Somersham

• Monumental inscriptions for the parish of Somersham have not yet been recorded by the Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire FHS. The War Memorial inscriptions for this parish are available on-line.

• Census information for this parish (1841-1891) is held in the Huntingdon Records Office.
• The full 1841 Census of Colne Parish is available in fiche format from the Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire FHS as Fiche Set C114.
• The full 1851 Census of Somersham Parish is available in fiche format from the Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire FHS as Fiche Set C64.
• A surname index of the 1881 Census of the St. Ives Registration District, in which Somersham was enumerated (RG11/1606, Folios 4a - 37a), and which took place on 3rd April 1881, is available as Fiche C4 from the Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire FHS.
• A full transcription of the 1891 Census of the Somersham sub-District of the St. Ives Registration District (RG12/1234) in which Somersham was enumerated, and which took place on 5th April 1891, has also been produced by the Huntingdonshire FHS (as Fiche C-11). This is available from the Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire FHS.

• The following Churches have their own websites:
  • The Church of St. John the Baptist, Somersham

• OS Grid Square TL360779.
• The church of St John the Baptist is built of rubble with dressings of Barnack stone; the roof of the nave is covered with tiles and the rest of the building with lead.
• The present church was gradually built from east to west during the latter half of the 13th century and the first few years of the 14th century. The work of rebuilding was doubtless influenced by the frequent residence at their palace here of the great medieval bishops of Ely, Hugh de Northwold (1229-54), Hugh de Balsham (1256-87) and John Hotham (1316-37).
• There is no evidence of an earlier church which probably existed on the site but the 13th century church here consisted of a chancel, nave with aisles, and a western tower. To this nave, a clearstory and new roof, and a new porch were added at the end of the 14th century. The south porch was built or rebuilt in the 15th century, and the organ chamber was added in 1885. The chancel is wholly of about 1250, except for the roof which is 19th century. A four-centred arch was constructed over the east window in the 15th century, and a 16th century window at the west end of the south wall now forms an opening into the organ chamber.

• The following are available in the Huntingdon Records Office.
  • Baptisms: 1558-1837 (indexed transcriptions), 1813-1843, 1843-1889, 1889-1916, 1916-1962.
  • Banns: 1654-1658 (indexed transcriptions), 1754-1838 (indexed transcriptions), 1824-1923.
  • Marriages: 1558-1837 (indexed transcriptions), 1837-1886, 1886-1959, 1959-1972.
  • Burials: 1563-1838 (indexed transcriptions), 1813-1848, 1849-1886, 1886-1925, 1925-1944, 1944-1966.
  • Bishop's Transcripts: 1604-5, 1612, 1618-19, 1625-7/1660-78, 1682-4, 1690-7/1699-1702, 1705-15, 1718, 1720, 1722-6, 1728, 1730-2, 1734-6, 1738-59/1760-73, 1776, 1779, 1782, 1785, 1789-1813/1813-24/1825-32, 1834, 1836, 1841-8.
• 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 Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire FHS.

• Somersham was originally in the St. Ives Registration District from 1 July 1837. Subsequently, it came under the Somersham sub-District. > From 1st April 1997, it has come directly under the Huntingdon Registration District.

• A transcript of the Somersham parish entries from Stepehen Whatley's 1750 Topographical Gazetteer of England,
• A transcript of the Somersham parish entries from 1932 Victoria County Series
• A transcript of the Somersham parish entries from Samuel Lewis's 1835 Topographical Dictionary of England,

• Ask for a calculation of the distance from Somersham to another place.

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference TL360780 (Lat/Lon: 52.383152, -0.003229), Somersham which are provided by:

• OpenStreetMap
• Google Maps
• StreetMap (Current Ordnance Survey maps)
• Bing (was Multimap)
• Old Maps Online
• National Library of Scotland (Old Ordnance Survey maps)
• Vision of Britain (Click "Historical units & statistics" for administrative areas.)
• English Jurisdictions in 1851 (Unfortunately the LDS have removed the facility to enable us to specify a starting location, you will need to search yourself on their map.)
• Magic (Geographic information) (Click + on map if it doesn't show)
• GeoHack (Links to on-line maps and location specific services.)

• All places within the same township/parish shown on an Openstreetmap map.
• Nearby townships/parishes shown on an Openstreetmap map.
• Nearby places shown on an Openstreetmap map.

• The war memorial with detailed information about those who fell is available on the Roll of Honour site for Huntingdonshire.

• Sumeresham (xi cent.),
• Sumresham,
• Summersham (xii cent.),
• Summersum (xvii cent.).

• The parish of Somersham was part of the St. Ives Union (for Poor Law administration).
• Births and deaths registered in the St Ives Union Workhouse (1836 - 1913) are available from the Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire FHS as fiche set D9.

• Population in 1801 - 833.
• Population in 1851 - 1653.
• Population in 1901 - 1229.
• Population in 1951 - 1317.
• Population in 1971 - 1513.
• Population in 1991 - 3617.