135-633: Eaton Socon / iː t ən s oʊ k ən / is a community in the civil parish of St Neots , in the Huntingdonshire district, in the county of Cambridgeshire , England. Eaton Socon is a component of the town of St Neots, located on its south-west margin. Eaton Socon lies on the west side of the River Great Ouse , and is bounded on the west by the A1 road and on the south by the A428 road (St Neots by-pass). On
270-513: A London borough . (Since the new county was beforehand a mixture of metropolitan boroughs , municipal boroughs and urban districts, no extant parish councils were abolished.) In 1974, the Local Government Act 1972 retained rural parishes, but abolished most urban parishes, as well as the urban districts and boroughs which had administered them. Provision was made for smaller urban districts and boroughs to become successor parishes , with
405-477: A monastery in Cornwall. He did so, and because of his devotional qualities, he became famous, and attracted large numbers of pilgrims, and with them money. A number of miracles are said to have taken place involving him. Neot died on 31 July 877. His remains were kept at the monastery he had founded, and they attracted considerable numbers of pilgrims . About 975 AD a monastery was founded at Eynesbury (in what
540-454: A Danish attack on the area was anticipated, and for safety the relics, that is the remains of Neot, were transferred for safety to a place thought to be less susceptible to Danish attack. Lewina, a lady of Eynesbury and the sister of Osketul, the Abbot of Croyland (now Crowland ), arranged for the relics to be taken to her property at Whittlesea . She sent a message to Osketul asking him to come with
675-515: A Special Expense, to residents of the unparished area to fund those activities. If the district council does not opt to make a Special Expenses charge, there is an element of double taxation of residents of parished areas, because services provided to residents of the unparished area are funded by council tax paid by residents of the whole district, rather than only by residents of the unparished area. Parish councils comprise volunteer councillors who are elected to serve for four years. Decisions of
810-471: A St Neots Town Council was set up. Huntingdon District Council later changed its name to Huntingdonshire District Council. Eaton Socon slopes down to the west bank of the River Great Ouse . Its weir was constructed in 1967 and has associated lock gates to allow river navigation. The riverbank hosts a large inn, The River Mill Tavern. The parish church of St Mary the Virgin stands on the picturesque green in
945-472: A Trust was established to manage the Great North Road between Biggleswade and Alconbury. Improved roads meant more travelling and the number of coaches and carriages passing through St Neots and Eaton Socon increased. It was during the 18th century that road travel reached its zenith, when the stagecoach was introduced. Teams of horses were changed at intervals of 10 or 12 miles, known as stages , enabling
1080-576: A boundary coterminous with an existing urban district or borough or, if divided by a new district boundary, as much as was comprised in a single district. There were 300 such successor parishes established. In urban areas that were considered too large to be single parishes, the parishes were simply abolished, and they became unparished areas . The distinction between types of parish was no longer made; whether parishes continued by virtue of being retained rural parishes or were created as successor parishes, they were all simply termed parishes. The 1972 act allowed
1215-472: A city council (though most cities are not parishes but principal areas, or in England specifically metropolitan boroughs or non-metropolitan districts ). The chairman of a town council will have the title "town mayor" and that of a parish council which is a city will usually have the title of mayor . When a city or town has been abolished as a borough, and it is considered desirable to maintain continuity of
1350-456: A city council. According to the Department for Communities and Local Government , in England in 2011 there were 9,946 parishes. Since 1997 around 100 new civil parishes have been created, in some cases by splitting existing civil parishes, but mostly by creating new ones from unparished areas. Parish or town councils have very few statutory duties (things they are required to do by law) but have
1485-548: A city was Hereford , whose city council was merged in 1998 to form a unitary Herefordshire . The area of the city of Hereford remained unparished until 2000 when a parish council was created for the city. As another example, the charter trustees for the City of Bath make up the majority of the councillors on Bath and North East Somerset Council. Civil parishes cover 35% of England's population, with one in Greater London and few in
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#17328633129921620-440: A civil parish is usually an elected parish council (which can decide to call itself a town, village, community or neighbourhood council, or a city council if the parish has city status). Alternatively, in parishes with small populations (typically fewer than 150 electors) governance may be by a parish meeting which all electors may attend; alternatively, parishes with small populations may be grouped with one or more neighbours under
1755-481: A civil parish which has no parish council, the parish meeting may levy a council tax precept for expenditure relating to specific functions, powers and rights which have been conferred on it by legislation. In places where there is no civil parish ( unparished areas ), the administration of the activities normally undertaken by the parish becomes the responsibility of the district or borough council. The district council may make an additional council tax charge, known as
1890-568: A common parish council. Wales was also divided into civil parishes until 1974, when they were replaced by communities , which are similar to English parishes in the way they operate. Civil parishes in Scotland were abolished for local government purposes by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 ; the Scottish equivalent of English civil parishes are the community council areas established by
2025-494: A force of monks to take the relics to Croyland Abbey . They did so, although at that time the marshy district was almost impenetrable. This event probably took place in 1003. The priory of Neotsbury, that is St Neots, was destroyed by the Danes in 1010. They were pagans and had no scruples about destroying religious relics. It is not known whether the Danes attempted the destruction of the first priory, but Young says that if they did so,
2160-499: A great shew: St. Neots Church and steeple, are much admired.-- At Cross Hall, a pretty spot where there is a good public house, The Ram, with a grove of trees, you quit Bedfordshire. At 57 pass the end of Little Paxton village. The high road being adorn'd by the two good houses of Mr Reynolds and Mr Alexander page. On 7 August 1850, a railway opened to the public through St Neots: the Great Northern Railway opened its line from
2295-590: A little thoroughfare; at the end of which are the grounds and house of Sr. G. P. close to the road, foams the wide River Ouse -- now joined by the Ivell.-- As at Sandy there is a Roman, so here is a Danish camp) The village of Wroxston is on the other side of the river; to which there is a Ford passable when the water is down. -- At 52 there is a long bridge over the River Ouze (an excellent spot for fishing) -- At 53 you come to Wyberson village--; Colmworth Church looks loftily to
2430-517: A new code. In either case the code must comply with the Nolan Principles of Public Life . A parish can be granted city status by the Crown . As of 2020 , eight parishes in England have city status, each having a long-established Anglican cathedral: Chichester , Ely , Hereford , Lichfield , Ripon , Salisbury , Truro and Wells . The council of an ungrouped parish may pass a resolution giving
