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Huntingdonshire

Nearby places

STILTON

"STILTON, a parish in the hundred of Norman-Cross, county Huntingdon, 6 miles south-west of Peterborough, its post town, and 8 south-east of Oundle. The village is situated on the Roman way Ermine Street, and gives name to the celebrated Stilton cheese, which was originally made in Leicester by Mrs. Paulet, of Melton Mowbray, but Was first sold here at the "Bell Inn" by Cooper Thornhill. It is chiefly made in the county of Leicestershire, though Stilton produces a small quantity. The land is chiefly in pasture, and a portion of it is fenny. In the vicinity are traces of a Roman encampment. Stilton prior to the formation of railways was of more importance than at present, being a great thoroughfare for coaches. It is a polling place for the county, and was once a market town. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Ely, value £400, in the patronage of the bishop. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, or to St. James, is an ancient structure with a square tower. The parochial charities produce about £23 per annum. There is a National school for both sexes, and a Wesleyan chapel. The Rev. W. Strong is lord of the manor."

Cemeteries

• Monumental inscriptions for this parish have not been recorded by the Huntingdonshire FHS. However, Peterborough & District FHS have an interest in the parish.

Census

• Census information for this parish (1841 - 1891) is held in the Huntingdon Records Office.
• The full 1841 Census of Stilton is available as fiche set C116.
• The full 1851 Census of Stilton is available as fiche set C66.
• A full transcription of the 1891 Census of the Stilton sub-District of the Peterborough Registration District (RG12/1225) in which Stilton 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 fiche are available from the Huntingdonshire FHS.
• An index of surnames in the 1851 Census of the Peterborough Registration District (HO107/1747) in which Stilton was enumerated (Folios 93B - 104 and 108B - 119), and which took place on 30th March 1851, has also been produced by the Peterborough & District FHS.
• The Census is available in either microfiche or A5 booklet form Mr G Harbron, 7 Newby Close, Peterborough PE3 6PU, England. Please state which version you want.

Churches

• The following Churches have their own websites:
  • The Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Stilton

Church History

• The church of St Mary consists of a chancel with vestry and organ chamber 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 and lead.
• The church is not mentioned in the Domesday survey of 1086, and the earliest parts of the present church are the 13th century nave arcades, of which that on the north is the slightly earlier. Practically all the rest of the church was rebuilt in the 15th century, but the south porch and the vestry are probably a little later, circa 1500. The chancel and the vestry are said to have been rebuilt in 1808, when the vestry (originally a chapel) was reduced in length.
• The church was much restored in 1857 when the gallery was removed from the west end, and the chancel and south porch restored. The clearstory and the nave roof probably also belong to this restoration. Some repairs were undertaken in 1887-88 when the chancel arch and the east wall of the south aisle were rebuilt. In 1908-9, the south aisle was partially rebuilt again.
• There are photographs and further information on St. Mary's Church on Rob's Churches website.

Church Records

• The following are available in the Huntingdon Records Office.
  • Baptisms: 1660-1750, 1750-1783, 1783-1812, 1813-1893, 1893-1974.
  • Banns: 1754-1797, 1823-1947.
  • Marriages: 1660-1749/50, 1750-1771, 1754-1783, 1783-1812, 1813-1840, 1837-1960, (1954 marriages are recorded under Caldecote parish), 1961-1973, 1973-1978.
  • Burials: 1660-1750/1, 1751-1783, 1783-1812, 1813-1885.
  • Bishop's Transcripts: 1604-5, 1608-10, 1612, 1617-19, 1620, 1625-7, 1660-4/1682-3, 1685-6, 1690-7, 1699-1702, 1705, 1708-32, 1734-60/1761-82, 1784-1813/1813-24/1825-9, 1831-9, 1851-9.
• 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 Bookstall.

Civil Registration

• Stilton was originally in the Peterborough 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.

Description and Travel

• A GENWEB page for Stilton is available.

Gazetteers

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

Maps

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

Military History

• The Stilton Memorial Hall covers the men who fell from Stilton, Folksworth, Morbourne, Washingley, Denton and Caldecot and contains detailed information for World War 1 and World War 2.

Names (Geographical)

• Sticiltone (xi cent.).

Poorhouses and Poor Law Etc

• The parish of Stilton was in the Peterborough Union of Northamptonshire for Poor Law administration.

Population

• Population in 1801 - 509.
• Population in 1851 - 803.
• Population in 1901 - 535.
• Population in 1951 - 672.
• Population in 1971 - 911.
• Population in 1991 - 2230.

Statistics

• The parish of Stilton occupies 1638 acres of land.