Huntingdon is a
market town
A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...
in the
Huntingdonshire district in
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and North ...
, England. The town was given its
town charter by
King John King John may refer to:
Rulers
* John, King of England (1166–1216)
* John I of Jerusalem (c. 1170–1237)
* John Balliol, King of Scotland (c. 1249–1314)
* John I of France (15–20 November 1316)
* John II of France (1319–1364)
* John I o ...
in 1205. It was the
county town
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a county town is the most important town or city in a county. It is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county and the place where the county's members of Parliament are elect ...
of the historic county of Huntingdonshire.
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...
was born there in 1599
and became one of its
Members of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
(MP) in 1628. The former
Conservative Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
(1990–1997)
John Major
Sir John Major (born 29 March 1943) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997, and as Member of Parliament ...
served as its MP from
1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
until his retirement in
2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
.
History
Huntingdon was founded by the
Anglo-Saxons
The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...
and
Danes
Danes ( da, danskere, ) are a North Germanic ethnic group and nationality native to Denmark and a modern nation identified with the country of Denmark. This connection may be ancestral, legal, historical, or cultural.
Danes generally regard t ...
. It is first mentioned in the
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' is a collection of annals in Old English, chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the ''Chronicle'' was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alf ...
in 921, where it appears as ''Huntandun''. It appears as ''Huntedun'' in the
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
of 1086. The name means "The huntsman's hill" or possibly "Hunta's hill".
Huntingdon seems to have been a staging post for Danish raids outside
East Anglia
East Anglia is an area in the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, a people whose name originated in Anglia, in ...
until 917, when the Danes moved to
Tempsford
Tempsford is a village and civil parish in the Central Bedfordshire district of the county of Bedfordshire, England, about east north-east of the county town of Bedford.
The village is split by the A1 Great North Road and is located just befo ...
, now in
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council wa ...
, before they were crushed by
Edward the Elder
Edward the Elder (17 July 924) was King of the Anglo-Saxons from 899 until his death in 924. He was the elder son of Alfred the Great and his wife Ealhswith. When Edward succeeded to the throne, he had to defeat a challenge from his cousin Æt ...
. It prospered successively as a bridging point of the
River Great Ouse
The River Great Ouse () is a river in England, the longest of several British rivers called "Ouse". From Syresham in Northamptonshire, the Great Ouse flows through Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk to drain into the Wa ...
, a market town, and in the 18th and 19th centuries a
coaching centre, notably at the ''George Hotel''. The town has
a well-preserved medieval bridge that used to serve as the main route of
Ermine Street
Ermine Street is a major Roman road in England that ran from London (''Londinium'') to Lincoln (''Lindum Colonia'') and York (''Eboracum''). The Old English name was ''Earninga Strǣt'' (1012), named after a tribe called the ''Earningas'', ...
over the river. The bridge only ceased to be the sole crossing point to
Godmanchester in 1975, with the building of what is now the
A1307 (formerly
A14)
bypass.
The town's valuable trading position was secured by
Huntingdon Castle
Huntingdon Castle was situated in the town of Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire ().
In 1068 a Norman motte and bailey castle was built for William the Conqueror. During the Anarchy the castle was held by David, King of Scotland through his marriage ...
, of which only the earthworks of the
motte survive. The site is a
Scheduled Ancient Monument and home to a
beacon used to mark the 400th anniversary of the
Spanish Armada
The Spanish Armada (a.k.a. the Enterprise of England, es, Grande y Felicísima Armada, links=no, lit=Great and Most Fortunate Navy) was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by the Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aris ...
.
In 1746, the nurserymen Wood and Ingram of nearby
Brampton
Brampton ( or ) is a city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. Brampton is a city in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and is a List of municipalities in Ontario#Lower-tier municipalities, lower-tier municipalit ...
developed an
elm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the flowering plant genus ''Ulmus'' in the plant family Ulmaceae. They are distributed over most of the Northern Hemisphere, inhabiting the temperate and tropical-montane regions of North ...
