Cambridgeshire
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Nearby Places
Nearby churches
'CHATTERIS in Domesday Book written "Cetriz" and "Cateriz", by some old authors "Chateriz" - is a parish and market town with a station on the Wisbech and St. Ives branch of the Great Eastern railway, 71 miles from London by road and 83 by railway, 19 south from Wisbech, 25-and-a-half north-by-west from Cambridge, 10-and-three-quarters north-by-east from St. Ives and 12 north-west from the city of Ely by road, but 26-and-a-half by railway, in the Northern division of the county, hundred and union of North Witchford, in the Isle of Ely, petty sessional sub-division of Chatteris and county court district of March, and in the peculiar archidiaconal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Ely.
Under the provisions of the "Local Government Act, 1894" (56 and 57 Vict. c. 73), the town is now governed by an Urban District Council, having been from 1873 under the control of a Local Board: it is lighted with gas from works the property of the Chatteris Gas and Coke Co. Limited: the water supply is derived from wells.'
"The soil is clay, loam and fen land; subsoil, clay. The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats, mangolds, carrots and potatoes. The land around has been rendered very productive by draining and gaulting. The area is 13,638 of land and 36 of water; rateable value, £26,813; the population in 1891 was 4,587."
[Kelly's Directory - 1900]
"There are two cemeteries, both in New street: the Parochial cemetry, formed in 1856, covers an area of nearly 6 acres, with two mortuary chapels, and is under the control of the Urban District Council: the General cemetry was formed by a company in 1850 and is 3a. 2r. 13p. in extent."
[Kelly's Directory - 1900]
Records of grave sales in the general cemetery reside in the Cambridge Record Office for the years 1815-1943.
Monumental inscriptions are recorded for the churchyard of St. Peter for the years 1701-1859, these reside in the Cambridge Record office.
Registers for the General Cemetery from 1850 and the Parochial Cemetery from 1856 are held at the Fenland District Council Offices in Chatteris.
A third cemetery called the 'New Church Yard' was in use from 1832 - 1856.
It was cleared and built over in the 1970's. Its registers are at the County
Records Office, Cambridge. This cemetery was quickly filled by the victims of
a cholera outbreak in the 1830's. It was located in New Road, opposite the General
Cemetery.
The Census Records from 1841-1891 can be found in the Cambridge Record Office and also in the Wisbech Library. In addition the 1851 Census for Chatteris is available in full transcript form, on microfiche, from the Cambridgeshire Family History Society Bookstall.
"The church of St. Peter is an ancient building of stone, in various styles, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, south porch and an embattled western tower with a low spire containing a clock and 5 bells: the chancel is divided from the body of the church by a handsome screen: there are 750 sittings, 500 being free. The register dates from the year 1650."
"The particular Baptist chapel in Hive Lane was endowed by Miss Claridge in 1800 with lands now producing £50 yearly for the support of a minister, and has sittings for 250; there is another in Park street with 900 sittings; and a General Baptist chapel in West Park street holding 700 persons; the Congregational chapel, Park street, is a brick building in the Tudor style seating 350; there is a Primitive Methodist chapel at Slade End with about 20 sittings; the Wesleyan chapel, New road, was enlarged in 1855, and now has about 600 sittings. The Society of Friends have a meeting house in High street with sittings for about 300."
[Kelly's Directory - 1900]
Chatteris, St Peter: Records of baptisms 1614-1917, marriages 1614-1911, burials 1614-1946 and banns for 1754-1954 reside in the Cambridge Record Office. The parish records are available on microfiche from the Cambridgeshire Family History Society Bookstall.. The Bishop's Transcripts for the years 1600-90 and 1702-1857 can be found in the Cambridge University Library. Transcripts exist in Cambridge Record Office of the Bishop's Transcripts 1600-14, 1638-67 and indexed transcripts of the baptisms, marriages and burials 1600-1902 (also at Huntingdon Record Office).
Baptist, Mill End: Records exist on microfilm at the Cambridge Record Office for baptisms 1778-1815.
Congregational: Records exist at the Cambridge Record Office for baptisms 1876-80, 1918-21 and marriages/burials 1918-21..
Chatteris Quakers were attached to the Wisbech and Sutton (later Chatteris) Monthly Meeting
Wesleyan Methodist Church: Records exist at the Cambridge Record Office for the Chatteris Wesleyan Circuit of which Chatteris is part.
Primitive Methodist Church: Records exist at the Cambridge Record Office for the Ely Primitive and Manea Primitive Circuits of which Chatteris is a part of each.
Provided here is an article from the Cambridgeshire Times 18th August 1893 about 'American Visitors'. This tract mentions many people by name from the area.
The "1839 Pigot's Directory of Cambridgeshire" for Chatteris index of Inns & Hotels, Taverns and Public Houses, Brewers & Maltsters + Wine & Spirit Merchants.
Land Tax: records were compiled afresh each year and contain the names of owners and occupiers in each parish, but usually there is no address or place name. These records reside in the Cambridge Record Office for the years 1755, 1798-1801, 1946-48 and the Huntingdon Record Office has 1798-99 (on microfilm).
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[Last updated 20 March 2003 Martin Edwards]