Warboys Parish Page

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Warboys

Wardebusc (xi cent.), Wardebusche (xii cent.), Wardeboys (xiii-xvii cent.)

Warboys is a large parish on what was the eastern side of Huntingdonshire bordering on Cambridgeshire. It was returned in the Domesday survey of 1086 amongst the lands of St Benedict of Ramsey.

The north-east part is fenland and the higher land to the south being of stiff clay. The land falls from about 114 ft. above sea-level in the south to 2 ft. in the fenland of the north and north-east. Nearly 3/4 of the area is arable upon which potatoes are largely grown, and also corn and beans, etc. Warboys Wood is the only remaining piece of woodland.

The large village lies on high ground in the south-west part of the parish overlooking the fen to the north-east. It has grown up at the foot of a fork formed at the junction of the main road from St. Ives to Ramsey, with a branch road leading eastwards over Warboys Heath on to Fenton. The main road, as it passes through the village, is called Church Street, and the branch road is High Street. The church is at the south end of the village. There are three or four old cottages in the village, including the White Hart Inn or the north side of the High Street - a 17th century brick house with a thatched roof.

In 1774 an Act of Parliament was passed for draining certain lands in Warboys including 300 acres called High Fen and 60 acres part of New Pasture. Again in 1795, an Act was passed for dividing, inclosing and draining the open common fields in Warboys. A further Act was passed in 1798 to amend the last Act as regards the lands allotted in lieu of tithes.

Cemeteries
Census
Church History
Church Records
Civil Registration
Description and Travel

Maps
Military History
Population
Poorhouses, Poor Law etc.
Statistics

Cemeteries

The monumental inscriptions of Warboys have not yet been recorded by the Huntingdonshire FHS. The War Memorial inscriptions for this parish are available on-line.

Census

Census information for this parish (1841 - 1891) is held in the Huntingdon Records Office.

The full 1841 Census of Warboys has been published by the Huntingdonshire FHS as Fiche Set C120 - (Warboys).

The full 1851 Census of Warboys has also been published by the Huntingdonshire FHS as Fiche Set C70 - (Warboys).

A surname index of the 1881 Census of the St. Ives Registration District, in which Warboys was enumerated (RG11/1605, Folios 43a - 84a), and which took place on 3rd April 1881, is available as Fiche C4 from the Huntingdonshire FHS.

A full transcription of the 1891 Census of the Warboys sub-District of the St. Ives Registration District (RG12/1238) in which Warboys was enumerated, and which took place on 5th April 1891, has also been produced by the Huntingdonshire FHS (as Fiche C-10). This is available from the Huntingdonshire FHS.

Church History

OS Grid Square TL 302799.

The church of St Mary Magdalene, formerly of the Blessed Mary the Virgin, consists of a chancel, nave, north aisle, south aisle, west tower, north and south porches. The walls are of rubble and the roofs are covered in lead.

Nothing now remains of the church which existed as the time of the Domesday survey of 1086.The earliest church of which there is now evidence was built in the middle of the 12th century, probably when the church and its possessions were granted by Abbot Walter to the almonry of Ramsey Abbey. This church consisted of the present nave and a north aisle. The chancel arch, the responds at each end of the north aisle and a small piece of walling at the south-west corner of the nave of this church still survive.

Early in the 13th century, the Norman north aisle, with the arcade, was rebuilt and immediately after, the south aisle with its arcade was added. In the middle of the 13th century the west tower, with its broached spire of ashlar, was built, and it was evidently intended at this date to extend the aisles westwards to the line of the west wall of the tower. If this intention was then carried out, the south extension was rebuilt in the latter part of the 14th century when the south porch was added. The north extension was also rebuilt in the early part of the 15th century when the north porch was added.

The chancel was rebuilt and shortened before the beginning of the 19th century and, in 1832, it was extended eastwards apparently to its original length and considerably altered. At this date large galleries were erected in both aisles and the tower, the floor being lowered a foot to give headroom under them. The east wall above the chancel arch, and west wall of the tower, were cased in lath and plaster, a vestry was formed at the west end of the north aisle, all the walls were coated with thick plaster and wooden mouldings fixed below the clearstory window and in other places. The spire was restored in 1898 and in 1926 the tower and south aisle were underpinned. The additions of 1832 (except those to the chancel) were removed and the floor restored to its former level.

Church Records

Baptisms: 1551-1653/4, 1663-1837 (both indexed transcriptions), 1837-1855, 1855-1958.
Banns: 1754-1815, 1845-1859.
Marriages: 1565-1653, 1660-1837 (both indexed transcriptions), 1754-1812, 1837-1893, 1893-1951.
Burials: 1556-1653/4, 1663-1845 (both indexed transcriptions), 1845-1878.
Bishops Transcripts: 1604-5, 1608-11, 1617-19, 1625-7, 1663-71/1674-6, 1678, 1680-1, 1683-7, 1690-2, 1695, 1697-1700, 1702, 1704-16, 1718, 1720, 1722-32, 1741-56/1756-1813/1813-24/1825-39, 1841-50, 1852-8.

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.