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Huntingdonshire

Nearby places

YAXLEY

"YAXLEY, a parish in the hundred of Norman-Cross, county Hunts, 4 miles south of Peterborough, 1½ from Huntingdon, and 1½ mile north-east of Stilton. It is situated on the Great North Road, near the line of the ancient Ermine Street and Whittlesea Mere, one of the most extensive sheets of water in the kingdom, but now drained. In Domesday survey it is mentioned as Takesley, and bad formerly a market. The town occupies the eastern slope of a ridge of hills, and in 1861 had a population of 1,411. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Ely, value £177. The church, dedicated to St. Peter, is, from its situation on an eminence at the western extremity of the village, conspicuous for many miles round. The Wesleyans, Primitive Methodists, and Independents have chapels. There are endowed and National schools. The charities produce about £80 per annum. Abbot Yakesley of Thorney and Dr. O. Gregory were natives. A fair is held on Holy Thursday."

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 Yaxley is available as fiche set C123 from the Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire FHS.
• The full 1851 Census of Yaxley is available as fiche set C73 from the Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire FHS.
• An index of surnames in the 1851 Census of the Peterborough Registration District (HO107/1747) in which Yaxley (Folios 123B-138B), Yaxley Fen (Folios 139-147) and Yaxley North (Folios 151-167B) 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.

Churches

• The following Churches have their own websites:
  • St. Peter's Church, Yaxley

Church History

• OS Grid Square TL 177918.
• The church of St. Peter consists of a chancel, north chapel, south chapel, nave, north transept, south transept, north aisle, south aisle, west tower and south porch. the walls of the porch, the east wall of the chancel and parts of the tower are faced with ashlar, and those of the rest of the church are of coursed rubble. The roofs are covered with lead.
• The church is mentioned in the Domesday survey of 1086. It seems probable that an early church, possibly with a central tower, was enlarged by the addition of large transepts in the middle of the 13th century, and that in the last decade of that century, the remainder of the church was rebuilt and further enlarged. Of this period are parts of the walls of the chancel and the two side chapels, and those of the two aisles. Apparently, when this enlargement was made, the old arches between the transepts and the aisles were not altered, but the widened aisles opened to the transepts by means of narrow arches (which still remain) on the outside of the older ones which were destroyed in the 15th century. About 40 years later, the east wall of the chancel was again rebuilt and a large window inserted in the end of the south transept. Towards the middle of the 15th century, the west tower and spire were built within the church, possibly to replace the central tower, for shortly afterwards the nave arches were rebuilt, together with the arches between the aisles and the transepts, and the clearstory was added. About the same time the porch was rebuilt.
• The chancel, with its side chapels, was thoroughly restored in 1902-3, and the nave in 1904. The north transept and aisles were restored in 1908, and the south transept, aisle and west tower and spire in 1909-10.
• There are photographs and further information on St. Peter's Church on Rob's Churches website.

Church Records

• The following are available in the Huntingdon Records Office.
  • Baptisms: 1653-1812, 1813-1854, 1854-1924, 1924-1949.
  • Banns: 1754-1790, 1824-1878, 1878-1906, 1907-1922, 1922-1933, 1933-1961.
  • Marriages: 1653-1754, 1754-1812, 1813-1838, 1838-1897, 1897-1906, 1906-1919, 1919-1929, 1929-1938, 1938-1946, 1946-1953, 1953-1960.
  • Burials: 1653-1812, 1813-1880, 1880-1950.
  • Bishop's Transcripts: 1604-5, 1608, 1617-1619, 1625-7, 1660-72/1676, 1679-80, 1682, 1684-5, 1687, 1690-1702, 1704, 1706, 1708-10, 1712-27, 1729-30, 1733-41/1741-6, 1748-76/1776-9, 1781-7, 1789-93, 1795-1813/1813-24, 1825-34, 1837.
• 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

• Yaxley 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.

Gazetteers

• A transcript of the Yaxley parish entries from Stepehen Whatley's 1750 Topographical Gazetteer of England,
• A transcript of the Yaxley parish entries from 1932 Victoria County Series
• A transcript of the Yaxley 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.

Names, Geographical

• Yaxley:
  • Geakeslea, Iaceslea (x cent.),
  • Jacheslei (xi cent.),
  • Jakeslea (xii, xiv cent.),
  • Yakesle (xiv cent.),
  • Yaxley (xvi cent.).
• Norman Cross:
  • Northmannescros,
  • Normannescros (x cent.),
  • Northmanescros (xi cent.),
  • Normancros (xiii cent).

Poor Houses, Poor Law, etc.

• Yaxley was in the Peterborough Union of Northamptonshire for Poor Law administration.

Population

• Population in 1801 - 986.
• Population in 1851 - 1445.
• Population in 1901 - 1590.
• Population in 1951 - 2764.
• Population in 1971 - 3943.
• Population in 1991 - 7044.