Huntingdonshire
Contents
Nearby Places
Nearby churches
Fletun, Fletone (xi cent.), Fletton (xii cent.), Flectone, Fletton (xiii cent.).
The parish of Fletton lay to the south of Peterborough (but is now incorporated within it), but it was formerly separated from it by the River Nene, over which there was a bridge in the middle of the boundary. Fletton Spring formed the south-east boundary of this parish. During the 19th century, Fletton became a suburb of Peterborough, and the northern part entirely lost its rural character. The effects of the increasing population resulted in a variety of reorganisations of local civil government. New Fletton, as this urban area had become designated, was incorporated into the Borough of Peterborough in 1874, and the remainder became a separate civil parish in 1894 known as 'Fletton Rural', otherwise known as Old Fletton.
Old Fletton, together with Stanground South and Woodston formed into Fletton Urban District on 1 October 1905, under Section 36 of the Local Government Act of 1894. Fletton Urban District reverted to the name of 'Fletton' in 1938, and subsequently it became an urban ward of Peterborough. The ecclesiastical ancient parish of Fletton, however, continued to serve both civil parishes and their successor local government organisations.
The sub-soil is Oxford Clay, the character of which led to the establishment of large brickworks, and the industrialisation of much of the parish. These works lay alongside the main railway line from London to Edinburgh, which crosses the parish. Scattered in the parish various remains of palaeolithic man have been found, but the most important excavation in the yards of the London Brick Company found the remains of an early Iron Age settlement. Traces of an early Roman settlement have also been found about half-a-mile south of the church. The gravel pits of New Fletton have also yielded Anglo-Saxin remains of some importance.
The ancient parish of Fletton was inclosed by an Act of Parliament in 1760, the award being enrolled on the Close Roll at the Public Records Office.
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 Fletton Parish is available as fiche set C94.
The full 1851 Census of Fletton Parish is available as fiche set C44.
The above mentioned fiche sets are available from the Huntingdonshire FHS.
An index of surnames in the 1851 Census of the Peterborough Registration District (HO107/1747) in which Fletton was enumerated (Folios 261B-276B), 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 198972.
The church of St. Margaret consists of a chancel, organ chamber and
vestry on the north, nave, north aisle, south aisle, west tower and
south porch. The walls are of rubble with stone dressings, and the roofs are
covered with stone-slates, slates and lead.
The church is mentioned in
the Domesday survey of 1086, but this church was evidently rebuilt in stone as
an aisleless nave and chancel, probably of the same size as the present, around
the year 1150. Some 15 years later, a north chapel and north aisle were added,
and the chancel arch rebuilt. About
1300, a south aisle and west tower were added, the north aisle was -
perhaps - rebuilt and the vestry built. Possibly at this same time, the
wide western arch of the north arcade was built in the place of two
semi-circular arches.
The church was restored in 1872 when the
porch was rebuilt, and again in 1901 when the north aisle was again
rebuilt, widened and extended to the east end of the chancel, absorbing
the former north chapel and vestry. In 1917, the spire was struck by
lightening, and the upper part had to be rebuilt.
Births/Baptisms: 1770-1774, 1775-1812, 1790-1823.
Baptisms:
1604-1769, 1813-1873, 1873-1888, 1888-1941.
Banns: 1825-1896,
1896-1910, 1910, 1917, 1918-1930, 1930-1940, 1940-1965 (on
microfilm).
Marriages: 1605-1759, 1754, 1760-1811, 1815-1837,
1837-1901, 1901-1913, 1913-1923, 1923-1932, 1932-1940, 1940-1964 (on
microfilm).
Deaths/Burials: 1775-1812.
Burials: 1604-1770,
1770-1773, 1790-1823, 1813-1884, 1884-1925, 1940-1965 (on
microfilm).
Bishop's Transcripts: 1604-5, 1610, 1617-19, 1625-6,
1629, 1660-72/1680, 1682-3, 1685/7, 1690-2, 1694-5, 1699-1713, 1715-16,
1718-26, 1728-48/1749-61, 1767, 1769, 1771-4, 1779, 1780, 1782-3,
1786-7, 1789-95, 1797-1813/1813-33, 1837, 1839-43, 1845, 1847, 1849,
1851-7. BT's contain 1708 entries for Elton parish).
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.
Fletton has been in the Peterborough Registration District continuously since 1st July 1837.
An old map of the parish of Fletton in the 19th century is available.
Population in 1801 - 134.
Population in 1851 - 603.
Population
in 1901 - 4089.
From 1905, the population figures reflected
the changing boundaries of the civil parishes which included parts of
Stanground so comparisons are difficult to make. They eventually became
urban wards of Peterborough.
Population in 1981 -
8491.
Population in 1991 - 9037.
The parish of Fletton was in the Peterborough Union of Northamptonshire for Poor Law administration.
The parish of Fletton occupies 972 acres of land.
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