-tree cultivar, ''
Ulmus × hollandica 'Vegeta'
''Ulmus'' × ''hollandica'' 'Vegeta', sometimes known as the Huntingdon Elm, is an old English hybrid cultivar raised at Brampton, near Huntingdon, by nurserymen Wood & Ingram in 1746, allegedly from seed collected at nearby Hinchingbrooke Park. ...
'', which they named the Huntingdon Elm after the town.
Original documents on Huntingdon's history, including the borough
charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...
of 1205, are held by
Cambridgeshire Archives and Local Studies
Cambridgeshire Archives and Local Studies Service (CALS) is a UK local government institution which collects and preserves archives, other historical documents and printed material relating to the modern county of Cambridgeshire, which includes th ...
at the County Record Office, Huntingdon.
Parts of Huntingdon, including the centre, were struck by
an F1/T3 tornado on 23 November 1981, during a record-breaking nationwide tornado outbreak on that day. The centre suffered moderate damage.
Between the railway station and the old hospital building stands a replica cannon installed in the 1990s to replace one from the
Crimean War
The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia.
Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...
, scrapped for the war effort in the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. However, it faces in the opposite direction from the original.
St Mary's Street drill hall was built in the late 19th century.
George Hotel
The George Hotel on the corner of High Street and George Street was once a posting house. It was named after
Saint George
Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldier ...
of England in 1574 and bought some 25 years later by Henry Cromwell, grandfather of
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...
.
Charles I Charles I may refer to:
Kings and emperors
* Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings
* Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily
* Charles I of ...
made the George his headquarters in 1645. Later the highwayman
Dick Turpin
Richard Turpin (bapt. 21 September 1705 – 7 April 1739) was an English highwayman whose exploits were romanticised following his execution in York for horse theft. Turpin may have followed his father's trade as a butcher ear ...
is said to have been a customer, when it was a coaching inn on the
Great North Road. A theatre was built to the rear of the George about 1799. The Lincoln company of actors managed by
Thomas Shaftoe Robertson
Thomas Shaftoe Robertson (1765 – September 1831) was a British actor who became the manager of a circuit of theatres in and around Lincolnshire that he carried on for nearly half a century. He was able to attract well-known London actors to t ...
and later
Fanny Robertson
Fanny Robertson (1765 – 18 December 1855), born Frances Mary Ross, was an actress and later the manager of the provincial theatres of the Lincoln Circuit.
Family
Robertson's parents were the actors William Ross (died 1781) and his wife Eli ...
performed here in race weeks. Two wings of the inn burnt down in the mid-19th century, but two were saved, including one with a balcony overlooking the yard. Since 1959, the courtyard and balcony have been used for
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
performances by a company run by the Shakespeare at the George Trust.
Government
Huntingdon has a town council with 19 councillors elected every four years. Two of them serve also as mayor and deputy mayor. Meetings are normally held once a month at
Huntingdon Town Hall
Huntingdon Town Hall is a municipal structure on Market Hill in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, England. The town hall, which was the headquarters of Huntingdon Borough Council, is a Grade II* listed building.
History
The first municipal building ...
.
Huntingdonshire District Council
Huntingdonshire District Council is the local authority for the district of Huntingdonshire in Cambridgeshire, England. Based in Huntingdon, it forms the lower part of the two tier system of local government in the district, below Cambridgeshire ...
has three wards: ''Huntingdon North'', ''Huntingdon East'' and ''Huntingdon West''.
The Huntingdon East ward has two councillors and the other wards also have two each. The main offices of Huntingdonshire District Council are in Huntingdon itself.
The third tier of local-government is
Cambridgeshire County Council providing county-wide services such as roads, education, social services, libraries and heritage protection. Huntingdon is one of 60 electoral divisions,
[ represented by two county councillors.]
The fourth tier of local government is Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority
The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority is a combined authority covering the ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire in the East of England. The authority was established on 3 March 2017. The authority is led by the directly elected May ...
