Scope and Content
The contents of which include:
At front: Manuscript index.
f.1 Notes on the arrival and induction of Rev. T.W. Richards, 1862, on glebe and tithes, with dates of Vicarage (1850), Church struck by lightning (1852), repairs, and erection of organ (1858)
2 Account of the Vicarage of Heath (similar to above notes on Leighton), and notes 1863-1878
3 Lord Leigh's Legacy; notes 1863-1872
4 "Brief memoranda", including poll for Churchwardens, 1863; explosion of St. Andrew's choir, 1871; Freemason's service, 1866; murder of John Payne of Billington and others, 1817.
4d-5 Pulford's school; dimensions of schoolroom, list of masters and mistresses, 1862-96, and trustees.
5d. List of tunes played by the chimes.
6. All Saints Church - events and repairs etc, 1852-1889
7 Public meetings of Society for Propagation of the Gospel at Leighton, 1863, 1869
8 Medical recipes for common ailments.
9 Regular payments to the Vicar of Leighton
10 List of Annual sermons to be preached at Leighton
11 Easter offerings, with note on Offertory 1878
12 List of fees due to the Vicar, 1862
13 List of Quarterly requirements [clerical duties]
14 Statistical extracts from the parish registers
15 List of books lent, borrowed and returned, 1870-85
15d-16. List for sending circulars in the Town, Occasional papers, and Christmas letters.
17-8 Sunday School annual festival, accounts, and note of numbers present, 1863-1877 [continued, p.112 etc]
19-20 "Extraordinary applications" for help and information, with details of caller's request, 1863-1876
21 List of curates, with name of their University, and dates of arrival and departure, 1862-1900
f.22 "Remarkable Circumstances", including: land near the Churchyard at Heath and error in area, 1863; Harvest thanksgiving service with organist drunk or drugged, 1869; discovery of lead coffin in Churchyard, 1804.
23 Church insurances
25 Notes on the Prebendal estates, and tithes, 1824-84
26 Notes on Blandina Marsh's Charity, and receipts.
27 Bedfordshire Dialect words [bury, hoe etc.]
28 List of Churchwardens, Easter 1861 - 1900
29-30. Transcripts of various memoranda in the parish registers relating to Churchyard elms, 1719-25; right of Vicar to nominate a curate to Billington, 1719; collection of tithes, 1728
31 Names and Addresses of various applicants, 1864
32 Notes on population and acreage etc. of Leighton Buzzard 1861-1891
33 Notes on Ecclesiastical Commissioners' property in the parish, i.e. Glebe Farm, Grovebury Farm, Church Farm.
34 Copy of return of the Income of Leighton Vicarage as made to Queen Anne's Bounty under Commission, 1850
35 Confirmation statistics for Leighton, Billington, Eaton Bray and Stanbridge, Eggington, Tilsworth & Heath, 1864-79
36-41 Lists of sermons preached for various causes, and notes on preachers and amounts received, i.e. Sunday Schools, the Poor, the Organist, for expenses of Divine Service, for Foreign claims, and for the curate
42 Further notes on Leighton Vicarage, 1865-1884
42d Notes on trees planted in St. Andrew's Churchyard, 18.., 1877
43 Chronological notes on the enlargement of the Churchyard [at All Saints], 1865-6, and statistical analysis of burials in the Churchyard, 1562-1864
43d. Printed notice of Consecration of St. Andrew's Church by the Bishop of Ely, on 11th July 1867, with notes of collections taken at services on the day of Consecration
44-5 Chronological notes on the building, endowment and Consecration of St. Andrew's Church, and notes on subsequent gifts and alterations etc., 1864-1897
