Elton, Huntingdonshire
Historical Description
Elton, a village and a parish in Huntingdonshire. The village stands on the verge of the county and on the river Xen, adjacent to the L. & N.W.R., 4½ miles NE by N of Oundle, and has a station on the railway, and a post, money Ji-der, and telegraph office under Peterborough. The parish comprises 3758 acres; population, 757. Elton Hall is the seat of the Earl of Carysfort, and was originally an ancient seat of the Sapcotes. The land in the upper part of the parish is strong and bears excellent wheat; in the lower parts there are extremely rich pastures adjoining the river. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Ely; net value, £375 with residence. The church is a large building of stone in the Decorated and Perpendicular styles. There are a Wesleyan chapel and several small charities.
Administration
The following is a list of the administrative units in which this place was either wholly or partly included.
| Ancient County | Huntingdonshire | |
| Ecclesiastical parish | Elton All Saints | |
| Hundred | Norman-Cross | |
| Poor Law union | Oundle |
Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.
Church Records
The parish register dates from the year 1560.
Churches
Church of England
All Saints (parish church)
The church of All Saints is a spacious edifice of stone, in the Decorated and Perpendicular styles, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, south porch with three niches and a lofty embattled western tower, containing a clock and 5 bells, rehung and one recast in 1896, at a cost of £150: in the south aisle over the second arch is a stone with arms and inscription to Sir Thomas Sapcote kt. who was sheriff of Cambridge and Huntingdon in 1470: there are monuments to Thomas Proby, ob. 1684; Sir Thomas Proby bart. ob. 1689; John Proby M.P. for Hunts, d. 1710, and a number of children from 1670-80; there is also a tablet to John Joshua (Proby), 1st Earl of Carysfort K.P. d. April, 1828; and in the chancel are memorials to John Joshua, Lord Proby, eldest son of Granville Levison, third Earl of Carysfort, d. 19 Nov. 1858, and to Hugh, his third son, who was drowned in Australia, Aug. 30, 1852; also in the south aisle a large alabaster monument to the 5th and last earl, d. 1909, surmounted by his banner as a knight of St. Patrick; other monuments commemorate the Ball family, rectors from 1661 to 1738: the chancel retains sedilia, piscina and aumbry, and the staircase to the rood loft remains on the north side of the chancel arch: the church plate includes a chalice and paten dated 1571. and a flagon, two chalices and two patens given by Thomas Ball, rector in 1670: the sanctuary was repaved in 1911 by Lady Margaret Proby: most of the windows are stained: the thorough restoration of the church was completed in 1886 at a total cost of £1,533, the whole expense being borne by the 5th and last Earl of Carysfort (d. 1909): the organ, set up in the same year, cost £397: in the chancel are memorial windows to the Rev. Richard Kempthorne M.A. rector 1860-88, the 4th Earl of Carysfort K.P., P.C. d. 18 May, 1872, Edward Newman, of Barnsley, and to Mr. and Miss Peach, of Oundle: there are 440 sittings.
Methodist
Wesleyan chapel
There is a Wesleyan chapel.
Civil Registration
For general information about Civil Registration (births, marriages and deaths) see the Civil Registration page.
Directories & Gazetteers
We have transcribed the entry for Elton from the following:
- Samuel Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858. (Elton (All Saints))
Land and Property
The Return of Owners of Land in 1873 for Huntindonshire is available to browse.
Maps
Online maps of Elton are available from a number of sites:
- Bing (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
- Google Streetview.
- National Library of Scotland. (Old maps)
- OpenStreetMap.
- old-maps.co.uk (Old Ordnance Survey maps to buy).
- Streetmap.co.uk (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
- A Vision of Britain through Time. (Old maps)