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BARFORD (GREAT), a parish in the hundred of BARFORD, county of BEDFORD, 6 miles (E. N. E.) from Bedford containing 635 inhabitants. The living is a discharged vicarage, united to that of Roxton, in the archdeaconry of Bedford, and diocese of Lincoln, rated in the King's books at £9. The church is dedicated to All Saints. There is a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists. The navigable river Ouse, here crossed by a bridge, runs along the south-eastern border of the parish.
[A Topographical Dictionary of England - Samuel Lewis - 1831]
The 1851 Census Index for Great Barford can be found in the 1851 Index to Census of Bedfordshire, Volume 2, Book 3 available from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.
Steven Gibbs has placed census information on-line for the following census 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1891 and 1901.
Church of England
The church of All Saints is a handsome structure chiefly in the Perpendicular style (the tower only being ancient), and consists of chancel, nave, aisles and an embattled western tower with pinnacles and a small lead-covered spire, containing 5 bells: in the chancel is a mural monument to Thomas Anscell, his wife, and family, 1591, with figures in high relief: there is a brass with two effigies, and one loose to John Fitzgeffrey, 1535: attached to the chancel is a vault of the Francklin family, and on a marble slab are recorded the names of those deposited therein: the stained east window, erected in 1864, is a memorial to Mr. Arnold, of Great Barford House: the font, of Early English date, is octagonal and supported on four low shafts: the church was repaired and enlarged in 1849 and again enlarged in 1860, and will seat 430 persons. The register dates from the year 1564.
[Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]
Non-conformist
Here is a Wesleyan chapel, built in 1824.
[Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]
Church of England
The parish record transcripts for All Saints are available on microfiche for the period 1564-1812 from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.
Steven Gibbs has been indexing some of the parish records for Great Barford. The registers and approximate dates covered are Baptisms 1813-1892, Burials 1841-1900, Marriages 1813-1904. Please note that these are not formal transcriptions. He has modified some spellings and corrected obvious mistakes (and omitted some fields, such as officiating clergyman).
The registers: 1847/8 Electoral Register, 1867/8 Electoral Register and 1874 Electoral Register are on-line from Steven Gibbs site.
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[Last updated 26 May 2003 Martin Edwards]