St Germans Toll Bridge
In addition to researching St Germans War Memorial and studying the school log books, the children have been talking to relatives and people in their community to find out more about their village in years gone by.
The family of a Year 6 pupil from St Germans were in charge of the bridge in Wiggenhall St Germans in the early part of the last century. In those days the old bridge, pictured below, was a toll bridge. They are lucky enough to be in possession of the Toll Book from 1923 which, in addition to listing tolls paid provides some interesting commentary on the history of St Germans.
Here are a couple of extracts:
“Tuesday January 9th, 1923. 9 in the morning Missers Edith Thompson & Fredrick Bywaters has hanged Mrs Thompson at Holloway Bywaters at Pentonville, London, for the murder of Percy Thompson, the commons husband.”
“Friday July 4th, 1924. The sailing boat, Moana, belonging to Mrs H.B. Humphrey of Lynn, breaking from his moorings in the Ouse early on Friday morning has carried upstream by the tide on his side and came a thaut of St Germans Bridge, the second row of piles and it was cut in halves and when the tide turned it was pulled to shore by myself and others.”
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