2565-431: A new smaller manor, there was a means of making a chapel which, if generating or endowed with enough funds, would generally justify foundation of a parish, with its own parish priest (and in latter centuries vestry ). This consistency was a result of canon law which prized the status quo in issues between local churches and so made boundary changes and sub-division difficult. The consistency of these boundaries until
2700-619: A number of initiatives grouped under the name London Overspill was implemented. Large-scale increase in housing was planned in Eaton Socon, and this was followed by further schemes in later decades. This resulted in most of the land between the Great North Road and the A1 being infilled. The development was not limited to housing, but included light industry, which was established at first on the Little End estate, and later elsewhere in Eaton Socon. Following
2835-696: A parish (a "detached part") was in a different county . In other cases, counties surrounded a whole parish meaning it was in an unconnected, "alien" county. These anomalies resulted in a highly localised difference in applicable representatives on the national level , justices of the peace , sheriffs, bailiffs with inconvenience to the inhabitants. If a parish was split then churchwardens, highway wardens and constables would also spend more time or money travelling large distances. Some parishes straddled two or more counties, such as Todmorden in Lancashire and Yorkshire. Saint Neot (monk) Neot (died 31 July 877)
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#17328633129922970-416: A parish council, and instead will only have a parish meeting : an example of direct democracy . Alternatively several small parishes can be grouped together and share a common parish council, or even a common parish meeting. A parish council may decide to call itself a town council, village council, community council, neighbourhood council, or if the parish has city status, the parish council may call itself
3105-503: A population of between 100 and 300 could request their county council to establish a parish council. Provision was also made for a grouped parish council to be established covering two or more rural parishes. In such groups, each parish retained its own parish meeting which could vote to leave the group, but otherwise the grouped parish council acted across the combined area of the parishes included. Urban civil parishes were not given their own parish councils, but were directly administered by
3240-466: A pseudonym for Eaton Socon: So the day wore on. At Eton Slocomb there was a coach dinner of which the box, the four front outsides, the one inside, Nicholas, the good-tempered man, and Mr. Squeers partook; while the five little boys were put to thaw by the fire, and regaled with sandwiches. The reference is noted on a blue plaque on the White Horse Public House in Eaton Socon, although there
3375-1079: A range of discretionary powers which they may exercise voluntarily. These powers have been defined by various pieces of legislation. The role they play can vary significantly depending on the size, resources and ability of the council, but their activities can include any of the following: Parish councils have powers to provide and manage various local facilities; these can include allotments , cemeteries, parks, playgrounds, playing fields and village greens , village halls or community centres , bus shelters, street lighting, roadside verges, car parks, footpaths, litter bins and war memorials. Larger parish councils may also be involved in running markets , public toilets and public clocks, museums and leisure centres . Parish councils may spend money on various things they deem to be beneficial to their communities, such as providing grants to local community groups or local projects, or fund things such as public events, crime prevention measures, community transport schemes, traffic calming or tourism promotion. Parish councils have
3510-409: A role in the planning system; they have a statutory right to be consulted on any planning applications in their areas. They may also produce a neighbourhood plan to influence local development. The Localism Act 2011 allowed eligible parish councils to be granted a " general power of competence " which allows them within certain limits the freedom to do anything an individual can do provided it
3645-589: A set number of guardians for each parish, hence a final purpose of urban civil parishes. With the abolition of the Poor Law system in 1930, urban parishes became a geographical division only with no administrative power; that was exercised at the urban district or borough council level. In 1965 civil parishes in London were formally abolished when Greater London was created, as the legislative framework for Greater London did not make provision for any local government body below
3780-436: A shrine at the priory. The priory structure was wooden, located in what is now St Neots, but at that time was considered to be part of Eynesbury. The locality already had a small population. The official Warden of Neot's shrine secretly decamped from Cornwall with the treasure with which he had been entrusted. He left Neot-Stoke on St Andrew's day, 30 November, he reached Eynesbury on 7 December. Neot's remains were kept in
3915-938: A small village or town ward to a large tract of mostly uninhabited moorland in the Cheviots, Pennines or Dartmoor. The two largest as at December 2023 are Stanhope (County Durham) at 98.6 square miles (255 km ), and Dartmoor Forest (Devon) at 79.07 square miles (204.8 km ). The two smallest are parcels of shared rural land: Lands Common to Axminster and Kilmington (Devon) at 0.012 square miles (0.031 km ; 3.1 ha; 7.7 acres), and Lands Common to Brancepeth and Brandon and Byshottles (County Durham) at 0.0165 square miles (0.043 km ; 4.3 ha; 10.6 acres). The next two smallest are parishes in built up areas: Chester Castle (Cheshire) at 0.0168 square miles (0.044 km ; 4.4 ha; 10.8 acres) (no recorded population) and Hamilton Lea (Leicestershire) at 0.07 square miles (0.18 km ; 18 ha; 45 acres) (1,021 residents at
4050-514: A spur to the creation of new parishes in some larger towns which were previously unparished, in order to retain a local tier of government; examples include Shrewsbury (2009), Salisbury (2009), Crewe (2013) and Weymouth (2019). In 2003 seven new parish councils were set up for Burton upon Trent , and in 2001 the Milton Keynes urban area became entirely parished, with ten new parishes being created. Parishes can also be abolished where there
4185-504: A temporary station in London, Maiden Lane, to Peterborough. In succeeding years the company opened throughout from Kings Cross to Doncaster, and railway main lines and branches proliferated. At St Neots the route taken by the railway lay well to the east of the town, farthest away from the river and from Eaton Socon. The railway enabled the transport of goods and minerals: manufactured goods outward, and heavy commodities inward: coal, lime for improving soil, and cattle feed. Coal in particular:
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4320-477: A village near the river near Duloe Brook, and this was called Ea-tun, meaning waterside-village. Another settlement a little further north was called Forda, and later simply Ford. At this early time, the river was much wider and shallower than nowadays, and in dryer periods it was possible to ford it. The majority of the population were pagan, and the Pope sent Augustine in 597 AD, to impose Christianity. Augustine's work
4455-565: A widow, gave all her farmlands ("her entire manor") to the priory and its monks. In 1409 the Priory was removed from the control of the French Abbey in a process called denization . An Englishman, Edward Salisbury was appointed Prior, and only English monks were to be admitted. King Henry VIII brought about a rupture between the church in England and the Roman Catholic religion, resulting in
