Huntingdonshire
Contents
Nearby Places
Nearby churches
Broctona (x cent.), Brouctone, Bruchtuna (xii cent.), Brouctone (xvi cent.).
The parish of Broughton lies on a soil of Oxford clay; it is watered by a stream running from Kings Ripton north-east to Wistow. The northern part of the parish, which is only 50 ft. above sea level, is liable to floods, but the land rises towards the south to a height of 131 ft. Some three quarters of the parish is arable land producing wheat, barley and beans; the other quarter is grassland. There is no woodland.
The picturesque little village lies about 55 ft. above sea level in the valley formed by the stream which runs through the parish, and is here crossed by a bridge known as Bull Bridge. It stands about a mile from the road from St. Ives to Warboys, and is about equal distance from the less important road from Huntingdon to Wistow. The cottages, mostly timber-framed with thatched or tiled roofs, are built around the church. To the west of the church is the Rectory built around 1600.
Adjoining the stream to the north-east of the village is a moated enclosure called The Moat in which are the remains of the foundations of the Hall where the courts of Barony of Broughton were held, which was an honour of the abbots of Ramsey.
Monumental inscriptions for the parish of Broughton have not yet been recorded by the Huntingdonshire FHS.
Census information for this parish (1841 - 1891) is held in the Huntingdon Records Office.
The full 1841 Census of Broughton Parish is available in fiche format as Fiche Set C85.
The full 1851 Census of Broughton Parish is available in fiche format as Fiche Set C35.
A surname index of the 1881 Census of the St. Ives Registration District, in which Broughton was enumerated (RG11/1605, Folios 4a - 11a), and which took place on 3rd April 1881, is available as fiche set C4.
A full transcription of the 1891 Census of the Warboys sub-District of the St. Ives Registration District (RG12/1238) in which Broughton was enumerated, and which took place on 5th April 1891, has also been produced by the Huntingdonshire FHS (as Fiche C-10).
The fiche sets mentioned above are available from the Huntingdonshire FHS.
OS Grid Square TL 281779.
The church of All Saints is built of rubble with Barnack stone dressings. It
consists of a north vestry, nave, north aisle, south aisle and west tower.
There is now nothing remaining of the church which existed here in the times of
the Domesday survey of 1086. A 12th century church, of which alone there
remains the plinth below the chancel arch and a small portion of wall on either
side, probably consisted of a chancel and nave only.
It is possible that
the claim to the church, which was relinquished by Osbert de Broughton between
1120 and 1130, was due to his having rebuilt the church or, at all events, the
chancel whilst he was the Abbot of Ramsey's tenant at Broughton.
There
was a schedule for rebuilding the church in the 13th century. In 1252 it
wasstated that the altar had been moved and had not since been dedicated. The
moving of the altar may indicate a rebuilding of the chancel at this time
although the architecture suggests a slightly later date. The work of
rebuilding, which took place in the latter half of the 13th century and the
early part of the 14th century was gradually continued from the chancel to the
nave, aisles and tower, and to the south porch.
Early in the 16th
century, there was a further scheme for reconstruction of the church. The tower
and north aisles were rebuilt, the clearstory added and new windows were
inserted in the south aisle; contributions towards the cost of this work are
recorded in a Will of 1528 when it is assumed work was in progress. In 1845,
the north vestry was added and the chancel roof was renewed. The nave was
restored and reseated in 1888-9.
Baptisms: 1573-1852 (indexed), 1813-1887, 1887-1988.
Banns:
1754-1812.
Marriages: 1574-1852 (indexed), 1754-1812, 1837-1957,
1958-1975.
Burials: 1572-1852 (indexed), 1813-1987.
Bishop's Transcripts:
1604-5, 1608, 1612, 1617, 1619, 1625-7, 1660-9, 1670-2/1682, 1685,
1687-8,1690-6, 1702-6, 1720-7, 1729-31, 1733-4, 1736-41, 1743-6, 1748, 1750-3,
1755-7, 1762-4, 1766-73, 1784-5, 1787, 1790-3, 1795-1803,
1805-12/1813-24/1825-37.
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.
Broughton was originally in the St. Ives Registration District from 1st July 1837. Subsequently, it was in the Warboys sub-District. From 1st April 1997, it comes directly under the Huntingdon Registration District.
An old map of the parish of Broughton in the 19th century is available.
The war memorial with detailed information about those who fell is available on the Roll of Honour site for Huntingdonshire.
Population in 1801 - 319.
Population in 1851 - 416.
Population in 1901
- 264.
Population in 1951 - 266.
Population in 1971 - 212.
Population
in 1991 - 215.
The parish of Broughton was in the St Ives Union for Poor Law
administration.
Births and deaths registered in the St Ives Union
Workhouse (1836 - 1913) are available, as fiche set D9, from the Huntingdonshire FHS.
The parish of Broughton occupies 2372 acres of land.
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