GenUKI Contents

Huntingdonshire

RAMSEY

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"RAMSEY, a parish, post, and market town in the hundred of Hurstingstone, county Huntingdon, 10 miles north-east of Huntingdon, and 69 north-west of London. It is the terminus of the Holme and Ramsey branch of the Great Northern railway. The parish, which is extensive, is watered by Bill-Load, a branch of the river Nen, near Ramsey Mere. At Ram's Eye, in this parish, there formerly stood a mitred Benedictine abbey of great wealth and magnificence, founded about 967 by Alderman Ailwine, Duke of the East Angles, and dedicated to SS. Mary and Benedict." (There is more of this description).

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

Cemeteries

• The Monumental Inscriptions of Ramsey St Thomas have not yet been recorded by the Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire FHS. The Monumental Inscriptions of Ramsey Municipal Cemetery is currently being transcribed, and will be available from the Huntingdonshire FHS later.
• Monumental Inscriptions from Ramsey St Mary's Parish Churchyard (approximately 387 entries - fiche set M11) 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 Ramsey Parish is available as fiche set C109.
• The full 1851 Census of Ramsey Parish is available as fiche set C59.
• A surname index of the 1881 Census of the Huntingdon Registration District, in which Ramsey was enumerated (RG11/1600, Folios 4a - 134b), and which took place on 3rd April 1881, is available as fiche set C3.
• A full transcription of the 1891 Census of Ramsey Registration sub-District (RG12/1234) in which Ramsey was enumerated, and which took place on 5th April 1891, is available as fiche set C6.
• The above mentioned fiche are available from the Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire FHS.

Churches

• The Church of St. Thomas a Becket, Ramsey.

Church History

• Ramsey Town

  • OS Grid Square TL 291851.
  • The parish church of Ramsey Town is dedicated to St. Thomas A'Beckett of Canterbury. It is built mainly of rubble but the aisles and other parts are of ashlar. The roofs of the chancel and nave are covered with tiles and the aisles with lead. The church consists of a chancel, nave, north aisle, south aisle, north chapel and south chapel and west tower.
  • The present building was originally erected in 1180 is of a peculiar plan. The very small chancel, the long nave and the absence of a tower from the original church, point to the building having been designed for a hospital, infirmary or guest house. After the introduction of stricter rule and more elaborate services in the 12th century, particularly the Sunday Procession, the parochial services interfered with those of the monks. Hence the accommodation for the parishioners outside the monastic church was made at a later date than would have been expected.
  • The south chapel was destroyed about 1310. The aisles were apparently rebuilt about 1500. The west tower was built in 1672. There was formerly a south porch which was destroyed in 1843, which probably belonged to the period of the rebuilding of the south aisle about 1500. A north vestry was built on the site of the north chapel in 1910, and the church was restored in 1844 when some of its ancient fittings were lost, including a chancel screen and some old glass. The gallery was removed in 1903.
  • In the churchyard eastward of the chancel is the shaft of the 14th century churchyard cross, standing about 9ft high. The head has been lost.
  • There are photographs and further information on St. Thomas a Becket's Church on Rob's Churches website.

• Ramsey St Mary

  • OS Grid Square TL 256873.
  • The church of St. Mary, two miles north-east of Ramsey, was built by Mrs. Emmas Fellowes, widow of Mr. William Henry Fellowes, in 1858. It is of stone in the 14th-century style and consists of a chancel with north vestry, nave of five bays, aisles, south porch and north-west tower with spire.

• Wesley Methodist Chapel

  • Methodism first came to Ramsey at the very end of the 18th century, but it was not until 1811 that Ramsey was named as a Wesleyan Methodist Society in the St Neots Circuit. In 1812, it was transferred to the new St Ives and Huntingdon Circuit. However it was not until 1831 that a Chapel and school were built close to the High Street approached by a path known as Bodger's Yard. It opened for worship on 23 September 1831.
  • By the 1890s a larger church was needed. A site had been acquired in 1887, but it was not until 1897 that a committee was formed to raise the necessary money. The new building was completed in 1899. It is still in use today.
  • A fuller history of Methodism in Ramsey is included as a preface to Fiche D41 (Ramsey Methodist Chapel Baptisms 1822 - 1901) obtainable from the Huntingdonshire FHS Bookstall.

