GenUKI Contents

Cambridgeshire

CHATTERIS

"CHATTERIS, a parish and market town in the hundred of North Witchford, in the county of Cambridge, 26 miles north-west of Cambridge, and 7 south of March. It is a station on the Ely and Peterborough railway, and is situated on the river Ouse. Alwina, wife of Athelstan, and niece of King Edgar, founded a convent of Benedictines about A.D. 980, which was in Henry VIII.'s reign wholly suppressed. The place is mentioned in Domesday Survey under the name of Cateriz, or Cetriz. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Ely, value £1,500, in the patronage of W. Hawkins, Esq. The church, dedicated to SS. Peter and Paul, is a handsome edifice. The General Baptists, Particular Baptists, Wesleyans, Independents, Primitive Methodists, High Calvinists, and Society of Friends have chapels, and there are National, British, girls' and infant schools. The town was made a market town in 1834; and a court-leet and petty sessions are held here. The Bishop of Ely is lord of the manor. A large number of Roman coins and curious relics have been found at various times, and not many years since part of the skeleton of an elephant. The market day is Friday."

[The above was transcribed (and edited) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868]
by Colin Hinson ©2023

Archives and Libraries

• The Chatteris group of the Cambridgeshire Community Archive Network has lots of photographs on lots of subjects from days gone by.

Cemeteries

• "There are two cemeteries, both in New street: the Parochial cemetry, formed in 1856, covers an area of nearly 6 acres, with two mortuary chapels, and is under the control of the Urban District Council: the General cemetry was formed by a company in 1850 and is 3a. 2r. 13p. in extent." [Kelly's Directory - 1900]
• Records of grave sales in the general cemetery reside in the Cambridgeshire Archives for the years 1815-1943.
• Monumental inscriptions are recorded for the churchyard of St. Peter for the years 1701-1859, these reside in the Cambridge Record office.
• Registers for the General Cemetery from 1850 and the Parochial Cemetery from 1856 are held at the Fenland District Council Offices in Chatteris.
• A third cemetery called the 'New Church Yard' was in use from 1832 - 1856. It was cleared and built over in the 1970's. Its registers are at the Cambridgeshire Archives. This cemetery was quickly filled by the victims of a cholera outbreak in the 1830's. It was located in New Road, opposite the General Cemetery.

Census

• The Census Records from 1841-1891 can be found in the Cambridgeshire Archives and also in the Wisbech Library. In addition the 1851 Census for Chatteris is available in full transcript form, on microfiche, from the Cambridgeshire Family History Society Publications list (search)

Churches

• The following Churches have their own websites:
  • St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, Chatteris

Church History

• "The church of St. Peter is an ancient building of stone, in various styles, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, south porch and an embattled western tower with a low spire containing a clock and 5 bells: the chancel is divided from the body of the church by a handsome screen: there are 750 sittings, 500 being free. The register dates from the year 1650."
• "The particular Baptist chapel in Hive Lane was endowed by Miss Claridge in 1800 with lands now producing £50 yearly for the support of a minister, and has sittings for 250; there is another in Park street with 900 sittings; and a General Baptist chapel in West Park street holding 700 persons; the Congregational chapel, Park street, is a brick building in the Tudor style seating 350; there is a Primitive Methodist chapel at Slade End with about 20 sittings; the Wesleyan chapel, New road, was enlarged in 1855, and now has about 600 sittings. The Society of Friends have a meeting house in High street with sittings for about 300."
  [Kelly's Directory - 1900]

Church Records

• Church of England
  • Chatteris, St Peter: Records of baptisms 1614-1917, marriages 1614-1911, burials 1614-1946 and banns for 1754-1954 reside in the Cambridgeshire Archives. The parish records are available on microfiche from the Cambridgeshire Family History Society Publications list (search). The Bishop's Transcripts for the years 1600-90 and 1702-1857 can be found in the Cambridge University Library. Transcripts exist in Cambridgeshire Archives of the Bishop's Transcripts 1600-14, 1638-67 and indexed transcripts of the baptisms, marriages and burials 1600-1902 (also at Huntingdon Record Office).
• Baptist
  • Baptist, Mill End: Records exist on microfilm at the Cambridgeshire Archives for baptisms 1778-1815.
• Congregational
  • Congregational: Records exist at the Cambridgeshire Archives for baptisms 1876-80, 1918-21 and marriages/burials 1918-21..
• Quakers
  • Chatteris Quakers were attached to the Wisbech and Sutton (later Chatteris) Monthly Meeting
• Methodist
  • Wesleyan Methodist Church: Records exist at the Cambridgeshire Archives for the Chatteris Wesleyan Circuit of which Chatteris is part.
  • Primitive Methodist Church: Records exist at the Cambridgeshire Archives for the Ely Primitive and Manea Primitive Circuits of which Chatteris is a part of each.

Description and Travel

• Provided here is an article from the Cambridgeshire Times 18th August 1893 about 'American Visitors'. This tract mentions many people by name from the area.

Directories

• The "1839 Pigot's Directory of Cambridgeshire" for Chatteris index of Inns & Hotels, Taverns and Public Houses, Brewers & Maltsters + Wine & Spirit Merchants.

Gazetteers

• A transcript of the Chatteris parish entries from Samuel Lewis's 1835 Topographical Dictionary of England,
• A transcript of the Chatteris parish entries from 1900 Kellys Directory of Cambridgeshire

Military History

• The Chatteris War Memorial has been transcribed and the men researched.

Taxation

• Land Tax: records were compiled afresh each year and contain the names of owners and occupiers in each parish, but usually there is no address or place name. These records reside in the Cambridgeshire Archives for the years 1755, 1798-1801, 1946-48 and the Huntingdon Record Office has 1798-99 (on microfilm).