From: "lynda hall" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Subject: Re Fen drainage Cambs. Date: 17 November 2003 00:34 The Romans had a stab at Fen Drainage in Cambridgeshire this lasted longer as the sea was to far away to wash it away. Cambridgeshire problems where different, they had lots of rivers from high ground flowing out to the sea.Which caused awful flooding and lost of crops. The most noted early drain was Morton's Leam which is 14 miles long from Peterborough to Guyhirn and built in the 13th century by a Rev or Bishop Morton. 1629 Cornelus Vermuyden and Charles First with the a Duke of Bedford. start to drain the fens. Oliver Cromwell wasec against the idea. When Oliver Cromwell is Lord Protector he changes his mind and is for the draining of the fens . The Fen men do not like a turncoat and there was trouble. With the return of Charles the 2nd. He is need of money and takes up the draining again ,with Cornelus Vermuyden and a Duke of Bedford and some rich men. The King had a parcel of land to build a new place on. But it did not get built. The land was drained over the next three centuries. and many riots and disputes continued for many years. see website . Thisiswisbeach.co.uk/triw/index. Right here is the Huguenots bit. The Duke of Bedford pal of Charles the 2nd. Has an estate in the Fens, Guess where ? Thorney which is a bit untidy and needs work doing, so he asked the Huguenot's to come to stay, some arrive it is said from Sandtoft and Norwich some from other areas Southampton (these where perhaps Walloons).The old Abbey at Thorney was made watertight and a French Pastor appointed. Facts. The Legend , says that some of the people who worship at the abbey thought it too grand and not grim enough. So they moved to Guyhirn .which must have been grim enough for they stayed. A Dissenter started a group which opened as a church in 1698 This man went on to write 96 hymens and letters and sermons some of which where published after his death in 1725. He was a pain in the neck to the bishop of Ely and as he was not a land owner he was sent to work on ship . It is said that he was put on board ship at Wisbeach or Kings Lynn , and that he sung hymns all day and some of the night and the sailors where so fed up that they put him ashore at Great Yarmouth. He then walked back home preaching as he went. On his return his flock raised money to buy him a plot of land so this could not happen again. If this man started a church which lasted for about 100 years, why is there so little written about him. It is possible that he is a relation of mine , David CULY and his followers the CULYMITES. He may have Huguenots or Walloon Blood. Time will tell. There are many good sites on draining the fens. and lots more people like Sir Philibert Vernatti, to name one . Lynda Hall nee CULY.