Civil parishes in Cambridgeshire
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A civil parish is a country subdivision, forming the lowest unit of local government in England. There are 264 civil parishes in the ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, most of the county being parished; Cambridge is completely unparished; Fenland, East Cambridgeshire, South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire are entirely parished. At the 2001 census, there were 497,820 people living in the parishes, accounting for 70.2 per cent of the county's population.
History
[edit]Parishes arose from Church of England divisions, and were originally purely ecclesiastical divisions. Over time they acquired civil administration powers.[1]
The Highways Act 1555 made parishes responsible for the upkeep of roads. Every adult inhabitant of the parish was obliged to work four days a year on the roads, providing their own tools, carts and horses; the work was overseen by an unpaid local appointee, the Surveyor of Highways.[2]
The poor were looked after by the monasteries, until their dissolution. In 1572, magistrates were given power to 'survey the poor' and impose taxes for their relief. This system was made more formal by the Poor Law Act 1601, which made parishes responsible for administering the Poor Law; overseers were appointed to charge a rate to support the poor of the parish.[3] The 19th century saw an increase in the responsibility of parishes, although the Poor Law powers were transferred to Poor Law Unions.[4] The Public Health Act 1872 grouped parishes into Rural Sanitary Districts, based on the Poor Law Unions; these subsequently formed the basis for RDs.[5]
Parishes were run by vestries, meeting annually to appoint officials, and were generally identical to ecclesiastical parishes,[6] although some townships in large parishes administered the Poor Law themselves; under the Divided Parishes and Poor Law Amendment Act 1882, all extra-parochial areas and townships that levied a separate rate became independent civil parishes.[7]
Civil parishes in their modern sense date from the Local Government Act 1894, which abolished vestries; established elected parish councils in all rural parishes with more than 300 electors; grouped rural parishes into Rural Districts; and aligned parish boundaries with county and borough boundaries.[7] Urban civil parishes continued to exist, and were generally coterminous with the Urban District, Municipal Borough or County Borough in which they were situated; many large towns contained a number of parishes, and these were usually merged into one. Parish councils were not formed in urban areas, and the only function of the parish was to elect guardians to Poor Law Unions; with the abolition of the Poor Law system in 1930 the parishes had only a nominal existence.[8]
The Local Government Act 1972 retained civil parishes in rural areas, and many former Urban Districts and Municipal Boroughs that were being abolished, were replaced by new successor parishes; urban areas that were considered too large to be single parishes became unparished areas.[9]
The current position
[edit]Recent governments have encouraged the formation of town and parish councils in unparished areas, and the Local Government and Rating Act 1997 gave local residents the right to demand the creation of a new civil parish.[10]
A parish council can become a town council unilaterally, simply by resolution;[9] and a civil parish can also gain city status, but only if that is granted by the Crown.[9] The chairman of a town or city council is called a mayor.[9] The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 introduced alternative names: a parish council can now choose to be called a community; village; or neighbourhood council.[11]
Civil parishes with town or city status
List of civil parishes and unparished areas
[edit]
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1including South Trumpington
2including part of Northstowe
Former civil parishes
[edit]- Ashton (near Ufford; a parish 1866-1887)
- Barham (once a chapelry to Stow Longa, then a parish) and Woolley (ancient parish); merged 1935
- Bassingbourn (ancient parish) and Kneesworth (formerly a chapelry; civil parish created 1866); merged 1966
- Bluntisham, later Bluntisham-cum-Earith (split into Bluntisham and Earith 1948)
- Botolph Bridge (ancient parish abolished 1702 and merged with Orton Longueville)
- Brington and Molesworth (ancient parishes merged 1935)
- Burwell St Andrew and Burwell St Mary (ancient parishes merged to form Burwell c. 1700)
- Bythorn (formerly a chapelry) and Keyston (ancient parish); merged 1935
