Arlesey Bedfordshire Family History Guide

Arlesey is an Ancient Parish in the county of Bedfordshire.

Alternative names: Arlsey

Parish church: St. Peter

Parish registers begin: 1538

Nonconformists include: Wesleyan Methodist

Parishes adjacent to Arlesey

Langford
Holwell
Ickleford Hertfordshire
Stotfold
Astwick
Henlow

Historical Descriptions

The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales 1870

ARLESEY, Arlsey, or Arsley, a village and a parish in Biggleswade district, Beds. The village stands on the river Hiz, a little E of the Great Northern railway, 4 miles ESE of Shefford; and it has a station on the railway, and a post office under Baldock, and was formerly a market-town. The parish comprises 2,370 acres. Real property, £5,357. Pop., 1,401. Houses, 270. The property is divided among a few. An ancient castle stood at Etonbury, near the road to Baldock; and appears, from an entrenchment which still remains, to have been a place of considerable strength. The living is a vicarage, united with Astwick rectory, in the diocese of Ely. Value, £420. Patron, James Curtis, Esq. The church is a plain edifice; was recently fitted with new benches; and contains some ancient monuments. There are a Wesleyan chapel, a national school, and extensive brickworks.

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

Leonard’s Gazetteer of England and Wales 1850

Arlsey, 26½ m. S.E. Shefford. P. 820

Source: Leonard’s Gazetteer of England and Wales; Second Edition; C. W. Leonard, London; 1850

The Parliamentary Gazetteer of England and Wales 1840

Arlsey, a parish in the hund. of Clifton, union of Biggleswade, county of Bedford; 4 miles north west of Baldock. Living, a discharged vicarage united to the rectory of Astwick, formerly in the archd. of Bedford and dio. of Lincoln, now in the dio. of Ely; rated at £8; gross income £300. Patron, in 1835, F. Gapte. There are two Sunday schools in the parish. The great and small tithes, the property of the lord of the manor and the vicar, were commuted in 1804. Pop., in 1801, 404; in 1831, 688. Houses 126. Acres 2,370. A. P. £3,203. Poor rates, in 1837, £248.

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

Topographical Dictionary of Great Britain and Ireland 1833

Arlsey, co. Bedford.

P. T. Baldock. (37) 4 m. NW. Pop. 562.

A parish in the hundred of Clifton; living, a discharged vicarage, united to the rectory of Astwick, in the archdeaconry of Bedford and diocese of Lincoln; charged in K. B. 8l.; church ded. to St. Peter; patron (1829) R. Houston, Esq.

Source: A Topographical Dictionary of Great Britain and Ireland by John Gorton. The Irish and Welsh articles by G. N. Wright; Vol. I; London; Chapman and Hall, 186, Strand; 1833.

A Topographical Dictionary of England 1831

Arlsey, a parish in the hundred of Clifton, county of Bedford, 4¾ miles (N.W. by W.) from Baldock, containing 562 inhabitants. The living is a discharged vicarage, united with the rectory of Astwick, in the archdeaconry of Bedford, and diocese of Lincoln rated in the king’s books at £8. R. Houston, Esq. was patron in 1824. The church is dedicated to St. Peter.

Source: A Topographical Dictionary of England by Samuel Lewis 1831

Arlesey Schools 1818

Schools – none

Sunday Schools – A Sunday school, established and supported by Sir John Jackson, containing about 37 boys and 30 girls.

Observations – The poor are desirous of having the means of education.

Notes – Return signed by J. Atkinson, vicar.

Source: 1818 Digest of Returns to Circular Letter from the Select Committee on Education of the Poor, &c.

