Extract from
'Magna Britannia - Cambridgeshire' by Daniel & Samuel Lysons,
first published 1808.

The church of Little St Andrew, or Barnwell, lies half a mile east of the Town: it is a small edifice, supposed to have been built out of the ruins of the priory. Among other monumental inscriptions of less note, are several for the family of Butler, who were owners of the priory, and resided there for many years: the most remarkable is that of the late Jacob Butler, Esq. the last heir-male of the family, who died in 1765, being a man of very singular character; he wrote his own epitaph, inscribed on five large tablets, some of which were put up in his life time. They contain a brief history of his life, with an account of all his losses, quarrels, law-suits &c.

The patronage of the benefice, which is a perpetual curacy, is vested in Mr. Panton, who has the small tithes, and a portion of the great tithes of the parish, which were formally appropriated to the prior and convent: the remainder are held in severalties by the masters and fellows of Jesus and Bene't colleges, and Peter House, the curate of Great St. Andrew, and the rector of St. Botolph: under the inclosure act, passed in 1807, land is to be allotted in lieu of tithes, except those belonging to Jesus College, and to be divided between the tithe proprietors. The village of Barnwell contains several houses belonging to the parishes of St Bene't and Trinity. It has several times suffered by fire; the last accident of this kind, and the most destructive, was on the 30th of November 1731, when the greater part of the village was consumed. Mr Butler, in his epitaph above mentioned, is said to have lost 4000 l. by the last mentioned fire, and one which happened in the year 1717.

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