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EASTCOTTS, a chapelry in the parish of CARDINGTON, hundred Of WIXAMTREE, county of BEDFORD, 3½ miles (S. E.) from Bedford, containing, with Cotton-End, Harrowden, and Fenlake, 588 inhabitants.
[A Topographical Dictionary of England - Samuel Lewis - 1831]
EASTCOTTS (formerly Eascotts) is a parish comprising three hamlets, viz. : FENLAKE and NEW FENLAKE, one mile south-east from Bedford ; HARROWDEN, one mile and a half south-east, on a feeder of the river Ouse, and COTTON END, 3 miles south-east, all on or near the road from Bedford to Hitchin : it is in the Northern division of the county, hundred of, Wixamtree, and petty sessional division, union and county court district of Bedford. The parish is ecclesiastically annexed to Cardington. At Cotton End is a large Baptist chapel, re-built by subscription in 1836, and seating about 600 persons. A Sunday School with large class rooms was erected in 1894, and is also used for parish purposes. Forster's charity, of £30 yearly, derived from land here, is distributed in two sums of £25 to this district and £5 to Cardington. Pillow lace was formerly made here, but this handicraft is now almost extinct. Samuel Whitbread esq. D.L., J.P. of Southill Park is lord of the manor and principal landowner. The soil is clay ; subsoil, gravel and clay. The chief crops are wheat, barley, beans and turnips. The area is 2,802 acres land and 14 of water ; rateable value, £3,712 ; the population in 1891 was 830.
[Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]
The 1851 Census Index for Eastcotts can be found in the 1851 Index to Census of Bedfordshire, Volume 2, Book 2 available from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.
Church of England
The parish is ecclesiastically annexed to Cardington.
[Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]
Non-conformist
At Cotton End is a large Baptist chapel, re-built by subscription in 1836, and seating about 600 persons.
[Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]
Genweb Bedfordshire contains a descriptive page about Eastcotts.
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[Last updated 6 May 2003 Martin Edwards]