- Cambridge St John Zachary (ancient parish abolished 1446)
- Cambridge St Radegund (ancient parish abolished 1857)[62]
- Cambridge All Saints, Cambridge Holy Sepulchre, Cambridge Holy Trinity, Cambridge St Andrew the Great, Cambridge St Andrew the Less, Cambridge St Benedict, Cambridge St Botolph, Cambridge St Clement, Cambridge St Edward, Cambridge St Giles, Cambridge St Mary the Great, Cambridge St Mary the Less, Cambridge St Michael, and Cambridge St Peter (ancient parishes merged 1900 to form Cambridge; area unparished from 1974)
- Cherry Hinton and Trumpington (ancient parishes merged into Cambridge 1934)
- Chesterton (ancient parish merged into Cambridge 1923)
- Clopton (ancient parish merged into Croydon C17th)
- Denton and Caldecote (ancient parishes merged 1935)
- Duxford St John and Duxford St Peter (ancient parishes merged to form Duxford 1874)
- Ely College (formerly extra-parochial, a parish from 1858) and Ely Holy Trinity with St Mary (a 1933 merger of the ancient parishes of Ely Trinity and Ely St Mary), merged 1974 to form Ely
- Eynesbury (ancient parish) and St Neots Urban (created 1895); merged to form current St Neots parish in 1974
- Eynesbury Hardwicke (created from Eynesbury 1895; split between Abbotsley and St Neots 2009)
- Fletton (ancient parish abolished 1894 and split into Fletton Rural and Fletton Urban)
- Fletton Rural (created 1894, renamed Fletton from 1938), Stanground South (created 1905) and Woodston Rural (created 1894); abolished 1974 and merged into Peterborough
- Folksworth and Washingley (ancient parishes merged 1935)
- Fulbourn All Saints and Fulbourn St Vigor (ancient parishes merged to form Fulbourn 1765)
- Great Catworth (ancient parish) and Little Catworth (possibly a civil parish at some point before 1885); merged to form Catworth 1885
- Great Chishill and Little Chishill (merged 1968)
- Great Raveley, Little Raveley and Upwood (merged to form Upwood and the Raveleys 1935)
- Great Stukeley and Little Stukeley (merged to form The Stukeleys 1935)
- Grunty Fen (formerly extra-parochial, created 1858, merged into Wilburton 1933)
- Gunthorpe, Walton and Werrington (all created 1866; Werrington was previously a chapelry); Paston (an ancient parish); Fletton Urban, Peterborough Within, Peterborough Without and Woodston Urban (all created 1894); and Peterborough Minster Close Precincts (formerly extra-parochial; created 1858); all abolished and merged into Peterborough in 1929
- Hamerton and Steeple Gidding (ancient parishes merged 2010)
- Hartford (ancient parish merged into Huntingdon 1935)
- Hatley St George and East Hatley (ancient parishes merged to form Hatley 1957)
- Histon St Andrew and Histon St Etheldreda (ancient parishes merged to form Histon c. 1800)
- Houghton and Wyton (merged to form Houghton and Wyton 1935 and now split between that and Wyton-on-the-Hill)
- Huntingdon All Saints, Huntingdon St Benedict, Huntingdon St John, and Huntingdon St Mary (merged to form Huntingdon 1921)
- Huntingdon and Godmanchester (existed 1961-1982; now split into the original two parishes)
- Huntingdon Holy Trinity, Huntingdon St Andrew, Huntingdon St Botolph, Huntingdon St Clement, Huntingdon St Edmund, Huntingdon St George, Huntingdon St Germain, Huntingdon St Lawrence, Huntingdon St Martin, Huntingdon St Michael, Huntingdon St Nicholas and Huntingdon St Peter (all abolished during the period C13th-C16th)[63]
- Landwade (a medieval chapelry to Exning (in Suffolk) but located in Cambridgeshire; later a civil parish; parish abolished 1953 and merged into Fordham; area transferred to Exning parish in Suffolk, 1994)
- Longstanton All Saints and Longstanton St Michael (merged to form Longstanton 1953 and now split between Longstanton and Northstowe)
- Longthorpe (a medieval chapel to Peterborough; parish formed 1908 out of Peterborough Without, abolished 1929 and merged into Peterborough)
- Oakington (ancient parish) and Westwick (created 1866); merged 1985
- Offord Cluny and Offord D'Arcy (ancient parishes merged 2009)
- Outwell and Upwell (ancient parishes partly in the Isle of Ely until 1889 when they were transferred entirely to Norfolk); so was the parish of Welney from its creation in 1866 until 1889.
- Peterborough (ancient parish split 1894 into Peterborough Within and Peterborough Without; recreated 1929 covering a wider area; abolished 1974)
- Pilsgate (a parish 1866-1887)
- Redmere (formerly extra-parochial; created 1858; transferred from Norfolk to Isle of Ely 1895; merged into Littleport 1933)
- Royston was partially in Cambridgeshire from its formation in 1540 until it was transferred wholly to Hertfordshire in 1896. The church was in Hertfordshire.
