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"CHIPPENHAM is a parish and village, 5 miles north-east from Newmarket station, in the hundred of Staploe, Newmarket union, petty sessional division and county court district and in the rural deanery of Fordham, archdeaconry and diocese of Ely."
"The soil is mixed; subsoil, chalk. The chief crops are wheat, barley and oats. The area is 4,301 acres of land and inland water; the population in 1921 was 481."
[Kellys Directory of Cambridgeshire 1929]
The Monumental Inscriptions for the churchyard of St. Margaret 1582-1986 are recorded in the Cambridge Records Office. These inscriptions are also available on microfiche from the Cambridgeshire Family History Society Bookstall.
The Census Records from 1841-1891 can be found in the Cambridge Record Office. In addition the 1851 Census for Chippenham is available in full transcript form, on microfiche, from the Cambridgeshire Family History Society Bookstall.
"The church of St. Margaret is a building of stone in the Gothic style, and consists of chancel, nave, aisles, south porch and an embattled western tower containing 6 bells, three of which were recast and rehung in 1898: the treble bell was given by W. W. De la Rue esq. J.P.: the chancel was restored in 1885-6, at a cost of £1,200, and a stained east window inserted in memory of Joseph Sidney Tharp, who died March 4th, 1875, and Laura, his second wife (daughter of Sir John Trollope, and sister of John, 1st Baron Kesteven), who died 19 Jan. 1877: there are three other memorial windows to various members of the same family: near the porch is a marble tomb, erected over the grave of the Rt. Hon. Sir Thomas Erskine May K.C.B., P.C., D.C.L. Baron Farnborough, clerk of the House of Commons 1871-86, d. May 17th, 1886, and a memorial window was erected by his widow in 1895: this church is rich in wall paintings, including one of the 15th century, discovered about 1896 imbedded eight inches in the east wall of the north aisle and representing two angels censing: in 1714 Lord Oxford presented a silver chalice and paten to the church, which is still in use: there are 300 sittings. The register dates from the year 1595."
[Kelly's Directory - Cambridgeshire - 1929]
Chippenham, St. Margaret: Records of baptisms 1560-1646, 1665-1938, marriages 1569-93, 1653-1983, burials 1569-93, 1654-1992 and banns 1754-1862 reside in the Cambridge Record Office. The Bishop's Transcripts for the years 1567-1641 and 1663-1836 can be found in the Suffolk Record Office and copies on microfilm for 1567-1641 and 1663-99 can be found in the Cambridge Record Office. Indexed transcripts exist in the Cambridge Record Office for baptisms 1560-1646, 1663-1880, marriages 1567-1641, 1653-1880 and burials 1567-1641, 1654-1877; these transcripts, 1559-1880, are available in full transcript form, on microfiche, from the Cambridgeshire Family History Society Bookstall..
"Chippenham Hall, standing in a park of about 400 acres, is the seat of Mrs. William Montague Tharp, who is lady of the manor and principal landowner. The Manor House is the residence of Lt.-Col. Gerard Tharp."
[Kelly's Directory - Cambridgeshire - 1929]
The Chippenham Hinton War Memorial has been transcribed and and the men researched.
Two courts cover Chippenham as follows:
Archdeaconry Court of Sudbury: Jurisidiction in various parishes including Chippenham which were in the diocese of Norwich until they were transferred to the diocese of Ely in 1837.
Records are held at the Suffolk Record Office covering Wills, 1439-1857, administrations, 1544-46, 1568-93, 1605-12, 1630-1858, inventories, 1573-76, 1617, 1625, 1640, 1650-1747. Index to wills to 1535 are published in Proceedings of Suffolk Institute of Archaeology, volume 12 and of all records to 1700 in the Index Library of the British Records Society, volumes 95 and 96.
Consistory Court of Norwich: Record are held at the Norfolk Record Office. Wills 1370-1857, administrations, 1370-1499, 1549-1640, 1666-1857, inventories, 1584-1846. There is an index to wills covering 1370-1857 published by the Norfolk Record Society, volumes 16, 21, 34, 38 and 47.
Land Tax: records were compiled afresh each year and contain the names of owners and occupiers in each parish, but usually there is no address or place name. These records reside in the Cambridge Record Office for the years 1798 (on microfilm), 1829-32 and 1878-88.
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[Last updated: 2 April 2005 Martin Edwards]