Billington Bedfordshire Family History Guide

A parish and township including Little Billington in the hundred of Manshead. It is a chapel to the vicarage of Leighton Buzzard. The civil parish of Billington, comprising Great and Little Billington, was formed out of the civil parish of Leighton-Buzzard. The ecclesiastical parish was formed in 1810.

Alternative names: Great Billington

Parish church: St. Michael

Parish registers begin:

Parish registers: 1653; the earlier registers form part of those of Leighton Buzzard
Bishop’s Transcripts: 1606

Nonconformists include: Primitive Methodist, Wesleyan Methodist.

Public Elementary School (mixed), built (with house for mistress) in 1863, for 80 children.

Table of Contents

Adjacent Parishes

Parish History

The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales 1870

BILLINGTON, a chapelry in Leighton-Buzzard parish, Beds; on the river Ouse, and the Leighton and Luton railway, 2 miles SE of Leighton-Buzzard. Post Town, Leighton-Buzzard.

Acres, returned with the parish. Real property, £2,345. Pop., 484. Houses, 102. The property is divided among a few.

The living is a rectory in the dio. of Ely. Value, £280. Patrons, the Inhabitants. The church is good.

There is a Wesleyan chapel.

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

Billington, 2m. S. Leighton-Buzzard. P. 335.

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

A Topographical Dictionary of Great Britain and Ireland 1833

Billington, Great, co. Bedford.

P. T. Leighton Buzzard (41) 2 m. SE. Pop. including the hamlet of Little Billington 237.

A parish and township including Little Billington in the hundred of Manshead. It is a chapel to the vicarage of Leighton Buzzard, in the archdeaconry of Bedford and diocese of Lincoln; of the clear yearly value of 20 l.; patronage with Leighton Buzzard vicarage.

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

Billington Parish Registers 1609-1812

Billington Parish Registers 1609-1812 Bedfordshire parish registers by Bedfordshire (England); Emmison, F. G. (Frederick George), 1907-1995, editor

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Parish Records

FamilySearch

England, Bedfordshire, Billington – Cemeteries ( 1 )
Monumental inscriptions, Billington/Egginton
Author: Bedfordshire Family History Society

England, Bedfordshire, Billington – Census ( 1 )
Census returns for Billington, 1841-1891
Author: Great Britain. Census Office

England, Bedfordshire, Billington – Church records ( 5 )
Archdeaconry transcripts, 1604-1838
Author: Church of England. Archdeaconry of Buckinghamshire

Archdeaconry transcripts, 1753
Author: Church of England. Chapelry of Billington (Bedfordshire)

Bishop’s transcripts for Billington, 1609-1873
Author: Church of England. Chapelry of Billington (Bedfordshire)

Churchwardens accounts, vestry records and charities, 1547, 1843-1900
Author: Church of England. Chapelry of Billington (Bedfordshire)

Parish registers for Billington, 1653-1982
Author: Church of England. Chapelry of Billington (Bedfordshire)

England, Bedfordshire, Billington – Church records – Indexes ( 2 )
Bedfordshire marriage license allegations, 1578-1885
Author: Bedfordshire Family History Society; Bedfordshire Record Office

Computer printout of Billington, Beds., Eng

England, Bedfordshire, Billington – Poorhouses, poor law, etc. ( 2 )
Churchwardens accounts, vestry records and charities, 1547, 1843-1900
Author: Church of England. Chapelry of Billington (Bedfordshire)

Parish registers for Billington, 1653-1982
Author: Church of England. Chapelry of Billington (Bedfordshire)

England, Bedfordshire, Billington – Schools ( 1 )
Billington schools log books, 1863-1948

England, Bedfordshire, Billington – Taxation ( 1 )
Land tax assessments for Billington, 1797-1946
Author: Bedfordshire (England). County Council

Directories

Billington Kelly’s Directory of Bedfordshire, 1914

The Post Office Directory of Bedfordshire 1869

BILLINGTON is a scattered hamlet, 2 miles south from Leighton Buzzard, in which parish it is for civil purposes, but forms a separate ecclesiastical parish, 6 miles west from Dunstable, and 13 from Hemel Hempstead, in the hundred of Manshead, union and county court district of Leighton Buzzard, rural deanery of Dunstable, archdeaconry Bedford and diocese of Ély.

Parish Clerk William Foster

National School, Miss Mary Ann Wren, mistress

Bradshaw Rev Edward MA rector

Andrews Mary Mrs farmer

Ashwell Mrs farmer

Claridge William farmer

Cook William straw dealer

Fenn Thomas shopkeeper

Griffin John farmer

Hull David farmer Little Billington

Poots James shopkeeper
Potts Thomas blacksmith
Pratt John beer retailer
Price Thomas farmer

Simmons William farmer
Squires Thomas Greyhound

Turney George farmer

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

Maps

OS Grid Reference: SP9391322868 (all-numeric format: 493914 222868)

Vision of Britain historical mapsOS maps
Ordnance SurveyOS maps
National Library of ScotlandOS maps

Administration

  • County: Bedfordshire
  • Civil Registration District: Leighton Buzzard
  • Probate Court: Court of the Peculiar of Leighton Buzzard
  • Diocese: Pre-1846 – Lincoln, Post 1845 – Ely
  • Rural Deanery: Pre-1852 – None, Post – 1851 – Dunstable
  • Poor Law Union: Leighton Buzzard
  • Hundred: Manshead
  • Province: Canterbury