Recent research has found that The Calves Head Club (secret society) members or supporters were active in Soham as late as 1765.

It is written that there was a tradition in Soham that, during the lifetime of Mrs Mary D'Aye, out of respect to the doings of Oliver Cromwell her Great Grandfather, on the anniversary of King Charles martyrdom, a "calf's head besmeared with blood was hoisted on a pole in front of the cot of the husband", (Robert D'Aye Esquire).

"cot  means in old english, cottage or home"

There is more about the Calves Head Club towards the bottom of the page.

Click images to enlarge

The photo on the left shows where Robert D'Aye & Mary nee Russell the great grand daughter of Oliver Cromwell lived and what has been known for many years as Addison House situated in Sand Street, there was a building shown in the same location on a map dated 1656, then under the ownership of Samuel Thornton Esq.
The most successful family, apart from the Bestneys and their heirs of the Barnes family who achieved manorial standing was the Thorntons, who were descended from William Thornton, who was from the 1410s to the 1430s bailiff, warrener, and briefly lessee on the Duchy manor. From the late 15th century they built up over six or seven generations the largest non-manorial holding in the parish. The Thornton family still acted as patrons of the villagers in the 1620s.
Samuel Thornton in 1646-7 was compounded from Soham as a Royalist for land worth c.£3330, in 1656 he owned 44 acres of closes and 212 acres of fieldland.

The Soham towns-folks opposition to the fen inclosures authorised for Charles I did not result in any widespread hostility to his ecclesiastical innovations. The vigorously Royalist Roger Heckstetter, vicar from 1631, introduced such 'ceremonies' as the cross in baptism, and insisted on giving communion at the rails. He published the kings Book of Sports and did not reprove villagers who played and drank in alehouses on Sundays. A few local Puritans objected, one c.1640 going elsewhere to hear afternoon sermons since Heckstetter preached only once, but most villagers apparently supported their vicar: all but three or four of c.200 householders required in 1643 to take the Covenant refrained after he had refused it. Soon after Heckstetter had to leave Soham, where his communion rails were pulled down. He was officially sequestrated in 1644, on charges laid by ten Puritan villagers
During the anti-Puritan reaction of mid 1647, numerous villagers combined in July and August, with Samuel Thornton among their sixteen leaders, to expel from the pulpit and vicarage house a new 'godly' minister, and re-instated Heckstetter and the Prayer Book liturgy. They intimidated the local J.P.s, and soldiers from the Isle of Ely garrison had to be called on to repress the disorders.
The living was recorded as being vacant in 1650, and some years later the villagers asked that their acting minister John Giles who was previously clerk to the vicarage, and had obtained episcopal ordination c.1655, be continued, and in 1655 Oliver Cromwell appointed John Giles to the Vicarage of Soham.
In c.1655 Samuel Thornton sold nearly all his estate in Soham to Sir Thomas Chicheley, why he did this is not certain, perhaps because he was heavily fined by Parliament for his royalist allegiance.

Who lived in the house following this is not certain as the deeds to the property only start in the 1720's with the D'Ayes occupation. The house was thought originally to be a daub and wattle single storey long house with a thatched roof,  then later in the 17th century another storey was added, and again being remodeled between 1760 and 1770.


In the graveyard of St Andrews Church in Soham is a tomb surrounded by iron railings just outside the North porch containing Mary and her husband Robert D'Aye, Mary was the daughter of William Russell Esquire of Fordham Abbey and Elizabeth Cromwell who was the daughter of Henry Cromwell, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and the Son of Oliver Cromwell the protector.
Mary D'Aye died in November 1765 followed by her husband Robert in April 1770, also buried in the same tomb amongst others are Mary & Roberts daughter, grandson & great grandson.

Below are photos of the four sides of the monument with inscriptions.

