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Stow Longa

Estou (xi cent.), Stowe, Longstowe, Overstowe, Netherstowe, Stow Longa (xiii-xvii cent.), Long Stow (xix cent.). Before 1955, was generally known as "Stow" for civil purposes, but always as "Stow Longa ancient parish" for ecclesiastical purposes. Sometimes the parish is now known as 'Stow Longa with Little Catworth'.

The parish of Stow Longa lies on clay land which is mostly arable producing wheat, barley, oats and beans. The land is undulating and varies in height from a little under 100 ft. above sea-level to about 240 ft. in the south.

Although there is now no park or woodland, the Bishop of Lincoln had licence in 1215 to assart Stow Grove (the name of which remained until very recently) containing 20 acres to impark it. In 1330 he had a further licence to impark 100 acres adjoining that area. A district, formerly known as Stow, was in two parishes. The eastern part (Estou), in which was the church and present village, and known as Long Stow or Netherstow, was within the Soke of Spaldwick and was a considerable area. The western part, of scarcely half the area of the other, was called Overstow and has always been in the parish of Kimbolton.

The ecclesiastical parish of Stow Longa stands on high land along he road from Spaldwick to Kimbolton. At the west end of the village is the Green, and here stands a Cross, the stone octagonal shaft of which is of the 15th century. The cross was restored in 1902 to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VII. The church is a short distance up a lane leading north from the west end of the village, and which forms the parish boundary for about a mile. There are a number of 17th timber-framed houses in the village.

After generally being referred to simply as 'Stow', the parish reverted to the ecclesiastical name of Stow Longa in 1955.

Cemeteries Census Church History Church Records Civil Registration

Maps Military History Population Poorhouses, Poor Law etc. Statistics

Cemeteries

Monumental inscriptions for the parish of Stow Longa have not yet 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 Stow Longa Parish is available as fiche set C89 from the Huntingdonshire FHS.
• The full 1851 Census of Stow Longa Parish is available as fiche set C39 from the Huntingdonshire FHS.
• A surname index of the 1881 Census of the St. Neots Registration District, in which Stow Longa was enumerated (RG11/1612, Folios 20a - 23a), and which took place on 3rd April 1881, is available as Fiche C-5, from the Huntingdonshire FHS.
• A full transcription of the 1891 Census of the Kimbolton Registration District (RG12/1243) in which Stow Longa was enumerated, and which took place on 5th April 1891, is also available, as fiche set C14, from the Huntingdonshire FHS.

Church History

OS Grid Square TL 107712.

The church of St. Botolph consists of a chancel, nave, north aisle, south chapel, south aisle and west tower. The walls are of coursed rubble and the roofs are covered with tiles and lead.

The church is not mentioned in the Domesday survey of 1086 but the existence of a pre-conquest slab with interlaced work seems to indicate an early church on the site, whilst numerous remains of the 12th century date point conclusively to a stone church at that period. The whole church was apparently rebuilt about the middle of the 13th century; the south arcade and the south aisle were built last around 1280. About 1330, the eastern end of the south aisle was rebuilt and widened to form a south chapel; about the same time, new windows were inserted into the aisle walls. In the 15th century, the south arcade was rebuilt, probably after a fall, and the clearstory was added. The west tower was built and the western responds to the nave arcades were rebuilt around 1500.

Sometime, probably in the 17th century, the upper part of the clearstory and the nave roof fell or were taken down and a poor barn-like roof was put on. The chancel and chancel arch were largely rebuilt in 1880, and the rest ofthe church was restored from 1888 to 1893, when the south chapel and the east wall of the north aisle were largely rebuilt. In 1901, the upper part of the clearstory was rebuilt and reroofed, the aisles repaired and reroofed, and the south door reset. The north-west corner of the north aisle was partly rebuilt in 1906.

Church Records

Registers include some entries for Little Catworth

Baptisms: 1698-1812 (indexed), 1813-1877 (microfilm).
Banns: 1754-1812, 1940, 1971-72, (1825-1881 on microfilm).
Marriages: 1699-1837 (indexed), 1754-1812, 1838-1955.
Burials: 1698-1811 (indexed), 1811-1877.
Bishop's Transcripts (includes some for Little Catworth): 1604-5, 1607-9, 1612, 1614, 1617-19, 1626-7, 1631, 1749, 1761-2, 1813-13/1813-24/1825-38, 1854-7.

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.

Civil Registration

Stow Longa was originally in the St. Neots Registration District from 1st July 1837. Subsequently it became part of the Kimbolton sub-District, but it is now directly under the Huntingdon District.

Maps

An old map of the parish of Stow Longa in the 19th century is available.

Military History

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

Population

Population in 1801 - 139.
Population in 1851 - 239.
Population in 1901 - 109.
Population in 1951 - 84.
Population in 1971 - 118.
Population in 1991 - 116.

Poorhouses, Poor Law etc

The parish of Stow Longa was part of the St Neots Union (for Poor Law administration).

Births and Deaths registered in the St Neots Union Workhouse (1913 - 1952) are available, as fiche set D11, from the Huntingdonshire FHS.

Statistics

The parish of Stow Longa occupies some 844 acres of land.

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