I believe I did say a while back that I was going to post some notes I had made about Melbourn and the Independent School when I visited the Camb. Recod Office and I think I never got round to it. So apologies for that, here is what I have.
The book was a history of Melbourn by the Melbourn History Group it’s ISBN number is 0-9549120-1-2. There is a copy of the book in the Cambridgeshire County Records office in Cambridge.
“In 1791 William Carver, the Pastor of Independent Chapel, est. a boarding school for non-Conformist students. This school had an excellent reputation. In fact their reputation was so good that many C of E parents sent their children to it. Carver’s school was situated on the High Street at Greenbanks with land stretching as far as the Newmarket Road. 90 boys paid extra for a single bed.”
“Carver’s son William, a successful classics tutor, assisted him (William Carver snr)”.
The Rev. William Carver was the pastor of the Congregational Chapel for 34 years.
The Old Independent Chapel built in 1715 was in Chapel Lane.
Samuel Morley, a former pupil of the school in 1816, in a biographical recollection described the school as the “best of its kind in the country”.
I also made other notes at the time of my visit.
William Crole Carver, father of Mary Alice, married into the Fordhams who were a family of bankers (John Fordham & Sons, High Street, Melbourn).
In Pigots Directory of 1840 there is a reference to a Day & Boarding School in Melbourn
In 1840 Melbourn was in the hundred of Bassingbourn and had population of 1,471 in 1831.
In 1871 John Fordham was a magistrate.
I found no Carver in Melbourn on the 1871 census.
In the 1869 Post Office Directory for Cambridgeshire – under “Private Residents”:
CARVER EUSTACE JOHN esq. M.R.C.S.
CARVER WILLIAM CROLE esq.
FORDHAM JOHN EDWARD J.P.
under “Commercial”
CARVER EUSTACE JOHN M.R.C.S., L.S.A., surgeon, medical officer for the Melbourn district
of the Royston union for Wimpole, Caxton and Arrington.
Arrington situated on Ermine Street was formerly known as Ermington/Erminton had a population of 317 in 1841.
In the 1851 History, Gazetter & Directory of Cambs. for Melbourn
“Principal proprieters” William C. Carver esq.
“Farmer” William Crole Carver.
In the 1853 directory William Crole Carver is described as “gentry”.
In 1847 he was in as “Farmer + Miller”.
In 1850 he is misspelt as ‘Calver’ and “Farmer”.
1858 had him as a “Miller”
In the 1875 Post Office Directory he is a “Private Resident” and in the 1883 Kellys Directory there is no entry.
Neil.
