Place:Bedfordshire, England

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NameBedfordshire
Alt namesBedssource: postal abbreviaton
BDFsource: Chapman County Codes (GENUKI)
Bedfordsource: Census UK: County Abbreviations [online] accessed 16 Dec 2002; Webster's Geographical Dictionary (1988) p 129
Bedfordsource: Family History Library Catalog
TypeHistoric county, Administrative county, Modern county
Coordinates52.1°N 0.5°W
Located inEngland
Contained Places
Ancient parish
Eaton Socon ( - 1965 )
Tetworth ( - 1844 )
Tilbrook ( - 1896 )
Borough (county)
Luton
Borough (municipal)
Bedford
Dunstable
Chapelry
Astwick
Billington
Clapham
Eggington
Ickleford ( 1844 - )
Knotting
Pavenham
Stanbridge
Upper Gravenhurst ( - 1888 )
Civil parish
Ampthill
Arlesey
Aspley Guise
Aspley Heath
Astwick
Barton in the Clay
Battlesden
Bedford St. Cuthbert ( - 1934 )
Bedford St. John ( - 1934 )
Bedford St. Mary ( - 1934 )
Bedford St. Paul ( - 1934 )
Bedford St. Peter ( - 1934 )
Bedford
Biddenham
Biggleswade
Billington
Bletsoe
Blunham
Bolnhurst and Keysoe ( 1934 - )
Bolnhurst
Bromham
Campton
Cardington
Carlton with Chellington ( 1934 - )
Carlton
Chalgrave
Chellington ( - 1934 )
Chicksands
Clapham
Clifton
Cockayne Hatley
Colmworth
Colworth Farm ( - 1895 )
Cople
Cranfield
Dean and Shelton
Dean
Dunton
Eastcotts
Eaton Bray
Eaton Socon ( - 1965 )
Edworth
Eggington
Elstow
Eversholt
Everton
Eyeworth
Farndish
Felmersham
Flitwick
Goldington
Great Barford
Harlington
Harrold
Haynes
Heath and Reach
Henlow
Higham Gobion
Hockcliffe
Holwell ( - 1897 )
Houghton Conquest
Houghton Regis
Hulcote and Salford ( 1933 - )
Humbershoe ( - 1897 )
Husborne Crawley
Hyde
Ickleford ( 1844 - )
Kempston Rural
Kempston
Keysoe
Knotting and Souldrop ( 1934 - )
Knotting
Langford
Leagrave
Leighton Buzzard
Lidlington
Limbury
Linslade ( 1965 - present )
Little Barford
Little Staughton
Lower Gravenhurst ( - 1888 )
Luton
Marston Moretaine
Maulden
Melchbourne and Yelden ( 1934 - )
Melchbourne
Millbrook
Milton Bryan
Milton Ernest
Northill
Oakley
Odell
Old Warden
Pavenham
Pertenhall
Podington
Potsgrove
Potton
Pulloxhill
Ravensden
Renhold
Ridgmont
Riseley
Roxton
Salford
Sandy
Sharnbrook
Shefford Hardwick
Shefford
Shelton
Shillington
Silsoe
Souldrop
Southill
Stagsden
Stanbridge
Staploe
Steppingley
Stevington
Stewartby ( 1937 - )
Stondon
Stopsley
Stotfold
Streatley
Sundon
Sutton
Swineshead ( 1888 - )
Tempsford
Tetworth ( - 1844 )
Thurleigh
Tilbrook ( - 1896 )
Tilsworth
Tingrith
Toddington
Totternhoe
Turvey
Upper Gravenhurst ( - 1888 )
Westoning
Wilden
Willington
Wilshamstead
Woburn
Wootton
Wrestlingworth
Wymington
Yelden
District municipality
Bedford District ( 1974 - )
Central Bedfordshire District ( 2009 - )
Mid Bedfordshire District ( 1974 - 2009 )
South Bedfordshire District ( 1974 - 2009 )
Extra parochial area
Chicksands
Colworth Farm ( - 1895 )
Shefford Hardwick
Hamlet
Biscot
Eaton Ford ( - 1965 )
Eggington
Heath and Reach
Humbershoe ( - 1897 )
Hyde
Leagrave
Limbury
Silsoe
Staploe
Stopsley
Hundred
Barford Hundred
Biggleswade Hundred
Clifton Hundred
Flitt Hundred
Manshead Hundred
Redbornstoke Hundred
Stodden Hundred
Willey Hundred
Wixamtree Hundred
Inhabited place
Broom
Clophill
Henlow
Holme
Lower Stondon
Millow
Putnoe
Sewell
Southcote ( 1965 - )
Stanford
Parish
Caddington
Flitton
Gravenhurst
Hulcot
Kensworth ( 1897 - )
Meppershall ( 1844 - )
Moggerhanger
Studham
Whipsnade ( 1897 - )
Parish (ancient)
Ampthill
Arlesey
Aspley Guise
Astwick
Barton in the Clay
Battlesden
Bedford All Saints
Bedford St. Cuthbert ( - 1934 )
Bedford St. John ( - 1934 )
Bedford St. Mary ( - 1934 )
Bedford St. Paul ( - 1934 )
Bedford St. Peter ( - 1934 )
Biddenham
Biggleswade
Bletsoe
Blunham
Bolnhurst
Bromham
Campton
Cardington
Carlton
Chalgrave
Chellington ( - 1934 )
Clapham
Clifton
Cockayne Hatley
Colmworth
Cople
Cranfield
Dean
Dunton
Eaton Bray
Edworth
Elstow
Eversholt
Everton
Eyeworth
Farndish
Felmersham
Flitwick
Goldington
Great Barford
Harlington
Harrold
Haynes
Higham Gobion
Hockcliffe
Holwell ( - 1897 )
Houghton Conquest
Houghton Regis
Husborne Crawley
Kempston
Keysoe
Knotting
Langford
Leighton Buzzard
Lidlington
Little Barford
Little Staughton
Lower Gravenhurst ( - 1888 )
Luton
Marston Moretaine
Maulden
Melchbourne
Millbrook
Milton Bryan
Milton Ernest
Northill
Oakley
Odell
Old Warden
Pertenhall
Podington
Potsgrove
Potton
Pulloxhill
Ravensden
Renhold
Ridgmont
Riseley
Roxton
Salford
Sandy
Sharnbrook
Shelton
Shillington
Souldrop
Southill
Stagsden
Steppingley
Stevington
Stondon
Stotfold
Streatley
Sundon
Sutton
Swineshead ( 1888 - )
Tempsford
Thurleigh
Tilsworth
Tingrith
Toddington
Totternhoe
Turvey
Upper Gravenhurst ( - 1888 )
Westoning
Wilden
Willington
Wilshamstead
Woburn
Wootton
Wrestlingworth
Wymington
Yelden
Registration district
Ampthill Registration District ( 1837 - 1999 )
Bedford Registration District (early) ( 1837 - 1999 )
Bedford Registration District (late) ( 2009 - )
Bedfordshire Registration District ( 1999 - 2009 )
Biggleswade Registration District ( 1837 - 1999 )
Central Bedfordshire Registration District ( 2009 - )
Dunstable Registration District ( 1964 - 1999 )
Leighton Buzzard Registration District ( 1837 - 1999 )
Luton Registration District ( 1837 - )
Woburn Registration District ( 1837 - 1899 )
Rural district
Ampthill Rural ( 1894 - 1974 )
Bedford Rural ( 1894 - 1974 )
Biggleswade Rural ( 1894 - 1974 )
Eaton Bray Rural ( 1894 - 1933 )
Eaton Socon Rural ( 1894 - 1934 )
Holwell Rural ( 1894 - 1897 )
Luton Rural ( 1894 - 1974 )
Suburb
Biscot
Leagrave
Limbury
Ravensden
Renhold
Roxton
Township
Eastcotts
Shefford
Unitary authority
Bedford District ( 1974 - )
Central Bedfordshire District ( 2009 - )
Luton
Urban district
Ampthill
Biggleswade
Kempston
Leighton Buzzard
Sandy
source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names