4590-439: Is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes , which for centuries were the principal unit of secular and religious administration in most of England and Wales. Civil and religious parishes were formally split into two types in the 19th century and are now entirely separate. Civil parishes in their modern form came into being through
4725-493: Is an area of housing, forming part of St Neots. Lying on the west side of the town, and between the River Great Ouse and the A1 trunk road. It is aligned on the north-south axis, formed by the original Great North Road (now designated B1428). General shopping and travel-to-work patterns have merged over recent decades, so that for many practical purposes Eaton Socon is simply a part of St Neots. The Little End Industrial Estate
4860-507: Is at present the only part of England where civil parishes cannot be created. If enough electors in the area of a proposed new parish (ranging from 50% in an area with less than 500 electors to 10% in one with more than 2,500) sign a petition demanding its creation, then the local district council or unitary authority must consider the proposal. Since the beginning of the 21st century, numerous parish councils have been created, including some relatively large urban ones. The main driver has been
4995-539: Is evidence that this is in response to "justified, clear and sustained local support" from the area's inhabitants. Examples are Birtley , which was abolished in 2006, and Southsea , abolished in 2010. Every civil parish has a parish meeting, which all the electors of the parish are entitled to attend. Generally a meeting is held once a year. A civil parish may have a parish council which exercises various local responsibilities prescribed by statute. Parishes with fewer than 200 electors are usually deemed too small to have
5130-573: Is home to a range of light industrial units, at the southern end of Eaton Socon; on the other side of the Great North Road is the Quora Industrial Estate and a retail park. There are three discount supermarkets in this area as well as a large do-it-yourself store and some specialist retail businesses. Towards the north end of Eaton Socon, there is a medium-sized Co-op supermarket on the Old Great North Road. Bushmead Primary School
5265-571: Is made of the location of Neot's remains to this day. He is remembered by the names of the town of St Neots and the Cornish village of St Neot; the parish church of Poundstock in Cornwall was also dedicated to him until 1970. The parish church in St Neot has a medieval stained glass window depicting the miracles. His feast day is 31 July. Neot was born into a minor branch of the West Saxon royal house, in
5400-425: Is no presumption that this where Squeers dined. John Byng travelled in the county and wrote a description of his travels: Sandy Field exhibits the same shew of fertility; To the right, upon the hill, amidst woods, stands the new built seat of Mr. Pym; to the left, over the river, the village of Blunham, the beautiful steeple of its church, and the pretty house of Mrs. C---. At mile 51 you enter Tempsford village --
5535-405: Is not prohibited by other legislation, as opposed to being limited to the powers explicitly granted to them by law. To be eligible for this, a parish council must meet certain conditions such as having a clerk with suitable qualifications. Parish councils receive funding by levying a " precept " on the council tax paid by the residents of the parish (or parishes) served by the parish council. In
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5670-447: Is not recorded. The word neophyte was commonly used at the time for individuals who had newly undertaken religious vows, and Gorham speculates that he might have been called "Neophytus", the Latin form of neophyte, at the monastery by monks who noticed his application to religiosity. In time, this might have been abbreviated to "Neotus", the Latin form of the name by which we know him now. He
5805-416: Is now the town of Saint Neots ), and in order to increase the lucrative visits of pilgrims, Neot's remains were abstracted from Cornwall without permission, and lodged at Eynesbury. The anticipated public attention followed, and the district around the priory and monastery became known as St Neots: that is the name of the chief town there now. Controversy arose later as to whether Neot's remains were truly at
5940-472: Is said to have been a frequent visitor to Hamstoke (or Neotstoke) where Neot had withdrawn from his celebrity status at Glastonbury. In the year 867, Alfred was on a hunting expedition in the area; he turned aside to the Church at Ham-Stoke, where St Guerir was in residence. Alfred remained there for some time prostrate in prayer, imploring freedom from some severe disease with which he was afflicted. When he left, it
6075-542: Is said to have repeatedly rebuked the King for his unbridled ambition. He warned that Alfred might expect greater misfortunes from the Danish ( Viking ) invasions. Alfred had failed, Neot said, to attend to his people's complaints and petitions. After his journey to Rome and his return to Neotstoke, Neot now remained there for the rest of his life. In the year 877 he became ill with a progressive illness described as "langour" and sensing
6210-465: Is still venerated on that day in the calendar of the Universal Church. He was buried in the Church which he himself had built, upon the site of the more ancient Chapel dedicated to St Guerir. Seven years later, a larger and more appropriate building had been made by the monks of Neotstoke, and Neot's body was reinterred at the north side of the altar. Whitaker had written that "When Neot died he
6345-567: Is within Eaton Socon. Just down the Mill Hill and close to nearby Eaton Ford , there is a scout hut, named Eaton Socon Scout Hut, that hosts activities for their scouts and hosts St Neots Children's Karate Academy a branch of karate company Fusion Martial Arts and many more activities. There were probably a few scattered settlements around Eaton Socon in the Neolithic period. The first definite record reports that an Anglo-Saxon leader took control of
6480-504: The 'Standards Board regime' with local monitoring by district, unitary or equivalent authorities. Under new regulations which came into effect in 2012 all parish councils in England are required to adopt a code of conduct with which parish councillors must comply, and to promote and maintain high standards. A new criminal offence of failing to comply with statutory requirements was introduced. More than one 'model code' has been published, and councils are free to modify an existing code or adopt
6615-742: The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 , which have fewer powers than their English and Welsh counterparts. There are no equivalent units in Northern Ireland . The parish system in Europe was established between the 8th and 12th centuries, and an early form was long established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest . These areas were originally based on the territory of manors , which, in some cases, derived their bounds from Roman or Iron Age estates; some large manors were sub-divided into several parishes. Initially, churches and their priests were
