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BROMHAM, a parish in the hundred of WILLEY, county of BEDFORD, 3¾ miles (W. N.W.) from Bedford, containing 298 inhabitants. The living is a vicarage, in the archdeaconry of Bedford, and diocese of Lincoln, rated in the king's books at £8, and in the patronage of the Provost and Fellows of Eton College. The church, dedicated to St. Owen, contains some handsome monuments to deceased members of the families of Trevor and Dyne. The village lies on the banks of the river Ouse, over which there is a bridge: it is recorded that the channel of this river, from some unknown cause, was left so bare of water in 1399 and in 1648, that persons walked in it to the distance of three miles. Here is a mineral spring, but in disuse.
[A Topographical Dictionary of England - Samuel Lewis - 1831]
The 1851 Census Index for Bromham can be found in the 1851 Index to Census of Bedfordshire, Volume 1, Book 3 available from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.
The church of St. Owen, situated in Bromham Park, is an ancient edifice of stone, in the Gothic style of the 13th century, and consists of chancel with vestry on the north, nave, north aisle, north and south porches and a lofty embattled tower containing 6 fine-toned bells, bearing the motto of the Dyve family who were the donors both of the bells and the communion plate: in the Dynevor chapel is an elaborate memorial window to the late Lord Dynevor; in the south wall of the chancel is a piscina, and on the opposite side an aumbry; on a slab in the chancel pavement is a fine palimpsest brass, originally representing a man and his two wives of the early 15th century, but, as now reversed, it commemorates Sir T. Wilde, his wife and mother, with the date 1535 : against the wall of the aisle is a monument of alabaster, with recumbent effigy, clad in armour, of Sir Lewis Dyve, 1603, commander of the Ring's forces for the Newport Pagnell district, during the Great Rebellion; , there are also other interesting monuments : over the south porch is a small library, and inserted in the wall outside the room is an incised slab, recording the foundation of the library by Thomas Lord Trevor, in 1740: against one of the piers of the nave is an ancient alms box in 1868 the church was restored by the parishioners, the chancel rebuilt at the cost of the Hon. Miss Rice-Trevor, and a chapel erected over the Dynevor family vault by the late Lord Dynevor. The register dates from the year 1570 and the list of incumbents from the year 1225.
[Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]
The parish record transcripts for St Owen are available on microfiche for the period 1570-1812 from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.
Genweb Bedfordshire contains a descriptive page about the mill at Bromham.
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[Last updated 5 May 2003 Martin Edwards]