GenUKI Contents

Cambridgeshire

Nearby places

GRANTCHESTER

"GRANTCHESTER, a parish in the hundred of Wetherley, county Cambridge, 2 miles south-west of Cambridge, its post town. It is situated on the river Cam, or Granta, and the London and North-Western and Great Eastern lines pass in the vicinity. The Romans had a fortified station here, called by Antonine, Camboritum, and numerous foundations of buildings are met with between this village and the town of Cambridge. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in agriculture and brick-making. The tithes were commuted for land and a money payment under an Enclosure Act in 1799. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Ely, value £291, in the patronage of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. The church is a handsome structure, built of clinch and rubble. It is dedicated to St. Andrew, and contains a marble font, Ancient brass, and several monuments. The register commences in 1539. The parochial endowments produce about £42 per annum. The Wesleyans have a place of worship, and there is a National school for boys and girls. The Provost and Fellows of King's College, Cambridge, are the lords of the manor."

Cemeteries

• The Monumental Inscriptions for St Andrew churchyard, 1690-1987, 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. In addition the 1851 Census for Grantchester 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. Andrew and St. Mary, Grantchester

Church History

• "The church of St. Andrew is a building of clunch and rubble, with stone quoins and buttresses, in the Decorated and Perpendicular styles, and consists of chancel, nave of four bays, south aisle, north porch and an embattled western tower containing a clock and 3 bells: the chancel is a small but perfect example of the Decorated style, and has a curious single niche on either side : in the north wall is a low ogee-headed recess, and on the south side a cinquefoiled piscina: there is a memorial window to the Rev. Francis George Howard M.A. curate here 1866-75, d. i889; one to the Rev. William Martin M.A. vicar 1850-82, and five other memorial windows to members of the Howard, Lilley and Hawkes families; the stained east window was the gift of the Rev. Annesley William Streane D.D. vicar here 1898-1904: the nave is Perpendicular and retains a recess, and at the east end of the aisle is an altar-tomb, with the matrices of brass effigies of a man, his wife, children and shields of arms, circa 1470: there is also a fragment of an inscription on brass to a former vicar, the reverse of which is also inscribed: the font, apparently of Norman date, is a plain circular basin on a modern stem; there is a square Jacobean pulpit, ornamented in front with a shield of arms, 'two chevronels and a canton:' a south aisle was erected and the nave new roofed in 1877, and during the period 1887-91 the church was restored and seven stained windows erected, at a total cost of £2,923; the church affords 250 sittings. The register dates from the year 1539." "The Baptist chapel was built in 1876 and enlarged in 1891."
  [Kellys Directory of Cambridgeshire 1929]

Church Records

• Church of England
  • Grantchester, St. Andrew: Records of baptisms 1555-1985, marriages 1539-2006, burials 1539-1928 and banns 1755-1980 reside in the Cambridgeshire Archives. The Bishop's Transcripts for the years 1599-1641, 1661-1708, 1720-99 and 1813-81 can be found in the Cambridge University Library. Indexed transcripts exist in the Cambridgeshire Archives for baptisms 1555-1851, marriages 1539-1851 and burials 1539-1851. Transcripts of the parish registers 1555-1851 are available on microfiche from the Cambridgeshire Family History Society Publications list (search)

Description and Travel

• "The village hall was erected in 1928, at a cost of about £750. The feast, formerly held annually on July 25th and two following days is now held on July 25th only unless the 25th happens to fall on a Saturday or holiday, in which case the feast is held on the following Monday. There are some benefactions for special objects and a few small charities. This village is the site of a Roman station, and traces of a small Roman camp still remain. There also exists an ancient manor house (once the refuge of the members of King's College, Cambridge, during the time of the Plague) with a moated enclosure; the mill mentioned by Chaucer was higher up the river than the present mill. Lingay Fen, where ice skating championships are often held is partly in this parish."
  [Kellys Directory of Cambridgeshire 1929]
• There is a village website for Grantchester.

Gazetteers

• A transcript of the Grantchester parish entries from Stepehen Whatley's 1750 Topographical Gazetteer of England,
• A transcript of the Grantchester parish entries from Samuel Lewis's 1835 Topographical Dictionary of England,
• A transcript of the Grantchester parish entries from 1929 Kellys Directory of Cambridgeshire

Military History

• The Grantchester 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 1798 (on microfilm), 1829-32 and 1880-1948.