GenUKI Contents

Huntingdonshire

CHESTERTON

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"CHESTERTON, a parish in the hundred of Norman Cross, in the county of Huntingdon, 5 miles south-west of Peterborough, and 3 from the Wansford station of the Northampton and Peterborough railway. It is situated on the river Nen, near the ancient Ermine Street. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Ely, value £430, in the patronage of the Marquis of Huntley, who is lord of the manor. The church, dedicated to St. Michael, is an ancient edifice in the early English and Norman styles of architecture. It contains several ancient monuments. A single-ditched Roman camp is seen at Castlefield, where a stone coffin, skeleton, and coins have of late years been discovered."

• "DORNFORD, (or Dunsford), a hamlet in the parish of Chesterton, in the county of Huntingdon, 5 miles south-west of Peterborough. It is situated at the ferry, south of the river Nen, to which the Roman road loads straight from Huntingdon. It was the Durobrivæ of Antoninus, on Ermine Street, as evidenced by the Roman remains and coins which have been found.

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

Cemeteries

• Monumental inscriptions for this parish have not been recorded by the Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire FHS. However, Peterborough & District FHS have an interest in the parish.

Census

• Census information for this parish (1841 - 1891) is held in the Huntingdon Records Office.
• The full 1841 Census of Chesterton Parish is available as fiche set C82.
• The full 1851 Census of Chesterton Parish is available as fiche set C32.
• A full transcription of the 1891 Census of the Stilton sub-District of the Peterborough Registration District (RG12/1225) in which Chesterton was enumerated, and which took place on 5th April 1891, has also been produced by the Huntingdonshire FHS (as Fiche C-15).
• The above mentioned microfiche are available from the Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire FHS.
• An index of surnames in the 1851 Census of the Peterborough Registration District (HO107/1747) in which Chesterton was enumerated (Folios 22B - 25B), and which took place on 30th March 1851, has also been produced by the Peterborough & District FHS.
• The Index is available in either microfiche or A5 booklet form. Please state which version you want. The Census is available from Mr G Harbron, 7 Newby Close, Peterborough PE3 6PU, England.

Churches

• The following Churches have their own websites:
  • St. Michael's Church, Chesterton

Church History

• OS Grid Square TL 127955.
• The church of St. Michael consists of a chancel, nave, north aisle, south aisle, west tower and south porch. the walls are of stone rubble with ashlar dressings, and the roofs are covered with lead.
• The church is mentioned in the Domesday survey of 1086, but no part of this early church remains. Small parts of the nave walls may be of the 12th century but they have been so much cut into by later arcades that very little remains. Early in the 13th century, the south arcade was added and, during the first half of the same century, the west tower was built. The north aisle was built around 1300 and probably the chancel, with its arch, was built at the same time. the clearstory was added about 1330 and a little later, the spire was built.
• In the 18th century, the chancel was rebuilt again, and a heavy oak screen was erected across the chancel arch. The aisles had new windows inserted at the same time, the parapets were reconstructed and the south porch was built. The church was restored in 1841 and 1906.
• There are photographs and further information on the exterior and the interior of St. Peter's Church on Rob's Churches website.

Church Records

• The following are available in the Huntingdon Records Office.
  • Baptisms: 1561-1733, 1734-1769, 1770-1812.
  • Banns: 1758-1811.
  • Marriages: 1562-1639, 1663-1730, 1734-1753, 1754-1811, 1813-1839, 1839-1956.
  • Burials: 1562-1640, 1661-1733/4, 1734-1769, 1769-1812.
  • Bishop's Transcripts: 1604-5, 1608, 1610, 1612, 1618-20, 1625, 1629, 1661-71/1674-6, 1678, 1680-3, 1686-8, 1691-2, 1695, 1697, 1704, 1708-54, 1756-66, 1768-77, 1779-87, 1789-1813/1813-24/1825-34, 1835, 1837-58.
• The Huntingdonshire Marriage Indexes include marriages from this parish. These are, at present, issued in alphabetical listings in series: 1601-1700, and 1701-1754, and are available from the Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire FHS.

Civil Registration

• Chesterton was originally in the Peterbrough Registration District of Northamptonshire from 1st July 1837. Subsequently it was transferred to the Stilton sub-District of Huntingdonshire. It was later transferred back to the Peterborough District.
• From 1st April 1998, marriage records were transferred to the Huntingdon Registry Office, but the births and burial records were retained by Peterborough.

Gazetteers

• A transcript of the Chesterton parish entries from 1932 Victoria County Series
• A transcript of the Chesterton parish entries from Samuel Lewis's 1835 Topographical Dictionary of England,

Names, Geographical

• Cestretune (xi cent.),
• Cestreton (xii cent.),
• Chesterton (xiv cent.).

Poor Houses, Poor Law, etc.

• The parish of Chesterton was in the Peterborough Union of Northamptonshire for Poor Law administration.

Population

• Population in 1801 - 112.
• Population in 1851 - 114.
• Population in 1901 - 118.
• Population in 1951 - 167.
• Population in 1971 - 229.
• Population in 1991 - 151.