GenUKI Contents

Cambridgeshire

WISBECH ST. PETER

"WISBECH ST. PETER is a parish, and forms the town of Wisbech. Part of the ecclesiastical parish of Walsoken, Norfolk, was transferred to Wisbech from Norfolk in 1934."

Cemeteries

• Churchyard of SS. Peter and Paul : Monumental inscription transcriptions reside in the Cambridge Record Office for the years 1605-1925.
• Leverington Road cemetery: Monumental inscription transcriptions reside in the Wisbech Museum for the years 1830-1921 along with the burial registers for the years 1836-1921.
• King's Walk cemetery: Monumental inscription transcriptions reside in the Wisbech Museum for the years 1848-1955.

Census

• The Census Records from 1841-1891 can be found in the Cambridge Record Office and Wisbech Library. In addition the 1851 Census for Wisbech Town (St. Peter) is available in full transcript form, on microfiche, from the Cambridgeshire Family History Society Bookstall.

Churches

• St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, Wisbech.

Church History

• "The church of SS. Peter and Paul is an edifice of stone in the Early Norman and Perpendicular style, consisting of chancel, double nave, lady chapel, north and south aisles, south porch and a large embattled tower at the north-west angle containing a clock and 10 fine-toned bells; the clock was erected in 1866 by Mr. James Dann, of this town, at a cost of about £400: in the wholly chancel floor is a very large brass to Sir Thomas de Branstone, constable of Wisbech Castle, ob. 1401, with effigy in armour and mutilated inscription in Norman French: John Feckenham, last abbot of Westminster, is John Shepherd, and unveiled 26th June, 1885, is buried in the church: the reredos, presented by Mr. John Shepherd, and unveiled 26th June, 1885, is a fine work in stone, alabaster and Florentine mosaic, executed in Venice by Salviati; the principal feature is a reproduction III niosaic of The Last Supper," with canopied figures of St. Prier and St. Paul on either side, designed by Mr. Bassett Smith. A memorial window was erected to the Rev. H. E. H. Watts, a former vicar, and Mr. H. Farrow, churchwarden in 1911: there are several other fine modern memorial windows, including, one to the Rev. John Scott M.A. hon. canon of Ely and vicar here from 1867-86: the church was restored in 1858, at a cost of £4,200, and the organ reconstructed and enlarged in 1873, at cost of £600: the church affords 1,500 sittings, all free. The register dates from the year 1558. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £868, with residence, in the gift of the Bishop of Ely, and held since 1905 by Rev William Thomas Rupert Crookham C.B.E., T.D., A.K.C. hon canon of Ely cathedral, surrogate and hon. C.F.

• The Chapel of Ease or Octagon church, in the Old Market, is an octagonal embattled structure of brick, with stone facings, consisting of chancel, nave, south porch and a belfry containing one bell, and has sittings for 800 persons, most of which are free. The living is a perpetual curacy, net yearly value £602, from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, in the gift of trustees, and held since 1895 by the Rev. Richard Boyer M.A. of Caius College, Cambridge.

• The Roman Catholic church, in Queen's road, built in 1854, and dedicated to Our Lady and St. Charles Borronteo, is an edifice in the Decorated style, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles and a turret containing one bell: there are 250 sittings. Attached to the church is a fine parochial hall, built in 1914, which serves as the head quarters of St. Joseph's Club (which is run on non-sectarian and non-political lines). The Friends' Meeting House, North Brink, was built in 1854. The Baptist church, Upper Hill street, was founded in 1674; the present edifice, erected in 1859 at a cost of about £4,000, is a stone building in the Early English style, seating about 600 persons. The General Baptist chapel, Ely place, was founded in 1655, and the present edifice built in 1873; it will seat 850. The Zion Baptist chapel, Victoria road, is of brick, and was erected in i856; it has 220 sittings. The Congregational chapel, Castle square, was built in 1818, and will seat 500, and the Primitive Methodist chapel, Church terrace, was built in 1868. The Wesleyan Methodist chapel, in The Crescent, will seat 500. The United Methodist church, Little Church street, built in 1869-70, is of red brick with stone facings; there are 800 sittings. The Salvation Army Barracks are in East street."
  [Kelly's Directory - Cambridgeshire - 1929]

Church Records

• Church of England
  • Wisbech St. Peter: Records of baptisms 1558-1949, marriages 1558-1902, burials 1558-1950 and banns 1754-1803, 1813-1912 reside in the Wisbech Museum together with microfilm copies of baptisms 1558-1949, marriages 1558-1950, burials 1559-1938 and banns 1764-1912. The Bishop's Transcripts for the years 1600-50, 1661-1869 and the burial ground 1881-1909 can be found in the Cambridge University Library. Microfilm copies of baptisms 1558-1875, marraiges 1558-1875, and burials 1559-1875, photocopies of burials 1800-38, photcopies baptisms 1801-49 can be found in the Cambridge Record Office. Indexed transcripts exist for baptisms 1558-1653, 1717-1825 at the Wisbech Museum and indexed transcripts of marriages 1558-1754 plus transcripts of marriages 1754-1800 exist at the Cambridge Record Office.
• Octagon Chapel
  • Registers for baptisms 1878-1946, burials 1830-39 and indexed transcriptions of baptism 1878-1946, burials 1830-1939, reside in the Wisbech Museum.
• St. Michael's Mission
  • Registers exist in the Wisbech Museum for baptisms 1953-62.
• Baptist
  • General Baptists: Indexed transcriptions of births and baptisms 1700-1937, marriages 1715-49 with later entries to 1838, burials 1706-96 with later entries 1943, 1858 reside in the Cambridge Record Office.
  • Baptists, Ely Place: a Microfilm copy of the register of burials 1818-37 exists at the Cambridge Record Office.
  • Baptists, Upper Hill Street, late Ship Lane: A register of births and, on microfilm, burials 1794-1836 exists in the Cambridge record Office.
  • Unitarian, Baptist, Church Lane: A register of baptisms 1784-1837 exists at the Cambridge Record Office with a microfilm copy of burials for 1831.
• Independent, Castle Square Chapel
  • Records of baptisms 1819-37 (on microfilm), 1819-66, 1889-1923, marriages 1889-1923 and burials 1889-1923 exist at the Wisbech Museum as well as indexed transcriptions of baptisms 1819-66, marriages 1921-23, 1912-21.
• Quakers
  • Records exist for the Wisbech Monthly Meeting which later merged to become the Wisbech and Sutton (later Chatteris) Monthly Meeting.
• Methodist
  • Wesleyan Methodist: Records exist for the Wisbech Wesleyan Circuit of which Wisbech forms part.
  • Methodists, Little Church Street: Records exist at the Cambridge Record Office for marriages 1908-37.
• Salvation Army, East Street
  • Records exist at the Cambridge Record Office for marriages 1985.

Poorhouses and Poor Law Etc

• Records exist in the Cambridge Record Office for Wisbech Union workhouse for births 1914-42 and deaths 1914-54.

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 1798-1803 and 1935-48, 1798-99 are on microfilm.