I am interested in the Freshwater family of Melbourn. My ancestor,Jane Freshwater, was born in 1847. Her father was Edward b 1808 and listed as a horse dealer. He married Elizabeth Stockbridge in 1830. However I cannot find his father.
Any connection with the Freshwaters of Heybridge Hall would also be of interest.

Much of the information in the history book was gathered from various sources. People with old tales of the Howards and their bakery, the building still stands at Moor corner, and the Cobblers that was in a building opposite the old Post Office. (Page 80 & 82 in the History Book.) Newspapers were also an invaluable source, not necessarily those currently on this site.

One possible source of information, could be the Folk Museum in Cambridge. I believe much of the Howards ‘memorabilia’ were handed to the museum many years ago.

Mavis, co writer of the History book is no relation to the Howards of Melbourn.

The long term goal for this website is to place the Parish registers for Melbourn online. In the meantime the Cambridge Family History Society (link on the left), have produced a CD with the church records for Melbourn and Meldreth.

A correction to my previous entry. The great-uncle mentioned was Bert (not Harold, who was a younger brother). Having now read Melbourn History Group's excellent publication,and with some more information from shirley King, I have acquired a lot more about my father's family. I would love to know how the History Group came to have so many photos of the Howard family. There are some other Howards mentioned in the book of whom I have never heard and they may be relatives but not in a direct line to mine. I wonder about Mavis Howard who is mentioned as a member of the History Group.Unfortunately, I am only aware of one surviving cousin of the Howard family but there may be others of whom I am not aware. Any information would be gladly received.

I am interested to find out more about the women who married both my great-great grandfather George Howard (his wife was called Esther) who moved to Melbourn,probably from Shefford,Beds about 1850 and his son Ishmael's wife, Sarah Ann who was a Meldreth girl. Ishmael was a bootmaker in Melbourn.

The 1881 census records Ishmael as being a boot and shoe maker employing two men. Ishmael and Sarah Ann had 10 children, 8 boys and 2 girls and only four of them remained in the vilage after their parents deaths.Jonah was a bootmaker but Harold ran the bakery,which may have been started by the family during the time Ishmael was still alive. Norah, their unmarried sister, kept house for her brothers and after Harolds death,moved to a smaller house on the High Street. I remember visiting great uncle Harold and great Aunty Norah with my parents (my father was a grandson of Ishmael and Sarah) back in the 50s when I was a child. At that time they lived in what seemed to me quite a big house with on the corner of Cambridge Road and the Moor.

My grandmother,Ethel Picking was born in Melbourn in about 1888. I would welcome any information about this family.
Barrie Maskell.

Any info on my KING ancestors to flesh out the bones would be much appreciated. The names that belong to my line are Robert King ( b approx 1765) Ellis (b 1804) Chapple ( b 1837) Harry (b 1869) all in Melbourn, through to my g father Harry Peter ( b 1893) and my father Harry William (b 1916) both born Islington.I have looked through the previous posts on family links and a number of those emails relating to my KINGS are no longer active. Obviously I have names of wives and siblings but the one thing I am stuck on is that on the 6th Jan 1805 at Melbourn PC, Robert and Elizabeth baptised their child Ellis, on the same day several older children were baptised but belonging to Robert and Mary. My theory is, that Mary died and Robert then married Elizabeth who had all the step children baptised at the same time as her first born. It is only theory as I cannot find a burial of Mary nor a marriage of Elizabeth. Happy to share anything I have with anyone interested in KING.