- St Neots Rural (created 1895; split between Abbotsley and St Neots 2009)
- Sawtry (St) Judith (a medieval parish; extra-parochial from 1537; a parish from 1858) and Sawtry All Saints & St Andrew (itself an 1886 merger of the ancient parishes of Sawtry All Saints and Sawtry St Andrew) (merged to form Sawtry 1935)
- Shingay and Wendy (ancient parishes merged 1957)
- Silverley (ancient parish merged into Ashley before 1535)
- Southoe (ancient parish) and Midloe (formerly extra-parochial, a parish from 1858); merged 1935
- Stamford Baron St Martin (an ancient parish in the Soke of Peterborough, split in 1894 into St Martin's Within (moved to Lincolnshire) and St Martin's Without (see above))
- Stanground (ancient parish split into Stanground North and Stanground South 1905)
- Stanground North (existed 1905-2004; area now unparished and without inhabitants)
- Stow and Quy (ancient parishes merged to form Stow cum Quy by the 13th century)
- Swaffham Prior SS Cyriac & Julitta and Swaffham Prior St Mary (ancient parishes merged to form Swaffham Prior 1667)
- Swineshead (ancient parish transferred to Bedfordshire 1896)
- Thurning (ancient parish fully transferred to Northamptonshire 1895)
- Upton and Coppingford (ancient parishes merged 1935)
- Waresley (ancient parish) and Tetworth (created 1810; partly in Bedfordshire until 1844); merged 2010 to form Waresley-cum-Tetworth
- Welches Dam (formerly extra-parochial, created 1858, split between Chatteris and Manea 1960)
- Whittlesey St Andrew and Whittlesey St Mary were ancient parishes merged to form Whittlesey St Mary and St Andrew by 1801.[64] This was itself split into Whittlesey Urban and Whittlesey Rural in 1894, which were merged to form Whittlesey 1926. Whittlesey was left unparished upon local government reforms in 1974 but the parish was recreated in 1981.
- Willingham (near Carlton) (ancient parish merged into Carlton before 1535)
- Witcham Gravel (existed 1894-1933)
- Woodston (ancient parish split into Woodston Urban and Woodston Rural 1905)
Renamed civil parishes
[edit]- Ashley (formerly Ashley-cum-Silverley from 1535)
- Carlton (formerly Carlton-cum-Willingham from 1535 until 1974)
- Croydon (formerly Croydon-cum-Clapton or Clopton, from C16th)
- Great Chishill (formerly Great Chishall)
- Newton-in-the-Isle (formerly Newton)
- Thriplow and Heathfield (formerly Thriplow)
- Wisbech (formerly Wisbech St Peter)
Ancient parishes and chapelries
[edit]This table covers the whole area now covered by the present county of Cambridgeshire and unitary authority of Peterborough, plus any areas of Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire and the Isle of Ely that now lie in other counties. Chapelries are listed in italics. Parishes are listed by hundred.
1now in Lincolnshire 2now in Bedfordshire 3now in Northamptonshire 4a chapelry to Broughton in Hurstingstone hundred 5a chapelry to Exning in Suffolk; now in Suffolk 6no record of a church having ever existed 7now in Suffolk
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Angus Winchester, 2000, Discovering Parish Boundaries. Shire Publications. Princes Risborough, 96 pages ISBN 978-0-7478-0470-3
- ^ RAC Foundation : What Went Wrong? British Highway Development Before Motorways[permanent dead link] Retrieved 22 August 2009
- ^ The Victorian Web : The Poor Law : Introduction. Retrieved 22 August 2009
- ^ Staffordshire University : Poor Law Unions and Registration Districts Archived 14 September 2012 at archive.today Retrieved 22 August 2009
- ^ A Vision of Britain Through Time : Status Details for Rural Sanitary District. Retrieved 22 August 2009
- ^ Robert Tittler, The Reformation and the Towns in England, 1998, Oxford University Press, 395 pages, ISBN 978-0-19-820718-4
- ^ a b Modern British Surnames : Selected Events in the History of Civil Registration and Boundary Changes 1801–1996 Archived 1 August 2010 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 22 August 2009
- ^ Alex MacMorran and T R Colquhoun Dill, The Local Government Act 1894 and the Subsequent Statutes Affecting Parish Councils, 1907, Butterworth and Co, London, 626 pages
- ^ a b c d Office of Public Sector Information : Local Government Act 1972 Archived 5 December 2012 at archive.today Retrieved 22 August 2009
- ^ Office of Public Sector Information : Local Government and Rating Act 1997 Archived 5 August 2012 at archive.today Retrieved 22 August 2009
- ^ Office of Public Sector Information : Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 Archived 5 August 2012 at archive.today Retrieved 22 August 2009
- ^ A Vision of Britain Through Time : Cambridge Municipal Borough Archived 13 November 2005 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 19 September 2010
- ^ Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Usual Resident Population Abbey; Arbury; Castle; Cherry Hinton; Coleridge; East Chesterton; King's Hedges; Market; Newnham; Petersfield; Queen Edith's; Romsey; Trumpington; and West Chesterton wards. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v A Vision of Britain Through Time : Newmarket Rural District Archived 1 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 19 September 2010
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Parish Headcounts : East Cambridgeshire Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l A Vision of Britain Through Time : Ely Rural District. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ A Vision of Britain Through Time : Ely Urban District. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ a b c d A Vision of Britain Through Time : North Witchford Rural District Archived 14 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Parish Headcounts : Fenland Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ A Vision of Britain Through Time : Chatteris Urban District. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ a b c d e f g h A Vision of Britain Through Time : Wisbech Rural District Archived 14 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ A Vision of Britain Through Time : March Urban District. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ A Vision of Britain Through Time : Whittlesey Urban District. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ A Vision of Britain Through Time : Wisbech Municipal Borough. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x A Vision of Britain Through Time : Huntingdon Rural District. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Parish Headcounts : Huntingdonshire Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t A Vision of Britain Through Time : St Neots Rural District. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ a b c Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Key Statistics : Usual Resident Population Archived 20 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine Gransden and the Offords ward (part). Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ a b c d e f g The Huntingdonshire (Parishes) Order 2009 Archived 19 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 25 September 2010
