Frederick Archer Probably the most famous jockey in Newmarket's racing history shot himself in 1886 at the age of only 29, during a fit of depression after the deaths of his baby son and then his young wife.
Fred Archer became a national hero due to his personality and remarkable riding career. He rode 2,748 winners in 8,084 races between 1870 and 1886, including 21 classic winners. His death caused grieving across the land as well as abroad.
The family grave and memorial stone are in Newmarket cemetery.
More information about Fred Archer's remarkable career and the circumstances surrounding his death are available online, thanks to the research done by Cambridgeshire families historian Mr. Geoffrey Woollard. To access select here

Newmarket Congregational Church
The Church used to stand in the middle of the High Street but in the mid 20th century it amalgamated with Christchurch, the Methodist Church at St Mary's Square. The building is now ocupied by The Stable, a meeting hall and morning cafe, although it is still church property. We have a history of the Congregational Church compiled by George Ginn and this can be accessed on application to Newmarket Local History Society via this site.

The Tragic Burwell Fire of 1727
Eighty persons died when a barn caught fire in Burwell. To read about it select here

Crime and Punishment in the 19th Century
Mark Jeffrey, once described as 'the great English burglar' was a local lad who turned to crime early in his life but spent the remainder of his days paying for his sins. Read about Mark's tragic life select here

The Newmarket Poor Law Institution (Workhouse), Exning Road. The old workhouse closed in 1942 and became the White Lodge Hospital. The old residential block has been turned into modern apartments.
For an account of life as it was select here

Alex Henshaw MBE This famous aviator lived in Newmarket for the last 20 years of his life, for a profile select here

Memories of the Home Guard
Out of the original 30 odd strong Wood Ditton & Saxon Street Home Guard platoon, not one survives to this day. To read Francis (Sonny) Cates memories of those wartime days select here

LOCAL HISTORY & OTHER BOOKS OF INTEREST

June 2008. The Society's latest publication 'When Newmarket went to War'. This is an interesting little book well illustrated with pictures and with personal accounts of people who remember Newmarket during WW II. It gives a real feel for the times and is available from Tindalls at just £8.00.

War Torn Skies - Cambridgeshire by Julian Evan-Hart
Publisher: Red Kite (May 2008)
Price: £14.95
ISBN: 978-0-9554735-6-2
Cambridgeshire’s two gentlemen airmen who decided to pursue a Daily Mail prize of £1,000 and build their own monoplane in a barn at Oakington 99 years ago.
The story of the Marshall’s company charted by incredible photographs from the 1920s and 30s.
Aerodrome histories and the units based there.
The Luftwaffe night fighter attacks on airfields such as Bassingbourn and Oakington.
Eye-witness accounts of major incidents such and aircraft crashes.
Every Luftwaffe crash documented and researched giving names of crew and operational units.
The artefacts recovered from these and other aircraft crash sites both at the time and by later archaeological excavation.
What caused a massive 45 feet deep crater in a wood near Pampisford?
How did German bomber land in the middle of Cambridge without its crew?
How did a lost American fighter-plane appear in a carpark at Wendy?
For those who lived through this period this book will bridge the years and evoke fading memories, historians, students and those with a desire for aviation knowledge of this county in general will find this an enthralling read.ambridgshire is the county featured in the third volume of the ‘War-Torn Skies’ series of books. This new volume focusses on Cambridgeshire:

'The History of Newmarket & its Surrounding Areas'.
July 2001 saw the launch by The Society of this major publication, compiled and edited by Sandra Easom and funded by a grant from the Millennium Awards for All (National Lottery). A condition of the grant was that copies would be distributed free to all local schools to provide a work of reference for studies on local history, now part of the national curriculum. Local libraries, Records Offices, relevant museums, personal contributors etc. also received copies.
The two volumes that make up the book are packed with historical facts from earliest recorded times though to the 20th century, covering the origins of horseracing in the town and the influence of the royalty. The book is copiously illustrated with reproductions of old drawings, records, advertisments, photographs and has many personal reminiscences charting the people, the events and the buildings that have shaped the history of Newmarket and district. This is a unique work that took three years to compile and will continue in the future to form a valuable record for anyone interested in local history.
Two complete sets of the two volume book are held by Newmarket Library for reference by the public and in addition one set is available for lending. For Society members a reference copy is also available in the Society's study room at the Memorial Hall (by appointment).
Please note the book was not produced with the intention of going on general sale to the public. The two volumes are now out of print but it is hoped to produce them on CD sometime in the future.

Two other publications by The Society are included in The Schools Pack. 'One Afternoon in February' an illustrated booklet about the tragic bombing of Newmarket on February 18th 1941, and 'A Look at Five Newmarket Buildings' by Joan Shaw features five of the town's historic buildings. Both books are now out of print but may be borrowed from Newmarket Library.

