Cranfield, Bedfordshire Family History Guide

CRANFIELD is a parish and large village, 4½ miles north from both the Ampthill and the Woburn Sands stations of the North Western Railway, 7 north west from Ampthill, and 9 south west from Bedford, in the hundred of Redbornstoke, union and county court district of Ampthill, rural deanery of East Fleete, archdeaconry of Bedford, and diocese of Ely¹.

Parish church: SS. Peter and Paul¹.

Parish registers begin:

• Parish registers: 1600
• Bishop’s Transcripts: 1602

Nonconformists include:

• Baptist
• Independent/Congregational
• Particular Baptist
• Society of Friends/Quaker
• Wesleyan Methodist

Adjacent Parishes

• Moulsoe Buckinghamshire
• Kempston
• North Crawley Buckinghamshire
• Marston Moreteyne
• Hulcote with Salford
• Wootton
• Broughton Buckinghamshire

Cranfield 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.

Cranfield, Bedfordshire Baptisms, 1600-1963

Marriage and Banns Records

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

Cranfield, Bedfordshire Marriages, 1600-1966

Death and Burial Records

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

Cranfield, Bedfordshire Burials, 1651-1947

Cranfield Parish Registers 1600–1812

The Cranfield Parish Registers 1600–1812 are available free to read online, with options to download the pdf for personal research

Cranfield Parish Registers 1600–1812 Bedfordshire Parish Registers Edited by F. G. Emmison, F.R.Hist.S. Volume 27.

Marriage Licences and Allegations

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.

Dymock, Charles (Dymoke), of Cranfield, Beds, gent., baclielor, 22 and upwards, and Mrs. Elizabeth Odell, of St. Clement Danes, Middlesex, spinster, about 21, consent of father, Thomas Odell, of same, gent. — at St. Sepulchre, St. Bartholome-the-Great or Less, or St. Clement Danes. 21 July, 1673. V.

Franck, Thomas (Frank), of Cranfield, co. Beds, clerk, widower, about 30, and Elizabeth Smith, of St. Martin, Ludgate, spinster, about 24, her parents dead — at St. James, Clerkenwell, or Little St. Bartholomew. 23 July, 1062. V

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

Parish History

The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales 1870

CRANFIELD, a village, a parish, and a sub-district in Ampthill district, Beds. The village stands near the boundary with Bucks, 3½ miles NW of Lidlington r. station, and 6 NW by W of Ampthill: has a post office under Newport-Pagnell; and gave the title of Baron to the Duke of Dorset.

The parish comprises 3, 500 acres. Real property, 6, 519. Pop., 1, 591. Houses, 315. The property is divided among a few. The parish is a meet for the Oakley hounds. There is a mineral spring. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Ely. Value, £376. Patron, the Rev. G. G. Harter. The church is later English, in good condition. There are two Baptist chapels, a Wesleyan chapel, an endowed school with £18, alms-houses with £60, and other charities with £28. The sub-district contains three parishes. Acres, 10, 191. Pop., 3, 706. Houses, 753.

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

Historical Directory Transcriptions

Kelly’s Directory of the Wine and Spirit Trades, with which are included Brewers and Maltsters 1884

Marked thus * are Small Brewers who brew the beer they sell.

CRANFIELD, Newport Pagnell

Maltster
Brown John

Source: The Post office directory of the brewers and maltsters [afterw.] Kelly’s directory of the wine and spirit trades, with which are included brewers and maltsters By Kelly’s directories, ltd. 1884

The Post Office Directory of Bedfordshire 1869

CRANFIELD is a parish and large village, 4½ miles north from both the Ampthill and the Woburn Sands stations of the North Western Railway, 7 north west from Ampthill, and 9 south west from Bedford, in the hundred of Redbornstoke, union and county court district of Ampthill, rural deanery of East Fleete, archdeaconry of Bedford, and diocese of Ely.

