Somersham was grew once the Bishop of Ely built his residence here, it
was also a resting point on the boggy journey across the fens to
Ely, the settlement was granted a weekly market on Thursdays.
Around the time of 1190 it was also raised to the status of
Somersham Town. Its growing importance was marked by a visit from
King Richard I, during this year the King or ‘Richard the Lionheart’
granted the Bishops of Ely the right to hunt deer in the royal
forest at Somersham. After the kings death the bishops of Ely
approached the new king John to seek permission t continue to hunt
the forests, it was granted and King John also visited the official
residence at Somersham. This must have been a site of a very
comfortable dwelling, to be not only able to house the king but also
to cope with the entourage which would of accompanied him: plus
stabling and feeding of numerous horses.
All this increased the trade in the town and secured its importance
in the region at this time. Circa 1229 King Henry III gave ownership
of ‘Somersham Forest’ to the Bishops of Ely, this being Bishop Hugh
de Northwold, he remained here until 1254, during this time he
raised funds and enhanced the nearby church of St John the Baptist.
The next Bishop was Hugh de Balsom circa 1257, he was a hard master
demanding full payment from his tenants, he lived here until 1286.
Records show that along with the usual domestic staff he was also
employing charcoal burners and potter, there is still a commercial
working pottery in the village to this day. Bishop Hugh de Balsom
had a survey done in 1279, which states that the house and gardens
covered six acres with the adjacent forrest covering 200 acres.
John Hotham took over Somersham as Bishop of Ely, but when visiting
in 1316 he was sadly disappointed at the state of the residence, not
fit to live in and no state to receive royal visitors. So he set
about building a palace more suited to his rank and his guest’s
importance. He moved the new building a short distance from the
existing one, and as soon as it was completed the bishop played host
to King Edward II. His visit was obviously a great success as in
1320 King Edward II gave a charter, which granted the Bishop of
Somersham Manor the right to a market and fair, it was an honour for
a town to be granted this right. The fair would be held to celebrate
the birth of St John the Baptist, to whom the local church was also
dedicated, it was to be celebrated on 24th June the first fair being
held in 1320 and lasted for three days. This would really of
increased trade in the town, entertainers, traders and village folk
were prepared to travel over long distances to attend a fair. This
fair still arrives each year but in a completely different form, now
side stalls are accompanied by mechanical rides.
The siting of Somersham provided special problems when it came to
transporting animals as they had to be moved by boat, large flat
bottomed ones locally known as punts. With the boggy ground around
Somersham animals could not be turned out to graze during the winter
months, notes of the staff at the palace during the 1330s show that
besides the usual domestic staff Bishop de Hotham employed an ox
herder, two shepherds, two carters and a swine herder. With all the
staff and animals this was a very active palace.
King Edward III had been monarch for 7 years before he paid a visit,
a keen sportsman he would probably of hunted in the palace grounds,
3 years later in 1337 his host Bishop John de Hotham died at the
palace and was buried in Ely cathedral, as had the Bishops preceding
him. The year following his death the finances of the palace were
reviewed. Rents on the land around the palace were increased,
tenants who couldn’t pay the full amount in money were required to
work in the palace to cover any outstanding debts, in 1348 460 acres
was held by 26 tenants.
The Palace went out of favour for many years after a dispute between
Bishop L’Isle and his royal neighbour Lady Blanche, escalated to
include the Pope and the King. The Bishop was forced to sell off
many of his possessions, dying in exile in 1361. It was pretty much
ignored until 1506 when Bishop James Stanley decided to once again
make Somersham Palace the official residence.
The palace went out of favour for many years after a dispute between
Bishop L’Isle and his royal neighbour Lady Blanche escalated to
include the Pope and the King. The bishop was forced to sell off
many of his possessions, and died in exile in 1361. It was pretty
much ignored until 1506 when Bishop James Stanley decided to once
again make Somersham Palace the official residence. It is believed
that Bishop James Stanley was responsible for building the walled
garden, with the deer park so close it would have been essential if
any serious gardening was to be undertaken, as deer will happily eat
both garden vegetables along with some flowers like roses.
Nicholas West was Bishop during the 1520s, he wrote to the then
powerful Cardinal Wolsey complaining that the palace was totally
surrounded by water, the few visitors he had being made to arrive by
boat. He was also so scared of the mud banks failing and being
drowned that 1oo men were placed along the bank that would raise the
alarm by ringing a bell if the banks began to fail. Although no
mention is made of whether Cardinal Wolsey could improve the Bishops
lot, there is evidence that in 1528 Cardinal Wolsey tried to acquire
Somersham Palace for himself, but his time of power was now waning,
2 years after his attempt to gain Somersham Palace he was arrested
for treason. Why he would want to own this palace is a puzzle, as
compared to some of his other properties like Hampton Court it was
very poor indeed.
During the 1580s it seems that the palace once again fell out of
favour, Bishop Cox leasing the palace out, so obviously not using it
as his official residence. The lease describes the property as being
made up of the Bishop’s OLD Lodgings, the servants quarters, barns,
stables, two great bridges – one to the buildings, the other out
over the moat to the deer park.
It also lists all the domestic offices needed to run a house of this
size: -
Water was not fit to drink so ale was made in the brew-house 33.5m x
9.1m which was sited in a second courtyard along with the bake
house, and coopers office – who made all the tubs and barrels for
the household.
The main domestic buildings were of brick consisting of the Bishop’s
bedroom and private chapel, vestry and office. The main hall,
library, drawing room, turrets with winding stairs, a study, a
gallery adjoining the Bishop’s bedroom, a room with views onto the
garden, and a small room overlooking a small courtyard next to the
garden. Three rooms kept for important visitors, along with the
usual kitchen, larders, scullery and buttery.
Near the entrance to the main entrance was the remains of the old
palace which were 36.5m x 3.9m. To the north of the main buildings
was the porters lodge 73.1m x 5.4m.
By the end of the 16th century the palace was totally out of favour
and being used to house recusants – those who despite it being the
law, refused to attend the Church of England services, remaining
faithful to their Catholic faith. £400 needed spending to make it
ready to receive the recusants of Huntingdonshire.
Finally in 1603 Bishop Heaton sold the manor and palace of Somersham
to King James I for £1,144. Sir John Cutts had been keeper of the
house for Bishop Heaton; it was he that made it ready for use by
recusants. In 1604 after a visit King James I wrote to Sir John
Cutts telling him the palace was ‘much to his liking’, but felt
better use could be made of the hunting. Sir John was instructed to
restock the park with deer and engage a gamekeeper, all was to be
ready for his return in 1605, the hounds used for hunting were kept
in a part of the grounds called Willow Row.
In 1611 the King made Thomas the Earl of Suffolk keeper of the
Palace of Somersham and bailiff of the Honour and Soke, he was still
in residence in 1630.
The palace then passed to the wife of Charles I, Henrietta Maria in
1634, it is doubtful she ever visited as she much preferred court
life. The following year work began around Somersham on draining the
land; a new bridge was built at nearby Earith making the trip from
the palace to Ely much easier. In 1636 Oliver Cromwell moved to Ely
where he had recently inherited property, complaints were made to
him by farmers that reclaimed land was being sold off by Queen
Henrietta Maria, he took the case of the Somersham farmers to
Parliament in 1641. Along with the drained land it seems that
wasteland used by the commoners was fenced and sold off by the Earl
of Manchester of Kimbolton Castle, with no recourse to the
commoners. Feeling that their case was not being taken seriously
they took direct action.