6750-1010: The Local Government Act 1894 ( 56 & 57 Vict. c. 73) to become the smallest geographical area for local government in rural areas. The act abolished the civil (non-ecclesiastical) duties of vestries . Parishes which straddled county boundaries or sanitary districts had to be split so that the part in each urban or rural sanitary district became a separate parish (see List of county exclaves in England and Wales 1844–1974 ). The sanitary districts were then reconstituted as urban districts and rural districts , with parishes that fell within urban districts classed as urban parishes, and parishes that fell within rural districts were classed as rural parishes. The 1894 act established elected civil parish councils as to all rural parishes with more than 300 electors, and established annual parish meetings in all rural parishes. Civil parishes were grouped to form either rural or urban districts which are thereafter classified as either type. The parish meetings for parishes with
6885-411: The Local Government Act 1894 ( 56 & 57 Vict. c. 73), which established elected parish councils to take on the secular functions of the parish vestry . A civil parish can range in size from a sparsely populated rural area with fewer than a hundred inhabitants, to a large town with a population in excess of 100,000 . This scope is similar to that of municipalities in continental Europe, such as
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#17328633129927020-472: The break with Rome , parishes managed ecclesiastical matters, while the manor was the principal unit of local administration and justice. Later, the church replaced the manor court as the rural administrative centre, and levied a local tax on produce known as a tithe . In the medieval period, responsibilities such as relief of the poor passed increasingly from the lord of the manor to the parish's rector , who in practice would delegate tasks among his vestry or
7155-687: The communes of France . However, unlike their continental European counterparts, parish councils are not principal authorities , and in most cases have a relatively minor role in local government. As of September 2023 , there are 10,464 parishes in England, and in 2020 they covered approximately 40% of the English population. For historical reasons, civil parishes predominantly cover rural areas and smaller urban areas, with most larger urban areas being wholly or partly unparished ; but since 1997 it has been possible for civil parishes to be created within unparished areas if demanded by local residents . In 2007
7290-463: The (often well-endowed) monasteries. After the dissolution of the monasteries , the power to levy a rate to fund relief of the poor was conferred on the parish authorities by the Poor Relief Act 1601 . Both before and after this optional social change, local (vestry-administered) charities are well-documented. The parish authorities were known as vestries and consisted of all the ratepayers of
7425-564: The 19th century is useful to historians, and is also of cultural significance in terms of shaping local identities; reinforced by the use of grouped parish boundaries, often, by successive local authority areas; and in a very rough, operations-geared way by most postcode districts. There was (and is) wide disparity in parish size. Writtle , Essex traditionally measures 13,568 acres (21 sq mi) – two parishes neighbouring are Shellow Bowells at 469 acres (0.7 sq mi), and Chignall Smealy at 476 acres (0.7 sq mi) Until
7560-584: The 2011 census, Newland with Woodhouse Moor and Beaumont Chase reported inhabitants, and there were no new deserted parishes recorded. Nearly all instances of detached parts of civil parishes (areas not contiguous with the main part of the parish) and of those straddling counties have been ended. 14 examples remain in England as at 2022, including Barnby Moor and Wallingwells , both in Nottinghamshire. Direct predecessors of civil parishes are most often known as "ancient parishes", although many date only from
7695-505: The 2021 census). The 2001 census recorded several parishes with no inhabitants. These were Chester Castle (in the middle of Chester city centre), Newland with Woodhouse Moor , Beaumont Chase , Martinsthorpe , Meering , Stanground North (subsequently abolished), Sturston , Tottington , and Tyneham (subsequently merged). The lands of the last three were taken over by the Armed Forces during World War II and remain deserted. In
7830-565: The Earl of Morton. It is likely that in the reign of William the Conqueror the building was demolished entirely. No trace of it remains, nor is the location known. About the year 975 a priory was founded in Eynesbury, close to the River Great Ouse in what is now Huntingdonshire. A nobleman and landowner named Leofric (alternatively Earl Alric) and his wife Leofleda (alternatively Countess Ethelfleda) were
7965-422: The French Abbey. This took place about 1080 and was a most important step, for Bec was one of the leading intellectual and cultural centres of northern Europe. Once again doubts surfaced about whether Neot's bones were indeed at St Neots Priory, and in 1078 or 1079 the Abbot of Bec came to St Neots to verify the matter. This was in fact Anselm, who had been appointed to the post of Abbot in 1078. Anselm examined
8100-569: The Irish manner", and a comb used by Neot, "made of a little bone of two fingers' breadth, into which were inserted small fishes' teeth, the whole having the appearance of a pike's jaw." Young remarks that no-one knows what happened to the bones of St Neot after the Dissolution. They may have been seized and destroyed by King Henry's commissioners, who were ordered to remove all relics and other "superstitious" items from religious houses. The Alfred Jewel
8235-790: The North, with inns providing refreshments and overnight accommodation for travellers, and feed and rest facilities for horses. Some stage coaches diverted through St Neots, but the majority continued on the Great North Road. Eaton Socon was originally in Bedfordshire but it was merged with St Neots in 1965 and is now in Cambridgeshire. Its housing grew and its population more than doubled: 2,240 in 1931 to 3,264 in 1961, and now (2020) 9,042. The name Eaton Socon comes from Ea-tun (waterside settlement) and soke (local government area in Norman times). Eaton Socon
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#17328633129928370-531: The Old North Road, the stretch from there to Norman Cross was the busiest length of road in England. Stagecoaches passed along this section at the rate of one every 20 minutes day and night, and the Bell Inn at Stilton, where teams of horses were changed, had stabling for over 300 horses. The carriage of goods was by river, and the River Great Ouse was navigable up to Eaton Socon. Some medium distance goods transport
8505-456: The Pope in Rome , to seek instructions about his future. He evidently intended to withdraw further from the world, but the Pope dissuaded him from that course, and told him to return to Cornwall and to "scatter the word of God among the people". Neot returned to where he had been living and founded a monastery there, and gathered together some religious men, over whom he was made Abbot. King Alfred
8640-677: The Priory, but this was confirmed by Anselm , the Prior of the French Abbey of our Lady of Bec , in Normandy , which was the superior institution to Eynesbury and St Neots after the Norman Conquest . Anselm took Neot's jawbone back to Bec. During the reign of King Henry VIII , the Dissolution of the Monasteries took place and the priory and monastery at St Neots were probably destroyed. No further report
8775-458: The Royal household, and therefore an extremely important person, bringing prestige to Eaton. In this period the Priory at St Neots, at the time still considered part of Eynesbury, was gaining in importance because of the presence of the relics of Saint Neot , an important and famous holy man. Eventually that part of Eynesbury became known as St Neots as a result. At the same time a small religious house
8910-656: The Saint the name of the place was changed to Neots-bury. The chapel and monastery were located on the east bank of the River Great Ouse , on the north side of the present-day town of St Neots. The priory was located in the space between the present-day Priory Lane and Tan Yard, on the bank of the River Great Ouse. The chapel at the Priory was soon consecrated in the presence of Ethelwolde, Bishop of Winchester, Æscwin, Bishop of Lincoln, Brithnod, Abbot of Ely, Earl Ægelwin, Ædric Pope, Ædelm Polga and many others. Earl Alric and Lady Ethelfleda entreated Abbot Brithnod and Bishop Æscwin that
