Hundreds of Cambridgeshire

Historic division of Cambridge into 17 'hundreds' for administrative purposes

Hundreds of Cambridgeshire in 1832

Between Anglo-Saxon times and the 19th century Cambridgeshire was divided for administrative purposes into 17 hundreds, plus the borough of Cambridge. Each hundred had a separate council that met each month to rule on local judicial and taxation matters.

The shire-system of East Anglia was in all probability not definitively settled before the Norman Conquest, but during the Danish occupation of the 9th century the district possessed a certain military and political organization round Cambridge, its chief town, from where the constitution and demarcation of the later shire most likely originated.[1]

At the time of the Domesday Survey in 1086 the county was divided into the hundreds as they are now, except that the Isle of Ely, which then formed two hundreds having their meeting-place at Witchford, were subsequently divided into the four hundreds of Wisbech, Ely, North Witchford and South Witchford, while Cambridge formed a hundred by itself. The hundred of Flendish was then known as Flamingdike.[1]

During the 19th century the Isle of Ely was divided into the hundreds of Wisbech, North Witchford, South Witchford, and Ely, the Liberty of Whittlesey and Thorney, and the borough of Wisbech.[2]

## Parishes

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In 1929 the hundreds contained the following parishes.[3][4]

Hundred  | Area (acres)  | Parishes

|
|

Armingford | 29287 | Abington Pigotts, Bassingbourn, Croydon, East Hatley, Guilden Morden, Litlington, Melbourn, Meldreth, Royston (part), Shingay, Steeple Morden, Tadlow, Wendy, Whaddon
Chesterton | 15847 | Chesterton, Childerley, Cottenham, Dry Drayton, Histon
Cheveley | 12905 | Ashley, Cheveley, Kirtling, Newmarket All Saints, Wood Ditton
Chilford | 22364 | Babraham, Bartlow, Castle Camps, Great Abington, Hildersham, Horseheath, Linton, Little Abington, Pampisford, Shudy Camps, West Wickham
Ely | 42667 | Downham, Littleport
Flendish | 11906 | Cherry Hinton, Fen Ditton, Fulbourn, Horningsea, Teversham
Longstow | 25500 | Bourn, Caldecote, Caxton, Croxton, Eltisley, Gamlingay, Great Eversden, Hardwick, Hatley St. George, Kingston, Little Eversden, Little Gransden, Longstowe, Toft
North Witchford | 86275 | Chatteris, Doddington, March, Whittlesey
Northstow | 19651 | Girton, Impington, Landbeach, Lolworth, Longstanton, Madingley, Milton, Oakington, Rampton, Waterbeach
Papworth | 26923 | Boxworth, Conington, Elsworth, Fen Drayton, Graveley, Knapwell, Over, Papworth St Agnes, Papworth Everard, Swavesey, Willingham
Radfield | 23869 | Balsham, Brinkley, Burrough Green, Carlton-cum-Willingham, Dullingham, Stetchworth, West Wratting, Westley Waterless, Weston Colville
South Witchford | 37462 | Coveney, Grunty Fen, Haddenham, Manea, Mepal, Sutton, Stretham and Thetford,[5] Welches Dam, Wentworth, Wilburton, Witcham, Witchford
Staine | 18917 | Bottisham, Great Wilbraham, Little Wilbraham, Swaffham Bulbeck, Swaffham Prior, Stow-cum-Quy
Staploe | 40775 | Burwell, Chippenham, Fordham, Isleham, Kennett, Landwade, Snailwell, Soham, Wicken
Thriplow | 16160 | Fowlmere, Foxton, Great Shelford, Harston, Hauxton, Little Shelford, Newton, Stapleford, Thriplow, Trumpington
Wetherley | 16160 | Arrington, Barrington, Barton, Comberton, Coton, Grantchester, Harlton, Haslingfield, Orwell, Shepreth, Wimpole
Whittlesford | 11078 | Duxford, Hinxton, Ickleton, Sawston, Whittlesford
Wisbech | 61157 | Elm, Leverington, Newton, Outwell, Parson Drove, Thorney, Tydd St. Giles, Upwell, Wisbech, Wisbech St. Mary

## References

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1. ^ a b One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Cambridgeshire". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 5 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 97–99.
2. ^ John Marius Wilson (1872). Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales, Ely.
3. ^ "Cambridgeshire Hundreds". rootsweb.
4. ^ Kelly (1929). Directory of Cambridgeshire, Norfolk & Suffolk.
5. ^ "'South Witchford Hundred: Stretham and Thetford', A History of the County of Cambridge and the Isle of Ely: Volume 4: City of Ely; Ely, N. and S. Witchford and Wisbech Hundreds (2002), pp. 151-159". British History Online.

## See also

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* History of Cambridgeshire
* List of hundreds of England and Wales