'A Racing Lad Steps Out' - the life and times of Newmarket character Billy Blythe published by the NLHS on 11th August 2006 and available from Tindalls price £8.
Billy Blythe was born in Newmarket in 1893 and spent his early life working in local racing stables as a stable lad and jockey. This took him to Australia where he worked with sheep and horses and came to love the life.
During the Great War he served with the Aussies in France where he survived the terrible fighting during the Somme offensive of 1916 and right up to the armistice. Perhaps it is indicitive of Billy's optimistic nature that he makes light of of this awful period and picks out some of the lighter incidents that came among the death and destruction.
After the war ended he would have returned to his beloved Australia but for his wife 'Beat'(Beatrice) who did not wish to leave Newmarket.
He had an eye for business and seeing that he could buy fresh fish very cheaply straight from Grimsby or Hull he decided to go into the fish trade. Over the next decade he set up several fish and chip shops in the locality, including perhaps the best remembered one in Market Street. Little Billy became a well known local character, very much in with the horse racing scene, and later greyhound racing.
Before he died in 1988 he wrote an autobiography for his family, and his son Bob has passed it to us. It contains fascinating material about the life and times in Newmarket. Now our Society has published his story, entitled 'A Racing Lad Steps Out' edited by NLHS Committee Member Sandra Easom, who has included a large Appendix with much local history background relevant to Billy's life in Newmarket.
It is available from Tindalls Booksellers, High Street Newmarket, price £8.00

Published November 2003. 'News from Newmarket 1800 - 1860' by Society Vice Chairman David Occomore. Half a century of newspaper accounts of Newmarket, portraying life in the town in Victorian times. ISBN 0 86025 51 31. £9.95 plus 91p P&P from Ian Henry Publications Ltd, 20 Park Drive Romford Essex RM1 4LH Tel. 01708749119. On sale at Tindalls Newmarket or available through all good bookshops.

'The Changing Face of Newmarket' (1600 -1760) by Peter May. Available from Tindalls Booksellers 54 High Street Newmarket Tel.01638 561760 e-mail Newmarket@hendersonsgroup.co.uk

'Newmarket - Town & Turf' A pictorial tour of the town as it is today, containing many colour and monochrome pictures plus some historical background, edited by John Worrall and Rodney Vincent. Available from W.H.Smith 84-86 High Street Newmarket Suffolk CB8 8JX price £8.99 plus post/packing. Tel 01638 662575 also available from Tindalls Booksellers High Street Newmarket.

'Newmarket a photographic history of your town'. This book, edited by Society member Joan Shaw, contains many nice b/w pictures of Newmarket from the Frith Collection, mainly from the twenties and fifties decades, also available from W H Smith, 84-86 High Street Newmarket,Suffolk price £5.99.

91 sample pictures of Newmarket in the nineteen twenties, thirties and fifties from the Francis Frith collection are available online select here

The Society's book 'One Afternoon in February', about the 1941 bombing of Newmarket is now out of print, but members might be able to borrow a copy from the Society's library, open on meeting evenings.

"A Tanner Will Do" by Newmarket Local History Society Recorder Rodney Vincent. An evocation of village life in the nineteen thirties and forties. Available from Tindalls High Street Newmarket (new edition November 2006) details here

Mystery Places (or Things)

Mystery No. 13. This old appliance is let into a wall bordering one of the main streets of a village not far from Newmarket.
It is very rusty and obviously hasn't been used for many years. Does anyone know its original purpose and history?.
Dec 09. Answer from Leigh Trevail: It is an early 1920's hand operated petrol pump made by Hammond

Mystery No 14. A tree fairly obviously with a Newmarket connection, but where is it and how and why did the horseshoes get there?
This is a bit of a disappointment as the tree has no particular significance, apparently it has been the custom over the years to nail
to the tree horseshoes that have been shed and picked up on Warren Hill gallops.

Mystery No 15. Something to do with horseracing?
Tony Pringle has come up with the answer, it's the clock tower of the historic Stables with associations with champion jockey Fred Archer. In the 1950s the Stables were renamed Pegasus and are currently owned by trainers James and Jacko Fanshawe. The Pegasus website giving some fascinating history is available at select here

Mystery No 16. A distant view of an attractive part of Newmarket.The church should give few problems of identification.

Those who can remember Newmarket in the 1960s should have no difficulty in identifying the erection on the Clock Tower roundabout island seen in this picture select here

Newmarket Local History Society - Committee Members
Chairman - Eric Dunning; Vice Chairman - Sandra Easom; Secretary - Rosemary Foreman; Treasurer - Joan Watkinson; Education & Publications - Sandra Easom.
Other supporters (non-committee members): Archivist - William Smith; Schools Liaison Officer - Jean Relihan; Recorder and webmaster - Rodney Vincent.

Contact Us
E-mail your comments or queries to the Recorder/webmaster Rodvincent@freenetname.co.uk
Please note if your PC does not have an e-mail link programme it will be necessary to send a normal e-mail.

If you prefer to write please address any correspondence to Newmarket Local History Society, c/o Newmarket Town Council, Memorial Hall, High Street, Newmarket, Suffolk.

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