Isle of Ely is a historic region around the city of Ely in Cambridgeshire, England. Its name means "isle of eels" in Anglo-Saxons, as the eels were often caught in local rivers for food. Following the Norman conquest of England, Hereward the Wake and other Anglo-Saxon rebels took refuge on the island; during the Anarchy, the supporters of Empress Matilda also used the Isle of Ely as a stronghold. In 1216, during the Barons' Wars, King John of England recaptured the island from the Barons' Alliance; it also took part in the Peasants' Revolt in 1381. From 1109 to 1837, the island was under the jurisdiction of the Bishopric of Ely, and, from 1889 to 1965, the Isle of Ely served as its own administrative unit. From 1918 to 1983, the Isle of Ely was also home to a parliamentary constituency which was a battleground between the Conservative Party and Liberal Party. In 1961, four years before the Isle of Ely region merged into Cambridgeshire, the region had a population of 89,180.
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