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"Bedfordshire (or Beds.), a midland county of England, bounded by the counties of Northampton, Cambridge, Herts, and Bucks. Greatest length, North and South , 30 miles; greatest breadth, East and West, 20 miles; area, 297,600 acres, population 149,473. The surface is mostly flat, varied in the South by a spur of the Chiltern Hills, and in the NW by a range of chalk hills. The chief river is the Great Ouse, with its affluent the Ivel. The country along the banks of the Ouse and other streams is highly verdant and luxuriant. The greater part of the surface is under tillage; indeed, agriculture, it is said, is further advanced here than in any other English county. On the heavy soils the principal crops are wheat and beans. The sandy and chalky soils of the middle districts are well adapted for horticultural husbandry, and vegetables are extensively grown for the markets of London, Cambridge, &c. There is excellent grazing ground in the SE., this county being noted for its breeds of sheep and cattle. The principal manufactures are agricultural implements and straw-plait for hats." [Bartholemew's Gazetteer of the British Isles, 1887]
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Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service (BLARS)
County Hall
Cauldwell Street
BEDFORD
MK42 9AP
Telephone:- U.K. 01234 228833/228777 Overseas +44 1234 228833/228777 Fax:- U.K. 01234 228854 Overseas +44 1234 228854 E-mail address:- archive@bedscc.gov.uk The Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service (BLARS) have a large amount of archive material. Please see their web pages which give a good description of the material available to Genealogists. There is also an index of holdings of the Bedford Record Office on the Bedfordshire County Council site. Their 20% of their catalogue holding is also on-line on their own web site.
Historical Manuscripts Commission - National Register of Archives
The on-line Historical Manuscripts Commission site has search capabilities to find various document references, several for Bedfordshire have been listed here on a reference page.
Details of the location of Victuallers' Licences can be found in the book "VICTUALLERS' LICENCES - Records for Family and Local Historians" by Jeremey Gibson and Judith Hunter, published by the Federation of Family History Societies, ISBN 1 86006 048 X. This book contains details and descriptions of all records held for the Victuallers' Licences. Extracts specific to Bedfordshire Victuallers' Licences are listed separately.
Census information was collected in Bedfordshire every ten years starting in 1801, except for 1941 when the Country was at war. The original purpose of the census was to provide population statistics. However, the 1841 Census was the first meaningful one to help family history researchers because this is the earliest to list personal names. From then onwards the records show the names of each person at the address at which he or she spent the night of the census date. Returns become available for public inspection on the first working day of the year following the year in which they become one hundred years old. Researchers should be aware that there is much evidence to suggest that people did not always state their ages correctly.
Parishes of birth were not recorded in the 1841 Census, although an indication 'Y' or 'N' was given as to whether they were born within the county. For those under the age of 14 the exact age is given, but the ages of those aged 15 or more are rounded down to the nearest 5 years below - so someone who stated he was 19 would have been recorded as 15. From the 1851 census the information is more meaningful.
The dates of UK Censuses were:
1841 - 7th June.
1851 - 30th March.
1861 - 7th April.
1871 - 2nd April.
1881 - 3rd April.
1891 - 5th April.
1901 - 31st March.
1911 - 2nd April.
1921 - 19th June.
1931 - 26th April.The Bedford Record Office holds the Bedfordshire census material for 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881 and 1891 which is available for inspection, of which 1851 and 1881 have been indexed. The availability of census information for the Bedfordshire parishes is given on each Towns and Parishes page, and some can be obtained from the Bedfordshire FHS.
A brief statistical analysis of the census by parish from 1801 to present in 50 year blocks is available here.
There a variety of Local Census Listings between 1678 and 1915 for Bedfordshire which are listed here.
Free Census UK - Bedfordshire - A project has been started to transcribe the UK Census Returns. Details and the transcription software may be found at www.yourtotalevent.com/projects/freecenbdf.htm.
For information on churches see the National Index of Parish Registers - Volume 9 Part 1 Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire compiled by Cliff Webb and published by the Society of Genealogists.
There were eighteen (18) foundations in the 17th century and two (2) in the 18th century. From the 18th century the Quakers (Society of Friends) were on the decline but though small in number had a great influence. The last meeting house was the Bedford Meeting house opened in 1931. For further reading see Friends in Bedfordshire and West Hertfordshire by Joyce Godber, published in 1975.
