STILTON
[Transcribed and edited information from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868]
"STILTON, a parish in the hundred of Norman-Cross, county Huntingdon, 6
miles south-west of Peterborough, its post town, and 8 south-east of Oundle. The
village is situated on the Roman way Ermine Street, and gives name to the
celebrated Stilton cheese, which was originally made in Leicester by Mrs.
Paulet, of Melton Mowbray, but Was first sold here at the "Bell Inn" by
Cooper Thornhill. It is chiefly made in the county of Leicestershire,
though Stilton produces a small quantity. The land is chiefly in pasture,
and a portion of it is fenny. In the vicinity are traces of a Roman
encampment. Stilton prior to the formation of railways was of more
importance than at present, being a great thoroughfare for coaches. It is a
polling place for the county, and was once a market town. The living is a
rectory* in the diocese of Ely, value £400, in the patronage of the bishop.
The church, dedicated to St. Mary, or to St. James, is an ancient structure
with a square tower. The parochial charities produce about £23 per annum.
There is a National school for both sexes, and a Wesleyan chapel. The Rev.
W. Strong is lord of the manor."
[Transcribed from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868]
by Colin Hinson ©2013
- 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 information for this parish (1841 - 1891) is held in the
Huntingdon Records Office.
- The full 1841 Census of Stilton is available as fiche set C116.
- The full 1851 Census of Stilton is available as fiche set C66.
- A full transcription of the 1891 Census of the Stilton sub-District of the Peterborough Registration District
(RG12/1225) in which Stilton 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 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 Stilton was
enumerated (Folios 93B - 104 and 108B - 119), and which took place on 30th March 1851, has also been produced by
the Peterborough & District FHS.
- The Census is available in either microfiche or A5 booklet form Mr G Harbron, 7 Newby Close, Peterborough PE3 6PU,
England. Please state which version you want.
- The following Churches have their own websites:
- The church of St Mary consists of a chancel with vestry and organ chamber on the north, nave, north aisle, south
aisle, west tower and south porch. The walls are of 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, and the earliest parts of the present church are the
13th century nave arcades, of which that on the north is the slightly earlier. Practically all the rest of the
church was rebuilt in the 15th century, but the south porch and the vestry are probably a little later, circa 1500.
The chancel and the vestry are said to have been rebuilt in 1808, when the vestry (originally a chapel) was reduced in length.
- The church was much restored in 1857 when the gallery was removed from the west end, and the chancel and south
porch restored. The clearstory and the nave roof probably also belong to this restoration. Some repairs were
undertaken in 1887-88 when the chancel arch and the east wall of the south aisle were rebuilt. In 1908-9, the
south aisle was partially rebuilt again.
- There are
photographs and further information on St. Mary's Church on Rob's Churches website.
- The following are available in the
Huntingdon Records Office.
- Baptisms: 1660-1750, 1750-1783, 1783-1812, 1813-1893, 1893-1974.
- Banns: 1754-1797, 1823-1947.
- Marriages: 1660-1749/50, 1750-1771, 1754-1783, 1783-1812, 1813-1840, 1837-1960, (1954 marriages are recorded under Caldecote parish), 1961-1973, 1973-1978.
- Burials: 1660-1750/1, 1751-1783, 1783-1812, 1813-1885.
- Bishop's Transcripts: 1604-5, 1608-10, 1612, 1617-19, 1620, 1625-7, 1660-4/1682-3, 1685-6, 1690-7, 1699-1702, 1705, 1708-32, 1734-60/1761-82, 1784-1813/1813-24/1825-9, 1831-9, 1851-9.
- 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
Huntingdonshire FHS Bookstall.
- Stilton was originally in the Peterborough 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.
- The
Stilton Memorial Hall covers the men who fell from Stilton, Folksworth, Morbourne, Washingley, Denton and Caldecot and contains detailed information for World War 1 and World War 2.
- The parish of Stilton was in the Peterborough Union of Northamptonshire for Poor Law administration.
- Population in 1801 - 509.
- Population in 1851 - 803.
- Population in 1901 - 535.
- Population in 1951 - 672.
- Population in 1971 - 911.
- Population in 1991 - 2230.
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