, which is headed by a mayor. The Authority's website states that "the Mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough is Dr Nik Johnson
Nik Johnson (born ) is a British Labour Co-op politician and paediatrician who has served as the mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough since 2021.
Early life and medical career
Nik Johnson was born in Northumberland in 1969. He grew up ...
. [''Who We Are'', at Peterborough and Cambridgeshire Combined Authority website, https://cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk/]
Huntingdon lies in the parliamentary constituency
An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other poli ...
of Huntingdon
Huntingdon is a market town in the Huntingdonshire district in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was given its town charter by King John in 1205. It was the county town of the historic county of Huntingdonshire. Oliver Cromwell was born there ...
.
Geography
The town lies on the north bank of the River Great Ouse
The River Great Ouse () is a river in England, the longest of several British rivers called "Ouse". From Syresham in Northamptonshire, the Great Ouse flows through Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk to drain into the Wa ...
opposite Godmanchester and close to the market town of St Ives to the east and the village of Brampton
Brampton ( or ) is a city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. Brampton is a city in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and is a List of municipalities in Ontario#Lower-tier municipalities, lower-tier municipalit ...
to the west. Huntingdon incorporates the village of Hartford to the east and the developing areas of Oxmoor, Stukeley Meadows and Hinchingbrooke to the north and west.
Between Godmanchester, Huntingdon and Brampton lies Portholme Meadow, England's largest. Its 257 acres (104 hectares) contain many rare species of grass, flowers and dragonfly
A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threate ...
. It is the only known British habitat of the marsh dandelion. It acts as a natural reservoir for water in times of flood, enabling the river to run off slowly, so helping to preclude flooding in nearby towns. It has also served as a horse racecourse and once was a centre for aviation.
Business
Huntingdon is home to many local businesses, including Huntingdon Racecourse
Huntingdon Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Brampton near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on a Site of Special Scientific Interest of the original Brampton Racecourse.
The most notable race held a ...
. Hinchingbrooke Business Park also contains offices and warehouses.
Climate
The nearest weather station for long-term data is at RAF Wyton, north-east of the town centre. More recently Monks Wood, to the north-west, has also provided data.
Like most of Britain, Huntingdon has a temperate, maritime climate free of temperature extremes, with rainfall spread fairly evenly over the year. The absolute maximum recorded at Wyton was in August 1990; the temperature at Monks Wood rose in July 2006 to . The mean annual warmest day is , and on 16 days a year will rise to or above.
Typically 43.2 nights of the year report an air frost. The absolute minimum at Wyton was in January 1982. The mean for the annual coldest night of the year is .
With annual rainfall at under a year, the Huntingdon area is among the driest in the UK – 103.4 days on average record at least 1 mm of rain. All averages mentioned refer to the period 1971–2000.
Demography
Population
Between 1801 and 1901, the current area of Huntingdon consisted of four parishes: Huntingdon All Saints, Huntingdon St Benedict, Huntingdon St John and Huntingdon St Mary. The populations of these were counted in the ten-year UK census
Coincident full censuses have taken place in the different jurisdictions of the United Kingdom every ten years since 1801, with the exceptions of 1941 (during the Second World War), Ireland in 1921/Northern Ireland in 1931,https://www.nisra.gov. ...
and ranged in the period between 2,368 in 1801 and 4,735 in 1891. (The census was omitted in 1941.)
All population census figures are taken from the report ''Historic Census figures Cambridgeshire to 2011'' by ''Cambridgeshire Insight''.[ For the censuses of 1961 and 1971, Huntingdon was combined with Godmanchester.]
In 2011, the parish covered an area of .[ The population density in that year was .
]
Culture and community
The former Literary and Scientific Institute
Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include o ...
is now Commemoration Hall.
There are two RAF stations within of the town: RAF Brampton
RAF Brampton was a non-flying Royal Air Force installation near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, England. Formerly the home of RAF Support Command, it also became the home of several elements of Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), which itself was ...
, once home to Headquarters RAF Support Command
Support Command was a command of the Royal Air Force between 1973 and 1994. The headquarters was located at RAF Brampton in Cambridgeshire.
