Great Barford Bedfordshire Family History Guide

Great Barford is an Ancient Parish in the county of Bedfordshire.

Parish church: All Saints

Parish registers begin:

• Parish registers: 1559
• Bishop’s Transcripts: 1602

Nonconformists include: Wesleyan Methodist, Particular Baptist

Adjacent Parishes

• Renhold
• Roxton
• Wilden
• Willington
• Blunham

Great Barford Parish Registers

Search online registers of baptisms, marriages, banns and burials including digitised images of original records and registers and indexed transcriptions.

Baptism Records

These records include indexed transcriptions of parish register baptisms.

Great Barford, Bedfordshire Baptisms, 1563-1952

Marriage and Banns Records

These records include indexed transcriptions of parish register marriages and banns.

Great Barford, Bedfordshire Marriages, 1559-1932

Death and Burial Records

These records include indexed transcriptions of parish register deaths and burials.

Great Barford, Bedfordshire Burials, 1812-1938

Great Barford Parish Registers 1559 – 1812

The Great Barford Parish Registers 1559 – 1812 are available free to read online, with options to download the pdf for personal research

Great Barford Parish Registers 1559 – 1812 Bedfordshire Parish Registers Edited by F. G. Emmison, Clerk of Records, Bedfordshire. Published under the auspices of the County Records Committee of the Bedfordshire County Council, and of the Ven. the Archdeacon of Bedford. Volume V. Bedford: County Record Office, Shire Hall. 1932. Contents: Roxton 1602 to 1812, Great Barford 1559 to 1812, Renhold 1602 to 1812. Date of publication: 1932.

London Marriage Licences and Allegations 1521 to 1869

The following have been extracted from London Marriage Licences 1521 to 1869.

Abbreviations. — B. Bishop of London’s Office; D. Dean and Chapter of Westminster; F. Faculty Office of Archbishop of Canterbury; V. Registry of the Vicar-General of Canterbury.

Birkhead, Joseph, of Great Barford, Beds, clerk, bachelor, 27, and Mary Somershall, of St. Giles, Cripplegate, London, spinster, 25 — at St. Martin, Ludgate, London, or … . 25 March, 1685. F

Source: London Marriage Licences 1521 to 1869; Edited by Joseph Foster; London 1887

Quarter Sessions Rolls

The following have been extracted from the Notes & Extracts from the Bedfordshire County Records comprised in the Quarter Sessions Rolls from 1714 to 1832 compiled by Messrs. Hardy & Page, Record Agents

1737 5th October A schedule of the estate of John Willis, of Great Barford, yeoman, a prisoner for debt.

Population

1801 – 431
1818 – 577
1831 – 731

Schools

1818 Digest of Returns to Circular Letter from the Select Committee on Education of the Poor, &c.
Schools – None

Sunday Schools – A Sunday school, for 70 children, supported by voluntary contribution.

Observations – The poor are very desirous of education; and a national school for Great Barford and Roxton would be beneficial, as there are upwards of 60 children in want of instruction.

Notes – Return signed by J. Clarkson, vicar.

Poll Books

Great Barford Poll Book 1807

Freeholders Name    Residence    Freehold* and Occupier

Alders John    Buckden, Hunts.    H.& L.  Jefferies Benjamin
Barcock John    Great Barford    ….  Samuel W. & others
Buston Rev. Roger    Windham, Norfolk    L. Crespin Mrs.
Cumberland W.    Great Barford    H.& L.   Self and others
Dobson William    Girtford    H. Purser and others
Duncombe James    Great Barford    H.& L. Robinson John
Francklin J. Esq.    Devon. St. Port. Place, London    ….  Jefferies Benjamin
Freshwater John    Great Barford    …. Self
Freshwater John    Renhold    ….  Castle Isaac
Freshwater Thomas    Great Barford    …. Medley Jude
Freshwater W.    Isle of Wight    ….  Castle Isaac
Gilbert Thomas    Great Barford    H.  Self
Halsey Joseph, Esq.    Gaddesden, Herts.    H. & L.  Duncombe James
Hart Samuel    Great Barford    H. Self and others
Hart Thomas    ditto    H. & L.  Self
Jefferies Benjamin    ditto    L. Self
Lovelidge Thomas    Bedford    L. Hart Thomas
Pedley William    Great Barford    H. & L.  Self
Robertson John    Long Stanton, Cam.    L. Duncombe James
Rowles George    Great Barford    H. & L.  Self
Smith William    ditto    …. Freshwater John
Sutton Edward    Mogerhanger    …. Sabey William
Wootton Richard    Great Barford    …. Self
Notes:

*Of what the Freehold Consists

Historical Directory Transcriptions

The Post Office Directory of Bedfordshire 1869

GREAT BARFORD is a large scattered village, 5 north east from Bedford, 6 south west from St Neots, 7 north west from Biggleswade, and 52 from London, in hundred of Barford, union and county court district of Bedford, rural deanery of Eaton, archdeaconry of Bedford, and diocese of Ely, situate on the river Ouse.

