Cambridgeshire
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Nearby churches
"THORNEY, a market town and parish in the hundred of WISBEACH, Isle of ELY, county of CAMBRIDGE, 35 miles (N.W.) from Cambridge, and 86 (N.) from London, containing 1970 inhabitants. This place derived its original name of Ankeridge from a monastery for hermits, or anchorites, founded here, in 662, by Saxulphus, abbot of Peterborough, who became its first prior; the edifice having been destroyed by the Danes, the site lay waste until 972, when Ethelwold, Bishop of Winchester, founded upon it a Benedictine abbey, in honour of the Virgin, which became so opulent that, at the dissolution, its revenue was valued at £508. 12. 5.: of this abbey, which was a mitred one, the only remains are portions of the parish church, a gateway, and some fragments of the old walls. A Literary Society was established, in 1823, which possesses a good library. The market, granted in 1638, is on Thursday; and fairs are held on July 1st and September 21st, for horses and cattle, and on Whit-Monday is a pleasure fair. Upwards of three thousand sheep are sent annually from this district to the London market. The petty sessions are held here."
[A Topographical Dictionary of England, Samuel Lewis, 1831]
The Monumental Inscriptions for the churchyard of the French Church are recorded for the years 1676-1743 and these records can be found in the Cambridge and Huntingdon Record Offices.
The Census Records from 1841-1891 can be found in the Cambridge Record Office, Huntingdon Record Office and Wisbech Library. In addition the 1851 Census for Thorney is available in full transcript form, on microfiche, from the Cambridgeshire Family History Society Bookstall.
"The church of St. Mary and St. Botolph, originally that of the abbey and 290 feet in length, but now only 117, was rebuilt in 1089-1108, and in 1638 fitted up as a parish church; it is in mixed styles of Norman and Perpendicular, and consists of nave of five bays with triforiam, transepts, north and south porches and two western turrets, one of which contains a clock and one bell: the transepts were added in 1840 and 1841, under the direction of Mr. Blore: the stained east window represents, in 21 compartments, copied from windows in Canterbury Cathedral, the reputed miracles of Thomas a Becket: the organ, erected at a cost of £320, was enlarged in 1858; at a further cost of £220, defrayed by Francis, 7th Duke of Bedford K.G.: the west front, of massive Norman work, has square flanking towers, surmounted by panelled turrets of Perpendicular date, reaching a height of 82 feet: above the west window are niches with images and elaborate panelling: in 1888 the interior was restored and reseated with open oak benches, the galleries removed, the outlay, amounting to £2,910, being defrayed at the sole cost of the late duke: there are 370 sittings, 84 being free. The earliest register dates from 1653. There is also a register of baptisms in the French language, which, together with a monumental tablet in the church to the memory of its first French minister, records the fact that there was here a congregation of French Protestants, who had fled from the persecutions in their native country."
"Here is a Primitive Methodist chapel, seating 130 persons. The Abbey rooms, opposite the church, used for meetings and entertainments, will hold 200 persons."
[Kelly's Directory - 1900]
Thorney, St. Mary and St. Botolph: Records of baptisms 1653-1940, marriages 1654-1951, burials 1654-1963 and banns for 1754-1908 reside in the Cambridge Record Office, indexed transcripts exist for baptisms 1653-1940, marriages 1654-1837 and burials 1654-1837, transcripts also exist for baptisms and burials 1846-61. The indexed transcripts of the registers are available in full transcript form, on microfiche, from the Cambridgeshire Family History Society Bookstall.. Bishop's Transcripts for the years 1868-71 can be found in the Cambridge University Library.
Records exist in the Cambridge and Huntingdon Record Offices for baptisms 1655-1727 these exist as indexed transcripts as well.
Methodist Church: Indexed transcripts exist for Thorney Methodist baptisms 1872-1991 at both Cambridge and Huntingdon Record Offices.
Primitive Methodist Church: Records also exist for the Peterborough Primitive Circuit of which Thorney is part.
Wesleyan Methodist Church: Records also exist for the Peterborough Wesleyan Circuit of which Thorney is part.
A description from "A Topological Dictionary of England, Samuel Lewis, 1831" is available on-line.
The "1839 Pigot's Directory of Cambridgeshire" for Thorney index of Inns & Hotels, Taverns and Public Houses, Brewers & Maltsters + Wine & Spirit Merchants.
Two courts cover Thorney as follows:
Peculiar Court of Thorney: Its jurisdiction only covered the parish of Thorney. Records are at the Cambridge Record Office for wills 1774-1857, administrations 1774-1857, inventories 1754-1857. There is no published index to these records. After 1649 some wills and administrations are to be found in the records of the Archdeaconry Court of Huntingdon, see entry below.
Commisary Court of the Bishop of Lincoln and of the Archdeacon in the Archdeaconry of Huntingdon: Although this court mainly covers Huntingdonshire areas some wills and adminstrations of the Cambridgeshire peculiars of Isleham and Thorney are found among its records
Records are held at the Huntingdon County Record Office. These cover wills, 1479-1858, administrations, 1560-1614, 1662-1857, inventories, 1508-1831. An index of wills in the Bishop's registers, 1320-1547 and in probate records, 1506-1652, 1660-1700 have been published and can be found in the Index Library of the British Records Society, volumes 28, 41 & 101, miscellaneous wills, 1549-1730 can be found in volume 57 and administrations, 1540-1659, in volume 52.
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 1798-99, these cover the Duke of Bedford only.
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[Last updated 9 August 2007 Martin Edwards]