History
It was formed on 31 August 1973 by the renaming of RAF Maintenance Command, closed in 2013; RAF Wyton, once a major flying station but now also part of the DLO; and RAF Alconbury currently occupied by the United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
.
Part of the medieval infirmary hall of St Johns in the market place became Huntingdon Grammar School
Huntingdon is a market town in the Huntingdonshire district in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was given its town charter by King John in 1205. It was the county town of the historic county of Huntingdonshire. Oliver Cromwell was born there ...
. It was attended by Cromwell and by the diarist Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys (; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English diarist and naval administrator. He served as administrator of the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament and is most famous for the diary he kept for a decade. Pepys had no mariti ...
. The building is now the Cromwell Museum
The Cromwell Museum in Huntingdon, England, is a museum containing collections exploring the life of Oliver Cromwell and to a lesser extent his son Richard Cromwell. Oliver Cromwell was born in Huntingdon in 1599 and lived there for more than hal ...
, run by Cambridgeshire County Council.
Legends
Hinchingbrooke House, once a convent, is said to be haunted. The bridge over the Alconbury Brook named Nun's Bridge is said also to be haunted, by one of the nuns who once lived at the convent. She is said often to be accompanied by another ghost that resembles a nurse. The myth goes that the nun had a monk-lover who caused them to be murdered.
Education
The local primary schools are Hartford Junior School, Huntingdon Primary School, Thongsley Fields Primary School, St John's Primary School, Stukeley Meadows Primary School and Cromwell Academy Primary School. Spring Common School is a special-needs school. Secondary schools include St Peter's School and Hinchingbrooke School
Hinchingbrooke School is a large secondary school situated on the outskirts of Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, historically in Huntingdonshire. Originally all of the surrounding land—including what is now Huntingdon Town—comprised the grounds ...
. Further education colleges include Huntingdonshire Regional College, Hinchingbrooke School sixth-form college and St Peter's sixth form.
Transport
Rail
Huntingdon railway station has direct services to London Kings Cross station, trains take just over an hour on modern trains. It is served by Great Northern Great Northern may refer to:
Transport
* One of a number of railways; see Great Northern Railway (disambiguation).
* Great Northern Railway (U.S.), a defunct American transcontinental railroad and major predecessor of the BNSF Railway.
* Great ...
. Thameslink services between Horsham
Horsham is a market town on the upper reaches of the River Arun on the fringe of the Weald in West Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Nearby to ...
in West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in South East England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the shire districts of Adur, Arun, Chichester, Horsham, and Mid Sussex, and the boroughs of Crawley and Worthing. Covering an ar ...
and Peterborough via Blackfriars Blackfriars, derived from Black Friars, a common name for the Dominican Order of friars, may refer to:
England
* Blackfriars, Bristol, a former priory in Bristol
* Blackfriars, Canterbury, a former monastery in Kent
* Blackfriars, Gloucester, a f ...
and St Pancras in London run every half hour.
Bus
There are direct bus services to Peterborough, St Neots, Ramsey, St Ives and Cambridge, and within the town and to Hinchingbrooke Hospital
Hinchingbrooke Hospital is a small district general hospital in Hinchingbrooke near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. Opened in 1983, it serves the Huntingdonshire area, and has a range of specialities as well as an emergency department and a materni ...
. Most buses are provided by Stagecoach East and Whippet.
Air
Luton
Luton () is a town and unitary authority with borough status, in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 census, the Luton built-up area subdivision had a population of 211,228 and its built-up area, including the adjacent towns of Dunstable an ...
and Stansted airports are within .
Religious sites
There are four Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
churches in Huntingdon, once there were more, which together with those in the adjacent villages Great and Little Stukeley are members of the Huntingdon Team Ministry in the Diocese of Ely
The Diocese of Ely is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury. It is headed by the Bishop of Ely, who sits at Ely Cathedral in Ely. There is one suffragan (subordinate) bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon. The diocese now co ...
