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FELMERSHAM, a parish in the hundred of WILLEY, county of BEDFORD, 7 miles (N.W. by N.) from Bedford, containing, with the hamlet of Radwell, 390 inhabitants. The living is a discharged vicarage, with the vicarage of Pavenham united, in the archdea-conry of Bedford, and diocese of Lincoln, rated in the king's books at £13.13.4.. and in the patronage of the Master and Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is a handsome edifice in the early style of English architecture. The river Ouse runs through the parish, and is crossed by a bridge at Radwell.
[A Topographical Dictionary of England - Samuel Lewis - 1831]
The 1851 Census Index for Felmersham can be found in the 1851 Index to Census of Bedfordshire, Volume 1, Book 2 available from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.
Church of England
The church of St. Mary is a noble cruciform structure of stone, chiefly in the Early English style, furnishing a most interesting example of that period, and consisting of chancel, clerestoried nave of four bays, transepts, aisles, south porch and a central embattled tower with turret, containing 5 bells and a clock : the western entrance is very fine, and exhibits a richly-moulded west doorway, on either side of which is a panelled arch, inclosing two others ; over this is an Early English arcade, and above this a triplet : the clerestory, which is lofty and embattled, is Perpendicular, to which date also belongs the upper part of the tower : the chancel is separated from the nave by an ancient and celebrated oak screen, richly painted : it is of Perpendicular date, and was erected, as appears by the inscription upon it by Richard King and Annete his wife : the east and west windows are stained, and there are many other stained windows in this church, some of those in the north aisle containing early fragments : the chancel retains a double piscina : the organ was introduced in 1872 at a cost of £323 : the church was restored in 1853-5, at the cost of the late Mr. I Payne esq. and further improvements were made in 1867-9, by the Rev. Richard Rawle M.A. then vicar : since 1889 the bells have been rehung, a reredos of alabaster erected, a vestry built, the old font repaired, and other improvements effected at a cost of about £300 : there are memorials to John Leach, 1687, William Leach, 1735, Rev. H. D. Ward M.A. 19 years rector, 1846 ; and to the families of Duppa, Rands, Ferth, Aspin and others : in the nave is a monument to Richard Otway, 1621, and in the south aisle a tablet to the Rev. Thos. Orlebar Marsh, vicar of Steventon, 1749-1831, and others of his family : there are 300 sittings. The register dates from 1660.
[Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]
Non-conformist
RADWELL is a large hamlet, about one mile east, near the river Ouse, over which them is a bridge of four arches. Here is a Primitive Methodist chapel, built 1807.
[Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]
A List of Incumbents of Felmersham St Mary since 1235 can be found here.
Church of England
The parish record transcripts for St Mary are available on microfiche for the period 1660-1812 from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.
If your ancestors came from Felmersham or Radwell, there is an interesting website online called www.felmersham.net that includes history and photographs among other items.
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[Last updated 26 May 2003 Martin Edwards]