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Cambridgeshire

Nearby places

WITCHFORD

"WITCHFORD, a parish in the hundred of South Witchford, Isle of Ely, county Cambridge, 3 miles south-west of Ely. The village gives name to the hundred in which it is situated. There is a considerable extent of common. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Ely, value £230, in the patronage of the dean and chapter. The church is dedicated to St. Nicholas. The register dates from 1780."

Cemeteries

• The Monumental Inscriptions in the graveyard of St. Andrew are recorded in the Cambridge Records Office. These inscriptions are also available on microfiche from the Cambridgeshire Family History Society Publications list

Census

• The Census Records from 1841-1891 can be found in the Cambridgeshire Archives and Wisbech Library. In addition the 1851 Census for Witchford is available in full transcript form, on microfiche, from the Cambridgeshire Family History Society Publications list

Churches

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

Church History

• "The church of St. Andrew, s appears from themandate of Bishop Arundell, dated at Downham 4 Dec 1376, and preserved in the diocese registry, was consecrated 12th Dec. in that year : it was originally Norman, and incorporated the materials of the original structure, but is chiefly an edifice of stone in the Early English and later styles, consisting of chancel, nave, north porch and embattled western tower containing 3 bells, dated 1671 : the east window is stained, and there is a memorial window to the Rev. H. E. Rackham M.A. vicar 1844-84, and one to the Rev. B. M. Lloyd, vicar 1884-1911 ; the font is possibly Norman, and the chancel has a piscina and a double aumbry, and there is another double aumbry in the north wall of the nave : the tower is Early English of the 13th century, and the nave and chancel are decorated of the 14th century : the church was thoroughly restored in 1851, and further restorations were included in 1887 : extensive repairs to the roof, rower &c. were completed in 1923, at a cost of £1,100 : there are 300 sittings. The register dates from the year 1778."
• "There is a Baptist chapel, erected in 1871, with sittings for 135 persons."
  [Kelly's Directory - 1929]

Church Records

• Church of England
  • Witchford, St Andrew: Records of baptisms 1788-1852, marriages 1754-1927, burials 1788-1889, and banns 1754-1968 reside in the Cambridgeshire Archives.The Bishop's Transcripts for the years 1599-1641 and 1662-1858 can be found in the Cambridge University Library. Indexed transcripts exist in Cambridgeshire Archives for the Bishop's Transcripts 1599-1641 and 1662-1753. Transcripts also exist for marriages 1928-1995.

Gazetteers

• A transcript of the Witchford parish entries from Samuel Lewis's 1835 Topographical Dictionary of England,
• A transcript of the Witchford parish entries from 1868 A brief history of Ely and neighbouring villages in the Isle' by J.H. Clements

History

• By an Order which came into operation March 25, 1884, detached aprts of this parish were amalgamated with Witcham and Manea, and on March 25, 1886, another detached part was amalgamated with Grunty Fen.

Military History

• The War Memorial Plaque in the Church has been transcribed and the men researched.

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 Cambridgeshire Archives for the years 1752-1948.