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Cambridgeshire

Nearby places

CHESTERTON

"CHESTERTON, a parish in the hundred of Chesterton, in the county of Cambridge, 1 mile north of the Cambridge railway station. It is situated on the river Cam, and has the remains of Cambridge Castle, of a seat of the priors of Barnewell, and of a Roman camp called Harborough, or Arbury, where coins and other antiquities have been found. It is the head of a deanery, of a Poor-law Union, and of a Registration district, but is within the new County Court district of Cambridge. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Ely, value £206, in the patronage of Trinity College, Cambridge. The church, dedicated to St. Andrew, is a commodious and handsome edifice in the perpendicular style. The Wesleyans and Baptists have each a place of worship. There are British, National (for both sexes), and Industrial (for boys only) schools. The asylum of the Victoria Benefit Society, county gaol, and Union workhouse are hero situated, and there is a cemetery for Dissenters of all denominations. The manorial rights are vested in the Benson family."

Cemeteries

• "The General Cemetry, in the Histon road, opened in December, 1843, and covering an area of four acres, has one chapel, and is under the control of a private company, the offices being at 7 Downing street, Cambridge." [Kelly's Directory - 1900]
• The Monumental Inscriptions for St. Andrew churchyard are recorded in the Cambridge Records Office and are available on microfiche from the Cambridgeshire Family History Society Bookstall. A record of the burial ground also exists for 1865-81.
• The Monumental Inscriptions for St. Luke churchyard 1853-1981 are recorded in the Cambridge Records Office along with a register of graves 1874-1953.
• The Monumental Inscriptions for the Congregational churchyard, Victoria Road, 1881-1981 are recorded in the Cambridge Records Office. Mary Lockwood (former Church Secretary) says: to the best of my knowledge the Monumental Inscriptions for the Congregational church, Victoria Road, 1881-1981 were recorded by Dr Lucy Slater before redevelopment of the site (1989/90) and were those recorded within the interior of the church building - there was no "churchyard" or "cemetery" to this church.

Census

• The Census Records from 1841-1891 can be found in the Cambridge Record Office. In addition the 1851 Census for Chesterton is available in full transcript form, on microfiche, from the Cambridgeshire Family History Society Bookstall.

Churches

• The following Churches have their own websites:
  • St. Andrew's Church, Chesterton

Church History

• "The church of St. Andrew, picturesquely situated near the river, is a large and interesting embattled structure of flint, chiefly in the Decorated style with Perpendicular additions, consisting of chancel, clerestoried nave of seven bays, aisles, north porch and an embattled western tower, with a beautiful octagonal spire, and containing a clock and 5 bells: the chancel was restored about 1844, when a piscina and three sedilia of Late Perpendicular work were discovered: there are remains of Late screen and a roof of the 15th century: the nave is Decorated, but has a perpedicular clerestory and roof, some of the corbels bearing shields of arms: on the spandrels between the arches and in other parts of the church are remains of frescoes, c.1300: in the north aisle is a plain sepulchral recess; and both this and the south aisle have finely-carved corbels: the chancel still retains some good chestnut benches, richly carved: in the churchyard are several stone coffin slabs, bearing floriated crosses: there are 650 sittings, 600 being free. The register dates from the year 1564."
• "St. Luke's is a district parish, formed April 1, 1881: the church, built in 1784, at a cost of £10,240, is an edifice of white brick and stone in the Decorated style, consisting of chancel, transept, nave of five bays and a tower with spire, the principal entrance being under the tower: there are 650 sittings. The register dates from the year 1874."
• "The Baptist chapel, in Chapel street, was erected in 1842, and enlarged and restored in 1863: the Wesleyan chapel, in High street, was erected in 1858. The Congregational church, in the Vistoria road, was built in 1884, at a cost of £4,000." [Kelly's Directory - 1900]

Church Records

• Chesterton civil parish was mostly absorbed into the Borough of Cambridge in 1912.
• Chesterton Good Shepherd is an ecclesiastical parish formed from Chesterton St. Luke in 1969.
• Chesterton Saint George is an ecclesiastical parish formed from Chesterton in 1938.
• Chesterton Saint Luke is an ecclesiastical parish formed from Chesterton in 1881.

