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Cambridgeshire

HARSTON

"HARSTON, a parish in the hundred of Thriplow, county Cambridge, 5 miles south-west of Cambridge, its post town. The parish, which is small, is situated on the river Cam. It is a station on the Cambridge and Hitchin railway, and the London road passes through the parish. The soil is chalky, and the land principally arable. The tithes were commuted for land and a money payment under an Enclosure Act in 1798. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Ely, value £244, in the patronage of the bishop. The church, dedicated to All Saints, is an ancient stone structure, with tower containing five bells."

[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 graveyards of both churches, All Saints and the Baptist Chapel, for the years 1714-1973 are recorded in the Cambridge Records Office and are 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 Harston is available in full transcript form, on microfiche, from the Cambridgeshire Family History Society Publications list (search)

Churches

• All Saints Church, Hartson.

Church History

• "The church of All Saints is a building of stone in the Perpendicular style, consisting of chancel, clerestoried nave of five bays, north transept or chapel, aisles (the south aisle being considerably narrower than the north), north porch and an embattled western tower containing 4 bells; the tenor bell, cast by Austen Bracker, bears an inscription to that effect, the lettering being oddly reversed: there is a piscina at the east end of each aisle and a rood screen and rood of picturesque design; the corbels in the church are quaint and of outstanding interest in the north transept are a few interesting remains of 15th century glass : the pulpit is of the Late Decorated period the interior of the church was restored and reseated in 1870 and an organ was placed in the church in 1883: there are 240 sittings. The register dates from the year 1686."
• "There is a Baptist chapel here, founded in 1781, with 330 sittings." [Kelly's Directory - Cambridgeshire - 1929]
• A list of vicars of Harston is available.
• Here is a list of the Vicars of Harston.

Church Records

• Church of England
  • Harston, All Saints: Records of baptisms 1687-1994, marriages 1689-1970, burials 1687-1993 and banns 1754-1995 reside in the Cambridgeshire Archives. Indexed transcripts for baptisms 1599-1857, marriages 1599-1840 and burials 1599-1840 also reside in the Cambridgeshire Archives. The Bishop's Transcripts for the years 1599-1800 and 1815-1855 can be found in the Cambridge University Library. Parish register transcripts of Harston All Saints, 1599-1837, are available in full transcript form, on microfiche, from the Cambridgeshire Family History Society Publications list (search)
• Baptist
  • Harston Baptist Church: Records exist at the Cambridgeshire Archives for deaths, in summary form for the years 199-1987 and monumental inscriptions 1799-1974.

Description and Travel

• "In this parish stands an obelisk, erected to Gregory Wale esq. of Little Shelford, and dated 1739, and close to the vicarage house is a spot called "the red field" where it is said an encounter took place between the Royalists and Parliamentary forces. Harston Manor House is the residence of William Taylor Rowley esq. There are two manors. W. T. flowley esq. who is lord of the manor of Tiptoff, Samuel Reuben Ginn esq. D.L., J,P. who is lord of the manor of Harston-Shadworth, and Arthur Hurrell esq. J.P. are the principal landowners."
  [Kelly's Directory - Cambridgeshire - 1929]

Gazetteers

• A transcript of the Harston parish entries from Samuel Lewis's 1835 Topographical Dictionary of England,
• A transcript of the Harston parish entries from 1929 Kellys Directory of Cambridgeshire

Military History

• The 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 1798 (on microfilm) and 1811-1948.