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Woodston

Map Wudestun (x cent.), Wodestun (xi cent.), Wudeston (xiii cent.).

The parish of Woodston was divided under the provisions of the Local Governmemt Act of 1894 into Woodston Rural parish (of 984 acres) and Woodston Urban parish (70 acres). In 1905 Woodston Rural parish became part of Old Fletton Urban District in which it remained until 1938 when it became known as 'Woodston'. Woodston became part of Peterborough Municipal Borough, and by 1991 it was just an enumeration district in Fletton Ward of Peterborough Urban area. The ecclesiastical parish remains undivided.

The sub-soil is Oxford Clay, Cornbrash, Great Oolite and Alluvium. The River Nene forms the northern boundary of the parish, and the village seems to have been a landing place for goods coming by river to the market place of Yaxley. Prehistoric implements have been dug up, mainly in the gravels of the Nene, and the parish has yielded many traces of the Romano-British period. Saxon cemeteries have also been found in the area.

There were large brickworks and artificial silk works here, and at one time the London Brick Works were the largest land owners in the parish. The parish was inclosed under a local Act of Parliament in 1809.

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 Woodston Parish is available as fiche set C106 from the Huntingdonshire FHS.

The full 1851 Census of Woodston Parish is available as fiche set C56 from the Huntingdonshire FHS.

An index of surnames in the 1851 Census of the Peterborough Registration District (HO107/1747) in which Woodston was enumerated (Folios 280B-288B), and which took place on 30th March 1851, has also been produced by the Peterborough & District FHS
The Index is available in either microfiche or A5 booklet form from Mr G Harbron, 7 Newby Close, Peterborough PE3 6PU, England.

Church History

OS Grid Square TL 186978.

The church of St Augustine consists of a chancel with chapel and a vestry on the north, an organ chamber on the south, nave, north aisle and south aisle, each with quasi-transepts, west tower and north porch. The walls are of coursed rubble with stone dressings, and the roofs are covered with stone slates.

The church is mentioned in the Domesday survey of 1086, and a fragment of pre-conquest (i.e. before 1066) wall with a small window remains in the west wall of the tower. Previous to 1844, the church seems to have had a 14th century chancel, a 13th century south arcade to the nave, and a pre-conquest tower with a 12th century belfry.

The whole church was rebuilt in 1844, except for parts of the side walls of the chancel and the wst wall of the tower. The rebuilt church consisted of a chancel, nave, north and south transepts, two aisles, a west tower and two porches. In 1883-4, the aisles were rebuilt and widened, almost to the ends of the transepts, and an organ chamber, north chapel and vestry added. A new north porch was built, but the south porch was demolished. In 1896, the chancel was enlarged and a clergy vestry added.

Church Records

Baptisms: 1551-1812, 1813-1877, 1877-1894, 1894-1919.
Banns: 1755-1844, 1843-1897.
Marriages: 1559-1764, 1755-1812, 1813-1837, 1837-1912.
Burials: 1559-1812, 1813-1882.
Bishop's Transcripts: 1605, 1607-10, 1612, 1617-19, 1625-6, 1629, 1660-9/1678-80, 1683, 1685-8, 1695, 1700-02, 1704, 1706, 1708-24, 1726-32, 1740-7, 1779-1813/1813-24/1825-60.

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

Woodston has been in the Peterborough Registration District continuously since 1st July 1837.

Description and Travel

A GENWEB page on Woodston is available.

Maps

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

Population

Population in 1801 - 143.
Population in 1851 - 320.
Population in 1901 - 2817.
Population in 1951 - 2800.

The population figures from 1961 are included under Peterborough. However Woodston enumeration district had a population of 415 in 1991.

Poorhouses, Poor Law etc

Woodston was in the Peterborough Union of Northamptonshire for Poor Law administration.

Statistics

The parish of Woodston occupies 1054 acres of land.

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[Last updated: 2 April 2005 Martin Edwards]