Colne Parish Page

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Colne

Collen (xiii cent.), Colney (xiv cent.).

Colne lies on the eastern border of the old county of Huntingdonshire on land falling from a little over 50 ft. above sea level in the south-west to about 8 ft. in the fen on the former border with Cambridgeshire to the east. The greater part of the parish is grassland. the soil is gravel on clay growing corn and fruit. Some outlying portions of the parish have been added to Somersham and Bluntisham.

The village lies along the road from Bluntisham to Somersham, surrounded by fruit gardens. It suffered from a disastrous fire in 1844, but there still remains several 17th century half-timbered houses and cottages, thatched or tiled, and in the middle of the village on the west side of the street, there is a late 16th century house. Near to it is the Baptist Chapel built in 1870. The old church which stood and a quarter of a mile north-west of the village was, for the most part, destroyed by the fall of the tower in 1896. A new church was subsequently built in the village.

Cemeteries
Census
Church History
Church Records
Civil Registration
Description and Travel

Maps
Military History
Population
Poorhouses, Poor Law etc.
Statistics

Cemeteries

Monumental inscriptions for this parish have not 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 Colne Parish is available as Fiche Set C114.

The full 1851 Census of Colne Parish is available as Fiche Set C64.

A surname index of the 1881 Census of the St. Ives Registration District, in which Colne was enumerated (RG11/1606, Folios 41a - 47b), and which took place on 3rd April 1881, is available as fiche set C4.

A full transcription of the 1891 Census of the Somersham sub-District of the St. Ives Registration District (RG12/1239) in which Colne was enumerated, and which took place on 5th April 1891, has also been produced by the Huntingdonshire FHS (as Fiche C11).

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

Church History

OS Grid Square TL 373761.

The ancient church of St Helen consisted of a chancel, nave, north aisle, south aisle, west tower entirely within the nave, and a south porch. The walls are chiefly of stone and rubble, but parts of it were brick and the roofs were tiled.

The south wall of the chancel and the two eastern responds of the nave arcades were of the 13th century. The rest of the church was mainly of 14th century date, but the porch was of early 16th century, and the east wall of the chancel and large parts of the tower were red brick - probably of 18th century date.

The replacement church consists of a chancel with south vestry, nave with south aisle, and a tower at the south-west corner. It is built of stone and roofed with tiles. The chancel has a modern east window. In the north wall is the old 14th century window towards the east, and a 13th century window (taken from the south wall) towards the west. In the south wall, the ancient chancel piscina was refixed. There is no chancel arch but a wooden screen. Elsewhere, there is much other old material which has been reused, and the ancient font remains.

Church Records

Baptisms: 1663-1837 (indexed).
Banns: 1754-1837 (indexed).
Marriages: 1663-1837 (indexed), 1831-1837, 1837-1957.
Burials: 1668-1837 (indexed), 1831-1958.

Bishop's Transcripts: 1605, 1608, 1610, 1612, 1617-19, 1625-27, 1629/1684, 1687-8, 1690, 1700, 1702, 1706-12, 1718, 1720, 1722-48, 1750-3, 1755, 1768-73, 1779, 1782, 1785, 1789-1813/1813-20/1821-37, 1839, 1841, 1850, 1852-8.

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.

[Last updated: 17 March 2003 - Martin Edwards]