Church Records

• Ramsey Town

  • Baptisms: 1559-1920 (indexed transcript), 1559-1642/3, 1653-1673, 1673-1739, 1738-1812, 1813-1833, 1833-1858, 1858-1894, 1894-1921, 1921-1959.
  • Baptisms: 1559-1920 (indexed transcript), 1559-1642/3, 1653-1673, 1673-1739, 1738-1812, 1813-1833, 1833-1858, 1858-1894, 1894-1921, 1921-1959.
  • Banns: 1754-1778, 1778-1801, 1801-1829, 1829-1839, 1839-1857.
  • Marriages: 1559-1837 (indexed transcriptions), 1559-1642, 1653-1673, 1673-1739, 1738-1812, 1754-1778, 1778-1801, 1801-1812, 1837-1854, 1854-1876, 1876-1904, 1904-1917, 1917-1929, 929-1940.
  • Burials: 1559-1921 (indexed transcript), 1559-1642/3, 1653-1673, 1673-1739, 1738-1812, 1813-1836, 1836-1847, 1848-1925.
  • Bishop's Transcripts: 1604-5, 1608, 1610, 1612, 1617-19, 1625-6, 1670-2/1673-7, 1687-8, 1690, 1692, 1702, 1705-6, 1708, 1710-16, 1718, 1720, 1722-4, 1726-7, 1729-36, 1742-3, 1746-56/1756-8, 1761, 1763-5, 1768-74, 1789-1813/1813-26/1827-1836/1837-45/1846-58.

• Ramsey St. Mary

  • Baptisms, Marriages and Burials: 1859 to date. These are kept in the Church. Baptisms, Marriages and Burials: 1859 to date. These are kept in the Church.
  • Only indexes to the Ramsey St. Mary's Registers 1859-1937 are available in the Huntingdon Records Office

• Availability of Church Records

  • Available registers and indexes are in the Huntingdon Records Office.
  • An indexed list of baptisms 1559 - 1920 from the Parish Church, giving full details from the Registers, is available as a set of 7 microfiche (fiche set D42).
  • An indexed list of marriages 1559 - 1920 from the Parish Church, giving full details from the Registers, is available as a set of 6 microfiche (fiche set D43).
  • The Huntingdonshire Marriage Indexes include marriages from the Ramsey ancient parish (including the area now part of the parish of Ramsey St. Mary). These are, at present, issued in alphabetical listings in series: 1601-1700, and 1701-1754, and are available on fiche.
  • An indexed list of burials 1559 - 1910 from the Parish Church, giving full details from the Registers, together with miscellaneous notes, is available as a set of 6 microfiche (fiche set D44).
  • Baptisms from the Methodist Chapel of Ramsey (1822 - 1901) are available (fiche set D41)
  • The above mentioned fiche are available from the Huntingdonshire FHS Bookstall.

Civil Registration

• Ramsey originally had its own (Ramsey) Registration District from 1st July 1837. Subsequently, it became a sub-District of Huntingdon until 31st March 1997. It has been in the Registration District of Huntingdon directly since 1st April 1997.

Gazetteers

• A transcript of the Ramsey parish entries from Stepehen Whatley's 1750 Topographical Gazetteer of England,
• A transcript of the Ramsey parish entries from 1932 Victoria County Series
• A transcript of the Ramsey parish entries from Samuel Lewis's 1835 Topographical Dictionary of England,

Military History

• The war memorial with detailed information about those who fell is available on the Roll of Honour site for Huntingdonshire as well as the Ramsey St Mary memorial and the Ramsey Forty Foot Memorial.

Poor Houses, Poor Law, etc.

• Ramsey was part of the Huntingdon Union (for Poor Law administration).
• Births and Deaths registered in the Huntingdon Union Workhouse (1838 - 1949) are available, as Fiche D-10, from the Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire FHS.

Population

• Population in 1801 - 1894.
• Population in 1851 - 4645.
• Population in 1901 - 4823.
• Population in 1951 - 5770.
• Population in 1971 - 5646.
• After 1981 the parish population figures were divided into to the two de-facto parishes of Ramsey St. Mary and Ramsey Town.
• Population in 1981 - 5816 (Ramsey St. Mary parish) and 3652 (Ramsey Town).
• Population in 1991 - 4995 (Ramsey St. Mary parish) and 5181 (Ramsey Town).