Bedfordshire is in the bounds of the Catholic diocese of Northampton. Catholicism only really took root in Bedfordshire when immigration started in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The earliest foundation was of a chapel at Shefford in 1728. Several catholic registers have been deposited at the Bedford Record Office including the registers of Bedford St Joseph starting from 1864.
There were ten (10) foundations during the 17th century, ten (10) more in the 18th century, twenty (20) more by 1837 and a further thriteen 913) up to the 18151 Religious Census. This meant that by the mid-19th century there was one Baptists church for every two Anglican parishes. Baptist records have not survived very well some early registers being deposited at the Public Record Office and church books at the Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service (BLARS).
There is a list of BAPTIST MINISTERS IN NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, BEDFORDSHIRE, HUNTINGDONSHIRE 1811 - 1831 provided by Graham Ward.
There were five (5) 18th century foundations. Bedford Circuit was founded in 1765 encompassing not only Bedfordshire but churches in bordering counties. In 1792 Bedford Circuit was split into Bedford, Higham Ferrers and St. Ives, later St. Neots, Circuits. Luton and Hertford became Circuits in 1808. The Luton Circuit consisted of Markyate, Toddington, Tetworth and Dunstable. The 19th century saw an upsurge of chapels, 45 before 1837 followed by a further 26 in the following fourteen years followed by a further 17 by the end of the 19th century. Virtuall every village possessed a Wesleyan presence by 1900. Further Methodist communities also existed, seventeen (17) Primitive Methodist chapels were founded by 1851 and subsequently a further twenty-one (21) were founded by 1900. The size of the Bedford Circuit was reduced in 1812 by the foundation of the Leighton Buzzard Circuit and then again the Newport pagnell Circuit in 1814. St Neots Circuit was dividied in 1810 to form the Biggleswade Circuit and again in 1812 to form the Huntingdon Circuit. Subsequently the Biggleswade Circuit was divided in 1842 to form the Hitchin Circuit. The Luton Circuit was divided in 1843 to form the Dunstable Circuit.
The first formation of the primitive Methodist church in Bedfordshire was in 1834 in Bedford followed by another chapel at Luton in 1839. Bedford Circuit was divied into North and South Circuits in 1897. In 1880 Luton Circuit was split into two circuits, Leighton Buzzard under Newport Pagnell and Biggleswade under Baldock.
Methodist records knew no county boundaries so apart from the holdings at the Bedford Record Office records are to be found in neighbouring record offices. Both Biggleswade Primitive and Wesleyan Methodist Circuits have registers deposited in the Huntingdon Record Office alon with the St Neots circuits. Potton and tempsford, both bordering on Cambridgeshire, also have records deposited there. Higham Ferrers and Raunds Circuits border Northamptonshire and are deposited in that Record office. Hitchin and Letchworth Circuit records are in Hertfordshire Record Office and Newport Pagnell Circuit Records can be found in the Buckinghamshire Record Office.
Records at the Public Record Office RG4/307 1812-37 Ampthill (Wesleyan) Births and baptisms RG4/308 1810-1837
1825Bedford, Harper Street, (Wesleyan)
Bedford, Harper Street, (Wesleyan)Births and baptisms
BurialsRG4/310 1799-1837
1835-1836Biggleswade (Wesleyan)
Biggleswade (Wesleyan)Baptisms
BurialsRG4/222 1798-1809 Eaton Bray (Wesleyan) Births and baptisms RG4/223 1801-1828 Eaton Bray (Wesleyan) Births and baptisms RG4/275 1825-1837 Eaton Bray (Wesleyan) Births and baptisms RG4/224 1837 Eaton Bray (Wesleyan) Births and baptisms RG4/277 1803-1837
1803-1825Luton ( Wesleyan)
Luton & Barnet Circuit ( Wesleyan)
[Unauthenticated Register RG8/1]Births and baptisms
BaptismsRG4/230 1816-1837 Soulbury (Wesleyan) Baptisms Copy of Registers at the Society of Genealogists 1815-1837 Ampthill (Wesleyan) Births and baptisms
The earliest chapels in Bedfordshire went under the guise of Baptists but the Independent church became established and by 1800 four (4) chapels had been founded, by 1851 at least a further 18 existed and a further six (6) or more were founded before 1900. The Independent chapels that started did not always continue as that but were classified as Baptist. Where two denominations needed premises to share saw the creating of 'Union' chapels.