Side 1 inscription reads: 
Robert D'Aye Esq died April 1770 also Mary wife of Robert D'Aye Esq ( dau of William Russell Esq of Fordham Abbey & Eliz his wife who was the only surviving dau of Henry Cromwell Lord Lieutenant of Ireland son of Oliver Cromwell Protector) died Nov 5 1765 aged 75 years.
Side 2 inscription reads:
Thomas Addison who died October 1803 age 66 years also Elizabeth wife of Thomas Addison and daughter of Robert & Mary D'Aye died Jan 8 1779 age 50 years. also Russell son of Thomas & Eliz Addison died June 15 1792 aged 25 years. and also Ann the wife of Russell Addison died March 5 1846 in the 86 year of her age.

Side 3 inscription reads:
William Addison died Nov 12 1868 aged 78 years also Ann his wife died July 25 1883 aged 84 years.
Side 4 inscription reads:
Oliver Cromwell Addison died Sep 9 1907 aged 74 years. buried at Stourbridge. Thomas Russell Addison died Dec 19 1922 aged 94 years.



Robert D'aye esq of Soham, married Mary Russell on the 12th September 1719 in St Martin in the Fields Church Westminster London.
Mary Russells Parents were William Russell esq of Fordham Abbey and Elizabeth Cromwell daughter of Henry Cromwell, and Granddaughter of Oliver Cromwell, Elizabeth and William married in St Mary the Virgin Church, Dover, Kent on the 30th August 1681.

Elizabeth D'Aye the daughter of Robert & Mary married Thomas Addison of Soham on the 5th April 1762 at St Andrews in Soham, their son Russell was baptized on the 11th June 1767 at St Andrews and married a widow named Ann Wilkinson on the 4th November 1790 also at St Andrews Soham. Russell is also recorded in 1785 as being an apprentice to James Chambers in Soham, profession unknown.

Russell and Ann's son William Addison was baptized on the 10th December 1790 at St Andrews Soham, he married  Anne Fox the daughter of Thomas Fox, of the Newlands, in Curdworth, co. Warick, farmer.
William, was a surgeon in Soham, where he practised laboriously for more than half a century, being held in great esteem by the rich and poor. it is due to him to state that the Cromwell monument, forming so striking an object in Soham Churchyard, and displaying the descent of the Addisons from Henry, the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, downwards, is the expression of his hereditary homage. It is said that the career of his great progenitor was not often made by Mr. Addison the prominent subject of remark, and that William modestly hinted that the Protector's facial lineaments were not yet obliterated in his descendants. His son Thomas formally an Ely solicitor also illustrated the fond belief even more than the father did.

Oliver Cromwell Addison, the son of William and Ann who's name at the time of his baptism was William Oliver Cromwell Addison was baptized on the 19th December 1832 at St Andrews, Oliver continued in his fathers footsteps as a solicitor, in 1881 he is recorded as living with his family in Brettell Lane, Amblecote and was buried just down the road from Amblecote in Stourbridge Staffs. He married Charlotte Wolverton in Great Yarmouth on the 6th February 1866.

Thomas Russell Addison, William and Ann's other son was also baptized at St Andrews on the 19th January 1828, he to became a solicitor, recorded in 1881 as living at Fore Hill, Ely with his mother Ann & his niece Agnes E. D'Aye from Watton in Norfolk.

The Calves Head Club was formed shortly after the execution of Charles I of England following the English Civil War (1642 - 1651) where the anti-monarchists members would hold a feast on the anniversary of the kings execution every January 30th.
The following has been extracted from a book called The Secret History of the Calve's Head Club, the first paragraph was printed in 1705 the second in 1713.

'By another gentleman, who, about eight years ago, went, out of mere curiosity, to their club, and has since furnished me with the following papers [the songs or anthems], I was informed that it was kept in no fixed house, but that they removed as they saw convenient; that the place they met in when he was with them was in a blind alley about Moor-fields; that the company wholly consisted of Independents and Anabaptists (I am glad, for the honour of the Presbyterians, to set down this remark); that the famous Jerry White, formerly chaplain to Oliver Cromwell (who, no doubt of it, came to sanctify with his pious exhortations the ribaldry of the day), said grace; that, after the cloth was removed, the anniversary anthem, as they impiously called it, was sung, and a calf's skull filled with wine, or other liquor, and then a brimmer, went round to the pious memory of those worthy patriots who had killed the tyrant, and delivered the country from his arbitrary sway.'

