Willington Bedfordshire Family History Guide
WILLINGTON is a village and parish, 4½ miles east from Bedford, and 52 from London, in the hundred of Wixamtree, union and county court district of Bedford, rural deanery and archdeaconry of Bedford, and diocese of Ely. The Bedford and Cambridge Railway runs through the parish1.
Status: Ancient Parish
Parish church:
Parish registers begin:
- Parish registers: 1676
- Bishop’s Transcripts: 1602
Nonconformists include: Wesleyan Methodist, Independent/Congregational
Table of Contents
Adjacent Parishes
Parish History
The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales 1870
WILLINGTON, a parish in the district and county of Bedford; 4 miles E of Bedford r. station. Post town, Bedford. Acres, 1,648. Real property, £2,185. Pop., 290. Houses, 54. The manor belongs to the Duke of Bedford. Park Farm House is part of the seat of Sir John Gostwick, master of the horse to Henry VIII. Some Roman remains were found in 1860. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Ely. Value, £235. Patron, the Duke of Bedford. The church is later English. There is a parochial school.
Source: The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales [Wilson, John M]. A. Fullarton & Co. N. d. c. [1870-72].
Parish Registers
Willington Parish Registers 1602-1812
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.
Neale, Francis, of St. Bennet, Paul’s Wharf, London, gent., widower, and Anna Mason, of Willington, Beds, spinster, 23, daughter of William Mason, of same, gent., who consents — at St. James, Clerkenwell, Middlesex, or Willington aforesaid. 23 July, 1662. F
Oliver, William, gent., of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, bachelor, 26, and Jane Gostwicke, of same, spinster, 21, daughter of Edward Gostwicke, of Willington, Beds, gent., who consents — at St. Andrew-in-the-Wardrobe. 1 April, 1636. B.
Source: London Marriage Licences 1521 to 1869; Edited by Joseph Foster; London 1887
Parish Records
FamilySearch
Bedfordshire Historical Directories
Directory Transcriptions
The Post Office Directory of Bedfordshire 1869
WILLINGTON is a village and parish, 4½ miles east from Bedford, and 52 from London, in the hundred of Wixamtree, union and county court district of Bedford, rural deanery and archdeaconry of Bedford, and diocese of Ely. The Bedford and Cambridge Railway runs through the parish.
There is a Parochial school. Most of the cottages in this and the adjoining parish were erected by the late Duke of Bedford on his model plan, which is well adapted to the comfort and convenience of the occupants.
In 1860 some Roman remains were discovered here which were sent to Woburn Abbey. The Park farm-house, now in the occupation of Mr John Purser, is a portion of the ancient residence of Sir John Gostwick, Master of the Horse to King Henry VIII., who once held a court therein. The Duke of Bedford is lord of the manor and owner of the soil. Goggs Hall, now Hill House farm, is a mile south east: and Mill farm half a mile east. The prinacipal crops are wheat barley peas and beans. The population in 1861 was 290; area 1,648 acres.
Parish Clerk, William Spavins
Orlebar Rev Augustus M.A. Vicarage
COMMERCIAL
Brimley Joseph farmer Road farm
Brown Thomas farmer Hill farm
Nottingham William shoe maker
Oliver Thomas shopkeeper
Palmer Samuel farmer Mill farm
Purser Henry farmer Park farm
Purser John farmer Park farm
Sale Thomas shopkeeper
Twitchell Thomas farmer Croots farm
Source: The Post office directory of Northamptonshire, Huntingdonshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, and Oxfordshire By Kelly’s directories, ltd 1869
Maps
OS Grid Reference: TL1144849439 (all-numeric format: 511448 249440)
Administration
- County: Bedfordshire
- Civil Registration District: Bedford
- Probate Court: Court of the Archdeaconry of Bedford
- Diocese: Pre-1837 – Lincoln, Post-1836 – Ely
- Rural Deanery: Bedford
- Poor Law Union: Bedford
- Hundred: Wixamtree
- Province: Canterbury
1. The Post office directory of Northamptonshire, Huntingdonshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, and Oxfordshire By Kelly’s directories, ltd 1869