Huntingdonshire
Contents
Nearby Places
Nearby churches
Chenebalton (xi cent.), Chenebolton (xii cent.), Kenebalton (xii-xiii cent.), Kenebaulton (xiii cent.), Kembauton (xiv cent.), Kymbolton, Kimoltune, Guimolton, Quybolton (xiv cent.). Stanleigh, Staynley (xiii cent.), Stonly (xiii-xiv cent.), Stoneley (xvi-xvii cent.). Wormedik, Wermedych (xiii cent.), Wormedich (xiii-xvii cent.), Worndiche (xvi cent.).
The parish of Kimbolton comprises the town of Kimbolton and the hamlets/villages of Stonely to the east and Wornditch half a mile to the west. Newtown in the north and Over Stow, adjoining Long Stow, also represent old hamlets; the site of the 14th century district of Wekwell (Wertwell, Qwertwell) is now unknown.
Kimbolton stands on the Bedfordshire border, and was the only Huntingdonshire estate of King Harold who is believed to have had a Hunting Lodge here. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, the Manor was forfeited to William I and in 1086 was granted to the de Warrenne family (the Earls of Surrey) when Kimbolton gave its name to a Hundred. The jurisdiction of its lords has always extended into Bedforshire.
The soil and sub-soil of the parish are Oxford clay but chalk is also found and there is gravel in the Kym Valley. The land is mostly pasture and the district was once noted for its shorthorns. There is also a fair amount of arable land which in 1279 amounted to 700 acres, which was a considerable quantity at that date.
Kimbolton has always had woodland; in 1086, there was woodland for pannage which was a league square. From a grove called 'la haire', Richard Russell, who had custody of Kimbolton from 1178 to 1185, took 222 oaks for building a court and chamber in Leicestershire. 'La Haye' or Heywood contained 200 acres belonging to the manor in 1275-9. In the next century, there is mention of 'Lythlehay' (later called Littless Wood) in Stonely between the park called Brythamwyk (Brintelmewick - xii/xiii cent., Brykhamwyke -xvi cent., Brycknell, Brightholme - xvii cent.) in the lord's demesne and Lyminge (now Lymage) Wood in Great Staughton. A keeper of this park and of Hyghwode Wood (later represented by Highpark Farm) was appointed in 1544. The park was part and parcel of the castle's demesnes in 1610; in 1615 the castle was conveyed to Sir Henry Montagu which started the parish's association with the Montagu family. In 1544, Stonely Priory was recorded to have held four groves of wood in Kimbolton. There were two Foresters amongst the 'burgense and cottars' in 1279.
The River Kym, which before it enters the western boundary of the parish is known as the River Til, flows south-east through the middle of the parish and town. The land adjoining it is about 100 ft. above sea-level and rises to just under 250 ft. on the northern boundary. The chief hills are: Honeyhill (Honyhill - xvi cent.), Hungry Hill, Over Hills and Warren Hill.
The town of Kimbolton lies along the road from Higham Ferrers to St. Neots in the valley of the Kym, which skirts along its north-east side. As occurs in so many market towns, the main road has been diverted so as the pass through the High Street and Market Place in order (formerly) to collect tolls from passengers and merchandise. In the Market place probably stood the Cross to which there is reference in 1487. The houses of the town have a great deal of timber-framed buildings of 17th century date, as well as brick buildings of the 18th century; many are now converted into shops and inns. The first market was held under a charter granted by King John in 1200 to Geoffrey Fitz Piers, Earl of Essex who at that time held the manor.
Kimbolton Castle was built before 1201 when the Earl of Essex received King John in his manor here. The castle was rebuilt and improved several times such that in 1521 it was described as 'a right goodly lodging contained in little room (i.e. small space) within a moated well...'. Queen Katharine (Catherine of Aragon) lived unhappily here in 1534 during Henry VIII's divorce proceedings. In 1615, as already stated, the castle came into the possession of the Montagu family, who became the Earls (and eventually the Dukes) of Manchester; it remained with them well into the 20th century. In 1707, the old south wing fell down and Sir John Vanbrugh was called in to rebuild it. The rebuilding of what is essentially the present castle was completed in 1709. During the 20th century, the castle was adapted as an English public (i.e. fee-paying) school which it still remains at the end of the 20th century.
There was an inclosure award of 1038 acres in Kimbolton which is dated 1769; a further inclosure of 748 acres at Wornditch was dated 1795.
Monumental inscriptions for the parish of Kimbolton have not yet been recorded by the Huntingdonshire FHS.