FamilySearch Catalog

Census

Census returns for Arlesey, 1841-1891

Church Records

Bishop’s transcripts for Arlesey, 1602-1859

Church records, 1692-1818

Parish register of Arlesey, 1538-1812

Parish registers for Arlesey, 1538-1958

Parish registers for St. Andrew’s Church, Bedford, 1915-1983

Computer printout of Arlesey, Beds., Eng

Parish register printouts of Arlesey, Bedford, England ; christenings, 1736-1878 – Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Genealogical Department

Parish register printouts of Arlesey, Bedford, England ; marriages, 1736-1837 – Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Genealogical Department

Parish register printouts of Arlesey, Bedford, England, christenings, 1538-1735 – Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Genealogical Department

History

Arlesey : the history of a village – Hames, William; Catcheside, Paul

Court Records

Court records, 1377-1890 – Manor of Arleseybury. Court (Bedfordshire)

Directories

Arlesey Kellys Bedfordshire Directory 1869

Arlsey is a village, parish, and station on the Great Northern Railway, 37 miles from London, 12 south-east from Bedford, 4 south from Biggleswade, and 5 north from Hitchin, in the hundred of Clifton, union and county court district of Biggleswade, rural deanery of Shefford, archdeaconry of Bedford, and diocese of Ely. The church of St. Peter is a plain stone structure, and is fitted with open benches: it contains several fine marble monuments; those in the body of the church, of the Browne and Edwards families, are of very ancient date: the chancel contains the vault of the Jackson family. The register dates from the year 1538.

The living is a vicarage, with the rectory of Astwick annexed, joint yearly value £450, with residence, in the gift of, and held by, the Rev. Richard Folliott Scott, M.A., of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. There is a National school, and a Wesjeyan chapel. Here are extensive brick works, carried on by Mr. R. Beart, of Godmanchester, and the Great Northern Company, where large quantities of perforated white bricks and draining tiles are made, affording considerable employment in the neighbourhood. Tbe chief landowners are Sir Glynne Earle Welby-Gregory, Bart., and Samuel Bedford Edwards, Esq., who is lord of the manor. The soil is strong clay; subsoil, clay;. The chief crops are wheat, barley, beans and peas. The population in 1861 was 1,401, the area is 2,303 acres.

Parish Clerk, Joseph Devereux.

Letters received through Baldock. Shefford is the nearest money order office

National School, Joseph Allison, master

Railway Station, David Watts, station master; station master at Arlsey Siding, Philip Walters

Edwards Saml. Bedford, esq. Arlsey Bury

Hailey Miss

Henderson Rev. William Lawes, M. A. [curate]

Scott Rev. Richard Folliott, M.A. The Vicarage

COMMERCIAL.

Albone George, beer retailer

Albone William, beer retailer

Allen Ambrose, beer retailer

Beacher Thomas, shopkeeper

Beart Robert, brick maker; & at Godmancbester

Bennett James, beer retailer

Boothey John, Brick Ground inn

Brittain Joseph, builder

Cartwright George, beer retailer

Cartwright James, beer retailer

Clark David, poulterer

Cox James, beer retailer

Davies Elizabeth (Mrs.), farmer

Davies Joseph Crout, builder

Day William, tailor

Dennis William, brick maker

Fletcher John, shopkeeper

Folbigg Simon, shopkeeper

Great Northern Brick Co. (John Philip Hawkes, manager)

Hall Harriet, beer retailer

Hare Frederick, baker

Hawkes George, thrashing machine proprietor & farmer

Hildred Henry, Lamb

Hill Arabella (Mrs.), White Horse

Hyde Charles, Old Oak

Jeeves Offspring, beer retailer

Johnson Robert, beer retailer

King Samuel, butcher

Kirby Geo. beer retailer & shopkeeper

Kitchiner George, butcher

Kitchiner John, baker

Leng Henry Thomas, plumber& glazier

Levitt Frederick, shopkeeper

Levitt William, beer retailer

Maxey Thomas, Prince of Wales

Pack Thomas, tailor

Payne William, baker

Pike Henry, beer retailer

Prutton William, beer retailer

Purser Charles, farmer, The Chase farm

Samuel William, Cricketers

Stalby George, beer retailer

Stamford George, butcher

Street Joseph, farmer

Tasker William, shopkeeper

Thornaby Thomas, beer retailer

Toller Cliristopher, farmr. Waterloo farm

Trustram James, farmer

Tufnail Joseph, blacksmith

Webb Mary (Mrs.), beer retailer

Webb William, shopkeeper

Winters Amos, beer retailer

Winters Mary (Mrs.), farmer

Source: Post Office Directory of Northamptonshire, Huntingdonshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire. Printed and Published by Kelly and Co., 51, Great Queen Street, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London; 1869.