Hundreds of Huntingdonshire

The hundreds of Huntingdonshire

Huntingdonshire is divided into four hundreds plus the borough of Huntingdon in the centre, locally in Hurstingstone hundred. (map) Each hundred anciently had a separate hundred moot, a council or court, that met each month to rule on local judicial and taxation matters, and though the moots have not been abolished, they ceased to function or meet some centuries ago and their jurisdiction was removed in the nineteenth century, leaving them moribund.

The four hundreds are roughly equally-sized:

• Norman Cross Hundred
• Leightonstone Hundred
• Hurstingstone Hundred
• Toseland Hundred

These four respectively fill the northern, western, eastern and southern quarters of the county.

The hundreds are of very early origin, and that of Norman Cross is referred to in 963 (the name means "Norseman's Cross", not a native of Normandy). The Domesday Book of 1086 lists the county by hundreds, and besides the four existing hundreds of Norman Cross, Toseland, Hurstingstone and Leightonstone, which from their assessment appear to have been double hundreds, mentions an additional hundred of Kimbolton, since absorbed in Leightonstone. Huntingdon was assessed separately at 50 hides.

Parishes

The hundreds comprise the following ancient parishes:

Hundred	Parishes
Hurstingstone	Abbots Ripton, Bluntisham, Broughton, Bury, Colne, Earith, Great Raveley, Great Stukeley, Hartford, Hitchinbrook (ex. par.), Holywell with Needingworth, Houghton, Huntingdon, Kings Ripton, Little Raveley, Little Stukeley, Oldhurst, Pidley, Ramsey, St Ives, Sapley, Somersham, Upwood, Warboys, Wistow, Woodhurst, Wyton
Leightonstone	Alconbury, Alconbury Weston, Barham, Brampton, Brington, Buckworth, Bythorn, Catworth, Coppingford, Covington, Easton, Ellington, Grafham, Great Gidding, Hamerton, Keyston, Kimbolton, Leighton Bromswold, Little Gidding, Luddington (partly in Northamptonshire), Molesworth, Old Weston, Spaldwick, Steeple Gidding, Stow Longa, Swineshead, Thurning (partly in Northamptonshire), Upton, Winwick (partly in Northamptonshire), Woolley
Norman Cross	Alwalton, Botolph Bridge, Caldecote, Chesterton, Conington, Denton, Elton, Farcet, Fletton, Folksworth, Glatton, Haddon, Holme, Lutton (mostly in Northamptonshire), Morborne, Orton Longueville, Orton Waterville, Sawtry, Sibson with Stibbington, Stanground (partly in Cambridgeshire), Stilton, Washingley, Water Newton, Woodstone, Wood Walton, Yaxley
Toseland	Abbotsley, Buckden, Diddington, Eynesbury, Fenstanton, Godmanchester, Great Gransden, Great Paxton, Great Staughton, Hail Weston, Hemingford Abbots, Hemingford Grey, Hilton, Little Paxton, Midloe, Offord Cluny, Offord D'Arcy, Papworth St Agnes (mostly in Cambridgeshire), St Neots, Southoe, Tetworth, Toseland, Waresley, Yelling

See also

• Huntingdonshire