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TODDINGTON, a market town and parish in the hundred of MANSHEAD, county of BEDFORD, 15 miles (S.) from Bedford, and 89 (N. W. by N.) from London, containing 1665 inhabitants. This small town occupies an elevated site, and is irregularly built; the houses are of ancient appearance. The manufacture of straw-plat employs a great number of the poor inhabitants. The market, granted by charter of Henry III., in 1218, is held on Saturday, but has considerably declined: fairs are held on St. George's day, the first Monday in June, September 4th, November 2nd, and December 16th. The living is a rectory, in the archdeaconry of Bedford, and diocese of Lincoln, rated in the king's books at £29.2.11., and in the patronage of the Heirs of the late Lady Louisa Conolly. The church, which is dedicated to St. George, has portions in the later style of English architecture, and contains some ancient monuments; the exterior is ornamented with a variety of grotesque figures of animals. There is a place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists. Some remains of an old manor-house, erected on the summit of Cinger mount, are still visible, having been converted into a farm-house. An hospital for a chaplain and three poor men was founded here, in 1443, by Sir John Broughton.
[A Topographical Dictionary of England - Samuel Lewis - 1831]
The 1851 Census Index for Toddington can be found in the 1851 Index to Census of Bedfordshire, Volume 5, Book 2 available from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.
Church of England
The church of St. George is a noble cruciform structure, chiefly in the Early English and Perpendicular styles, consisting of chancel, with sacristy of two stories. clerestoried nave of four bays, aisles; transepts, south porch, and a central embattled tower of three stages, with angle turret, and containing a clock, with chimes, erected during 1862-75, 8 bells, cast in 1792 and a sanctus bell, dated 1665: the nave arcades and the lower stage of the tower are Early English; the upper, stage, aisle and clerestory, Perpendicular: the north aisle and transept, as well as the vestry, have a singular cornice, highly enriched with grotesque figures of human beings, beasts and birds: the roof displays elaborately carved, figures of angels holding shields, wreaths: and other ornaments : in the south transept, under an arched recess in the south wall, are two tombs with recumbent effigies of marble the westernmost being that of a knight in armour: with surcoat of his arms; and on either side an angel holding across his breast an inscribed scroll; the figure represents Thomas Peyvre: 1429, a descendant of Paulinus Peyvre, who held the manors in the reign of Henry III.; the others effigy is that of a female in mantle and richly jewelled wreath, representing Margaret (Loring), wife of the preceding Thomas the inscriptions, now lost, are given in Cott. MSS. Cleop, c. iii. f. 8, Brit. Mus.: against the west wall is the cross-legged effigy of a knight with the arms of Peyvre on his surcoat, supposed to represent Nicholas Peyvre, 1361-2, father of the above; another tomb the sides of which are adorned with shields of arms, is inscribed to Anne [Broughton), 1561, wife of Sir Thomas Cheyne kt. K.G. and warden of the Cinque Ports; the next is an alabaster tomb, now much mutilated and partly of brick, with an effigy in rich armour of Henry Cheyne, baron Cheyne of Toddington, 1587, son of the foregoing; and one more tomb bears the effigy of his wife Jane (Wentworth), 1614, attired in wimple and mantle: in the north transept are several tombs of the Wentworth family, who held the manor in the 17th and 18th centuries, lincluding one erected at a cost of £2,000, to Henrietta Maria, baroness Wentworth, 1686, daughter and sole heir of Thomas, Lord Wentworth, and Philadelphra (Cary) his wife, both of whom, as well as Thomas, earl Of Cleveland, are interred beneath: on the opposite side is a large canopied mural monument to Maria, 1632, eldest daughter of Thomas, earl of Cleveland and Ann (Crofts), his wife; here are also buried William, 1623, and Charles, 1622, sons of the same peer: in the chancel is a monument to Gyles Bruse esq. 1595, youngest son of Sir John Bruse, of Great Wenham, Suffolk kt. placed by his sister Alice; his tomb, with inscription, being under the chancel arch; there are also brasses to Thomas Claver, rector, 1654; and Thomas Pennington, gent. 1643, and some fragments: King James I. attended divine service in this church on the 24th July, 1608: a portion of the fabric was restored, at a cost of about £3,000, by the Rev. John Clegg M.A: rector, 1862-75, and the Rev. C. E. Haslam, rector 1876-86; and during the year 1893 further restoration was carried out at an additional cost of nearly £1,000 and in the course of the work, during the period 1862-86, several mural paintings were discovered on both sides of the nave and over the north door: there are sittings for 750 persons. The register dates from 1540, and is in a fair state of preservation; the 4th vol. contains a large and interesting collection of Briefs from 1653 to 1810.
Abraham Hartwell, rector here, according to Lysons, in the 17th century, was a learned writer of that period, and bequeathed his library for the use of his successors.
[Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]
Non-Conformist
Here are places of worship for Baptists, Wesleyans and Primitive Methodists ; the Wesleyans have day and Sunday schools here.
[Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]
Church of England
The parish record transcripts for St George are available on microfiche for the period 1540-1812 from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.
A Cemetery of 1 acre 3 roods was formed in 1856, and is under the control of the Parish Council. A Reading Room was established in 1897. The straw plait manufacture is carried on here to some extent. There is a fire brigade, consisting of 1 superintendent and 12 firemen and the engine house is in the Church square. The market was originally held on Thursday, but was changed to Saturday by a charter of King Edward II. in 1316. Fairs are held on April 29th, the first Monday in June, November 2nd and December 6th, and a statute fair on the Wednesday before Old Michaelmas Day. Toddington Hospital, founded 21 Henry VI. (1442-3) by John Broughton, for a warden and three poor men, and dedicated to St. John the Baptist, was dissolved by Sir Thomas Cheyne, and subsequently seized by the Crown. The charity estate, comprising a small farm and house, produces about £60 yearly, and is administered by trustees; a charge on Herne farm of £20 a year is for three widows. In a field belonging to1 the late William Harbett esq. in this parish, a variety of antiquities, viz. black earthen pots filled with small bones, also spear heads, swords and iron helmets, have been found. This place was the seat of Sir Paulinus Peyvre, who was steward of the royal household of Henry III. and erected here a fine manor house: here also resided in the reign of Henry VIII. Sir Thomas Cheney K.G. and his son Sir Henry Cheney kt. afterwards Baron Cheney of Toddington; the latter built a magnificent residence here, about half a mile from the church, forming a quadrangle 210 feet on the north and south sides; it was at one time the residence of Henrietta Maria Baroness Wentworth: an oak tree still exists in the park in which her initials are carved; a portion of this mansion is now occupied by William Smith Cowper Cooper esq. the present lord of the manor and principal landowner. The grounds, covering about 80 acres, are let with, the farm. The soil is marl and clay; subsoil, gravel. The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats, beans and peas. The area is about 5,528 acres of land and 7 of water; rateable value, £13,719; the population in 1891 was 2,087.
[Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]
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[Last updated 16 March 2003 Martin Edwards]