In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Godmanchester like this:
GODMANCHESTER, or Gumecester, a town and a parish in the district and county of Huntingdon. The town stands on the river Ouse, adjacent to the Cambridge and Huntingdon railway, and near the Great northern railway, ¾ of a mile SSE of Huntingdon; and is connected with that town by a bridge over the Ouse. ...
It disputes with Huntingdon the claim of being the Durolipons of the Romans; it has yielded many Roman coins, and other antiquities; it was probably a military post, or fortified station, of Guthrum or Gormond the Dane; and it was known, in subsequent times, as Guma, Gumicastria, and Gumicestre. It was held of the Crown, by grant of King John; was made a borough by James I.; and is noted for long retention of curious old customs. It occupies a considerable tract of ground; comprises several streets; presents an irregular appearance; and, though containing many good houses, consists chiefly of cottages. It has a post office under Huntingdon, a fair on Easter Tuesday, extensive oil and flour mills, a church, two Baptist chapels, a grammar school, and a girls' and infants' national school. The church is a large light edifice, of the 14th century, with western embattled tower and spire of the 17th century; and was restored in 1853. The grammar school was founded by Queen Elizabeth, and has £24 from endowment. Other charities have about £40. The borough is governed, under the new act, by a mayor, four aldermen, and twelve councillors; is included in the parliamentary borough of Huntingdon; and is co-extensive with the parish. Acres, 5, 590. Real property, £13, 662. Pop., 2, 438. Houses, 544. The property is subdivided. The inhabitants were long celebrated for prime agriculture; but, by general improvement in the country around them and throughout the kingdom, have been brought nearly or quite to the common level. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Ely. Value, £328.* Patrons, the Dean and Chapter of Westminster. Stephen Marshall, the puritan divine, a chief of the Smectymnians, was a native.
Godmanchester through time
Godmanchester is now part of Huntingdonshire district. Click here for graphs and data of how Huntingdonshire has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Godmanchester itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Godmanchester in Huntingdonshire | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/885
Date accessed: 18th April 2024
Not where you were looking for?
Click here for more detailed advice on finding places within A Vision of Britain through Time, and maybe some references to other places called "Godmanchester".
