Little Gidding, Huntingdonshire
Historical Description
Gidding, Little, a village and a parish in Huntingdonshire, on Alconbury' brook, 7 miles SSW of Stilton, and 7 SW of Holrne station on the G.N.R. Post town, Peterboro'; money order and telegraph office, Sawtry. Acreage, 724; population, 48. A Protestant nunnery was founded here in 1625 by Nicholas Ferrars; was visited in 1633 and 1646 by Charles I., and was soon afterwards dissolved. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Ely, consolidated with that of Great Gidding; joint net yearly value, £230 with residence. The church is good and partly modern, and contains monuments of the Ferrars.
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 | Little Gidding St. John | |
| Hundred | Leightonstone | |
| Poor Law union | Oundle |
Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.
Church Records
The register of baptisms dates from the year 1637
Churches
Church of England
St. John (parish church)
The church of St. John is a small edifice of brick and stone, erected in the early part of the 17th century, and consisting of chancel and nave only: the east window and one other are stained, and the walls are panelled with oak: there is a brass eagle lectern and an ancient bronze font of 17th century date, which was presented to the church by Nicholas Ferrar, the only example of its kind: the church was restored and adorned with painted glass in 1853 by William Hopkinson esq. F.S.A. who bought the estate in 1848: there are 40 sittings.
Directories & Gazetteers
We have transcribed the entry for Little Gidding from the following:
- Samuel Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858. (Gidding, Little (St. John))
Land and Property
The Return of Owners of Land in 1873 for Huntindonshire is available to browse.
Maps
Online maps of Little Gidding 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)