9045-675: The administration of the poor laws was the main civil function of parishes, the Poor Law Amendment Act 1866 , which received royal assent on 10 August 1866, declared all areas that levied a separate rate or had their own overseer of the poor to be parishes. This included the Church of England parishes (until then simply known as "parishes"), extra-parochial areas , townships and chapelries . To have collected rates this means these beforehand had their own vestries, boards or equivalent bodies. Parishes using this definition subsequently became known as "civil parishes" to distinguish them from
9180-501: The approach of death, he took the holy communion . Having refreshed his spirit by a participation of the emblems of his Saviour's death, like a faithful shepherd he addressed his own little flock. He exhorted them to live in peace, and spoke much of the means by which the salvation of the soul might be promoted. He then committed his soul to the mercy of the Almighty, and (stretching forth his hands towards heaven) breathed out his spirit in
9315-416: The approval of others. As Gorham puts it, "Under a strong feeling of the danger of popular applause, he determined to retire from this public station, and to lead the life of an anchoret in some less frequented spot". An anchoret (or anchorite) is someone who retires from ordinary life, and lives in seclusion for religious reasons. Neot travelled from Glastonbury to live near a remote village in Cornwall; at
9450-404: The builder of Hail Heston bridge was reprimanded "for his neglect in repairing the breach caused by the flood". The Cock Inn disappeared some time in the 1920s, although its signboard is said to have survived a few years longer. In Dickens' novel Nicolas Nickleby, Squeers and some boys are making their way from London to Yorkshire by stagecoach. They stop at a place named Eton Slocomb, evidently
9585-609: The buildings were either repaired or rebuilt, since it is recorded that the bones of St Neot had been restored to the priory by 1020. When peace was restored and Danish incursions were no longer expected, Neot's remains were transferred back to St Neots, where some rebuilding had taken place. The fame and attraction provided by possession of the remains of a saint were so powerful that the monks of Croyland falsely insisted in later years that Neot's remains were still at Croyland. The issue became so contentious that in 1078 or 1079 Bishop Anselm (soon afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury) visited
9720-432: The centre of the village. Great North Road is lined with local businesses. The White Horse pub dates to the 13th century, and was a Royal Mail staging post. St Mary's church is the parish church of Eaton Socon. On the evening of 8 February 1930 the church was substantially destroyed by a fire. By the time it was discovered it had already taken hold, and despite the attendance of Sandy and St Neots fire appliances, most of
9855-399: The charter, the charter may be transferred to a parish council for its area. Where there is no such parish council, the district council may appoint charter trustees to whom the charter and the arms of the former borough will belong. The charter trustees (who consist of the councillor or councillors for the area of the former borough) maintain traditions such as mayoralty . An example of such
9990-402: The coach to keep going, stopping only for the change, and for meal stops. Coaching inns along the line of route arranged the feed and rest of the horses and had them ready at the specified time for the next run by the same coach operator. Overnight accommodation was provided, as in general any long transit took several days, although some coaches continued through the night. Feed for the horses was
10125-529: The council are carried out by a paid officer, typically known as a parish clerk. Councils may employ additional people (including bodies corporate, provided where necessary, by tender) to carry out specific tasks dictated by the council. Some councils have chosen to pay their elected members an allowance, as permitted under part 5 of the Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003. The number of councillors varies roughly in proportion to
10260-464: The council of the urban district or borough in which they were contained. Many urban parishes were coterminous (geographically identical) with the urban district or municipal borough in which they lay. Towns which included multiple urban parishes often consolidated the urban parishes into one. The urban parishes continued to be used as an electoral area for electing guardians to the poor law unions . The unions took in areas in multiple parishes and had
10395-466: The council will an election be held. However, sometimes there are fewer candidates than seats. When this happens, the vacant seats have to be filled by co-option by the council. If a vacancy arises for a seat mid-term, an election is only held if a certain number (usually ten) of parish residents request an election. Otherwise the council will co-opt someone to be the replacement councillor. The Localism Act 2011 introduced new arrangements which replaced
10530-453: The creation of town and parish councils is encouraged in unparished areas . The Local Government and Rating Act 1997 created a procedure which gave residents in unparished areas the right to demand that a new parish and parish council be created. This right was extended to London boroughs by the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 – with this, the City of London
10665-535: The creators of the priory on their land. It was essential to add prestige and status to their new priory; the objective was to attract pilgrims, and their money. This meant selecting a notable holy person as their patron, and Neot was their choice. The commercial possibilities would be even greater if some physical relics could be acquired, and legend has it that Leofric and Leofleda decided to acquire those of Neot. Legend continues that Neot's bones were stolen from Cornwall, and brought to Eynesbury where they were placed in
10800-463: The desire to have a more local tier of government when new larger authorities have been created, which are felt to be remote from local concerns and identity. A number of parishes have been created in places which used to have their own borough or district council; examples include Daventry (2003), Folkestone (2004), Kidderminster (2015) and Sutton Coldfield (2016). The trend towards the creation of geographically large unitary authorities has been
10935-414: The discourtesy to Elgar, and in fact the chimes composed by S G Wilkinson, the Eaton Socon organist, were used. Percy Bentham, the stonemason, carved a reference to the conflict in a corbel to the right of the north door: it shows a satyr snatching the pipes from the mouth of a musician. Civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government . It
11070-429: The earth mound still exists. It is a Scheduled Monument referred to as The Hillings. The castle was built during a period of civil war over the succession to the throne. Matilda was the heir to King Henry I but a faction of barons supported Stephen. In the civil war that followed several fortified positions were quickly thrown up, in support of Stephen. One of these was Eaton Socon Castle. Stephen's supporters won and he
11205-439: The ecclesiastical parishes. The Church of England parishes, which cover more than 99% of England, have become officially (and to avoid ambiguity) termed ecclesiastical parishes . The limits of many of these have diverged; most greatly through changes in population and church attendance (these factors can cause churches to be opened or closed). Since 1921, each has been the responsibility of its own parochial church council . In
