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Huntingdonshire

Nearby places

FARCET

"FARCET, The modern parish of Farcet was originally a chapelry of Stanground. A separate ecclesiastical parish was established in 1851, and a separate civil parish was formed in 1866. The parish lies to the south of Stanground in which it formerly lay. It extends to the old county boundary on the east and adjoins Ramsey on the south-east, and Holme/Glatton on the south-west. At its southern corner, it includes part of the area which was formerly called Whittlesea Mere. In 1886, a detached portion of Stanground, at Kingsdelph and Eight Roods, was added to the parish. Other civil boundary changes took place in 1935.

In the time of Edward the Confessor, the rights of the Abbeys of Thorney and Ramsey in Kingsdelph were subject to an agreement, and another agreement was made by fine in 1224 as to the rights of the Abbot of Thorney in the marsh of Ramsey, by which the Abbot was to hold the part towards Farcet and Yaxley quit of any claims for common rights by the Abbot of Ramsey, who similarly was to hold his portion of the marsh near Ramsey free from claims of common rights on the part of Thorney Abbey.

The soil of the parish is fen and loam, and the sub-soil clay and gravel. In the 17th century, Farcet Fen was drained and entirely inclosed. Whittlesea Mere was drained under an Act of Parliament of 1762, and the parish was inclosed in the inclosure of Stanground in 1801. Traces of a fen island site were found in the gravels of Farcet Fen. The altitude varies from 15 ft. to 60 ft. above sea-level.

Farcet village lies on the south, on rising ground overlooking the old course of the River Nene. There were several brickworks at Farcet along the main railway line rom London to the north."

"PONDERSBRIDGE, a hamlet in the parish of Farcet, county of Huntingdon."

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 Farcet Parish, and which took place on 7th June 1841, is available as fiche set C92.
• The full 1851 Census of Farcet Parish is available as fiche set C42.
• A full transcription of the 1891 Census of the Stilton sub-District of the Peterborough Registration District (RG12/1225) in which Farcet 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 fiche sets 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 Farcet (Folios 193B-205) and Farcet Town (Folios 209B-218) were enumerated, 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 from Mr G Harbron, 7 Newby Close, Peterborough PE3 6PU, England. Please state which version you want.

Churches

• All Saints Church, Farcet.

Church History

• The church of St. Mary consists of a chancel, south chapel, nave, north aisle, south aisle, west tower and south porch. The walls are of ashlar and rubble with stone dressings, and the roofs are covered with stone slates and lead.
• The church is not mentioned in the Domesday survey of 1086, but in the 12th century there was a chancel and an aisleless nave to which a west tower was added in the later years of that century. In the middle of the next century the chancel was rebuilt and a south chapel added. About 1275 the south aisle was added and was continued to the western wall of the tower, possibly with the intention of pulling down the tower and correspondingly lengthen the nave. The south porch was built in the 14th century.
• The church was restored in 1852 when the chancel and chapel are said to have been rebuilt, the nave roof renewed and the north aisle added. The tower was restored in 1894-7.

Church Records

• Until 1885, Farcet was a Chapelry in the parish of Stanground. Entries to 1643 are in the Stanground registers and BTs.
• The following are available in the Huntingdon Records Office.
  • Baptisms: 1641-1812, 1813-1849, 1850-1884, 1884-1927.
  • Banns: 1754-1812, 1823-1882, 1882-1934.
  • Marriages: 1677-1753, 1754-1812, 1813-1837, 1837-1931.
  • Burials: 1676-1812, 1813-1873, 1874-1976.
  • Bishop's Transcripts: 1660-76/1680, 1682-8, 1691-3, 1695-6, 1698-1700, 1702, 1705-6, 1708-1747/1748-83, 1789-1813/1813-24/1825-42, 1846, 1851-7 (see also Stanground).
• 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

• Farcet 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.

Military History

• The war memorial for Farcet and the war memorial for Pondersbridge, with detailed information about those who fell are available on the Roll of Honour site for Huntingdonshire.

Names, Geographical

• Fearresheafde (x cent.),
• Farresheafde (x-xii cent.),
• Faresheved (x, xiv cent.),
• Fasset (xvi cent.).

Poor Houses, Poor Law, etc.

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

Population

• Population in 1801 - 363.
• Population in 1851 - 756.
• Population in 1901 - 1116.
• Population in 1951 - 1268.
• Population in 1971 - 1192.
• Population in 1991 - 1215.