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Huntingdonshire

Nearby places

GREAT STAUGHTON

"GREAT STAUGHTON, a parish in the hundred of Toseland, county Huntingdon, 6 miles north-west of St. Neot's, its post town, and 3 south-east of Kimbolton. The parish is considerable, and divided into North and South side, comprising the hamlets of Staughton Highway, Great Staughton Moor, East and West Perry, Dillington, and Agden Green. The soil is chiefly clay and gravel. There are an extensive brewery and malting houses. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Ely, value £450, in the patronage of St. John's College, Oxford. The church, dedicated to St. Andrew, is an ancient structure, with a square tower containing a clock and five bells. The interior contains several monuments and effigies. The charities, realised from some land and cottages, are distributed yearly to the poor in bread. The parochial school is situated in the churchyard, and is endowed with land and cottage property realising about £20 per annum, which is for the education of 12 boys for the term of three years. James Duberley, Esq., is lord of the manor of Beechampstead.

"DILLINGTON, a hamlet in the parish of Great Staughton and the hundred of Leightonstone, in the county of Huntingdon, 3 miles south-east of Kimbolton."

Cemeteries

• Monumental Inscriptions from the parish church of St Andrew (1539-1996), the Old Cemetery (1863-1980), the New Cemetery (1913-1997), the Baptist church (1865-1985) and Perry Baptist church (approximately 549 entries - fiche set M20) are available from the Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire FHS.

Census

• Census information for this parish (1841 - 1891) is held in the Huntingdon Records Office.
• The full 1841 Census of Great Staughton is available as fiche set C115.
• The full 1851 Census of Great Staughton is available as fiche set C65.
• A surname index of the 1881 Census of the St. Neots Registration District, in which Great Staughton (RG11/1612, Folios 65a - 91b), Dillington (Folios 91b - 92b) and Perry (Folios 93a - 96b) were enumerated, and which took place on 3rd April 1881, is available as Fiche C-5.
• A full transcription of the 1891 Census of the Kimbolton Registration District (RG12/1243) in which Great Staughton was enumerated, and which took place on 5th April 1891, is available as Fiche C-14.
• The above mentioned fiche are available from the Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire FHS.

Churches

• Here are photographs of Churches etc. in the parish:
  • St. Andrew's Church, Great Staughton.
  • St. Andrew's Church, Great Staughton.
    • Internal view looking down the nave
    • The East Window
    • The font
  • The ex-Baptist Chapel, Great Staughton, (now a private dwelling).

Church History

• OS Grid Square TL 124647.
• The church of St. Andrew consists of a chancel with north vestry, north chapel, nave, north aisle, south aisle, west tower and south porch. The walls are of stone and pebble rubble except for the tower which is of coursed rubble and stone dressings. The roofs are covered with lead, tiles and slates.
• The church is mentioned in the Domeday survey of 1086, but nothing of this early date remains in-situ. At the end of the 13th century, a gradual rebuilding was commenced by piercing three arches in each side wall of the nave; this was quickly followed by an extension of the arcades by two western bays, the building of the aisles and the rebuilding of the chancel. In the 14th century, the south aisle was rebuilt and widened and a porch added, and the north aisle was also partly rebuilt.
• In the latter half of the 15th century, a considerable reconstruction took place. The nave arcades were rebuilt using much old materials, a rood staircase was formed, and a clearstory added; the chancel arch and east wall of the chancel was also rebuilt. Somewhat later, a chapel, known as the Gaynes Chapel, was erected on the north side of the chancel, and the west tower was built. The vestry was built in 1526.
• In 1636, the church was said to be 'much ruinated' and a large sum was spent on its repairs. Considerable additional repairs were effected in 1848-50, and a complete restoration took place in 1866.

Church Records

• These are available in the Huntingdon Records Office.
  • Baptisms: 1541-1837 (indexed transcription), 1813-1838, 1839-1896.
  • Banns: 1754-1796 (indexed transcription).
  • Marriages: 1541-1837 (indexed transcription), 1813-1843, 1837-1893.
  • Burials: 1540-1837 (indexed transcription), 1813-1852.
  • Bishop's Transcripts: 1604-5, 1608-11, 1617-19, 1625, 1627, 1631-1680, 1683-8, 1691-1701, 1704-5, 1707-9, 1711-16, 1718, 1720, 1722-31, 1734-56/1757-84, 1786-1813/1813-21, 1823/4-1825-35.
• 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

• Great Staughton was originally in the St. Neots Registration District from 1st July 1837. Subsequently it became part of the Kimbolton sub-District, but it is now directly under the Huntingdon District.

Description and Travel

• The Great Staughton Sundial. Dating from 1637 this famous sundial stands prominently on the highway in Great Staughton. The measurement of time has been important throughout human history.

Gazetteers

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

Names, Geographical

• Stocton (x cent.),
• Tochestone (xi cent.),
• Stotton,
• Scotton,
• Stokton,
• Magna Stouton (xiii cent.),
• Stowghton (xv cent.),
• Moche Stoughton (xvi cent.).

Poor Houses, Poor Law, etc.

• The parish of Great Staughton was part of the St Neots Union (for Poor Law administration).
• Births and Deaths registered in the St Neots Union Workhouse (1913 - 1952) are available, as fiche set D11, from the Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire FHS.

Population

• Population in 1801 - 850.
• Population in 1851 - 1316.
• Population in 1901 - 746.
• Population in 1951 - 875.
• Population in 1971 - 1041.
• Population in 1991 - 864.