11340-588: The enactment of the Education Act 1944 , there was a great expansion in secondary education for all pupils. It was not until 1960 that a secondary school was established in St Neots, but Eaton Socon was in Bedfordshire, so a number of Eaton Socon pupils travelled daily to Biggleswade. It was only with the establishment of Longsands and Ernulf comprehensive schools in 1966 and 1971 that a full secondary education provision
11475-521: The established English Church, which for a few years after Henry VIII alternated between the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England , before settling on the latter on the accession of Elizabeth I in 1558. By the 18th century, religious membership was becoming more fractured in some places, due in part to the progress of Methodism . The legitimacy of the parish vestry came into question, and
11610-453: The first Act of Supremacy of 1534 , making Henry supreme authority over the Church of England and rejecting the authority of the Pope. From 1536 Henry instituted a series of processes called the Dissolution of the Monasteries (or Suppression of the Monasteries), in which the lands and property of monasteries were appropriated to the state. There were about 900 religious houses in England at
11745-569: The first half of the ninth century, somewhere in Wessex . Neot's father was named Ethelwulph. In early life he was under pressure to become a soldier, but when he was old enough, he devoted himself instead to a religious life. As a young man therefore, he became a novice monk , living in Glastonbury Abbey, about the middle of the ninth century. He was extremely studious. He is likely to have been given an Anglo-Saxon name by his parents, but this
11880-401: The foundation would have their protection, and that they would furnish it with monks. This was agreed to, and a Benedictine foundation was created, monks being sent from Ely and Thorney. Some land was given to the foundation, most of which was at Waresley and Gamlingay. It appeared that the future of the Priory at St Neots , and the remains lodged there, were secure. However after a few years
12015-638: The gift and continued patronage (benefaction) of the lord of the manor , but not all were willing and able to provide, so residents would be expected to attend the church of the nearest manor with a church. Later, the churches and priests became to a greater extent the responsibility of the Catholic Church thus this was formalised; the grouping of manors into one parish was recorded, as was a manor-parish existing in its own right. Boundaries changed little, and for centuries after 1180 'froze', despite changes to manors' extents. However, by subinfeudation , making
12150-455: The government at the time of the Local Government Act 1972 discouraged their creation for large towns or their suburbs, but there is generally nothing to stop their establishment. For example, Birmingham has two parishes ( New Frankley and Sutton Coldfield ), Oxford has four, and the Milton Keynes urban area has 24. Parishes could not however be established in London until the law was changed in 2007. A civil parish can range in area from
12285-549: The infidelity of their servant. Having armed themselves with such weapons as they could procure, they sought the fugitive among the neighbouring woods, hills and valleys. After much waste of time and fruitless labor, having obtained information respecting the road by which he had fled, a party of the principal inhabitants traced him to Eynesbury. Restoration of the stolen property having been in vain demanded, their rage became excessive. From bribes and threats, they were about to proceed to violence; and blood would have been shed, had not
12420-473: The largest expense for the operator. By 1754 coaches were travelling from London as far as Edinburgh. At the height of stagecoach activity there were 20 coaches passing through Eaton Socon daily, "some of them going straight up the Great North Road after changing horses at The White Horse and others taking the loop through St Neots. At The Cross Keys Inn mail was collected as well as passengers". The routes converged again at Alconbury Hill with stagecoaches using
12555-471: The late 19th century, most of the "ancient" (a legal term equivalent to time immemorial ) irregularities inherited by the civil parish system were cleaned up, and the majority of exclaves were abolished. The census of 1911 noted that 8,322 (58%) of "parishes" in England and Wales were not geographically identical when comparing the civil to the ecclesiastical form. In 1894, civil parishes were reformed by
12690-403: The left. To the right over the river is seen the church of Little Barford, at 54 you pass by a range of houses called Little End.-- At 55 you enter the large village of Eaton; where are several inns, one, The Cock, much frequented by fox hunters, and a noble church. From the hill above Eaton there is a view of the large market turn of St. Neots in the vale of which join'd to Eynesbury village makes
12825-465: The mid 19th century. Using a longer historical lens the better terms are "pre-separation (civil and ecclesiastical) parish", "original medieval parishes" and "new parishes". The Victoria County History , a landmark collaborative work mostly written in the 20th century (although incomplete), summarises the history of each English "parish", roughly meaning late medieval parish. A minority of these had exclaves , which could be: In some cases an exclave of
12960-407: The midst of psalmody [the singing of psalms] and prayers. He died on 31 July 877. 31 July is widely quoted as his Saint's Day. However Skeat gives his day as October 28. and Saunders explains: That was the date of his death and his "principal festival"; "Afterwards his festival was observed on October 28th, the day of the translation of his relics from Cornwall into Huntingdonshire, and he
13095-465: The new district councils (outside London) to review their parishes, and many areas left unparished in 1972 have since been made parishes, either in whole or part. For example, Hinckley , whilst entirely unparished in 1974, now has four civil parishes, which together cover part of its area, whilst the central part of the town remains unparished. Some parishes were sub-divided into smaller territories known as hamlets , tithings or townships . Nowadays
13230-409: The north side Duloe Brook delineates the boundary with Eaton Ford , which is also part of St Neots. Much of Eaton Socon is given over to residential use, but there is a large area dedicated to light industry and trade distribution activities. There are also several public houses and inns, and a retail park. In the days of stagecoach travel, Eaton Socon was a major stop on the journey from London to
13365-488: The other conurbations. Civil parishes vary greatly in population: some have populations below 100 and have no settlement larger than a hamlet , while others cover towns with populations of tens of thousands. Weston-super-Mare , with a population of 71,758, is the most populous civil parish. In many cases small settlements, today popularly termed villages , localities or suburbs, are in a single parish which originally had one church. Large urban areas are mostly unparished, as
13500-401: The parish the status of a town, at which point the council becomes a town council . Around 400 parish councils are called town councils. Under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 , a civil parish may be given one of the following alternative styles: As a result, a parish council can be called a town council, a community council, a village council or occasionally