There is a National school, partly endowed, and a Wesleyan and two Particular Baptist chapels. The charities consist of Grange’s charity, of about £22 per annum, for apprenticing boys, £5 5s distributable to the poor on St Thomas’s Day, and almshouses for three poor widows.

Cranfield Court, the residence of the Rev George Gardner Harter, M.A., J.P., is an elegant and spacious modern mansion, in the French Gothic style, of red brick, with Bath stone facings: it stands upon an eminence, and is a very picturesque object from the surrounding country. Captain Drake, who is lord of the manor, and the Rev G.G. Harter are the principal land owners. The soil is chiefly cold clay; subsoil, cold clay. The chief crops are wheat, oats, beans, and peas. The area is 3,933 acres, and the population in 1861 was 1,591.

Parish Clerk, William Battison

POST OFFICE – Ebenezer Lovell, receiver. Letters through Newport Pagnell, arrive at 8.40 am; box closes at 4.55 pm; & on sundays at 10.25 am. The nearest money order office is at Newport Pagnell

National School, George Winter, master; Mrs Winter, mistress

CARRIERS TO BEDFORD – William Underwood & Joel Read, wednesday & saturday

Birley Rev Hugh Hornby MA [rector]
Coleman Mr George
Faldor William esq
Harter Rev George Gardner MA JP Cranfield court
Langford Rev John Fréré MA [curate]
Milligan Wm Wright esq FRCS
Owen Rev Thomas [Baptist]

COMMERCIAL

Bailey William Crow inn
Baker Mary Ann Mrs farmer Tartlett end
Billington Edward draper
Billington Robert farmer Perry hill
Bliss Matthew Poswell farmer
Bosworth Thomas farmer Rectory farm
Brawn William farmer Leys farm
Brewer Doyley Mrs old George

Caplin John house steward to Rev G G Harter Cranfield court
Clark James farmer Bourn end
Coleman William farmer
Corder Thomas miller Broad green
Cox George blacksmith

Day James farmer

Ellis William farmer & brick maker

Falce Sarah Mrs lace dealer
Faulkner George maltster
Flint Sophia Mrs laundress
Ford Caleb shoe maker
Foskett Joseph saddler
Foster Elizabeth Mrs farmer
Foster George wheelwright
Fountain Thomas shopkeeper
Fowler Joseph farmer Bourn end
Foxley Sophia Mrs Swan inn

Goodman Joseph dealer
Goodman William farmer & corn factor
Green Thomas farmer Conn’s farm
Grimes Thomas farmer Bourn end
Grimes Thomas jun farmer Bourn end

Haines William blacksmith
Hands Richd plumber painter & glazier
Harris Richard butcher
Hewlett James Cross Keys

Jellies Williain farmer Wharley end

Keep James farmer Gossards green
Keep Reuben farmer Moat farm
King William tailor

Lee Peter, New George
Lewis Daniel farmer
Lineham Henry beer retailer
Lorton Joseph farmer
Lorton Thomas farmer Broad end
Lovell Ebenezer shopkeeper
Lovell Thomas mealman

Manning William carpenter
Millard Edward horse dealer
Millard James farmer
Millis William glass china & earthenware dealer
Milligan William Wright surgeon
Munday John butcher
Munday Thomas beer retailer & wheel wright

Osborn James farmer Bourn end

Phillips John butcher
Prentice William farmer

Read James bricklayer
Redman Edward beer retailer
Richardson Ann Mrs farmer
Richardson James baker

Sanders Levi shoe maker
Savage Henry grocer
Savage Mary & Ann Misses drapers
Smith Thomas general dealer

Titmas William baker
Tutt Robert carpenter

Underwood Benjamin shoe maker
Underwood William butcher & carrier

Watling Charles draper & tea dealer
Wells Archibald farmer
White Hugh carpenter
White Wm watch maker & gunsmith
Whitmee Wm farmer Wharley end
Woods John farmer Broad green

Young James bricklayer & beer retailer

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

Administration

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

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