Cambridge and Ely Turnpike: Cambridge to Ely

The administrative records of the Cambridge to Ely Trust (T/E) include earlier accounts and financial records which have been sorted into preliminary bundles. All the records of the Cambridge to Littleport and Downham roads (T/D) and the Littleport to Welney road (T/L) have been sorted into rough bundles only.

The Cambridge and Ely Turnpike Trust was established by statute in 1763 (3 George III c.36), and its life and powers were extended by amendment acts of 1765 (5 George III c.79), 1770 (10 George III c.97), 1803-4 (44 George III c.70), 1824 (5 George IV c.60) and 1852 (15 and 16 Victoria). The Trust expired on 1st May 1875.

The road originally ran for 16 miles from the southwest corner of St Giles churchyard in Cambridge to Lamb Corner in Ely (along the route of what is now the A10), and for 5 miles from Ely to the first house in Soham (now the A142). A brick bridge was built over the River Ouse at Stretham Ferry. In 1765 the line of the main Cambridge to Ely road was slightly altered, and the turnpike extended from Ely to Sutton and to Littleport. In 1770 it was extended further still to Downham and to Mepal. All the roads south of Ely became the "South District" while the Ely to Downham route became the "North District" (see map overleaf). In 1824 a further turnpike road from Littleport to Welney Ferry was added, which became the "North West District"; and in 1804 the road from Stretham to Sutton via Wilburton and Haddenham was turnpiked.

Each of these districts had their own trustees, creditors, meetings, minutes and accounts, and have been treated as three separate trusts for cataloguing:

T/E South District: Cambridge to Ely, Soham, Wilburton and Mepal

T/D North District: Ely to Littleport and Downham

T/L North West District: Littleport to Welney

However, as the officers responsible for the administration of the districts were often the same individuals, documents relating to one district are occasionally found in the record series of another. Records relating to all three trusts (e.g. statutes) appear to have been normally kept by the Clerk with the South District records, so may be found in T/E.

ADMINISTRATION

MINUTES

T/E/AM 1-3 Minute books 1763-1822

AM 5-36 Draft Minutes 1845-1852

AM 37-46 Committee Reports 1794-1873

AM 47-61 Committee Minutes 1801-1873

AM 62-70 Minutes: Supporting Papers 1825-1875

CORRESPONDENCE

T/E/AC 1-34 General Correspondence 1762-1864

FINANCIAL

T/E/AF 1-2 Conditions and Notices for Letting Tolls 1825-1852

AF 3-43 Assignments of Tolls 1763-1805

AF 44-48 Assignments of Securities 1805-1847

AF 49-50 Assignments miscellaneous

AF 51-62 Papers re Securities 1763-1853

AF 63 Insurance Papers 1782

OFFICERS

T/E/AO 1-11 Appointments of Officers 1763-1868

PROPERTY

T/E/AP 1-10 Title Deeds 1795-1837

AP 11-17 Sale Particulars 1767-1874

AP 18-39 Builders' Agreements 1763-1855

AP 40-56 Builders' Specifications and Estimates 1797-1854

AP 57-75 Plans 1763-1853

AP 76-84 Orders re Tollgates 1824-1855

ROADS

T/E/AR 1-14 Road Repairs 1763-1853

STATUTES

T/E/AS 1-9 Trust Statutes 1763-1852

AS 10-32 Statutes: Supporting Papers 1763-1852

AS 33-36 Petitions to Parliament 1765, 1869

TOLLS

T/E/AT 1-8 Tables of Tolls 1763-1824

AT 9-11 Tables of Weights 1810-1812

AT 12-28 Appointments of Toll Collectors 1763-1784

AT 29-108 Leases of Tolls 1766-1873

AT 109-117 Tolls miscellaneous

TRUSTEES

T/E/AZ 1-7 Appointments of Trustees 1765-1855

AZ 8-13 Lists of Trustees 1763-1861

CLERK

T/E/AZ 14-46 Statute Duty Lists 1763-1817

AZ 47-51 Statute Duty miscellaneous 1765-1836

AZ 52-83 Parish Highway Surveyors: Orders and Circulars 1848-1874

AZ 84-104 Parish Highway Surveyors: Ely Local Board of Health 1853, 1867

AZ 105-111 Parish Highway Surveyors: miscellaneous 1827-1853

AZ 112-122 Parish vestry resolutions 1868-1969

AZ 123-129 Petitions and memorials 1773-1867

AZ 130-145 Home Office: Orders and Circulars 1836-1874

AZ 146-160 Road Office: Orders and Circulars 1836-1852

AZ 161-172 Local Government Board: Orders and Circulars 1873-1875

AZ 173-179 Local government officials 1810-1826

AZ 180-193 Cambridgeshire Turnpike Trusts 1756-1869

AZ 194-209 Other Turnpike Trusts 1772-1851

AZ 210-213 General Turnpike Acts 1833-1873

AZ 214-222 Railway companies 1836-1855

AZ 223-224 Steam Carriage Company 1844

AZ 225 Tram Companies 1870-1871

AZ 226 Waterwork Companies 1850

AZ 227-228 Notices and requisitions for meetings 1824-1872

AZ 229-239 Newspaper notices 1765-1851

AZ 240-247 Cases for Opinion 1791-1866

AZ 248-257 Miscellaneous Statutes 1810-1867

AZ 258-259 Clerk's Notices 1845

AZ 260-267 Clerk's Miscellaneous 1760-1850

A ADMINISTRATION F FINANCE

AM Minutes and Committees FA General Accounts

AC Correspondence FS Surveyors' Accounts

AF Financial FV Vouchers

AO Officers FZ Miscellaneous

AP Property

AR Road routes and repairs Z MISCELLANEOUS

AS Statutes

AT Tolls

AZ Trustees

AZ Parish statute duty

AZ Clerk

Francis and Co deposited the Trust's records in the County Record Office at Cambridge as part of a larger accession over 1961-1962.

At the time of the Trust's expiry in 1875 the Clerk was William J Evans, of the firm of Evans and Son, solicitors of Ely. The records remained in the custody of Messrs Evans and Sons until the firm was wound up in 1961, whereupon the firm's records passed to Francis and Co, solicitors of Cambridge [now Mills and Reeve].