St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-11-01
MEMORIALS OF GROIN WELL.

written for the CALEDoNIAN.)
If traveller should take train on
the Great Northern railway from
London to Lincoln he will find after
Journey of about sixty miles the
birthplace OF Oliver Cromwell in the
town of Huntington. This is an old
town which long ago grew up north
of the river Ouse on either side Of the
Roman Ermine street on its way
from London to York The
house in which Cromwell was born
on April 25, 1899, was near the north
end of the main street. Al that time
the house was of stone. The build
ings associated with Crom wells life
in Huntington are all gone. lnplace
of the stone house is one of brick
the church where he was baptized
and the grammar school which he at
tended in his youth have both been
rebuilt. In fact scarcely landmark
remains except the little brook which
ran through the grounds OF his home,
flowing from his grandiather'S estate,
Hinchinbrook. The fiat fen country
itself remains, out over which the boy
and man often looked with wonder
and with longing for the Eternal. 1t
would seem that the occupants OF
the house on the site OF his birthplace
are fearful of publicity, for an uncom-
monty high brick wall conceals the
house from the street and the iron
gates are so made that it is almost
intrusive to look through them.
At the age of seventeen years he
went to Cambridge and entered Sid
ney Sussex college. In order to reach
that city he had to journey scant
twenty miles, first crossing the Ouse
on the London road, then turning
eastward on the old Roman Via
Devana. At Sidney Sussex you may
find more memorials Of Cromwell
commemorating his stay of one year
than in Huntington, the home OF the
first thirty.two years OF hislife. The
college servitor will point out the
oriel window of the room which the
student Cromwell occupied during
the one year of his university life. II
repairs do not forbid. he will enable
YOU to see the record of his matrlCu-
latiou, also a portrait OF less char
acter than that which Lely painted
for Ferdinand the duke OF Tuscany,
copy of which is in Mansfield col
lege, Oxford. Sidney Sussex library
also boasts bust madetrom death
mask OF Cromwell.
At the close OF a year residence IN
Cambridge the death of the father
brought the boy OF eighteen back to
Huntington to take up the response
bilities of an elder son. This was his
home until he was thirty two years
old,wheu he removed to St. Ives,
which is to be found by following the
Ouse five miles inits eastward course.
Here dwels the Rev. d. McFadyen,
Congregational minister, hosptable
and sympathetic. From him one
learns what of local lore may be
gathered. Here is seen the Cromwell
barn, a massive brick structure.
Every other building associated with
his five years stay has been swept
away by a food. The main street
looks much as it did two hundred
and sixty years ago. There are per-
sons still living in st. Ives who re-
member Carlyle's visit there nifty
years ago, and who saw him come
to the head of the street where ne
glanced at little stagnant back
water of the Ouse and the reedy fen
nearly surrounding it and mlstook 1t
for the river itself. His spleeny de-
scription of the stream in connection
with the narrative of this portion OF
Cromwell's life is resented by those
who live near it and love it. Inc
whole fen country is landmark OF
Cromwell, for did he not have share
in securing proper drainage OF 1t by
means of the Bedford riverF lhls Is
great drain twenty miles IN length'
in the construction of which Crom-
wells activity secured to him the title
of "the Lord of the fens." The tray
eler passes in sight fit on his way
from st. Ives to Ely, which was Inc
next home of Oliver. Here the YER
ger of the cathedral will tell you