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p A Vision of Britain Through Time : Norman Cross Rural District. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r A Vision of Britain Through Time : St Ives Rural District. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ a b A Vision of Britain Through Time : Huntingdon and Godmanchester
Municipal Borough Archived 30 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 17 September 2010 - ^ a b Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Key Statistics : Usual Resident Population Archived 20 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine The Hemingfords ward (part). Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ "Bulletin of Changes to Local Authority Areas and Names in England : Orders Made Between 1 April 2003 and 31 March 2004 : District Council Notices of the Change of Name of a Parish" (PDF). Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. October 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 September 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
- ^ A Vision of Britain Through Time : Ramsey Urban District. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ A Vision of Britain Through Time : St Ives Municipal Borough. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ A Vision of Britain Through Time : St Neots Urban District. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Key Statistics : Usual Resident Population Archived 20 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine Gransden and the Offords (part); St Neots Eaton Ford; St Neots Eaton Socon; St Neots Eynesbury; and St Neots Priory Park wards. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Key Statistics : Usual Resident Population Archived 20 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine Upwood and the Raveleys ward (part). Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o A Vision of Britain Through Time : Peterborough Rural District. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Parish Headcounts : Peterborough Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ a b c d e f g h i A Vision of Britain Through Time : Barnack Rural District Archived 14 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ a b A Vision of Britain Through Time : Peterborough Municipal Borough. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ a b A Vision of Britain Through Time : Old Fletton Urban District. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Usual Resident Population Orton with Hampton (part) ward. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ The Peterborough (Reorganisation of Community Governance) Order 2010 Archived 8 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 1 September 2010
- ^ Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Usual Resident Population Fletton (part); Orton with Hampton (part); Stanground Central (part); and Stanground East wards. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Usual Resident Population Central; Dogsthorpe; East (part); Fletton (part); North; Park; Paston; Ravensthorpe; Walton; Werrington North; Werrington South; and West wards. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ a b A Vision of Britain Through Time : Thorney Rural District Archived 1 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Usual Resident Population Stanground Central (part) ward. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ The Peterborough (Parishes) Order 2004 Archived 19 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av A Vision of Britain Through Time : South Cambridgeshire Rural District. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp cq cr cs ct cu Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Parish Headcounts : South Cambridgeshire Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd A Vision of Britain Through Time : Chesterton Rural District. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ a b c Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Usual Resident Population Bourn (part) ward. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ The South Cambridgeshire (Parishes) Order 2004 Archived 19 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ a b Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Usual Resident Population Histon and Impington (part) ward. Retrieved 17 September 2010
- ^ "The South Cambridgeshire District Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) Order 2021" (PDF). Local Government Boundary Commission for England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ The South Cambridgeshire District Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) Order 2009 Archived 3 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 19 May 2010
- ^ "The South Cambridgeshire District Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) (South Trumpington) Order 2017" (PDF). Lgbce. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 April 2018. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
- ^ "The South Cambridgeshire District Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) Order 2020 relating of the Parish of Thriplow and Heathfield" (PDF). Local Government Boundary Commission for England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ "Cambridge St Radegund AP through time | Census tables with data for the Parish-level Unit". www.visionofbritain.org.uk. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ "Hurstingstone Hundred through time | Census tables with data for the Ancient District". www.visionofbritain.org.uk. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ "Whittlesey St Mary and St Andrew CP through time | Census tables with data for the Parish-level Unit". www.visionofbritain.org.uk. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
External links
[edit]- Office for National Statistics : Geographical Area Listings
- East Cambs District Council : Parish and Town Councils in East Cambs
- Fenland District Council : Parish and Town Councils and Councillors
- Huntingdonshire District Council : Parish Councils Archived 11 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- Peterborough City Council : Parish Council Contact Details
- South Cambs District Council : Parish Councils