Towns, Cities, Villages and Hamlets

Samuel Lewis's Topographical Gazeetter 1831

GAMLINGAY, a parish in the hundred of LONGSTOW, county of CAMBRIDGE, 2¼ miles (N.E. by N.) from Potton, containing 1255 inhabitants. The living is a vicarage, in the archdeacorny and diocese of Ely, rated in the king’s books at £5, and in the patronage of the Bishop of Ely: there is also a sinecure rectory, rated at £15. 14.2., and in the patronage of the Warden and Fellows of Merton College, Oxford. The church is a handsome edifice, dedicated to St. Mary. There is a place of worship for Baptists. In this parish is an almshouse for eight poor widows, endowed with a bequest of £2000 South Sea Annuities, by Mrs. Elizabeth Lane; and a small charity school has a trifling endowment. A market was formerly held here, but it has for many years been discontinued, having been transferred to the neighbouring town of Potton, in Bedfordshire.

For the Family Historian details of available records can be found on the Gamlingay page of GENUKI Cambridgeshire.

Gamlingay is a parish and station on the Bedford and Cambridge branch of the London and North-Western railway, 50 miles from London and 6 south-east from St. Neots, in the hundred of Longstow, union of Caxton and Arrington, rural deanary of Bourn, archdeaconry and diocese of Ely, having Bedfordshire on the west and south sides of the parish, and Hunts on the north.

The church of St. Mary is a handsome building, in the Early English style; it is cruciform, and consists of chancel, nave with five pointed arches on either side, aisles, north and south porches, square embattled tower with 5 bells, and small tapering spire; there is a carved oak screen separating the nave from the chancel: it had a new roof in 1843, at a cost of about £200, defrayed by a church rate: monuments of the Lane family, the dates are 1717 and 1754, others much earlier, but the dates are defaced: the structure requires a large outlay to put the exterior in good condition: the alter-piece was brought from Ely House, in London. The register dates from the year 1530.

The Baptists, Wesleyans, and Primitive Methodists have places of worship here.

The soil is stiff clay; subsoil, gault. The chief crops are wheat, oats, barley and beans. The area is 4,143 acres; rateable value, £8,163; the population in 1871 was 2,063, including the hadlet of Woodbury, one mile west from Gamlingay Sinks. Tetworth is a mile and half west.

[Extracts from Kelly's Directory - Cambridgeshire - 1872]

Domesday Book Entry

In LONGSTOW Hundred

In GAMLINGAY Eudo holds 18 hides. Land for 18 ploughs. In lordship 9 hides; 3 ploughs there. 30 villagers with 12 smallholders have 15 ploughs. 1 Frenchman has ½ hide; 12 cottagers; 4 slaves. Meadow for 12 ploughs; woodland, 10 pigs; pasture for the village livestock. Total value £18; when acquired £10; before 1066 as much. Wulfmer of Eaton held this manor. 9 Freemen were there who held 4 hides; they could grant and sell; in addition to these hides they held 1 virgate which belongs to (Little) Gransden, the Abbot of Ely’s manor, and which Lisois of Mou tiers appropriated in the Abbot’s despite, as the Hundred testifies.

Ranulf brother of Ilger holds 1 hide in GAMLINGAY from the King. Land for 1 plough. The value is and always was 10s. Ingvar, King Edward’s thane, held this land and could sell.

In GAMLINGAY 2 men hold 1 hide from Robert. Land for 1 plough; it is there, with 3 cottagers. Meadow for 1 plough; wood for fences. The value is and was 20s; before 1066, 40s. A man of Earl Algar’s held this land and could sell.

Military History

The men and women on the war memorial are fully documented with military details, photographs and personal details on the Roll of Honour Cabridgeshire website.