LITTLE GIDDING
[Transcribed and edited information from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868]
"LITTLE GIDDING, a parish in the hundred of Leightonstone, county
Huntingdon, 1 mile south-east of Great Gidding, and 6 south-west of Stilton, its
post
town. A nunnery upon Protestant principles was founded here by Nicholas
Ferrars in 1625, but did not exist many years. The parish is of small
extent, and the soil clayey. There is no village, only a few farmhouses.
The living is a rectory in the dioc, of Ely, value £126, in the patronage
of the lord chancellor. The church is a small edifice of brick, dedicated
to St. John; a west front of stone was added in 1814. It has tombs of the
Ferrars family.
[Transcribed from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868]
by Colin Hinson ©2013
- Monumental inscriptions for Little Gidding parish have not yet been recorded by the Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire FHS.
- Census information (1841 to 1891) for this parish is held in the
Huntingdon Records Office.
- The full 1841 Census of Little Gidding Parish is available as fiche set C95.
- The full 1851 Census of Little Gidding Parish is available as fiche set C45.
- A surname index of the 1881 Census of the Oundle Registration District of Northamptonshire, in
which Little Gidding was enumerated (RG11/1584, Folios 69b - 70b), and which took place on 3rd
April 1881, is available, as fiche set C2.
- The above mentioned fiche are available from the
Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire FHS.
- The following Churches have their own websites:
- The church of St John the Evalgelist consists of a chancel, nave, and a modern vestry on
the south. The walls are of red brick with some stone dressings, and the west wall is
entirely faced with stone. The roofs are covered with stone-slates, and that of the
vestry with slates.
- The church is not mentioned in the Domesday Book but there was certainly a much earlier
church than the present. It seems to have had a chancel, nave, and north transept (or,
perhaps, a north aisle) and a west tower. It was in a neglected tate and used as a barn
in 1625, in which year it was repaired and restored to its proper use; new flooring was
installed and the building was wainscotted throughout. It was provided with a new brass
font and a brass eagle lectern, as well as a gallery at the west end for the organ. This
church was greatly damaged by Cromwellian soldiers in 1646 when they destroyed the organ
and threw the eagle lectern into the woods.
- In 1714 the nave was entirely rebuilt and the north transept and west tower were pulled
down; the chancel was apparently rebuilt at the same time but in a cheaper style. In
1853, the church was thoroughly restored, reseated like a college chapel, the widows
reglazed, and the vestry added. The east wall and the south-east corner were repaired
in 1921.
- There are
photographs and further information on St. John's Church on Rob's Churches website.
- These are available in the
Huntingdon Records Office.
- Baptisms: 1657-1670, 1695-1712, 1735, 1745-1782, 1785-1801, 1802-1812, 1813-1993.
- Banns: 1784-1811, 1823-1919.
- Marriages: 1662-1676, 1694-1757, 1784-1811, 1763-1807, 1815-1835, 1838-1950, 1968-1972.
- Burials: 1637, 1648-1663, 1680-1707, 1717-1781, 1785-1802, 1805-1812, 1813-1988.
- Bishop's Transcripts: 1661-9/1696, 1699, 1701, 1706-7, 1709-12, 1714-15, 1717-31, 1733-7,
1739, 1741, 1745-6, 1748, 1751, 1753-63, 1766-9, 1771, 1773-4, 1776-84, 1787, 1789-1802,
1804-12/1813-24/1825-32, 1835, 1843-51, 1853-8.
- 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.
- The parish of Little Gidding was originally in the Oundle Registration District of Northamptonshire from 1st July 1837. In 1935, the parish was transferred to the Sawtry sub-District. It is now part of the Huntingdon Registration District.
- Gedding Engayne,
- Gidding Warner,
- Little Gidding (xiii cent.).
- The parish of Little Gidding was in the Oundle Union of Northamptonshire for Poor Law administration.
- Population in 1801 - 47.
- Population in 1851 - 41.
- Population in 1901 - 39.
- Population in 1951 - 28.
- Population in 1971 - 17.
- Population in 1991 - 22.
This page is copyright. Do not copy any part of this page or website other than for personal
use or as given in the conditions of use.
If you have any suggestions for links to other sites that may be useful to other researchers,
please use this User Links page
Web-page generated by "DB2html" data-base extraction software ©Colin Hinson 2015