Bedfordshire was one of the main centres of Moravian worship, the Bedford Church was establised in 1745 which was followed by further establishments of chapels at Pertenhall and Riseley in the first part of the 19th century which were followed by six (6) or more by 1900. The Bedford chapel dposited records at the PRO in 1837 and then again in 1857. The Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service (BLARS) has other earlier reecords which include the membership lists.
The Bedford Connexional chapel was closed shortly after 1918.
Bedford Catholic Apostolic Chapel was founded in 1875 and closed shortly after 1945.
The Unitarian chapel in Bedford opened in 1875 and like the Apostolic Chapel closed shortly after 1945.
Although meeetings formed in bedford and Luton by 1900 the Brethren were never very strong in bedfordshire.
In 1894 Salavation Army meeting places had been established at Bedford, Ampthill, Biggleswade, leighton Buzzard, Luton and Potton. River Street Congrees Hall in Bedford was built in 1888 and subsequently rebuilt in the 1990s. By 1914 further S.A. barracks had been built at Arlesey, Dunstable, Eaton Bray and Stotfold.
This sect was established in bedford by 1914, and in Luton by 1939.
In 1851 Mormon meeting places could be found at Kensworth, STudham, Thorncote in Northill and Wybosoton. originally intended to encourage emigration to Utah these establishements were all defunct by 1900 although since World War II new mormon missions have been established throughout Bedfordshire.
With the exception of a few parishes, Bedfordshire formed the Archdeaconry of Bedford, part of the diocese of Lincoln, until 1837, from 1837-1914 the Archdeaconry was in the diocese of Ely and in the diocese of St Albans from 1914.
An exchange of parishes in 1844 saw part of Everton move to Huntingdonshire, Ickleford to Hertfordshire and parts of Meppershall and Studham into Bedfordshire. A further exchange in 1899 saw Swineshead transferred into Bedfordshire and Tilbrook into Huntingdonshire.
Bedfordshire contains 131 parishes which are either totally or partially within the county boundary. Seven began in 1538, Arlesey, Eyeworth, Houghton Regis, Milton Ernest, Sandy, Southill and Sutton and five others in 1539 namely Bedford St Mary, Chalgrave, Houghton Conquest and Ridgmont. Before the reign of Elizabeth I nine more registers started and within the first two years of her reign a further sixteen. Forty-three others started in the 16th century and more than half of the parish registers started before 1600. Only 13 parishes started in the first half of the 17th century and a further 40 started in the second half. There were six registers that started after 1700 and none after 1750.
These comprise around 25,000 documents from the Archdeaconry and most date from circa. 1602. When transcribing the parish registers of Bedfordshire Dr. F.G. Emmison collated the Bishops Transcripts with the registers before printing. This has result in a lack of effort to list the missing years when Emmison's transcripts end in 1812.
The transcripts were originally arranged by year, but starting in 1908, they were steadily sorted into parish groups until after World War 1. Since then the transcripts have been arranged in parish order to 1849 and chronologically thereafter.
These transcripts form the main part of the Archdeacon's Registry but there have been accessions from other sources as well. Between 1938 and 1973 deposits were made at the Record Office Bedford of transcripts from the Lincoln Diocesan Registry. There are also miscellaneous transcripts to the mid-nineteenth century. Further transcripts were received from the Bodleian Library in 1929 from Dr. Richmond with his collection and a few others from the St. Alban's Registry. Most of these have not been used in the compilation of the original records by Dr. Emminson.
Almost all the series from the Peculiars begin in 1604. Of these several years have been found to be missing, for example 1636-1637. Like most areas there is almost a complete absence in the 1640s and 1650s mainly due to the Civil War. It would appear that some incumbents did complete returns in retrospect for some or all of these years but this still leaves large gaps for most parishes.
Most series end between 1860 and 1880 and a few between 1830 and 1850. Only four series continue after 1890 namely Bedford St Mary to 1894, Souldrop to 1895, Meppershall to 1897 and Hockliffe to 1906.
All surviving bonds and allegations to 1812 were published in two volumes of the Bedford Parish Register series, volume 14 covers 1747 to 1790 and volume 15 1791 to 1812. Original bonds and allegations then continue to 1822 and then solely allegations to 1885. For the records 1813-1885 there is an indexed transcript at the Record Office Bedford.
