History
The earliest image we have of Chelveston, showing the Green.
The villagers appear to be in their "Sunday Best"!
This part of the website has been set up by the Parish Council to provide information on the history of the parish of Chelveston-cum-Caldecott, that forms part of the ancient hundred of Higham Ferrers in the county of Northamptonshire.
What's in name?
Chelveston (C20), Chelston (C18), Chestone (C15) or Celuestone (1086 - Domesday Book entry).
Caldecott (C20), Caldecote (C18), Calcote (C15) or Caldecote (1086 - Domesday Book entry).
Both names are Anglo-Saxon in origin, Celuestone translates to Céolwulf's farmstead, whilst Caldecote translates to cold or inhospitable cottages.
Timeline
Parish History Timeline (PDF, 40 Kb)
Timeline of events in the Parish from 1086.
Events, Places and Topics
- Allotments (Old)
- Bakers
- Baptist Chapel
- Blacksmiths and Farriers
- Butchers
- Census data
- Church
- Darby and Joan club
- Families
- Farms
- Fires
- Fitzwilliam Arms
- Flower, Fruit, and Vegetable Shows
- Garage
- Lace Makers
- Lords of the Manor
- May Queens
- Memorial to the 305th Bombardment Group
- Overseers of the Poor
- Parish Constables
- Place names
- Post Office
- Quarries
- Railway
- School
- Star and Garter
- Tactical Fire Fighting Training Centre
- Utilities
- Village Institute
- Womens Institute
- Working Mens Club
- Youth Organisations
- 1086 - Domesday Book
- 1643 - The Battle of Chelveston Hall
- 1775 - Turnpike Road
- 1789 - Open Fields Survey
- 1801 - Inclosure Act
- 1891 - Duchy Estate Sale
- 1914-18 - World War I service
- 1919 - Estate Sale
- 1937 - Parish Council Election
- 1937 - Coronation of King George VI
- 1939 - ARP and Fire Watchers
- 1940 - Home Guard
- 1941 - RAF Chelveston
- 1941 - 2819 (LAA) Squadron
- 1977 - Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee
- 1985 - Queen Elizabeth II visit
- 1992 - 305th BGMA 50th Anniversary Visit
- 1995 - Uranium Scare
- Dedication Service of the 305th Bomb Group Memorial
- 2009 - 40th Combat Wing Visit
- 2013 - DEB microwave tower
- 2017 - 305th Bombardment Group Memorial Re-dedication
- 2022 - Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee
Village Memories
This section contains memories of village life by residents and former residents of the parish.
- Ken Allan
Ken lived in the village between Feb 1945 and August 1951, when his father has the baker in Water Lane. Ken (head prefect in 1948-49 at Raunds Secondary County Modern school, now Manor school) recorded village life on his Box Brownie camera at the time.
Born in 1934 and now living near Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Ken has provided a series of articles on village life during the 1945-51 period. - Horace Eady
Horace was born in the house next to the Star & Garter (now the dining room of the pub) on 7th December 1937 and has lived in the village ever since. During his lifetime he has worked on the local farms, served in the Royal Navy, worked as a plasterer, run his own building firm and finally run a game farm.
Now retired, Horace has provided a series of articles on his life in the village from the 1940’s onwards.
The Village 1943-44 (PDF, 21 Kb)
Horace Eady's guide to the families in the village in 1943-44.