• Church of England
  • Chesterton, St. Andrew: Records of baptisms 1564-1956, marriages 1564-1968, burials 1564-1946 and banns 1754-1910, 1934-69 reside in the Cambridge Record Office. The Bishop's Transcripts for the years 1599-1641, 1662-1872 can be found in the Cambridge University Library. Indexed transcripts exist in the Cambridge Record Office for baptisms 1564-1916, marriages 1564-1923 and burials 1564-1916. Transcripts of the registers are available for the years 1564-1812 on microfiche from the Cambridgeshire Family History Society bookstall.
  • Chesterton, Good Shepherd: Registers are held at the church for baptisms and burials 1960 and marriages 1965.
  • Chesterton, St. George: Registers are held at the church for baptisms 1933 and marriages 1939.
  • Chesterton, St. Luke: Records of baptisms 1869-1966, marriages 1875-1974, burials 1874-1963 and banns 1961-79 reside in the Cambridge Record Office. Indexed transcripts exist in the Cambridge Record Office for baptisms 1869-1940, marriages 1875-1940 and burials 1874-1940. Parish register transcripts for St. Lukes, 1869-1940 are available on microfiche from the Cambridgeshire Family History Society Bookstall.
• Methodist Church
  • Wesleyan Methodist Church: Records exist for the Cambridge Wesleyan Circuit of which Chesterton is part.
  • Primitive Methodist Church: Records exist for the Cambridge Primitive and Cambridge Primitive Second Circuits of which Chesterton is part.
• Congregational Church
  • Congregational Church, Victoria Road: Records for baptisms 1911-49, marriages 1917-48 and burials 1918-49 reside in the Cambridge Record Office.

Description and Travel

• "Her Majesty's Prison and the Shire Hall at Castle Hill are both in this parish, for an account of which see Cambridge. The Victoria Friendly Society's Asylum, for old members of friendly societies, opened in 1841, is also here. Here was once an ancient fortified house, said to have been built by the Abbot of Vercellis; a portion of this building, massively constructed and probably a well-room, still exists. About £60 yearly from land is distributed in fuel and money. In the parish are brick and tile manufactories and boathouses, where boats for the use of undergraduates of the University are built and kept. The boathouses built by the Cambridge University Boat Club in 1882, Christ's College in 1886, Caius in 1887, Jesus in 1882, King's in 1895 and Emmanuel and Pembroke in 1896 add much to the picturesqueness of the river at this point. The Recreation Ground is situated near the church. The manor belongs to the Benson family; and the principal landowners are Trinity, St. Catherine's, Clare, Queens' and St. John's Colleges and Trinity Hall, Cambridge, Mrs. Wragg-Gurney and Mrs. E. Bell. " [Kelly's Directory - 1900]

Directories

• The "1839 Pigot's Directory of Cambridgeshire" for Chesterton index of Inns & Hotels, Taverns and Public Houses, Brewers & Maltsters + Wine & Spirit Merchants.

Gazetteers

• A transcript of the Chesterton parish entries from Stepehen Whatley's 1750 Topographical Gazetteer of England,
• A transcript of the Chesterton parish entries from Samuel Lewis's 1835 Topographical Dictionary of England,
• A transcript of the Chesterton parish entries from 1900 Kellys Directory of Cambridgeshire

Military History

• The Chesterton War Memorial has been transcribed and and the men researched.
• The Chesterton, Arbury War Memorial has been transcribed and the men researched.

Poorhouses and Poor Law Etc

• Chesterton Union Workhouse: later the Public Assistance Institution, records are held in the Cambridge Record Office for births 1866-1913 and deaths 1866-1951.

Taxation

• 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 1789, 1798 (on microfilm), 1829-35, and 1880-1948.