Parish Clerk, James Field

National School, James Taylor, master; Mrs Sarah Sharp, mistress

CARRIERS TO BEDFORD – John Franklin, from Eaton, saturday, returning same day; John Thomas, from Blunham, monday, Wednesday, & saturday, returning same days; James Cope, from Tempsford, monday, wednesday, & saturday, returning same days; Mrs Susan Woods, from St Neots, wednesday, returning same day

Arnold Miss Great Barford house
Humbley Joseph esq Central villa
Richardson Rev Thomas Pierson MA vicar The Vicarage
Sprigge Charles MD Great Barford villa

COMMERCIAL

Ayres John Sellis farmer
Ayres William butcher

Barker John boot & shoe maker
Beach Ann Mrs shopkeeper
Beetles Thomas brick maker
Berry William tailor

Chapman William beer retailer
Clark John farmer
Cooper Henry engineer

Daniels Frederick Crown inn
Dover Jas shoeing smith & postmaster

Holben William beer retailer
Holland Joseph harness maker

James Amos White Hart
Jarvis Sarah Mrs shopkeeper
Jefferies John maltster
Jefferies Robert Ayres farmer
Jefferies Sellis farmer
Joyce Joseph James farmer

Kingston Henry butcher

Lee Joseph market gardener

Mann John saddler & harness maker
Martin Samuel farmer
Mayhew John farmer
Mayhew William farmer

Osborn Samuel bricklayer

Page James wheelwright
Pedley James baker
Pedley John corn dealer
Pettitt John gardener
Purser John blacksmith

Randall Ann Mrs baker
Roals William farmer
Rutland John farmer

Sabey John horse dealer
Sabey John market gardener
Saville Annie Maria Mrs butcher & beer retailer
Saville Ellen Mrs farmer
Saville Jane Miss shopkeeper
Sharp William beer retailer
Smith George Golden Cross
Smith Lydia Mrs boot & shoe maker
Sprigge Charles MD LSA surgeon

Trustrum Edward miller & farmer

Wagstaff Odell Henry boot & shoe maker
Watford William carpenter & builder
Wells John thrashing machine proprietor
Wootton William tailor
Wootton William jun tailor

Source: The Post office directory of Northamptonshire, Huntingdonshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, and Oxfordshire By Kelly’s directories, ltd 1869

Parish History

The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales 1870

BARFORD (Great), a parish in the district and county of Bedford; on the river Ouse, 3 miles NNW of Sandy r. station, and 6 E by N of Bedford. It has a post office under St. Neot’s. Acres, 2,830. Real property, £4,679. Pop., 907. Houses, 198. The property is subdivided. The river Ouse here is crossed by a bridge of about the beginning of the 15th century, and is navigable. The living is a vicarage, annexed to Roxton, in the dio. of Ely. The church is later English. There are a Wesleyan chapel, a national school, and charities £20.

Source: The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales [Wilson, John M]. A. Fullarton & Co. N. d. c. [1870-72].

The Parliamentary Gazetteer of England and Wales 1840

Barford (Great), a parish in the hund. of Barford, union and county of Bedford; 6 miles east-north-east from Bedford. Living, a discharged vicarage united with that of Roxden, in the archd. of Bedford and dio. of Lincoln; rated at £9; and in the patronage of Trinity college, Cambridge. The great and small tithes, the property of Trinity college, Cambridge, and the vicar, were commuted in 1820. There are two daily and two Sunday-schools here. The river Ouse, over which there is here a bridge, built about the beginning of the 15th century, is navigable along the south-eastern parts of the parish. Pop., in 1801, 431; in 1831, 731. Houses 150. Acres 2,830. A. P. £2,545. Poor rates, in 1837, £428.

Source: The Parliamentary Gazetteer of England and Wales; A Fullarton & Co. Glasgow; 1840.

Historical Maps

View detailed 19th-century Ordnance Survey maps from the National Library of Scotland Maps – includes OS 25 inch 1892-1918 maps, a vast range of other historical OS maps and land use maps. These maps reveal old street layouts, parish boundaries, and landmarks long since vanished.

Administration

• County: Bedfordshire
• Civil Registration District: Bedford
• Probate Court: Court of the Archdeaconry of Bedford
• Diocese: Pre-1837 – Lincoln, Post-1836 – Ely
• Rural Deanery: Eaton
• Poor Law Union: Bedford
• Hundred: Barford
• Province: Canterbury