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Huntingdonshire

Nearby places

LITTLE GIDDING

"LITTLE GIDDING, a parish in the hundred of Leightonstone, county Huntingdon, 1 mile south-east of Great Gidding, and 6 south-west of Stilton, its post town. A nunnery upon Protestant principles was founded here by Nicholas Ferrars in 1625, but did not exist many years. The parish is of small extent, and the soil clayey. There is no village, only a few farmhouses. The living is a rectory in the dioc, of Ely, value £126, in the patronage of the lord chancellor. The church is a small edifice of brick, dedicated to St. John; a west front of stone was added in 1814. It has tombs of the Ferrars family.

Cemeteries

• Monumental inscriptions for Little Gidding parish have not yet been recorded by the Huntingdonshire FHS.

Census

• Census information (1841 to 1891) for this parish is held in the Huntingdon Records Office.
• The full 1841 Census of Little Gidding Parish is available as fiche set C95.
• The full 1851 Census of Little Gidding Parish is available as fiche set C45.
• A surname index of the 1881 Census of the Oundle Registration District of Northamptonshire, in which Little Gidding was enumerated (RG11/1584, Folios 69b - 70b), and which took place on 3rd April 1881, is available, as fiche set C2.
• The above mentioned fiche are available from the Huntingdonshire FHS.

Churches

• The following Churches have their own websites:
  • St. John's Church, Little Gidding

Church History

• The church of St John the Evalgelist consists of a chancel, nave, and a modern vestry on the south. The walls are of red brick with some stone dressings, and the west wall is entirely faced with stone. The roofs are covered with stone-slates, and that of the vestry with slates.
• The church is not mentioned in the Domesday Book but there was certainly a much earlier church than the present. It seems to have had a chancel, nave, and north transept (or, perhaps, a north aisle) and a west tower. It was in a neglected tate and used as a barn in 1625, in which year it was repaired and restored to its proper use; new flooring was installed and the building was wainscotted throughout. It was provided with a new brass font and a brass eagle lectern, as well as a gallery at the west end for the organ. This church was greatly damaged by Cromwellian soldiers in 1646 when they destroyed the organ and threw the eagle lectern into the woods.
• In 1714 the nave was entirely rebuilt and the north transept and west tower were pulled down; the chancel was apparently rebuilt at the same time but in a cheaper style. In 1853, the church was thoroughly restored, reseated like a college chapel, the widows reglazed, and the vestry added. The east wall and the south-east corner were repaired in 1921.
• There are photographs and further information on St. John's Church on Rob's Churches website.

Church Records

• These are available in the Huntingdon Records Office.
  • Baptisms: 1657-1670, 1695-1712, 1735, 1745-1782, 1785-1801, 1802-1812, 1813-1993.
  • Banns: 1784-1811, 1823-1919.
  • Marriages: 1662-1676, 1694-1757, 1784-1811, 1763-1807, 1815-1835, 1838-1950, 1968-1972.
  • Burials: 1637, 1648-1663, 1680-1707, 1717-1781, 1785-1802, 1805-1812, 1813-1988.
  • Bishop's Transcripts: 1661-9/1696, 1699, 1701, 1706-7, 1709-12, 1714-15, 1717-31, 1733-7, 1739, 1741, 1745-6, 1748, 1751, 1753-63, 1766-9, 1771, 1773-4, 1776-84, 1787, 1789-1802, 1804-12/1813-24/1825-32, 1835, 1843-51, 1853-8.
• 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.

Civil Registration

• The parish of Little Gidding was originally in the Oundle Registration District of Northamptonshire from 1st July 1837. In 1935, the parish was transferred to the Sawtry sub-District. It is now part of the Huntingdon Registration District.

Description and Travel

• A civic website on The Giddings is available.

Gazetteers

• A transcript of the LittleGidding parish entries from 1932 Victoria County Series
• A transcript of the LittleGidding parish entries from Samuel Lewis's 1835 Topographical Dictionary of England,

Maps

• An old map of the parish of Little Gidding in the 19th century is available.

Names (Geographical)

• Gedding Engayne,
• Gidding Warner,
• Little Gidding (xiii cent.).

Poorhouses and Poor Law Etc

• The parish of Little Gidding was in the Oundle Union of Northamptonshire for Poor Law administration.

Population

• Population in 1801 - 47.
• Population in 1851 - 41.
• Population in 1901 - 39.
• Population in 1951 - 28.
• Population in 1971 - 17.
• Population in 1991 - 22.

Statistics

• The parish of Little Gidding occupies some 724 acres of land.