Snailwell: Local government

LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

In the late 13th century no lords claimed any franchises, apart from the Hospitaller preceptor of Chippenham who held view of frankpledge over his tenants with land in Snailwell. (fn. 1) Court rolls from Snailwell manor survive continuously between 1330 and 1343, showing view of frankpledge exercised by lords, but sporadically between 1352 and 1387. (fn. 2) Annual sessions of a court baron are revealed by rolls surviving from 1522 until 1558, and for 1581-95, then intermittently for 1604-32, 1644-50, and 1658-61. (fn. 3) Surviving court books cover the period from 1661 until 1698, but as late as 1717 the manorial court was still dealing with property transfers. (fn. 4) In 1688 a pair of stocks and a whipping stool were installed in the village. (fn. 5)

In 1760 the parish spent around £26, with one third being spent by overseers of the poor, and a constable received £4 6s. (fn. 6) The parish bought rye, perhaps to feed the poor. (fn. 7) Between 1776 and 1785 the cost of poor relief almost doubled from £37 to £69, and in 1803 out-relief of £140 supported 44 people. (fn. 8) Between 1813 and 1815 numbers relieved fell from 26 to 16, and the cost of poor relief even more sharply. (fn. 9) From a mean of £210 in 1816-19 expenditure fell to £160 in 1832-4. (fn. 10) From 1834 Snailwell was part of the Newmarket poor-law union. (fn. 11)

In 1974 the parish was transferred from Newmarket Rural District to East Cambridgeshire District, and was part of the Fenland villages sub-district in 1996. (fn. 12) A mobile library service was provided by West Suffolk Council twice a month from 1960, but in 1996 responsibility for that service was taken over by Cambridgeshire county council. (fn. 13) The daily running of the parish was the responsibility of the parish council and the Chippenham Park Estate during the 20th century. (fn. 14) The police station at Soham was responsible for law and order in 1850 and 1996. (fn. 15)