Census information for this parish (1841 - 1891) is held in the Huntingdon Records Office.
The full 1841 Census of Kimbolton Parish is available as fiche set C103.
The full 1851 Census of Kimbolton Parish is available as fiche set C53.
A surname index of the 1881 Census of the St. Neots Registration District, in which Kimbolton was enumerated (RG11/1612, Folios 41a - 61a), and which took place on 3rd April 1881, is available as Fiche C5.
A full transcription of the 1891 Census of the Kimbolton Registration District (RG12/1243) in which Kimbolton was enumerated, and which took place on 5th April 1891, is available, as fiche set C14.
The above mentioned fiche are available from the Huntingdonshire FHS.
OS Grid Square TL 097679.
The church of St. Andrew
consists of a chancel, north chapel, south chapel, north vestry, nave, north
aisle, south aisle, west tower and south porch. The walls are of rubble and
pebble rubble with stone dressings, except that the south wall of the chancel
is of red brick. The roofs are covered in lead.
The church is mentioned in the
Domesday survey of 1086, but the oldest existing portion is the north arcade of
the nave which dates from the middle of the 13th century; this indicates a nave
of the same size as the present. In the last quarter of the 13th century, a
south aisle and arcade were added. About 1300, the chancel and chancel arch
were rebuilt and, a few years later, the north aisle and arcade were rebuilt
for the foundations of a 14th century diagonal buttress were found when the
north-west corner was underpinned in 1921. Quite early in the 14th century, the
tower was built and the clearstory was added to the nave about 1370. At the end
of the 15th century, the south aisle was rebuilt and the porch and south chapel
added. The north aisle was rebuilt and the north chapel added about 1500, the
chancel being largely rebuilt at the same time.
The south wall of the
chancel was rebuilt in the 18th century. In 1748, the roofs of the chancel, the
two chapels and the nave were out of repair. In 1787 a new beam was inserted in
the nave roof, and another was inserted in 1841. The vestry was rebuilt in
1847, and the chancel was reroofed again in 1853. About the same time, the
Montagu Vault was formed in the north chapel, a small porch for access to it
being added some 40 years later. The whole church was restored in 1881-2, and
the spire in 1903. The present Lych-gate is a modern addition, erected in 1929.
The roofs of the present nave, aisles and chapels were restored in 1930-1, and
the
north chapel was refurbished in 1963 in memory of Phyllis Vernon
Kilby.
In the north wall is a 20th century window in memory of members
of the Carter family, whilst the US Army Air Force's connections with Kimbolton
during the 2nd World War are commemorated by a tablet near the north chapel
screen.
Additional acknowledgent is made to the third edition of the
Kimbolton Church Guide from which additional factual material has been
taken.
Many registers are badly damaged and unfit for use; in these case, the
records have been preserved on microfilm.
Baptisms: 1800-1811 &
1832-1852 (indexed transcriptions), 1646/7-1653/4, 1650/1-1709, 1709-1748,
1750-1799, 1800-1811, 1813-1832, 1832-1856, 1856-1885.
Banns: 1754-1798,
1823-1891, 1891-1929.
Marriages: 1754-1812 & 1813-1851 (indexed
transcriptions), 1646/7-1653, 1653-1708/9, 1709-1747/8, 1750-1753, 1754-1799,
1798-1812, 1813-1837, 1837-1897.
Burials: 1800-1811 & 1813-1851 (indexed
transcriptions), 1646/7-1653/4, 1653-1708/9, 1709-1748, 1749-1799, 1800-1811,
1813-1843, 1843-1956.
Bishop's Transcripts: 1604-5, 1607-8, 1610, 1612,
1617-19, 1626, 1631, 1660-9/1677-80, 1683-5, 1690--3, 1695, 1697, 1699-1701,
1704-27, 1729-51/1752-4, 1756-1813/1813-17, 1820-4/1825-36, 1851, 1853-5.
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.
Kimbolton 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.
A GENWEB page on Kimbolton is available.
An old map of the parish of Kimbolton in the 19th century is available.
The war memorial with detailed information about those who fell is available on the Roll of Honour site for Huntingdonshire.
Population in 1801 - 1266.
Population in 1851 -
1653.
Population in 1901 - 915.
Population in 1951 -
875.
Population in 1971 - 1136.
Population in 1991 - 1311.
The parish of Kimbolton 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.
The parish of Kimbolton occupies 5140 acres of land, including 17 acres of inland water.
Find Help, report problems, or contribute information.