 1932, and are now deceased. But would there be a record they might have relied on for this information?
The second matter is about the motive that influenced Thoams Kilbourne, the 1632 churchwarden at St. Mary’s, to leave Wood Ditton for New England. He was among the 20,000 in the “great migration” to NE between 1630-1640. These emigrants were led by Puritan divines, but historians have doubted that many of the emigrants were motivated religious sentiments to go to NE. A Kilbourne family genealogist, Payne Kenyon Kilbourne in his “The History and Antiquities of the Name and Family of Kilbourne, in its varied orthography,” publ.1856, suggested that Thomas Kilbourn (1632), being of the Church of England, would not have found the Massachusetts Bay Colony to his liking, presumably because of its theocratic (Puritan) government, so moved to Connecticut Colony. I rather believe Thomas Kilbourn did have “Puritan” sympathies. So, my concern is to find out whether the Vicar(s) of Wood Ditton in 1630-1632 were sympathetic to Puritan or Independent beliefs, or were staunchly Church of England (Laudian, so to speak). I recall that at sometime in the past your website named a Vicar around 1610-1620, but I did not keep a note of his name. It was different from the only other name of a Vicar I have found for that time; viz., Robert Levitt, vicar 1618-58; see 'Woodditton: Church', A History of the County of Cambridge and the Isle of Ely: Volume X: Cheveley, Flendish, Staine and Staploe Hundreds (north-eastern Cambridgeshire) (2002), pp. 95-7.
URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=18801. There it is written:
“Until the Reformation, Woodditton's vicars seem rarely to have served more than a few years. (Footnote 33) Lights in the church were endowed with 2 a. by 1364, (Footnote 34) and there was a guild by 1471. (Footnote 35) During the longer incumbencies from the 1550s into the 18th century, vicars often employed curates. (Footnote 36) Robert Levitt, vicar 1618-58, though ejected from Cheveley in 1644, kept Woodditton despite his apparent unsuitability. (Footnote 37).”Footnote 37 - Walker Revised, ed. A. G. Matthews, 82-3; Bury Classis, ii (Chetham Soc. N.S. xli), 192.”
Also: “During the Civil War Robert Levitt (rector from 1623 [at Chevely Church]) fell foul of political opponents and village gossip and was sequestered in 1644, whereupon he withdrew only as far as Woodditton and hindered the collection of tithes for his successor Abraham Wright, an assiduous presbyterian who was heartily disliked by some of his flock.” See: URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=18784.
I am somewhat ignorant in matters relating to the Church of England during this period; am I correct in understanding that Vicar Levitt was not in sympathy with the Puritans in England. Can you steer me to some one who has knowledge about the religious atmosphere in and around Wood Ditton during the period 1630-1632.
The following may be of interest. The wife of Thomas Kilbourn, the 1632 churchwarden, was Frances Moody, who was the daughter of George and Margaret (Chenery) Moody, of Moulton. A niece of Frances Moody (by her brother Samuel Moody and his wife Mary Boldero) was Margaret Moody of Moulton. Margaret Moody married Thomas Westhorp. Thomas Westthop was an assistant to William Dowsing, the Parliamentary Visitor officially appointed in 1643 to carry out and supervise in Suffolk the destruction of altars, imagery and "superstitious" inscriptions. Following is from The Journal of William Dowsing: iconoclasm in East Anglia during the English Civil War, Trevor Cooper (ed.). : “On the Monday [Feb. 5, 1644?] he [Dowsing] made his way back to Cambridgeshire, journeying to Bury St Edmunds the first night. Whilst there he may have stayed with Moody family, perhaps at the suggestion of Thomas Westhropp (the deputy with whom he probably lodged on 6 January) who married a Moody a few years later.” And, “Wood Ditton, March 22. We brake down 50 superstitious pictures and crucifixes, and the Virgin Mary written, Oh Mother of God have mercy on us.”
I hope that someday I will be able to visit Wood Ditton. In the meantime, I take pleasure in visiting your wonderful website. It keeps getting better and better.
Thanks for any help you can give me in directing me to someone who may have information I seek.
Sincerely, Donald N. Kilburn
Email: [email protected]