13635-404: The parish. As the number of ratepayers of some parishes grew, it became increasingly difficult to convene meetings as an open vestry. In some, mostly built-up, areas the select vestry took over responsibility from the entire body of ratepayers. This innovation improved efficiency, but allowed governance by a self-perpetuating elite. The administration of the parish system relied on the monopoly of
13770-562: The parish; the church rate ceased to be levied in many parishes and became voluntary from 1868. During the 17th century it was found that the 1601 Poor Law did not work well for very large parishes, which were particularly common in northern England. Such parishes were typically subdivided into multiple townships , which levied their rates separately. The Poor Relief Act 1662 therefore directed that for poor law purposes 'parish' meant any place which maintained its own poor, thereby converting many townships into separate 'poor law parishes'. As
13905-499: The perceived inefficiency and corruption inherent in the system became a source for concern in some places. For this reason, during the early 19th century the parish progressively lost its powers to ad hoc boards and other organisations, such as the boards of guardians given responsibility for poor relief through the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 . Sanitary districts covered England in 1875 and Ireland three years later. The replacement boards were each entitled to levy their own rate in
14040-411: The population of the parish. Most rural parish councillors are elected to represent the entire parish, though in parishes with larger populations or those that cover larger areas, the parish can be divided into wards. Each of these wards then returns councillors to the parish council (the numbers depending on their population). Only if there are more candidates standing for election than there are seats on
14175-477: The present day. The roads that were adequate for static populations in the sixteenth century were becoming a hindrance to the commercial progress. By 1700 a few turnpikes had been set up: a turnpike was a toll road: the toll income was used to improve and maintain the road surface. The tolls were resented by people who had formerly used the road for nothing. Eventually local Acts of Parliament were passed to enable turnpike trusts to manage sections of road. In 1725
14310-459: The price of coal often reduced by 80% the day after a town acquired a railway connection. In addition the railway enabled passenger travel in general, and for the first time people of all classes were able to travel, and cheap excursions to seaside resorts were arranged, as well as to the Great Exhibition of 1851. Unfortunately for Eaton Socon, the rise of the railways led to the extinction of
14445-446: The priory at St Neots and inspected the remains, and announced that they were indeed present there. Nevertheless the Abbot of Croyland continued to claim that his Abbey held them. A century later, the subsequent Abbot of Croyland continued to claim that the remains were with him there, but widespread doubts were expressed and the chest which was claimed to contain Neot's remains was opened. It
14580-544: The relics] was, however, not 974, [as had been suggested] but about 1000." Returning to events at the time: In the meantime, the inhabitants of Neot-Stoke, having understood that the Warden was missing, and having suspected the fraud, flocked to the Shrine of their Saint to inspect the sacred Chest. On finding that their invaluable treasure was gone, they were filled with self-reproach at their own carelessness, and with indignation at
14715-417: The residence of Earl Alric at Eynesbury for a short time, as the Priory had not yet been constructed. The year of this event seems not to have been recorded, but must have been several years after Neot's death in 877 AD and well before the presumed destruction of the Eynesbury priory by the Danes in 1010 AD. Stevenson in reviewing the work of other historians states in passing, "The date of the transference [of
14850-438: The right to create civil parishes was extended to London boroughs , although only one, Queen's Park , has so far been created. Eight parishes also have city status (a status granted by the monarch ). A civil parish may be equally known as and confirmed as a town, village, neighbourhood or community by resolution of its parish council, a right not conferred on other units of English local government. The governing body of
14985-471: The royal authority interposed to quell this disturbance. King Edgar sided with Leofric and Leofleda, and actually sent soldiers to ensure that the Cornishmen went home, empty-handed. Gorham says No sooner were the remains of Neot safely deposited at Eynesbury, than Earl Alric raised over them a Chapel, and converted the palace of Earl Elfrid into a Monastery which was dedicated to the Saint... In honor of
15120-528: The rule of William the Conqueror . This huge change of governance was accompanied by changes in religious authority, and the Priory of St Neots was seized by Gilbert Earl of Owe. The local monks were ejected and French monks installed. The son of Gilbert, Richard fitz Gilbert and his wife Rohaïs were in local control, and sent word to the Abbey of Bec, in Normandy, for monks to be sent; St Neots Priory became subject to
15255-491: The shrine, which was a portable container called a feretory. Anselm found all of Neot's bones inside, with the exception of one arm, which may have been pilfered by the Monks of Croyland. The bones were once again enclosed in the feretory, with the exception of one minor part, probably Neot's jawbone, which Anselm took with him on his return to Bec. The feretory was locked, and Anselm took the key with him as well. In 1113 Rohaïs, now
15390-483: The stagecoach trade that had brought so much prosperity to the area. Long distance stagecoach travel was quickly wiped out, and stagecoach operators ran nothing more than feeder services. Moreover the river traffic too declined steeply; Bedford and St Neots merchants and farmers no longer required river transport for their materials, and employment on the water too was greatly reduced. Eaton Socon had little industry to fall back on, and from this time it declined. Employment
15525-459: The stones in the ruins of the Priory were used for construction of the new bridge over the nearby River Great Ouse. No trace of the existence of the buildings remained. There is no record of the fate of the shrine (feretory) of St Neot. The jawbone of Neot, taken by Anselm to Bec, was last recorded there in 1680, and it too has been lost. The writer Leland saw two non-bodily relics at St Neots in 1538: Neot's "interior vest" made of hair-cloth, "in
15660-423: The timber and other flammable parts of the church were destroyed, as also was one of the bells. The vicar managed to save some of the historic documents and artefacts. In the early afternoon of the following day, the north wall collapsed. An investigation revealed that there had been a defective flue from the stove under the organ chamber. Timber panelling was ignited, and the fire took hold as a result. The decision
15795-559: The time the village was known as Hamstoke. The location Neot chose was surrounded by dense woodland in hilly terrain. Neot took with him one man, named Barius, as a servant. He spent seven years at this place; despite his wish to avoid public attention, the tiny community of Hamstoke became known as Neotstoke or Neot-stow during this time. He lived as if he was a novice in religion; he macerated his body by fastings, by watchings, by prayers, because he had not lived hitherto in any hermitical strictness. When seven years had passed, Neot visited
15930-501: The time. St Neots Priory was surrendered to the King on 21 December 1539. There were a prior and seven monks in residence. The Priory had no further religious activity. With the monasteries being dissolved, and the Roman Catholic observances now being disparaged, the remains of Neot seem to have lost their significance. The Priory of St Neots was already in a poor physical condition, and when its associated lands were given by Henry VIII to Sir Richard Williams of Hinchinbrook . In 1589
