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SHARNBROOK, a parish in the hundred of WILLEY, county of BEDFORD, 4 miles (N.E.) from Harrold, containing 691 inhabitants. The living is a discharged vicarage, in the archdeaconry of Bedford, and diocese of Lincoln, rated in the kings's books at £8, and in the patronage of the Crown. The church, dedicated to St. Peter, is of early English architecture, with a spire. There is a place of worship for Baptists.
[A Topographical Dictionary of England - Samuel Lewis - 1831]
The 1851 Census Index for Sharnbrook can be found in the 1851 Index to Census of Bedfordshire, Volume 1, Book 1 available from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.
Church of England
The church of St. Peter is an edifice of stone, chiefly of the Decorated period, with Perpendicular insertions, consisting of a large north chapel, nave of four bays, aisles, north and south porches, and a western tower with pierced parapet, with pinnacles, and octagonal spire relieved by three tiers of dormers, and containing a clock and 6 bells: the chancel has a groined piscinia, and a seat below the adjoining south window; in the south aisle is another piscina, and in the north chapel are three Early Decorated sedilia and a trefoiled piscine: the font is octagonal and panelled: the east window is a memorial to John Gibbard, 1849, and Mary his wife, 1855, and was erected by their children: there is a brass to William Cobbe kt. 1525, Alys his wife, and Thomas their son; and inscribed stones to Sir William Cobb, 1675 ; Thomas Cobb esq. 1662, and Dorothy his wife; Thomas Cobb, 1670 ; and William Cobb, 1487: the monument to Sir Oliver Boteler kt. with shields of arms and a genealogical account of his family in 1618, formerly in the north chapel, has been removed to the west end of the church, and in its place a handsome monument to Hollingworth Magniac esq. of Colworth, and Helen his wife, was erected in 1887 by the late Charles Magniac esq.: there are other memorials of modern date to the families of Gibbard, Antonie, Magniac and Bullock, the latter including an epitaph of unequalled fulsomeness to John Bullock. esq. and Sarah his wife: the church was partially rebuilt and re-roofed in September, 1855, by subscription: the tower and spire were thoroughly restored in 1882, at a cost of £300, and the bells rehung and a sixth bell added, at a cost of £130: there are 210 sittings. The register dates from the year 1596.
[Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]
Non-conformist
There are two Baptist chapels.
[Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]
A List of Rectors of Sharnbrook St Peter is available here.
Church of England
The parish record transcripts for St. Peter are available on microfiche for the period 1596-1812 from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.
The Police station, with Sessions house and house for the inspector attached, is a building of brick with stone dressings. Colworth, the seat of William Clarence Watson esq. J.P. who has restored the mansion at great cost, is a handsome stone building of three storeys, in the Italian style, erected between 1720-60 by John Antonie esq. chief clerk of the Court of King's Bench: the central portion of the principal front is ornamented with a pediment, and from below extends a spacious balustraded porch, supported on eight coupled columns : the house is surrounded with beautiful pleasure grounds and a park of 250 acres! in which is a large lake. The other mansions in the neighbourhood pre-Sharnbrook House, the property and residence of Leonard Gibbard Stileman-Gibbard esq. M.A., J.P. and Ouse Manor, the residence of William Whitworth esq. J.P. where there are remains of ancient buildings; The Toft, a small but substantially-built mansion of stone, is now (1898) unoccupied. Sharnbrook Grange, erected in 1648, and now occupied by Charles Hicks esq. stands in park-like grounds of about 25 acres; near the house are three fine cedar trees, supposed to be of great age. The principal landowners are William Clarence Watson esq. lord of the manor of Colworth, Charles Bartholomew esq. who is lord of the manor, and William Whitworth esq. The soil is clay; subsoil, clay and gravel. The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats, peas: beans and turnips. Pillow lace is made here. The area is 2,359 acres of land and 28 of water, including Colworth: rateable value, £8,849; the population in 1891 was 761.
Colworth, was formerly a parish, but under the provisions of the "Divided Parishes Act" by "Local Government Act, 1894," if now forms part of the parish of Sharnbrook; it is 2 miles north of Sharnbrook station ; besides the mansion house previously mentioned, if consists of two cottages and a farm of 20 acres. The area is included with Sharnbrook; the population in 1891 was 6.
[Extracts from Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]
Sharnbrook has its own village website to be found at http://www.sharnbrookonline.co.uk/
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[Last updated 16 March 2003 Martin Edwards]