GenUKI Contents

Cambridgeshire

WIMPOLE

"WIMPOLE, a parish in the hundred of Wetherley, county Cambridge, 5½ miles south-east of Caxton. Wimpole Hall, the family seat of the Hardwickes, contains a collection of historical paintings and portraits by the first masters, and in the chapel is a carved ivory crucifixion and "Temple of the Sibyls" in mosaic. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Ely, value £400. The church, dedicated to St. Andrew, was rebuilt by Lord Chancellor Hardwicke in 1749. It contains various effigies and monuments to the Hardwicke and Chicheley families, some rich stained glass, two brasses, the earliest bearing date 1501, and an hexagonal font. The charities produce about £21 per annum. There is a school supported by the Earl of Hardwicke, who is lord of the manor and principal landowner.

[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. Andrew are recorded in the Cambridge Records Office for the years 1710-1979. 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.

Churches

• The following Churches have their own websites:
  • St. Andrew's Church, Wimpole

Church History

• "The church of St. Andrew, rebuilt, with the exception of the chantry in 1749, is an edifice of red brick in the Decorated and Perpendicular styles, consisting of chancel, nave, chantry and a western gable containing one bell : the stained east window is a memorial to the Rev. Edward Lyon Fellowes M.A. rector 1876-96, and was placed in the church in 1898; there are many marble monuments to former lords of the manor; there is also an altar tomb to a member of the Chicheley family, above which is a window filled with heraldic glass of the 14th century: the Chicheley chapel contains memorials to members of the Yorke family, including an imposing monument to Philip, first Earl of Hardwicke and Lord Chancellor 1737-56, who was born at Dover, 1 Dec. 1690, and died in Grosvenor square, London, 6 March, 1764; there is also an altar tomb, with recumbent effigy in marble, to Philip, 3rd Earl of Hardwicke K.G d. 18 Nov. 1834: the church was restored in 1887, at a cost of £900, as a memorial to Susan, Countess of Hardwicke, d. 22 Nov. 1886: there are 240 sittings. The register dates from the year 1540." [Kelly's Directory - Cambridgeshire - 1929]

Church Records

• Church of England
  • Wimpole, St. Andrew: Records of baptisms 1560-1603, 1617-1863, marriages 1560-1990, burials 1560-1973 and banns for 1754-1918 reside in the Cambridgeshire Archives, indexed transcripts exist for baptisms, marriages and burials 1560-1863. Parish register transcripts of Wimpole St Andrew, 1560 -1863, are available in full transcript form, on microfiche, from the Cambridgeshire Family History Society Publications list (search)
  • The Bishop's Transcripts for the years 1599-1642, 1663-1812 can be found in the Cambridge University Library.
  • The "Marriage Register of the Parish of Orwell from 1653 to 1837" (transcribed by the Rev R W Whiston and published in 1927) is a very long and detailed document which includes over 600 marriage records with preface and a full alphabetical name index. Many Wimpole names appear among the Orwell records.

Description and Travel

• " Wimpole Hall, the seat of the Hon. Francis Gerald Agar-Robartes M.V.O., J.P. is a spacious mansion of brick, the central part of which was built by Sir Thomas Chicheley about the year 1632, the wings being added by Lord Oxford, and the house newly fronted and the principal apartments fitted up by Philip, first Earl of Hardwicke and Lord Chancellor, in 1736-37; it contains a valuable collection of pictures by old masters: the park, which consists of 300 acres, contains two small lakes: the river Cam flows through the estate, and in front of the house is a spacious avenue, consisting of a double row of elms, extending 2¾ miles in length and of great width." [Kelly's Directory - 1929]

Gazetteers

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

Military History

• The Wimpole and Arrington War Memorial was dedicated in the early twenties to the memory of the men who died during the Great War. Three further names were added in 1947, dedicated to those who gave their lives during the Second World War.
• The War Memorial is located on the northern corner of the original intersection between Ermine Street (now the A1198) and Cambridge Road (now the A603). The corner was the significant point on the road midway between the villages of Arrington and Wimpole.
• The men and women on the Wimpole & Arrington war memorial are fully documented with military details, photographs and personal details.

Names, Personal

• Steve Odell has set up a new photographic archive for Wimpole for early photographs dated 1900 to 1960 with over sixty images so far, including 15 Wimpole School pupil group photographs from 1900 to 1947, with more promised. The current project is to find out all the pupil names! One man has already identified his grandfather in a 1912 school photograph. This is currently not available on-line.

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 1810-1948.