Cherry Hinton: Local government

LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

In the late 13th century the lord of Netherhall manor had a gallows, and the lords of Netherhall, Upperhall and the Rectory manors each enjoyed view of frankpledge, and the assizes of bread and of ale. (fn. 1) There are court rolls and books for Netherhall manor for 1563-4, 1583-1603, and 1650-1936, and for Upperhall manor for 1571-1731 and 1832-1902, mostly dealing with copyhold transactions. (fn. 2) For Netherhall manor stewards were named from 1583, by which time its court and Upperhall's court, both styled courts baron, issued ordinances for agricultural management, and imposed fines for offences such as encroachments. Courts held annually from the mid 17th century to the mid 19th mostly handled copyhold transfers, but still occasionally made orders and received presentments.

Expenditure on the poor rose from £143 in 1776 to £264 in 1803, when 29 people received outside relief. (fn. 3) Between 1813 and 1815 relief costs fluctuated around £450; the number who received out relief fell slightly from 44 to 39, while those occasionally relieved rose from 21 to 28. In 1819 relief cost £562, but by 1821 had fallen to £305. Between 1776 and 1821 the amount spent yearly on poor relief, calculated per head, was always above the average of neighbouring parishes and hundreds, but from 1821 until 1827 it was in line with the hundred average, with between £305 and £380 being spent. From 1827 until 1834 it rose above that average, £659 being spent in 1829, falling to £449 in 1834. From 1836 Hinton was included in Chesterton poor-law union, from 1894 in Chesterton rural district, and from 1974 in South Cambridgeshire district. (fn. 4)

In 1894 ratepayers voted at a public meeting against the county council's proposal to divide the parish into two wards for the purpose of electing a parish council. (fn. 5) In 1911 the southwestern portion of the parish, the 338 a. (134 ha.) in the ecclesiastical parish of St. John's, was transferred to the borough of Cambridge, of which the entire ancient parish became a ward in 1931. (fn. 6) Coleridge ward was created in 1951 in the western half of the parish. In 1971 the ward boundaries were reorganized following the creation of Queen Edith's ward. Coleridge ward's western boundary ran as far as the railway line, cutting across the original boundary of Cherry Hinton parish, which was marked by Rathmore, Derby, Lichfield, Gisborne, and Montreal Roads. The Cherry Hinton Road marked the boundary between Coleridge and Queen Edith's wards. The western boundary of Cherry Hinton ward, separating it from Queen Edith's and Coleridge wards, followed Limekiln Road and the brook. The north-east side of Brooks Road and the eastern edges of Marmora and Mill Roads, though part of the ancient parish of Cherry Hinton, have since 1951 been part of Romsey ward.