A further card index exists at the record office which covers a few Biggleswade peculiar bonds and allegations which survive for the years 1714-1800 which were not included in the original printed volumes.
For those records included covering the Bedfordshire population held by the central authorities of the Faculty Office and the Vicar General see Bishops Transcripts and Marriage Licences by J.S.W. Gibson published by the Federation of Family History Societies.
The Bedfordshire FHS published in their Journal Volume 3 Number 2 Bedfordshire Marriage Licences in the Annus Mirabilis 1822-1823 and have an index to all allegations 1813-1849. The Allegations between 1822-1823 were useful because of the amount of content as the various parties were required to supply their baptismal certificates.
All parish registers prior to 1812 have been transcribed, mainly due to Dr. Emmison, but a further effort by the Record Office Bedford ensured that all were complete. A further set of transcriptions organised by the Bedford Record Office has resulted in a number of early nonconformist registers and church books being completed.
The Mormons have, as in other counties, filmed a large proportion of the Bedfordshire Registers. The printed transcripts have also been used in the compilation of the I.G.I. and contain roughly 90% of the Bedfordshire Registers pre-1812.
The pre-1812 marriages that have not been included in the I.G.I. are indexed in the Bedford Record Office. Also at the Record Office is an index to post-1812 burials which mainly covers the towns, and 19th/20th century baptisms within the Methodist Circuits.
All settlement papers in parochial collections have been compiled into indexes by the Record Office and these are being complemented with all settlement and bastardy information from the Quarter Session records.
Summary of Baptists Ministers in Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire 1811 - 1831.
When ordering from a the above Offices, please note the following: (a) the cost of a certificate is currently (July 1999) £6.50 - send a Sterling cheque payable to the Superintendent Registrar plus return postage or two International Reply Coupons; (b) the St Catherine's Index references are of no value; (c) for marriage certificates, the precise place of marriage must be given; (d) Civil Registration in England and Wales began on July 1st 1837.
With the development of Web technology, it has been possible to make that database searchable via the Internet, but also to extend the original pack with photographs, extended studies and additional materials. In addition, explanatory notes have been added to the original database entries to make them more easily understood.
Robert Evans Roberts was innovatory in his use of photography to record prisoners. Included here are all the photographs from the prison register for the years 1859 to 1877, linked to the original database where possible.
In time, Bedford Records Office plans to produce a complete database for the 4000+ prisoners that were held in Bedford Gaol over the period 1801-1877. This will provide an even more detailed and richer resource than the database currently used.
Trade Directories of Bedfordshire (and some other counties) in 1830 can be searched
Various Trade Directories can be found from the Historical Directories web site.
GENOOT Family History Services contains a library of useful Gazetteer information for Bedfordshire.
Contains: descriptions of dozens of records, with County Record Office references, and details of where facts may be found elsewhere; addresses and telephone numbers of libraries, museums and country parks; campaigns and battles in which the Bedfordshire Regiment participated; changes to civil and ecclesiastical boundaries; and an alphabetical listing of all Bedfordshire parishes and hamlets giving for each the date of the first entry in a parish register and the hundred and registration district in which it was situated. There is a useful map and index.
The Bishop of Ely delegated authority to the parishes in Bedfordshire overseen by the Diocese of Ely as to whether they would permit their parish registers to be filmed by the LDS. Very few have agreed, although the situation is constantly under review and it is hoped that permission will be given for more registers to be filmed for inclusion. In the meantime, the Bedfordshire Family History Society have transcripts of all the parish registers on microfiche up to 1812; available fiche are listed on the Publications List and is described on each parish page (see Towns and Parishes below).
The Victoria History of the Counties of England series for Bedfordshire covers the history, including village, town, social, economic and natural history, of the county in several volumes. An index to the pages for Bedfordshire is available on-line.
The second part of the collection is a group of documents known as the Hale Collection. This consists of 132 deeds spanning from the late sixteenth to the late seventeenth century. These documents are part of the records of the Hale family of King's Walden (Hertfordshire). In addition to their family seat in Hertfordshire, the Hales also possessed property in Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, and London. The collection documents the history of a wealthy land-owning family from the Elizabethan period to the Restoration. Property transactions in the King's Walden, White Waltham (Berkshire), and Edworth (Bedfordshire) are particularly well represented.
The third part of the collection is made up of miscellaneous deeds acquired by the Library through purchase or donation.
