Whilst the most important part of Cassey’s Trade Directory of Huntingdonshire describes the Towns and Parishes [please see listing of places below] in 1862, there are other sections containing historical information;
History of England – The Ancient Britons – The Saxons – The Saxon Idols – Saxon names of the months – Ancient names of the months – Kings of England – The Heptarchy – Monarchs before the Conquest – Monarchs since the Conquest – Genealogy of the Royal Family – Principle events during the Reigns – The Romans – The Saxons – The Heptarchy – Anglo-Saxons – The Danes – The Normans – House of Blois – House of Plantagenet – House of Lancaster (Red Rose) – House of York (White Rose) – Union of the Two Roses – House of Stuart – House of Hanover – Huntingdonshire Places – Magistrates – Public Officers – London Bankers – Stamp Duties – County Fairs – Addenda – Index of Places
In the introduction to the places in the county, the Editor states;
“HUNTINGDONSHIRE, an inland county, is small, and extends from 52° 8 ‘ t o 52° 36′ N. Lat.; and from 0°3′ E. Long, to 0°31’ W. Long. It is bounded on the north and north-west by the county of Northampton, from which the river Nene divides it; on the north-east, east, and south-east, by Cambridgeshire, and on the south and south-west by Bedfordshire. Its size is variously stated, one authority giving a square area of 236,800 acres, or 370 square miles; another 220,000 acres, or 345 square miles; and the parliamentary returns, 241,690 acres. The circumference, however, is about 100 miles.
This county was in the diocese of Lincoln, and province of Canterbury, but under the provisions of the Act of the 6th and 7th of William IV., cap. 77, it is transferred to the diocese of Ely.
It forms an archdeaconry, comprising the deaneries of Huntingdon, St. Ives, Leightonstone, St. Neots, and Yaxley. For civil purposes it is divided into the hundreds of Norman Cross, which includes the northern part, Toseland, the southern, Hurstingstone, the eastern, and Leightonstone, the western; embracing 108 parishes.
The population, by the census of 1851, amounted to 64,183; 31,933 males, and 32,250 females. The number of inhabited houses was 13,285; uninhabited 632, and building 64. It contains the parliamentary and municipal borough, county, and market town of Huntingdon, the municipal borough of Godmanchester, and the market towns of Kimbolton, Ramsey, St. Ives, and St. Neots. Two Knights are returned for the shire, and two representatives for the borough of Huntingdon, with the corporate town and parish of Godmanchester. The county is included in the Norfolk circuit; the assizes and quarter sessions are held in Huntingdon, where stands the county gaol.
A peculiarity in the civil government of Huntingdonshire is, that it is concluded in the same shrievalty as Cambridge, the sheriff being annually chosen, in rotation, from the county of Cambridge, the Isle of Ely, and this county. In the second turn, he is chosen one year out of the north part, and then out of the south part of that isle. The polling places are Huntingdon and Stilton ; the former is the principal.”
The places include;
Abbots Ripton, Wennington, Abbotsley, Alconbury, Alconbury Weston, Alwalton, Barham, Bluntisham, Brampton, Brington, Broughton, Buckden, Buckworth, Bury, Bythorn, Caldecote, Great Catworth, Little Catworth, Chesterton, Colne, Connington , Coppingford, Covington, Denton, Buddington, Easton, Ellington, Elton, Eynesbury, Farcet, Fens Stanton, Fletton, Folksworth, Great Gidding, Little Gidding, Steeple Gidding, Glatton, Godmanchester, Graffham, Great Gransdon, Little Gransdon, Haddon, Hailweston, Hamerton, Hartford, Hemingford Abbots, Hemingford Grey, Hilton, Holme, Holywell, Houghton, Huntingdon, Huntingdonshire, Keyston, Kimbolton, Wornditch, Stonely, King’s Ripton, Leighton Bromeswold, Midloe, Molesworth, Morborn, Offord Cluny, Offord Darcey, Overton Longville, Overton Waterville, Southill, Stagsden, Stanbridge, Little Staughton, Staughton Highway, Steppingley, Stevington „, Stondon, Stotfold, Streatley, Studham, Sundon, Sutton, Swineshead, Tempsford, Thurleigh, Tilbrook, Tilsworth, Tingrith, Toddington, Totternhoe, Turvey, Warden, Westoning, Whipsnade, Wilden, Willington, Wilshamstead , Winnington, Woburn, Wootton, Wrestlingworth, & Yielden