BIDDENHAM is a small and pleasant village and parish, almost surrounded by the river Ouse, distant 2 miles west from Bedford, 8 north from Ampthill, and 13 south from Higham Ferrers, in the hundred of Willey, union and county court district of Bedford, rural deanery and archdeaconry of Bedford, and diocese of Ely1.
Status: Ancient Parish
Parish church: St. James
Parish registers begin:
- Parish registers: 1663
- Bishop’s Transcripts: 1602
Nonconformists include:
Table of Contents
Adjacent Parishes
Parish History
The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales 1870
BIDDENHAM, a parish in the district and county. of Bedford; on the river Ouse, 2 miles W of Bedford r. station. It has a post-office under Bedford. Acres, 1,760. Real property, £2,752. Pop., 350. Houses, 71. The property is divided among a few. The living is a Vicarage in the diocese of Ely. Value, £100. Patron, Lord Dynevor. The church is Norman, in good condition
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 1851
Biddenham, a parish in the hund. of Willey, union and county of Bedford; 2 miles west of Bedford. Living, a discharged vicarage, formerly in the archd. of Bedford and dio. of Lincoln, now in the dio. of Ely; valued at £8; gross income £100. Patron, in 1835, the honourable G. R. Trevor. There are three daily schools here, principally for lace-making, and two Sunday schools. Charities connected with the parish produce £15 per annum. Pop., in 1801, 252; in 1831, 369. Houses 59. Acres 1,760. A.P. £1,933. Poor rates, in 1837, £158.
Source: The Parliamentary Gazetteer of England and Wales; A Fullarton & Co. Glasgow; 1851.
Leonard’s Gazetteer of England and Wales 1850
Biddenham, 2 m. W. Bedford. P. 345
Source: Leonard’s Gazetteer of England and Wales; Second Edition; C. W. Leonard, London; 1850
Biddenham A Topographical Dictionary of Great Britain and Ireland 1833
Biddenham, co. Bedford.
P.T. Bedford (50) 2 m. W. Pop. 393.
A parish in the hundred of Willey; living, a dis. vicarage in the archdeaconry of Bedford and diocese of Lincoln; valued in K. B. 8 l.; church ded. to St. James.
Source: A Topographical Dictionary of Great Britain and Ireland by John Gorton. The Irish and Welsh articles by G. N. Wright; Vol. II; London; Chapman and Hall, 186, Strand; 1833.
Parish Registers
Biddenham Parish Registers 1602 – 1812
Parish Records
FamilySearch
Directories
Biddenham Kelly’s Directory of Bedfordshire, 1914
The Post Office Directory of Bedfordshire 1869
BIDDENHAM is a small and pleasant village and parish, almost surrounded by the river Ouse, distant 2 miles west from Bedford, 8 north from Ampthill, and 13 south from Higham Ferrers, in the hundred of Willey, union and county court district of Bedford, rural deanery and archdeaconry of Bedford, and diocese of Ely.
Parish Clerk Charles West
Post Office – Miss Green, postmistress. Letters received through Bedford, arrive al 6.40 am; dispatched at 5.55 pm. The nearest money order office is at Bedford
National School Miss, Green mistress
Robe Capt John William
Wood Rev Henry MA Vicarage
COMMERCIAL
Bayes James shopkeeper
Clifton Thomas & Sons farmers
Davis Jane Mrs Three Tuns
Felts James baker & shopkeeper
Felts John butcher
Frossell James grazier
Golding William farmer & land agent
Green Samuel shoe maker
Howard Charles farmer
Johnson William vermin destroyer
Lavender Lydia Mrs farmer
Lavender William farmer
Manning William farmer
Robinson Philip cowkeeper
Smith James market gardener
Summerlin Frederick blacksmith
West Thomas dairyman
Source: The Post office directory of Northamptonshire, Huntingdonshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, and Oxfordshire By Kelly’s directories, ltd 1869
Maps
OS Grid Reference: TL0229050245 (all-numeric format: 502290 250245)
| Service | Map | Topo |
|---|---|---|
| Bing Maps UK | Map | OS maps |
| StreetMap | Map | OS maps |
| Vision of Britain historical maps | Map | OS maps |
| Ordnance Survey | OS maps | |
| Defra’s MAGIC service | Map | |
| National Library of Scotland | OS maps | |
| Old OS maps | OS maps | |
| Old-maps.co.uk | OS plans | |
| Where’s the Path? | Map | |
| SABRE Maps | Map | OS maps |
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: Willey
- Province: Canterbury
1. The Post office directory of Northamptonshire, Huntingdonshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, and Oxfordshire By Kelly’s directories, ltd 1869