Squire (Cambs/Hunts/Northants)
The Squire surname appears to have been fairly common in parts of Cambs/Hunts/Northants and Norfolk in C17th/C18/C19th and earlier, with the marriage of a Thomas Squire being recorded in Peterborough in 1629. The family may have originated in the Midlands, but more work is required on that.
The Squires certainly appear as industrious business people and landowners. Between 1726-30, a Thomas Squire and his partner Robert Wright were contracted to make the river Nene navigable between Peterborough and Oundle, then later down to Thrapston.
Baileys British Directory for St Neots in 1784, includes James Squire (merchant) and Thomas Squire (plumber and glazier), while the Universal British Directory in 1798 lists Thomas W Squire and William Squire - both merchants.
In 1710 a document mentions 'coals brought by Squires boats' (to Peterborough), while another of 1769 about the transport of timber for the navy on the Nene notes 'Mr Wright Squire who has many lighters'.
As major landowners, Squires became involved in politics. In elections of 1768 Captain J. Barnes, Stilton, writes to 4th Earl of Sandwich and Mr. Henry Hampshire, that 'Wright Squire has used every low trick to weaken Lord Carysfort's interest at Yaxley' (Lord of the manor).
Wright Squire of Peterborough had bought an estate in Knapwell in 1773. At his death in 1790 he left his Knapwell estate of c. 865 a., four fifths of the parish, to his son William Squire. In 1807 William Squire of Knapwell was appointed sheriff of Cambs and Hunts.
William died in 1826, leaving the estate to his younger brother William Walcot Squire. In 1869 the Squire estate, then 1,043a was sold on.
Peter Squire (1798-1884), born in Bedfordshire, was apprenticed to a chemist and druggist in Peterborough in 1812. He had an outstanding career, working in France and London, he wrote learned medical texts and became a chemist by appointment to Queen Victoria.
Peter's nephew William Squire (1825-1899) was also born in Bedfordshire. He followed medical studies at University College London winning medals and prizes and was a classmate of Joseph Lister. On qualifying in 1849 he served as a house surgeon at UCL.
On learning of the first use of Ether by a dentist in 1846, noted London doctor, Robert Liston, asked Peter Squire to produce an inhaler to administer ether. Later the same year, William Squire used his uncle's device in an operation by Liston, the first use ether as an anaesthetic during surgery.
I believe I read some while ago, but maddeningly now can't find the reference, that Dr William Squire was a proponent of vaccination and that his house in Yaxley had been set on fire by anti-vaxers! I'm uncertain if this William and Peter were directly related to the Cambs/Hunts Squires.
Clearly Yaxley was a stronghold for the Squires, with many BMD records for them at St Peter's church dating back to the mid C17th. There are a number of memorials to Squire's inside the church and William Squire had a window commemorating members of the family installed in the south chapel in 1849.
Squires trading empire was well established in and around Peterborough by 1800. They held the contract to provision the Napoleonic War prison camp, a 42 acre site at Norman Cross, Yaxley: newspapers report up to 900 prisoners being landed at Messers Squire's wharf in Peterborough, before being marched to the camp.
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| Plan of Norman Cross prisoner of war camp. (Walker, T.J. 1913/www.gutenberg.org) |
In January 1794 a Mr Squire gave up his business of coal merchant at Oundle, moving further up river to Islip and Thrapston. I do not think that he was associated with other Squires who operated coal wharves in Peterborough and Yaxley.
In May 1794 Wright Thomas Squire (2nd) enrolled at the foundation of the Peterborough Corps of Militia with a rank of cornet (lowest grade of cavalry officer). Later that month he was commisioned as Lieutenant in the Northants Regiment of the Gentlemen and Yeomanry Cavalry.
In 1803 Wright Thomas Squire (3rd) was commisioned as Cornet in the Peterborough Gentlemen and Yeomanry Cavalry. His father was promoted to Lieutenant in 1804 and his uncle William to Major. He died at the age of 27 in 1810.
Wright Thomas Squire and his brother William became vastly wealthy, establishing their own bank in Peterborough. They also owned a brewery in the town. In 1816, William Squire as a banker, was a trustee of the Peterborough Public Dispensary Charity. At the turn of the 19th century, a new playhouse theatre was opened in Peterborough. It was situated to the west of St John's church, was replaced by the later Corn Exchange building, which has been lost to modern development itself. Among the proprieters in 1811 were; William and Wright Thomas Squire, founders of Squires bank.
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Monument to William Squire, his wife Ann and their daughter Agnes, St John the Baptist church Peterborough. (https://findagrave.com) |
An 1821 pre-enclosure map of Yaxley shows that William Squire held plots of land in the village's fields, some farmed by tenants. Squire also owned the 'Recruiting Sergeant' pub (presently a private house) and a brewery.
In 1822 a new cut of the Old River Nene to Yaxley opened with guests arriving on barges at messers Squire & Co new wharf. However, the empire started to crumble. In 1836 Messers Squire and Jeffrey sold a brick kiln & lime kiln at Stanground, 1837 the Squires left the Old Wharf business in Peterborough.
A curious chapter of the Squire story occured in the 1880s and became known as 'The Squire Papers'. A William Squire, then living at Gt Yarmouth approached a number of the popular 'gentlemen's magazines', with a story of a distant relative, during the Civil War period.
William claimed that his grandfather was Lt (later Captain) John Squire R.N., the grandson of William Squire of Yaxley. He said he had found a collection of papers and a journal in an old box at his grandmother's house in Yaxley.
He also claimed they were correspondence of a Samuel Squire, and included letters from Oliver Cromwell himself. Samuel from Oundle apparently, had held the rank of Cornet in the 'Ironsides' cavalry, riding out with the 'Stilton troop of horse', later being promoted to auditor?
Besides visiting Squire at his house in Oundle, Cromwell it seems had met Samuel at his quarters at Stilton and Stanground. At Horsey Way Stanground, are the remains of a Civil War cavalry fort (I am writing a blog article about a lost route connecting Stilton with Stanground passing through Yaxley).
The veracity of the 'Squire Papers' was hotly debated at the time. Thomas Carlyle, the eminent historian and writer had concerns about them, but included them as an appendix in vol 3 of his 'Oliver Cromwell's Letters and Speeches'.
William was undoubtedly enacting an elaborate hoax, perhaps hoping to profit from his story to help fund his ailing wife's medical treatment. It is believed that he had been at school in Oundle, and was likely a very distant relative of his more illustrious forebears.
However, he had perpetrated an historical hoax some time in the past apparently. The biggest stumbling block was, that he stated that the journal and papers had been in such a poor state in his grandmother's box through mould and insect action, that he had burnt them, making notes later!
Finally, if you visit the excellent Must Farm exhibition at Peterborough museum, one of the galleries upstairs is dedicated to the Norman Cross prison camp. You might spot a painting of two children on a pony in the building. These are Wright Thomas Squire (3rd) and his sister Charlotte.
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| Painting of Wright Thomas Squire and his sister Charlotte. (Peterborough museum/https://artuk.org) |
The imposing house behind them is their home, Bridge House (demolished 1952). If you are thirsty you can pop into Squires coffee shop while there. It is believed that Charlotte Squire may have lived in what is now the museum after her marriage to the then owner Thomas Cooke.
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