Brampton Parish Page

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Brampton

Brantune (xi cent.), Brantone, Bramptone (xii-xiii cent.), Brauntone, Brampton (xiii cent.).

The parish of Brampton was once thought to have been a medieval borough. It adjoins Huntingdon on the south-west. The greater part of the parish is grassland, and the arable land produces cereals and roots. The soil is gravel and the sub-soil is clay.

Formerly, the higher part of the parish was forest but there are now less than 300 acres of woodland. The River Ouse forms the eastern boundary and the Alconbury Brook forms the northern boundary. Another brook, which rises about the middle of the parish, flows eastward through the parish into the River Ouse. The land between the two brooks, and that adjoining the Ouse, is low lying, being about 33 ft. above sea-level, but the ground rises towards the south west boundary where it reaches 164 ft.

The Great North Road forks as it enters the parish from St Neots to the south. The Huntingdon to Thrapston road passes through the parish crossing the Great North Road. At the crossing formerly stood an inn called Brampton Hut, which had earlier been known as Creamer's Hut which was well-known in coaching days. There was an inclosure award on the parish in 1772

The village is large and rather straggling running along the siding High Street in a westly direction. The northern part of the village is called Bell End, and the southern part is called Bridge End (from a bridge over a brook). The Church stands on the eastern side of the road to Bell End.

Cemeteries
Census
Church History
Church Records
Civil Registration
Description and Travel

Maps
Military History
Population
Poorhouses, Poor Law etc.
Statistics

Cemeteries

Monumental Inscriptions for Brampton parish church have not yet been recorded by the Huntingdonshire FHS.

Census

Census information for this parish (1841 - 1891) is held in the Huntingdon Records Office.

The full 1841 Census of Brampton Parish is available as fiche set C84.

The full 1851 Census of Brampton Parish is available as fiche set C34.

A surname index of the 1881 Census of the Huntingdon Registration District, in which Brampton was enumerated (RG11/1603, Folios 4a - 32b), and which took place on 3rd April 1881, is available as Fiche C3.

A full transcription of the 1891 Census of the Huntingdon Registration District (RG12/1237) in which Brampton was enumerated, and which took place on 5th April 1891, is available as fiche set C9.

All the above emntioned fiche sets are available from the Huntingdonshire FHS.

Church History

OS Grid Square TL 216707.

The Church of St Mary Magdalene or St Mary the Virgin (as it was once called), consists of a chancel with a north vestry, nave, north aisle, south aisle, west tower and north and south porches. The walls are of rubble with stone dressing, except those of the tower and west walls of the aisle which are of ashlar.

The church is mentioned in the Domesday survey of 1086 but, with the exception of a few pieces of the 12th cent. chevron-ornament built into the tower walls, no part of the church is earlier than the 14th cent. The chancel, with part of the east wall of the vestry was built in the early years of the 16th cent. The west tower is dated 1635, probably replacing one of the 14th cent; the western bay of the north clearstory, the western principal of the nave roof and much of the facing of the west walls of the aisles were rebuilt at the same time. The south porch was rebuilt in 1828. The church was repaired and repewed in 1835 when the pulpit was removed from the second column on the north to the north side of the chancel arch.

A thorough restoration took place in 1877-78 when the south porch was again rebuilt and the gallery of the west end removed. The vestry was rebuilt before 1851 and was enlarged in 1897

There was a church and priest at Brampton in 1086, and the advowson followed the descent of the prebendal manor. It continued in the prebendaries of Brampton until the 19th cent. The benefice was transferred from the Diocese of Lincoln to that of Ely in 1839, and the lands of the prebend were vested in the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in 1848. The patronage passed to the Bishop of Ely in whose gift it remained. The Living was made a rectory about 1875.

Church Records

Baptisms: 1618-1627, 1653-1851 (both indexed), Register transcriptions 1852-1930.
Banns: 1756-1759, 1791-1802, 1824-1849 (all three indexed), 1783-1794, 1795-1912, 1823-1888, 1888-1914 (fragile), 1915-1950, 1950-1961, 1961-1971, 1971-1979, 1979-1986.
Marriages: 1618-1627, 1675-1851 (both indexed), Register transcriptions: 1852-1942, 1942-1955, 1955-1966, 1967-1972, 1972-1979, 1979-1984, 1984-1992.
Burials: 1618-1627, 1658-1851 (both indexed), register transcriptions 1852-1940, 1940-1979.
Bishop's Transcripts: 1618-19, 1625-6, 1813-19, 1821-3/1824-37, 1854.

These are available in the Huntingdon Records Office.

The Huntingdonshire Marriage Indexes include marriages from this parish. These are, at present, issued in alphabetical listings in series: 1601-1700, and 1701-1754, and are available from the Huntingdonshire FHS.