. The four are All Saints'
All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day, the Feast of All Saints, the Feast of All Hallows, the Solemnity of All Saints, and Hallowmas, is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honour of all the saints of the church, whether they are kn ...
(next to the Market Square), St Mary's (opposite Pathfinder House), St Barnabas (on the Oxmoor estate) and All Saints', Hartford.
Huntingdon Methodist Church
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related Christian denomination, denominations of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John W ...
is in the High Street. Medway Christian Fellowship is based on Medway Road.
Sport
The highest-ranking football club, Huntingdon Town, plays in the United Counties League
The United Counties League (also known after its sponsor as the ''Uhlsport United Counties League'') is an English football league covering Northamptonshire, Rutland and Bedfordshire and most of Leicestershire as well as parts of Buckinghamshi ...
. Huntingdon United RGE plays in the Cambridgeshire League
The Cambridgeshire County Football League, currently styled as the Cambridgeshire Fire Places Cambridgeshire County League for sponsorship purposes, is a football competition covering Cambridgeshire and western parts of Suffolk, Norfolk and nort ...
.
Notable residents
Names are in birth order. Data are from the subject's Wikipedia article except where referenced.
Arts and entertainment
* Henry Compton (Charles Mackenzie, 1805–1877), actor, born in Huntingdon
*George Mackley
George Edward Mackley (born 1900 in Huntingdon, died 1983 in Tonbridge, Kent) was an English wood engraving artist.
Career
Educated at the Judd School in Tunbridge, Kent, Mackley trained as a teacher of art at Goldsmiths' College, London, specia ...
(1900–1983), wood engraver, born in Huntingdon
*Terry Reid
Terrance James Reid (born 13 November 1949) is an English rock vocalist and guitarist. He has performed with high-profile musicians, as a supporting act, session musician, and sideman.
Biography
Reid was born in Paxton Park Maternity Home, L ...
, (born 1949), rock vocalist and guitarist, born in Huntingdon
*The Charlottes
The Charlottes were a female fronted indie pop band from Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire in England, formed in 1988.
History
The band formed in 1988, initially as The Giant Polar Bears, comprising Petra Roddis (vocals), Graham Gargiulo (guitar), David ...
(formed 1988), indie rock band formed in Huntingdon.
*Ceara O'Neill
Ceara O'Neill is an English actress and musician. She is notable for her work in television, including '' Young Victoria'', starring Emily Blunt, TV sitcom ''The Inbetweeners'' starring Simon Bird, TV sitcom '' Him and Her'', and BBC TV medica ...
(born 1990), actor and musician, born in Huntingdon
*Himesh Patel
Himesh Jitendra Patel (born 13 October 1990) is a British actor, musician, and singer. He is known for portraying Tamwar Masood on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2007 to 2016, for starring in the 2019 musical romantic comedy film '' Yes ...
(born 1990), actor, born in Huntingdon
Literature
* Henry of Huntingdon (c. 1088–1157), historian (''Historia Anglorum'') and Archdeacon of Huntingdon.
*Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys (; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English diarist and naval administrator. He served as administrator of the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament and is most famous for the diary he kept for a decade. Pepys had no mariti ...
(1633–1703), diarist, attended Huntingdon Grammar School
Huntingdon is a market town in the Huntingdonshire district in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was given its town charter by King John in 1205. It was the county town of the historic county of Huntingdonshire. Oliver Cromwell was born there ...
in about 1644.
* Basil Montagu (1770–1851), jurist
A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law; someone who analyses and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar, mostly (but not always) with a formal qualification in law and often a legal practitioner. In the Uni ...
, barrister
A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...
, writer and philanthropist, and illegitimate son of John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich
John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, PC, FRS (13 November 1718 – 30 April 1792) was a British statesman who succeeded his grandfather Edward Montagu, 3rd Earl of Sandwich as the Earl of Sandwich in 1729, at the age of ten. During his life ...
and Martha Ray
Martha Ray (1746 – 7 April 1779) was a British singer of the Georgian era. Her father was a corsetmaker and her mother was a servant in a noble household. Good-looking, intelligent, and a talented singer, she came to the attention of many of ...
