KIMBOLTON, a small town, a parish, and a sub-district in St. Neots district, Huntingdon. The town stands on the river Kym, under Kimbolton hill, near the boundary with Beds, 8 miles NW by W of St. Neots r. station, and 11 WSW of Huntingdon; was anciently known as Kinnibantum; and has a post office‡ under St. Neots, a church, three dissenting chapels, a grammarschool, three other public schools, an alms house, and charities £168. The church is early English; consists of nave, aisles, chancel, two chantries, and S porch, with W tower and broach spire; and contains a double piscina, some monuments of the Montagues, and some old armour and banners. The grammar school affords a liberal education, including some instruction in agricultural chemistry; and has an endowed income of £220. A weekly market was formerly held on Friday; and fairs are held on Easter-Friday, Whitsun-Friday, the Fridar after Old Michaelmas, and 11 Dec. The town gives the title of Baron to the Duke of Manchester. -The parish contains also the hamlets of Wornditch, Newtown, and Stonely; and comprises 5, 061 acres. Real property, £9, 140; of which £50 are in gasworks. Pop., 1, 661. Houses, 376. The manor belonged to the Mandevilles, the Bohuns, and the Staffords; formed part of the marriage dowry of Queen Catherine of Arragon; was given, by Henry VIII., after her death, to the Wingfields; passed to the Montagues; and belongs now to the Duke of Manchester. Kimbolton Castle is the Duke's seat; succeeded a previous mansion, in which Queen Catherine died; was built by Sir Richard Wingfield, and much improved by Charles, first Duke of Manchester; is a quadrangular edifice, with embattled parapet and central court; has a hexastyle portico at the main entrance; and stands in an extensive well wooded park. An Angustinian priory was founded at Stonely, about 1180, by one of the Mandevilles; and has left some remains. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Ely. Value, £200.* Patron, the Duke-of Manchester.—The sub-district contains also twelve other parishes, -six of which are electorally in Beds. Acres, 3 4, 429. Pop., 9, 349. Houses, 2, 067.

(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))