'where an axe was hung up in the clubroom, and was reverenced as a principal symbol in this diabolical sacrament. Their bill of fare was a large dish of calves'-heads, dressed several ways, by which they represented the king, and his friends who had suffered in his cause; a large pike with a small one in his mouth, as an emblem of tyranny; a large cod's head, by which they pretended to represent the person of the king singly; a boar's head, with an apple in its mouth, to represent the king. . . . After the repast was over, one of their elders presented an Ikon Basilike, which was with great solemnity burned upon the table, whilst the anthems were singing. After this, another produced Milton's Defensio Populi Anglicani, upon which all laid their hands, and made a protestation, in form of an oath, for ever to stand by and maintain the same. The company wholly consisted of Ana-baptists,'

The Eikon Basilike  was a purported spiritual autobiography attributed to King Charles I of England. It was published on February 9th, 1649, ten days after the King was beheaded by Parliament in the aftermath of the English Civil War in 1649.
John Milton was one of the greatest poets of the English language and served as the secretary for foreign languages in Cromwell's government, The Calves Head Club was thought to have been founded by Milton.

The following is the Calves Head Club Anthem for the 30th January 1690.

1.
Now let's sing, carouse, and roar,
The happy Day is come once more,
For to Revel,
Is but civil,
As our Fathers did before,
Who, when the Tyrant would enslave us,
Chopp'd his Calves-Head off to save us.

2.
Let each Youth his Love forsake,
And a merry Bumper take,
Let no Round-Head,
Here be grounded,
And drink dry the French-Mans Lake,
Thus in Clarret we caress us,
Till old Puss awake and bless us.

3.
Let the Prelates now go on,
And rail afresh at Forty One,
The deposing
They're spousing,
We the Father, they the son,
Through the Treason, they did find us,
They, my Friends, are not behind us.

4.
Then let's Laugh and Revel here,
And of our Calves-Head make good Chear,
This we Dish up,
And no Bishop
Dines without one all the Year.
Thus we prosper without fighting,
In Practice and in Food uniting.

The following is dated  1694.

1.
The storm is blow over, the Tempest is past,
The Tyrant is fallen, and is conquer'd at last,
Our Fathers resolv'd it, and bravely twas done,
To save the whole Kingdom by lopping the Crown,
By her looks, we disscover'd the Nation was pleas'd,
Her fears were all vaniss'd, her troubles were eas'd,
Whilst we yearly commend an attempt so Divine,
And applaud the just action with Calves-Head and wine.

2.
Thus Rome, when she suffer'd by seven lewd kings,
That shackled er freedom, and pinion'd her wings,
Long time she sat mournful, as England had done,
And bow'd to the weight of a Tyrannous Throne,
Till urg'd with new griefs, she for Liberty cry'd,
And Liberty round the glad Eccho reply'd,
Whilst Brutus resolv'd to give Tarquin his Doom,
And offer a king to the welfare of Rome.

3.
When by Tyrants endeavours the people are prest,
Let this noble example inspire ev'ry breast,
With the same resolutions to defend the good cause,
The subjects just rights, their religion and laws,
Then fill the Calves Cranium to a Health so Divine,
The Cause, the old Cause shall ennoble our wine,
Charge briskly around, fill it up, fill it full,
Tis the last and best service of a Tyrannick Scull.

4.
Then, Boys, let's drink a bumper, since their actions made us great,
Let us lay our tropies at their feet,
The cause gave courage to the soldiers, taught them how their foes to beat,
That alone could free a captiv'd state.

5.
Then to Puss, Boys, to Puss, Boys,
Let's drink it off thus Boys,
As our Fathers did, and the World shall us adore,
It's happier to die, Boys,
Than in slavery to lie Boys,
Thus the heroes chose it, and bravely dy'd before.