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Cambridgeshire

COVENEY

"COVENEY, a parish in the hundred of South Witchford, in the county of Cambridge, 3½ miles north-west of Ely, and 3 north-east of Sutton. It contains the chapelry of Manea, and the hamlet of Wardy Hill. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Ely, value with the curacy of Manea annexed, £809, in the patronage of Lora Rokeby. The church, dedicated to St. Peter, is a small structure. Conyers Middleton was once rector of this parish. The charities amount to £45 per annum. The Baptists have a chapel at Hayhead, and the Wesleyans a place of worship at Wardy Hill. There is a National school with a small endowment."

• "MANEA, a chapelry in the parish of Coveney, hundred of South Witchford, county Cambridge, 7 miles north-east of Chatteris, its post town, and 8 north-west of Ely. It is a station on the Ely and Peterborough railway. It is situated on the Old Bedford river, and is chiefly agricultural. The living is a curacy annexed to the rectory* of Coveney, in thc diocese of Ely. The church is a small neat structure, once held by Conyers Middleton. There is an endowed National school for both sexes. The Wesleyans have a place of worship. Lord Rokeby is lord of the manor. (See also Manea Parish pages)"

• "WARDY-HILL, a hamlet in the parish of Coveney, county Cambridge, 5 miles north-west of Ely."

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

Cemeteries

• The Monumental Inscriptions in the graveyard of St. Peter are recorded in the Cambridge Records Office. These inscriptions are also available on microfiche from the Cambridgeshire Family History Society Publications list (search)

Census

• The Census Records from 1841-1891 can be found in the Cambridgeshire Archives and at Wisbech Library. In addition the 1851 Census for Coveney 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:
  • The Church of St. Peter-ad-Vincula, Coveney

Church History

• "The church of St. Peter ad Vincula is a building of stone, dating from the 13th century, and consisting of chancel, nave, south porch and an embattled western tower containing one bell : in the chancel is a trefoil-headed double piscina, and the north wall of the nave contains an ancient stoup; the splendid reredos of carved wood, presented by Athelstan Riley esq. is probably 15th century North-German workmanship, and the central panel contains a remarkably fine representation of the "Crucifixion," the figure on the rood was carved by peasants at Ober Ammergau : there are some interesting, though rude, carved bench ends, dating from about 1400 : the pulpit, dated 1705, has paintings of Our Lord and the Four Evangelists, and is of Danish origin. The church was restored in 1897, at a cost of £1,000 : a new rood screen, the design of the Rev. C. F. G. Turner, rector 1892-1914, was erected, and the roof, which had previously been thatched with reeds, was recovered with grey Westmoreland slates. There are 160 sittings, free. The register dates from the year 1676."
  [Kelly's Directory - 1929]

Church Records

• Church of England
  • Coveney, St Peter's: Records of baptisms 1676-1923, marriages 1704-1970, burials 1677-1912 and banns for 1763-1936 reside in the Cambridgeshire Archives.The Bishop's Transcripts for the years 1600-1640 and 1662-1839 can be found in the Cambridge University Library. Indexed transcripts exist in Cambridgeshire Archives for marriages 1600-1809.
• Methodist Church
  • Primitive Methodist Church: Records exist for the Ely Primitive Circuit of which Coveney is part.
  • Wesleyan Methodist Church: Records exist for the Ely Wesleyan Circuit of which Coveney is part.

Description and Travel

• WARDY HILL (or Wady Hill), 1 mile northwest, is a hamlet of Coveney.
• WAYHEAD, another hamlet, is 1 mile north from the parish church.
• MANEA, formerly a chapelry of this parish, but now a distinct parish, is given under a separate heading.

Gazetteers

• A transcript of the Coveney parish entries from Samuel Lewis's 1835 Topographical Dictionary of England,
• A transcript of the Coveney parish entries from 1868 A brief history of Ely and neighbouring villages in the Isle' by J.H. Clements

Military History

• The Coveney War Memorial has been transcribed and 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 1750-1948; 1798 is on microfilm at Huntingdon Record Office.