John Pryke writes about the history of Fordham Abbey

When Henry VIII removed all the monastic houses between 1536 and 1540, one of his allies was the first incumbent of Fordham Abbey who took up his place after the dissolution.

It was common for monarch’s to grant property and land to those who had given admirable service and Master Philip Parris was granted the Abbey estate.

Parris had served the King well. He had accompanied the King and his wife, Catherine of Aragon on the ‘summit’ meeting with the King of France, arranged by Cardinal Wolsey in 1520.

The meeting was dubbed ‘The Field of the Cloth of Gold’, due to its splendour and lavish surroundings.

Parris served under the chief minister who was Thomas Cromwell and assisted with the closing of more than 850 monastic houses.

He also served Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester and became treasurer of that Diocese. He escaped the same fate as Cromwell and Gardiner. Despite falling out with the King, he left with his head still intact.

Parris was a very astute man and when Henry died, he switched allegiance to the King’s daughter Mary Tudor, who was a Catholic. He was a great servant when she became Queen, so much so, that the day after her Coronation, she knighted Master Parris for his loyalty.

Sir Philip Parris died in 1558 and the Abbey estate returned to The Crown for six decades. Then enter the Russell family for the next century.

Sir William Russell, Baronet of Chippenham, had two sons who feature in our local history.

Francis, later Sir Francis was a friend and comrade-in-arms of Oliver Cromwell, who resided at Ely from 1636.

Sir Francis had a daughter, Elizabeth,  who married Cromwell’s son, Henry who lived at Spinney Abbey. Another son, Gerard Russell became MP for Cambridgeshire in the middle of the century.

The MP’s son, William, married Cromwell’s granddaughter, also named Elizabeth. There is little doubt that the Lord Protector must have visited Fordham at some stage.

Admiral Sir Charles Wager was next at the Abbey. He was a close friend of the famous Diarist, Samuel Pepys and became First Lord of the Admiralty from 1733-1742.

During the second part of this Century, the Metcalfe family and James Francis Noble made many changes at the Abbey.

By 1800, the Georgian building that still stands today was complete.

Abbey Lodge in Fordham circa 1907. (Image: JOHN PRYKE)