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+ Q1. Where is Maxey?
A. Where is Maxey?
The village of Maxey lies within the current boundaries of Cambridgeshire, England: some 8 miles north of Peterborough, itself 70 miles north of London.
Latitude: 52:39:29N (52.658) and Longditude: 0:19:54W (-0.3316).
The village has always remained within the ancient 'Soke of Peterborough' - an area traditionally associated with the town of Peterborough, but considered part of Northamptonshire.
When county councils were created for the first time in 1888 - and in recognition of its special status - it became an independent county.
In 1965, the area was merged with the neighbouring small county of Huntingdonshire to form the county of Peterborough and Huntingdonshire. This was then annexed to Cambridgeshire in 1974.
Records and archaeological data provide evidence of a line of continuous occupation dating back to 2,000 BC.
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+ Q2. Is there anyone named Maxey living in Maxey?
A. Is there anyone named Maxey living in Maxey?
It would be nice to think so, but unfortunately, not. There are, however, 12 Maxeys listed in the local telephone directory, but none actually living in the village itself.
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+ Q3. My Family Name is Maxey; are my ancestors from Maxey?
A. My family name is Maxey; are my ancestors from Maxey?
The short answer is...probably yes.
If your family has an uninterupted bloodline, and no one decided to change their name by deed poll or similar, then you can be reasonably certain that anyone with the surname Maxey (or close derivitive, i.e. Maxcy) has their ancestral origins in the village/environs of Maxey.
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+ Q4. How did the Maxey family Name Originate?
A. How did the Maxey family name originate?
In England by the turn of the previous millennium few people were known by anything more than their first name.
To people living in an ajoining village a person residing in Maxey would be known as John of Maxey, i.e. he was from the location of Maxey. If only one person was called John there were no problems. A dramatic increase in the population of England around AD 1000 saw more people sharing a name.
Soon it became imperative to find ways to differentiate between several folk called John. Within villages this was accomplished by the naming convention from occupation - thus second names emerged like Cooper, Smith, Archer, Fletcher, etc. Others were named for the location in which they lived - meadow, field, hill, etc.
Further afield, our eponymous hero, John of Maxey, eventually lost the 'of' element in his name and became plain John Maxey.
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+ Q5. What are the origins of the Village of Maxey?
A. What are the origins of the village of Maxey?
Maxey village is first officially recorded in the Anglo Saxon Chronicles in 1013 AD, when it was spelt Makesey - but archaeological excavations from the area show continuous occupation for nearly 4,000 years!
There are a couple of 'origin of Maxey' legends - both sort-of interrelated. I've included both - so choose the one you like the most.
Origin Legend No. 1
Maxey (or Makesey) derives from a Viking/Danish Overlord - called Maccus - who controlled the land. Maxey is in northern Cambridgeshire, on the edge of the East Anglian fens and is actually an island, being surrounded by 'cuts' and 'dykes'. Thus, "Maccus' Island" becomes Makesey, and eventually corrupts to Maxey.
Supporting Evidence - We are in an area that was under Viking control for many years - Danelaw - and a huge number of place names are Scandanavian in origin, so - with a fair wind - the story could be true.
Origin Legend No. 2
According to a previous vicar of St. Peter's Church, Maxey - The Rev. Adrian Sheasby (1965 - 1996) - the church (and the surrounding village) was built on an artificial "makes - eye" or "made - island". Giving the village it's name of Makesey. More prosaic - and probably true.
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+ Q6. What was Life like in Maxey in AD1000?
A. What was life in Maxey like in AD1000?
No, Maxey AD 1000 is not the title of a new sit-com, but a chance to go back in time and try and get a flavour of what living in Maxey might have been like about 1000 years ago.
Archaeological evidence shows that the area around Maxey has been occupied, more or less continuously, for over 4,000 years – from early bronze age (2000 BC) to the present. Click Here for full text....
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We plan to add further feature articles on the recorded history of Maxey.
If you have historical information about the village - documents, photos, memories, etc. - that you'd like to share with others, please get in touch with the |
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