GenUKI Contents

Huntingdonshire

Nearby places

WARBOYS

"WARBOYS, a parish in the hundred of Hurstingstone, county Huntingdon, 7 miles north-east of Huntingdon, its post town, and 4 south-east of Ramsey. Warboys, formerly spelt Wardeboys, was held by the Hallidays in the 13th century under David of Scotland. A portion of the land is in wood. The soil in the high lands is clay, and in the low grounds fen. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Ely, value £1,250. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, contains the brass of a priest, two tombs of the Lemans by Bacon, and some old stained glass. The living was once held by Archdeacon Johnson, chaplain to Charles II. The parochial charities produce about £36 per annum. There are National and infant schools. The Particular Baptists and Primitive Methodists have each a chapel. The Rev. H. C. Jones is lord of the manor."

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

• The following are available in the Huntingdon Records Office.
  • 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.
• 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

• The parish of Warboys was originally in the Huntingdon Registration District from 1st July 1837. Subsequently, it became part of the Warboys sub-District until 31 March 1997, when it has come directly under the Huntingdon Registration District again.

Description and Travel

• A GENWEB page for Warboys is available.

Gazetteers

• A transcript of the Warboys parish entries from 1932 Victoria County Series
• A transcript of the Warboys parish entries from Samuel Lewis's 1835 Topographical Dictionary of England,

Maps

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

Military History

• The war memorial with detailed information about those who fell is available on the Roll of Honour site for Huntingdonshire.

Names (Geographical)

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

Poorhouses and Poor Law Etc

• The parish of Warboys was in the St Ives Union for Poor Law administration. Births and deaths registered in the St Ives Union Workhouse (1836 - 1913) are available, via the Huntingdonshire FHS Bookstall.

Population

• Population in 1801 - 943
• Population in 1851 - 1996
• Population in 1901 - 1758
• Population in 1951 - 1909
• Population in 1971 - 1923
• Population in 1991 - 3169

Statistics

• The parish of Warboys occupies 8435½ acres of which considerable parts in the north-east are fenland.