Cambridgeshire
Suffolk
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"KENNETT is a small parish, on the Suffolk border of the county, with a station on the Cambridge and Bury branch of the London and North Eastern railway, 70 miles from London and 4 north-east from Newmarket, in the hundred of Staploe, Newmarket union and petty sessional division and county court district, rural deanery of Fordham and archdeaconry and diocese of Ely. The village derives its name from the brook on which it stands, which was called Kennet, or Kent, by the Iberians, a name given by them to several small streams, notably in Berks, Westmorland, Sussex and Wilts."
"The soil is mainly light; subsoil, gravel. The chief crops are wheat, barley and oats. The area is 1,425 acres of land and 6 of water; the population in 1021 was 154."
[Kellys Directory of Cambridgeshire 1929]
The Monumental Inscriptions for the churchyard of St. Nicholas are recorded fot the years 1705-1984 in the Cambridge Records Office. These inscriptions are also available on microfiche from the Cambridgeshire Family History Society Bookstall.
The Census Records from 1841-1891 can be found in the Cambridge Record Office. In addition the 1861 Census for Kennett is available in full transcript form, on microfiche, from the Cambridgeshire Family History Society Bookstall. The 1851 census for Kennett was lost at source.
"The church of St. Nicholas is a building of flint with stone dressings, chiefly in the Early English style it consists of chancel, nave, north porch and an embattled western tower containing 3 bells: it was thoroughly restored at the expense of the Rev. William Godfrey, rector here 1835-1900, at various times down to 1863 : there are 100 sittings. The register dates from the year 1558."
[Kelly's Directory - 1929]
Kennett, St. Nicholas: Records of baptisms 1831-1991, marriages 1754-1979, burials 1813-1989 and banns 1755-1810, 1824-1965 reside in the Cambridge Record Office. The Bishop's Transcripts for the years 1567-1640 and 1663-1837 can be found in the Suffolk Record Office and copies on microfilm for 1567-1640 and 1663-99 can be found in the Cambridge Record Office. Indexed transcripts exist in the Cambridge Record Office for, marriages 1558-1836.
Two courts cover Kennett as follows:
Archdeaconry Court of Sudbury: Jurisidiction in various parishes including Kennett which were in the diocese of Norwich until they were transferred to the diocese of Ely in 1837.
Records are held at the Suffolk Record Office covering Wills, 1439-1857, administrations, 1544-46, 1568-93, 1605-12, 1630-1858, inventories, 1573-76, 1617, 1625, 1640, 1650-1747. Index to wills to 1535 are published in Proceedings of Suffolk Institute of Archaeology, volume 12 and of all records to 1700 in the Index Library of the British Records Society, volumes 95 and 96.
Consistory Court of Norwich: Record are held at the Norfolk Record Office. Wills 1370-1857, administrations, 1370-1499, 1549-1640, 1666-1857, inventories, 1584-1846. There is an index to wills covering 1370-1857 published by the Norfolk Record Society, volumes 16, 21, 34, 38 and 47.
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 1710, 1798 (on microfilm), 1829-32, 1878-88 and 1931-48.
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[Last updated: 2 April 2005 Martin Edwards]