*Robert Carruthers
Robert Carruthers (1799–1878) was a Scottish journalist and miscellaneous writer.
He was born in Dumfriesshire and was for a time a teacher in Huntingdon. He wrote a ''History of Huntingdon'' in 1824. In 1828 he became editor of the ''Inverne ...
(1799–1878), local historian (''History of Huntingdon'') and journalist
Religion
* Christina of Markyate (c. 1096–98 – c. 1155), anchoress
In Christianity, an anchorite or anchoret (female: anchoress) is someone who, for religious reasons, withdraws from secular society so as to be able to lead an intensely prayer-oriented, ascetic, or Eucharist-focused life. While anchorites are ...
and prioress, was born in Huntingdon.
*John Swanel Inskip
John Swanel Inskip (August 10, 1816 – March 7, 1884) was an American minister and evangelist affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal Church. He was a proponent of family sittings in church and a leader in the holiness movement, serving as fou ...
(1816–1884), American minister and evangelist, was born in Huntingdon.
Politics
*David, Earl of Huntingdon
David of Scotland (Medieval Gaelic: ''Dabíd'') (1152 – 17 June 1219) was a Scottish prince and 8th Earl of Huntingdon. He was, until 1198, heir to the Scottish throne.
Life
He was the youngest surviving son of Henry of Scotland, 3rd Earl of ...
(c. 1144–1219), Scottish prince, was born in Huntingdon.
* Richard Patrick (died 1566), MP for Huntingdon in 1559
*Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...
(1599–1658), Lord Protector
Lord Protector (plural: ''Lords Protector'') was a title that has been used in British constitutional law for the head of state. It was also a particular title for the British heads of state in respect to the established church. It was sometimes ...
, was born in Huntingdon.
*Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich
Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich, Order of the Garter, KG Privy Council of England, PC Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS Justice of the Peace, JP (27 July 162528 May 1672) was an English military officer, politician and diplomat, who fought f ...
(1625–1672), English Civil War
The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
general and Restoration
Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to:
* Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage
** Audio restoration
** Film restoration
** Image restoration
** Textile restoration
* Restoration ecology
...
politician, attended Huntingdon Grammar School.
*Richard Cromwell
Richard Cromwell (4 October 162612 July 1712) was an English statesman who was the second and last Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland and son of the first Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell.
On his father's death ...
(1626–1712), Lord Protector (1658–59), was born in Huntingdon.
*Henry Cromwell
Henry Cromwell (20 January 1628 – 23 March 1674) was the fourth son of Oliver Cromwell and Elizabeth Bourchier, and an important figure in the Parliamentarian regime in Ireland.
Biography Early life
Henry Cromwell – the fourth son of Oli ...
(1628–1674), Lord Deputy of Ireland
The Lord Deputy was the representative of the monarch and head of the Irish executive (government), executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and then the Kingdom of Ireland. He deputised prior to 1523 for the Viceroy of Ireland ...
and chancellor of Trinity College, Dublin
, name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin
, motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin)
, motto_lang = la
, motto_English = It will last i ...
, was born in Huntingdon.
* Charlie Elphicke (born 1971), Conservative member of Parliament for Dover 2010-19, was born in Huntingdon.
Science and engineering
* Michael Foster (1836–1907), physiologist and academic, was born in Huntingdon.
* Robert William Edis (1839–1927), architect and writer on decoration, was born in Huntingdon and educated at Huntingdon Grammar School.
*Walter Samuel Millard
Walter Samuel Millard (1864–1952) was a British entrepreneur and naturalist who was honorary secretary of the Bombay Natural History Society, editor of the ''Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society'' from 1906 to 1920, co-author (with E ...
(1864–1952), naturalist and conservationist, was born in Huntingdon.
*John Hilton Grace
John Hilton Grace FRS (21 May 1873 – 4 March 1958) was a British mathematician. The Grace–Walsh–Szegő theorem is named in part after him.
