I started this website after my Mum (Audrey Carnson) and her friend Rita Cuss organised four talks and a display on the local history of Three Holes. This was for a Millennium Year 2000 project for the local Acorn Club. In a rash moment, I volunteered to write it up (I imagined a page or two) if someone felt like taking notes. Somehow, this was translated as: “Anne is writing a book on Three Holes.”

Audrey, Rita and Anne holding village diary

Editors Audrey Carnson, Rita Cuss and Anne Jackson holding the village diary

The idea spread, and finally documents, photographs and amazing historical bits and pieces appeared for what turned out to be an event called Three Holes: portrait of a village. Over 100 people visited the displays in the afternoon and the same number in the evening. The Fens list on the internet brought in family historians from Wales, California and Australia. The couple of pages I was expecting turned out to be several large boxes, including tapes of the talks.

The village has no architecturally important buildings, no church, graveyard, village square or cinema. It has a bridge and a weed-infested dyke – all that remains of the Old Croft River – the original drainage channel through the swamp and a lively community with a strong feeling for the land. The number of households on the electoral role in 1999 was 81.

Many of the stories here are a remembered history. I have tried to include original sources where possible, such as the censuses and the county directories, as these give more clues about people and occupations.

It is a work in progress so I invite you to add comments on the pages, especially if you have stories to add, but also if you notice errors or omissions.

It is not only about Three Holes, but about all the links of the families that came from that area – it come includes Welsh, Australian, Irish, US and Canadian cousins!

 

Cover of Three Holes book

We published the book ‘Three Holes: portrait of a Fen village‘ in 2001.

People who helped us with the book

  • Raymond Allen, Arthur Cuss, John Goodley, F Kitchen, R and V Buller, Susan Lowe, Patsy Watson and David Rutterford gave photos, memorabilia and helped on the Village Day.
  • John Hartley, Bernard Morton, John Goodley and Keith Bradley gave fascinating talks on local history
  • Priscilla Davies took photographs, Harold Young gave the details of the Knackers Yard in Mudd’s Drove, and Steve Calton gave photographs and helped with his local history knowledge.
  • Tina Allen and Denise Campbell from Sydney Australia helped with the editing.
  • Book sponsors included John Hartley, Andrew and Elizabeth Cuss, Dian Blawer, Nadine Millard, Daphne Bell, Justin Davies, J. Pennings, The Connor Family, George Smith, the Ramsdale family, Mr. and Mrs. V. Buller and Lorna Lunn.
  • Adverts in the book came from Maria Goodley, Stan Jarvis, Gerald Harnwell, Fenland Insurance, Navrady, Malletts, and Maurice Crouch Farms.


The Programme of the Opening Ceremony of the Three Holes Village Hall in 1952 says, ‘Today’s ceremony marks the successful conclusion of much work and endeavour by many people.’ The book in 2001 was much the same.