Bedfordshire (abbreviated Beds.) is a ceremonial county of historic origin in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It was an historic county until 1889, an administrative county from 1889 until 1974, and a modern non-metropolitan county until 2009. The county borough of Luton was established from the Town of Luton in 1964. Luton became a unitary authority in 1997 and the remaining parts of the county were organized into the unitary authorities of Bedford based on the existing borough of Bedford, the county town, and Central Bedfordshire, a combination of Mid Bedfordshire and South Bedfordshire Districts in 2009.

Although the three authorities govern separately, the county remains one ceremonial county.

The county borders the counties of Cambridgeshire to the northeast, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the southeast. It also borders the historic county of Huntingdonshire to the northeast, which has been administered as part of Cambridgeshire since 1974.

Contents

History

For more information, see the EN Wikipedia article History of Bedfordshire., especially the sections "Political history", "Sub county level administration" (which lists the civil parishes and urban and rural districts in charge at various times) and "Industry and agriculture".

Ancient Parishes and Registers

Bedfordshire contains 131 parishes, the parish registers of a dozen of which began before 1540. Most parishes were in the archdeaconry of Bedford in the parish of Lincoln until 1837. The archdeaconry was then transferred to the diocese of Ely and has been in the diocese of St Albans since 1914. A few parishes were transferred between Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire in 1844 and 1899. (source: Genuki pages for Bedfordshire)

Research Tips

  • Genuki pages for Bedfordshire contain much more information than Wikipedia, although some sections of Genuki may be out of date. There are many links to other providers of information. The section of Bedfordshire religious denominations provides a lot of detail. All pre-1812 parish registers for Bedfordshire have been transcribed although not all are included in FamilySearch.
  • Bedfordshire Family History Society published the Parish Records and these are available on CD
  • Bedford Borough Council offers a research service for remote users.
  • Looking 4 Kin. A self-help group
  • Society of Genealogists library holdings for Bedfordshire

Research Tools

English Jurisdictions 1851

Family Search maps have provided this finding aid or "app". Type a location in the search box, select Parish, County, Civil Registration District, Diocese, Rural Deanery, Poor Law Uniion, Hundred or Division from the pulldown list and you are provided with a box locating the place on a Google map. The Info tab gives the dates of creation of the parish, its predecessor(s) and the availability of Parish Records and Bishops Transcripts. The Jurisdictions tab gives the Civil Registration District, the Probate Court, the Diocese, the Rural Deanery, the Poor Law Union, the Hundred and the Ecclesiastical Province. Under options you have a choice of listing contiguous parishes, doing a radius place search, searching the Family History Catalog, the Family History Historical Records, or the FamilySearch Research Wiki, or simply moving on to another search. A layer system allows you to search under more than one category at a time. Remember that history “stops” at 1851 on this finding aid.

source: Family History Library Catalog
This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The original content was at Bedfordshire. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with WeRelate, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.