Early life
He was born in Halewood, near Liverpool, the eldest of the six children of farmer Wil ...
(1873–1958), neurologist and Fellow of the Royal Society
Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...
, died in Huntingdon.
Sports
* Walter Yarnold (1893–1978), first-class cricketer, was born in Huntingdon
* Josh Gifford, (1941–2012), National Hunt jockey and trainer, was born in Huntingdon.
* Oliver Gavin (born 1972), racing car driver, was born in Huntingdon.
* Charlotte Edwards (born 1979), international women's cricketer, was born in Huntingdon.
*Darren Bent
Darren Ashley Bent (born 6 February 1984) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. He played in the Premier League and Championship for nine clubs, and at senior international level for the England national team.
...
(born 1984), footballer, was raised in Huntingdon.
* Harriet Lee (born 1991), Paralympic swimmer, was born in Huntingdon.
* James Sykes (born 1992), first-class cricketer, born in Huntingdon
*James Kettleborough
James Michael Kettleborough (born 22 October 1992) is an English cricketer who most recently played for Glamorgan County Cricket Club, Glamorgan.
Biography
Born in Huntingdon and educated at Bedford School. An opening batsman who previously pl ...
(born 1992), first-class cricketer, was born in Huntingdon.
* Alex Martin (born 1992), first-class cricketer, was born in Huntingdon.
*Todd Kane
Todd Arthur Lucien Kane (born 17 September 1993) is an English professional footballer who plays for Coventry City in the Championship. He plays primarily as a right back, but can also play at right midfielder or left back. He is also eligible t ...
(born 1993), footballer, was born in Huntingdon.
*George Furbank
George Furbank (born 17 October 1996) is an English professional rugby union player, currently playing for Premiership Rugby side Northampton Saints.
Early years and education
Born in Huntingdon, Furbank played his first rugby at Huntingdon RF ...
(born 1996), England international professional rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
player was born in Huntingdon
International relations
Twin towns
* Salon de Provence
Salon-de-Provence (, ; oc, label= Provençal Occitan, Selon de Provença/Seloun de Provènço, ), commonly known as Salon, is a commune located about northwest of Marseille in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d' ...
, France
* Szentendre
Szentendre () is a riverside town in Pest County, Hungary, between the capital city Budapest and Pilis Mountains, Pilis-Visegrád Mountains. The town is known for its museums (most notably the :hu: Szentendrei Szabadtéri Néprajzi Múzeum, Open- ...
, Hungary
* Wertheim am Main, Germany
* Gubbio
Gubbio () is an Italian town and ''comune'' in the far northeastern part of the Italian province of Perugia (Umbria). It is located on the lowest slope of Mt. Ingino, a small mountain of the Apennines.
History
The city's origins are very ancient. ...
, Italy
Source:
Freedom of the Town
The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Town of Huntingdon.
Individuals
* Gordon Peacock: 7 May 2022.
* Derek Bristow : 7 May 2022.
Military Units
* RAF Wyton: 17 September 1955.
* RAF Brampton
RAF Brampton was a non-flying Royal Air Force installation near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, England. Formerly the home of RAF Support Command, it also became the home of several elements of Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), which itself was ...
: 1995.
* The Royal Anglian Regiment
The Royal Anglian Regiment (R ANGLIAN) is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It consists of two Regular battalions and one Reserve battalion. The modern regiment was formed in 1964, making it the oldest of the Line Regiments now operating i ...
: 21 January 2010.
* The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment: 23 November 2017.
* The 501st Combat Support Wing
The 501st Combat Support Wing (501 CSW) is an administrative support wing of the United States Air Force, based at RAF Alconbury, United Kingdom. It is one of three wings located in the United Kingdom as components of the Third Air Force and Uni ...
, USAF: 21 September 2018.
See also
* Earl of Huntingdon
References
External links
*
Huntingdon Town Council
*
{{Authority control
Populated places on the River Great Ouse
Towns in Cambridgeshire
Huntingdonshire
County towns in England
Civil parishes in Cambridgeshire