Huntingdonshire
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Nearby Places
Nearby churches
Cestretune (xi cent.), Cestreton (xii cent.), Chesterton (xiv cent.).
The parish of Chesterton lies to the south of the River Nene, which separates it from Northamptonshire. A feeder of the Nene, called the Billing Brook, forms the western boundary of the parish. The altitude varies from 28 ft. to 179 ft. above sea-level; the village being at about 70 ft. The sub-soil is Oxford Clay, Great Oolite and Cornbrash. The parish lies along the Great North Road (now the A1 Trunk Road) which forms its eastern boundary. Neolithic flints have been found scattered over the parish, but it is (with Water Newton) far more famous for their Romano-British remains.
"The Castles", the name given to three fields lying due north of the village and near the Nene and Billing Brook, is the site of the small Roman town of Durobrivae, on the Ermine Street, and which was surrounded by a rampart. The site has not yet been fully excavated but many miscellaneous finds have appeared. The Roman Signal Station, marked on old Ordnance Survey maps, is really a round barrow.
There was formerly a fine house, called Chesterton House, which was close to the church and dating from the end of the 16th or early part of the 17th century; it was probably built by Sir Robert Beville (d.1635), and held successively by the Drydens, Pigotts and Wallers. A surviving bay window from this house is preserved at Elton Hall.
There were changes in the civil parish boundary in 1956 when parts of the parish were exchanged with Castor ancient parish, to the north of the Nene, in the Soke of Peterborough.
Monumental inscriptions for this parish have not been recorded by the Huntingdonshire FHS. However, Peterborough & District FHS have an interest in the parish.
Census information for this parish (1841 - 1891) is held in the Huntingdon Records Office.
The full 1841 Census of Chesterton Parish is available as fiche set C82.
The full 1851 Census of Chesterton Parish is available as fiche set C32.
A full transcription of the 1891 Census of the Stilton sub-District of the Peterborough Registration District (RG12/1225) in which Chesterton was enumerated, and which took place on 5th April 1891, has also been produced by the Huntingdonshire FHS (as Fiche C-15).
The above mentioned microfiche are available from the Huntingdonshire FHS.
An index of surnames in the 1851 Census of the Peterborough Registration District (HO107/1747) in which Chesterton was enumerated (Folios 22B - 25B), and which took place on 30th March 1851, has also been produced by the Peterborough & District FHS.
The Index is available in either microfiche or A5 booklet form. Please state which version you want. The Census is available from Mr G Harbron, 7 Newby Close, Peterborough PE3 6PU, England.
OS Grid Square TL 127955.
The church of St. Michael consists of a chancel, nave, north aisle, south
aisle, west tower and south porch. the walls are of stone rubble with ashlar
dressings, and the roofs are covered with lead.
The church is mentioned
in the Domesday survey of 1086, but no part of this early church remains. Small
parts of the nave walls may be of the 12th century but they have been so much
cut into by later arcades that very little remains. Early in the 13th century,
the south arcade was added and, during the first half of the same century, the
west tower was built. The north aisle was built around 1300 and probably the
chancel, with its arch, was built at the same time. the clearstory was added
about 1330 and a little later, the spire was built.
In the 18th century,
the chancel was rebuilt again, and a heavy oak screen was erected across the
chancel arch. The aisles had new windows inserted at the same time, the
parapets were reconstructed and the south porch was built. The church was
restored in 1841 and 1906.
Baptisms: 1561-1733, 1734-1769, 1770-1812.
Banns:
1758-1811.
Marriages: 1562-1639, 1663-1730, 1734-1753, 1754-1811, 1813-1839,
1839-1956.
Burials: 1562-1640, 1661-1733/4, 1734-1769,
1769-1812.
Bishop's Transcripts: 1604-5, 1608, 1610, 1612, 1618-20, 1625,
1629, 1661-71/1674-6, 1678, 1680-3, 1686-8, 1691-2, 1695, 1697, 1704, 1708-54,
1756-66, 1768-77, 1779-87, 1789-1813/1813-24/1825-34, 1835, 1837-58.
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.
Chesterton was originally in the Peterbrough Registration District of
Northamptonshire from 1st July 1837. Subsequently it was transferred to the
Stilton sub-District of Huntingdonshire. It was later transferred back to the
Peterborough District.
From 1st April 1998, marriage records were
transferred to the Huntingdon Registry Office, but the births and burial
records were retained by Peterborough.
A GENWEB page for Chesterton is available.
An old map of the parish of Chesterton in the 19th century is available.
Population in 1801 - 112.
Population in 1851 - 114.
Population in 1901
- 118.
Population in 1951 - 167.
Population in 1971 - 229.
Population
in 1991 - 151.
The parish of Chesterton was in the Peterborough Union of Northamptonshire for Poor Law administration.
The parish of Chesterton occupies 1349 acres of land.
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