Manors are now listed on a separate page.
Details of the location of Militia Lists and Musters 1757-1876 for Bedfordshire records can be found in the book "Militia Lists and Musters 1757-1876" compiled by Jeremy Gibson and Mervyn Medlycott, 3rd edition 1994 and published by the Federation of Family History Societies, page 11.
'Records of the Miltia & Volunteer Forces 1757-1945' by William Spencer published by the Public Record Offices.
Bedfordshire Historical Record Society have published Bedfordshire Muster Lists 1539-1831 which is volume 71, edited by Nigel Lutt. This book contains extensive lists of names of those mustered and is a very good reference when researching family history.
Details of the location of Tudor and Stuart Muster Rolls for Bedfordshire records can be found in the book "Tudor and Stuart Muster Rolls" compiled by Jeremy Gibson and Alan Dell, 1st edition 1991 and published by the Federation of Family History Societies, page 9.
Bedfordshire Societies are now listed on a separate page.
Church Commissioners. The body that manages the temporal affairs of the Church of England. Created in 1948 by the amalgamation of the former Ecclesiastical Commissioners (first appointed in 1836) and the commissioners of "Queen Anne's Bounty", the Church Commissioners are responsible for the administration of church properties and finances and for the reorganisation, when necessary, of parishes. These include the tithes due on church owned land; this was a common occurence throughout Bedfordshire and the tithes were levied by a system whereby a landowner had to collect the money from other landowners in the parish), whether he managed to collect it or not, he had to pay it for the patish. Each landowner was nominated in turn each year. As can be seen by the various Twons and Parishes listed here much of the property was owned by the church.
Tithes a tenth part of the produce of the land paid from quite early years of the Church to maintain the Clergy. In England, when the lord of a Manor built a Church on his estate, he often enforced payment of tithes to its priest as its endowment, and in time such allocation of tithes became general law. A Synod in 786 strongly enjoined the payment of tithes, which was enforced by law in 900. Tithes were of three sorts - 'praedial', of the fruits of the earth; 'personal', of the profits of labour; and 'mixed', partly of the ground and partly of the industry of man. They were further divided into 'great' (tithes of wheat, oats and other major crops) and 'small' (tithes of lambs, chicken and other minor produce). A Rector had all the tithes, but a Vicar only the small tithes. Gradually many landowners substituted annual cash payments instead of tithes. The Tithes Commutation Act (1836) converted tithes into rent charges dependent on the varying price of corn, but in 1918 the value was fixed, and in 1925 and 1936 further acts were passed (Tithe Redemption Act) to extinguish tithes. There are now no such things as tithes in England.
Ecclesiastical Commission a permanent body, consisting of Bishops and certain lay members appointed by the Crown and the Archbishop of Canterbury, created in 1835 by Act of Parliament through the efforts of Sir Robert Peel to hold much of the property of the Church of England and make better use of it. The Commission abolished sinecures, diminished the chapters of cathedrals brought the incomes of bishops nearer to equality and increased the endowments of poor parishes. In 1948 it was united with Queen Anne's bounty to form a new body, the Church Commissioners for England.
Queen Anne's Bounty. A fund established by Queen Anne in 1704. She surrendered her revenues from first fruits and tenths to the fund, which was to be used for the benefit of poorer beneficed clergy. In the 19th century the fund also received parliamentary wants and private donations. In 1948 the administration of the fund passed to the Church Commissioners.
First fruits and tenths were payments made to the Pope by beneficed clergymen. In 1534 in England these were acquired by the King under Act. Various exemptions were made in 1535, 1536, 1558, 1706 and 1707. In 1703 an Act was passed enabling Queen Anne to employ these moneys in augmenting poor benefices, and since then they have been known as Queen Anne's Bounty, and have been administered by commissioners, first appointed in 1704. Existing legislation regarding Queen Anne's Bounty are Acts of 1703, 1716, 1777, 1780, 1801, 1803,1805, 1830, 1837, 1838, 1839, 1840, 1846, 1865, 1870, 1874, 1875, 1881, 1890, 1894, 1908. The Acts known as Queen Anne's Bounty Acts are those of 1703, 1716, 1803, 1838, 1840 and 1870.
Bedfordshire Towns and Parishes are now listed on a separate page with an alphabetical index.
This county is maintained by Martin Edwards