Land record offers snapshot of 18th Century life

7 December 2025

Katy PrickettCambridgeshire

News image — The document preserves a vital piece of Cambridgeshire's history, capturing the landscape of Chesterton, says archivist Esther Bellamy

Cambridgeshire Archives Esther Bellamy looking at the terrier, which has been bound into a book. It resting on padded cloth on a white table top and is open to show two pages with black writing on them. She has a fair bob, is wearing a black top and is looking down at the book. behind her are rows of books in bookshelves. — The document preserves a vital piece of Cambridgeshire's history, capturing the landscape of Chesterton, says archivist Esther Bellamy

A rare land record which offers a snapshot of life in an 18th Century village has been acquired by a county archive.

Cambridgeshire Archives has bought The Terrier of John Chettoe's Property in Chesterton. This was long before the village became a suburb of Cambridge.

The terrier is a detailed survey of Mr Chettoe's land, including field boundaries, plot sizes, land values and the names of his tenants.

County council archivist Esther Bellamy said it marked Chesterton's "transformation from rural estate to urban community".

Cambridgeshire Archives Two yellowing pages of the terrier, which has been bound into a book. The left-hand page is blank but has a faint imprint of the ink on the right-hand page. The right hand page has black handwriting, written in loops and swirls. At the top it says it is a terrier and then it lists whose it is and below that lists buildings occupied by John Johnson. — The terrier is a rare and historically significant document, according to the county council

The terrier dates back to 1768 - when George III (1760 to 1820) was on the throne - and includes a transcript of an earlier terrier from 1694.

It also includes a description of Mr Chettoe's residence, which is believed to be Chesterton Hall.

The archive said the terrier fills a gap in its collection, as it already owns other documents relating to the landowner, including his will, title deeds, and correspondence.

No other terriers of Chesterton from this period are known to exist.

Ms Bellamy said: "This document preserves a vital piece of Cambridgeshire's history, capturing the landscape of Chesterton.

"It is a valuable resource for historians, or anyone interested in the way land use and social history have evolved in our county."

Cambridgeshire Archives Two yellowing pages of the terrier, which has been bound into a book. The left-hand page transcribes a terrier from 1694 in black ink, while the page on the right transcribes a terrier from 1768. — The land was later acquired by St John's College, Cambridge, sold for housing developments in the 1930s, when Chesterton Hall was converted into flats

The terrier was bought from a private owner in South Africa, thanks to £350 received from the Friends of the Nations' Libraries

This is a UK charity which helps libraries, archives and museums to acquire books, manuscripts and archives that they could not otherwise afford.

Alison Whelan, chair of the committee for communities, social mobility and inclusion, thanked the charity, adding: "Documents like the Chesterton Terrier connect us to the lives and landscapes of the past, helping us appreciate the journey our county has taken."

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