16065-424: Was admired for his literary attainments by the other monks; and he was known for his humility and religious devotion. In addition to the religious observances prescribed by the monastery, he often awoke in the middle of the night and went to the chapel secretly to pray, in the disguise of a penitent, returning at dawn to continue the ordinary monastic routine. In due course he was admitted to Holy orders , and later he
16200-523: Was also 1s 9d for servants and 6d for horses. The Cock was a posting house , meaning that horses could be hired there; The Cock was never a stagecoach inn. The Cock also acted as a meeting place for official business. In a letter recorded in Letters to William Frend, Mr Reynolds of Paxton Hall tells of "a very full meeting of the Commissioners of Biggleswade Turnpike Road at The Cock Inn, Eaton" in 1800, where
16335-544: Was an English monk . Born in the first half of the ninth century, he lived as a monk at Glastonbury Abbey . He preferred to perform his religious devotions privately, and he later went to live an isolated life in Cornwall , near the village now called St Neot . His wisdom and religious dedication earned him admiration from the monks. He visited the Pope in Rome, who instructed him to found
16470-427: Was buried at the monastery. About sixty years after his death, about the year 936, his remains were taken inside, at first to a side-chapel, and then to the nave, while much of the monastery and the accompanying church were demolished and rebuilt." but Gorham, writing later, decidedly contradicts that. The monastery that Neot had founded declined in importance after his death, and in fact the lands were later seized by
16605-528: Was by stage cart, or by pack horse. The Cock Inn stood to the north of Eaton Socon Green, between the church and the corner of Peppercorn Lane. It was a large, elegant building of brick with a clay-tiled roof, and double bay windows. It was a well-known hostelry in the 18th century, with a reputation for good food. Lord Torrington, writing in his diary in 1794, was very complimentary about it. His bill came to 9s 10d and consisted of 4s for dinners, 1s 3d for wine, 1s 4d for brandy, 4d for beer and 6d for coffee. There
16740-538: Was established in Eaton Socon. William of Colmworth and a group of monks, not affiliated to any particular order, was given a site at Bushmead by Hugh de Beauchamp, who had his base in Bedford , in about 1195. After 1215 the site became an Augustinian priory, but it never rivalled the prestige of the St Neots priory. Hugh de Beauchamp built a castle in present-day Eaton Socon around 1140. It was probably of timber construction with earthworks and may never have been completed, but
16875-533: Was found in 1693 near Athelney in Somerset , close to the area where King Alfred had hidden to escape Viking soldiers in AD 878. The jewel is made of gold with an enamel image under a rock crystal; it is thought to be the end of a pointer used to follow religious text when reading. The Old English inscription reads "Alfred ordered me to be made". The figure depicted on the jewel was believed to be Saint Neot, and for that reason
17010-674: Was found to contain a skull, the collar bones, the shoulder blades, some bones of the thorax, and the leg bones. "In 1215 these pretended relics of Neot were removed by the Abbot Henry Longchamp, and were placed by an altar erected to his honor... As a proof of the futility of these claims, in 1295 Oliver Bp. of Lincoln issued a second Attestation, reciting the Testimonial of Abp. Anselm." The bones were not those of Neot, he affirmed, and Neot's remains were at St Neots. The Norman Conquest took place in 1066, and England became subject to
17145-473: Was installed as king. When he died in 1154, Matilda's son Henry succeeded as King Henry II. One of his first acts was to order the demolition of the castles, which were referred to as adulterine. Some habitable accommodation must have remained, and was occupied in the 13th century by a Lady Juliana de Beauchamp. Notwithstanding its demolition, the castle and the remaining residential occupation conferred considerable prestige on Eaton. Only an earth mound remains at
17280-465: Was known as Eton cum Soca, and in the nineteenth century this had become Eaton Socon. The manor of Eaton included two water mills, a church and a priest; there were 38 villein families, seven smallholders and eight tied labourers. The manor of Eaton was allocated at first to Lisois de Moutiers, but by the time of the Domesday Book in 1086 it had been transferred to Eudo Dapifer ; he was a steward in
17415-560: Was limited to agriculture, and to the industrial work available in St Neots. The village has a conservation area centred on listed buildings including modest thatched cottages along the Great North Road and side roads such as Peppercorns Lane and School Lane. The population of Eaton Socon remained without much change until the late 1950s. At this time the Government were concerned about overcrowding and poor accommodation in London, and
17550-413: Was made Sacristan of the Abbey. The fame of his scholarship and devotion attracted many pilgrims from all parts of the country, who went to Glastonbury to receive the benefit of his wisdom. It was while he was at Glastonbury that the miracle of the door lock, described below, took place. Neot's wish to do his additional devotional prayer privately shows that he wanted to avoid deriving pleasure from
17685-582: Was made from a slab of Derbyshire stone, weighing 12 cwt (600 kg) . In due course eight new bells were cast, in part from the metal of the old bells, but forming two more bells than the six former bells. Sir Edward Elgar was asked to compose a chime for striking the hour, but although he agreed, he seems to have been dilatory. However eventually his manuscript was received, but now the Parochial Church Council decided to ask for local compositions. This caused considerable controversy, quite apart from
17820-624: Was made in St. Neots. On 1 April 1965, Huntingdonshire was combined with the Soke of Peterborough to form an enlarged county, named Huntingdonshire and the Soke of Peterborough. Eaton Socon was still in Bedfordshire. In 1974 Huntingdonshire and the Soke of Peterborough were finally merged with Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely, the entire new county being known as Cambridgeshire. Eaton Socon and Eaton Ford were transferred to Cambridgeshire and Huntingdon District Council, and
17955-420: Was not long before the King was free of the illness. This was believed to be as a result of the holiness of the place in which his prayers had been offered. Neot seems not to have been in residence at the time of this visit by Alfred, and Whitaker says that the cure of Alfred's illness prompted Neot's adoption of the place as his residence. Later, when Neot was installed as Abbot, Alfred made several visits. Neot
18090-546: Was successful and a hundred years later most of East Anglia was Christian. A mother church was built in Eaton to serve as a focus for a large area on the west bank of the Great Ouse. The local landholder at Eaton at the time of the Norman Conquest was Ulmar, a thegn (or thane) and he was superior to two sokemen; the soke was a subsidiary area of land and control. In time the area became known as Soka de Eton by 1247 AD. In 1645 it
18225-430: Was taken to rebuild, and Prof A E Richardson, FRIBA, was appointed consulting architect. The rebuilt church was to be broadly faithful to the original, although detailed photographs proved not to be available. The restoration of the tower was undertaken first, and reinforced concrete was used for strength, and Mr Hartrop, a builder from Eaton Socon, was the contractor, and much other work was done by local people. A new altar
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