45 Comparative dimensions of All Saints and St. Andrew's churches
46 List of tenants of Wilks' almshouses, with dates of death, beginning 1862.
47 Memoranda concerning the arrangements for the Sunday School tea, with lists of provisions, games played etc.
48 List of small charity payments due, c.1865-1891, and attached] printed list of books to be sold to members of the "P.T.O. Book Club" (T.W. Richards, Sec.), 1890
49 Lists of organists at All Saints, 1862-1901, and at St. Andrews, 1867-1886
50 List of special sermons preached at St. Andrews, for various causes, 1866-1885
51 List of the Communion plate at All Saints church, with a letter from Reg. Wall re a silver cup given to the Church by his mother in 1892, 5th Dec. 1925
52 General notes on ecclesiastical vestments and their origins.
f.53 Notes on the duties of the Workhouse Chaplain, and printed note of names of Union Officers and their annual salaries
54 Copy of fees taken at Leighton Buzzard, as given to the Rural Dean by Mr. Drage (Clerk), 1835, with notes, 1879
55 "Curious latin verses"
56 List of Readings at Public Evenings, with date, place, and text, 1864-1877
57-8 List of music ("Playing and Singing") at Public evenings, with date, instrument, place, and music played, 1847-1877
59 Account of money belonging to Mary Winter held by Vicar in trust for her two brothers and her sister, with addresses and family information, 1871-1886
60 "History of Income tax" - accounts, 1842-1884
61 Notes on the powers and duties of the Vestry, c.1871
62 Religious statistics, notes on Education in Sunday Schools, 1862, notes on Pulford's school premises, 1855, and printed cutting from the Leighton Buzzard Observer with population figures for Leighton Buzzard Union, 1861 and 1871.
63 Notes of meetings of the Sunday School Teachers' Association, 1874-1
64 Brief notes on "Conferences at Bedford", 1868-1875
65 Notes on Choral Festivals at Woburn and Leighton, 1869-1896
66 Notes on Harvest festival services, 1869-1877
67 "Brief memoranda" - Mr. Apps' recollections of last sermon at Rye of Rev. Chancellor Hollingbery [grandfather of Rev. T.W. Richards]; Visits of E. Brady, an elocution lecturer, whom T.W. Richards had heard at Lydd, in 1830, 1870, 1874; Visit of Vicar of Tideswell, and note on hole in wall above Vestry door intended for vigilance over plate and jewellery, 1870.
68 List of books sent for the use of the Workhouse, 1869
69 Chronological notes on St. Andrew's school buildings, 1870-1891, with names of master and mistress appointed 1872.
70 Notes on Ruridecanal Chapters, 1865-1870, and on death of Rev. G.E. Whyley (Rural Dean) and appointment of H.B. Smyth, 1871
71 Memoranda and accounts of executorship of affairs of Mrs. C. C. Townsend, c.1865-1879
72 Lent Mission, 13-18 March, 1870. Notes on sermons & collections.
73 Stanbridge Vicarage - notes on incumbents, benefice income and endowments, and on new vicarage house, 1871-1875.
74 Notes on original endowments of Stanbridge Vicarage, and tithes.
75 Eggington Vicarage - notes on original income, & endowment 1872.
76 Lent Mission (Second) - 25 Feb. to 3 March 1872 at St. Andrew's Church, with details of sermons and collections etc.
77 "Curious Latin verses" [continued from f.55]
78 Assessment of Parishes of Leighton, Billington and Eggington, giving gross rentals, rateable value, rate at 1s., and produce of 1s. rate, with details for Leighton Vicarage house, Churchyard and tithes, Pulford rooms, St. Andrew's rooms etc.
79 Genealogical notes on the Richards and Hollingbery families of Icklesham and Winchelsea etc, including list of family portraits and a note on a mourning ring.
80 List of free boys and girls at Pulford's school, 1862-1880
81 Notes on schoolroom accommodation in Leighton Buzzard at Pulford's room, St. Andrew's room, the British room and Workhouse room.
82-3 Notes and press cuttings relating to Ecclesiastical Law
84 Epigrams, poems etc.
f.85 Notes on the dates of sermons preached by Rev. T.W. Richards and other clerical members of his family, 1813-1879
86 "To calculate an Eclipse"
87 Poem on The Medical Examination, from N & Q 30 Oct. 1875
88 Copies of School returns sent to Bishop of Ely, 1876-1879
89 List of former Vicars of Leighton Buzzard, 1655-1862
90-92 Notes on the Richards family, and on their ecclesiastical careers etc, including Rev. T. W. Richards
93 Addresses of Various societies, and notes on annual payments
94 "Remarkable dates" in National History
95-6 Extract from Notes and Queries concerning highwaymen, George and Joseph Weston, Denis Duval and F de le Motte, of Winchelsea
97 List of Churches in various counties in which the Rev. T. W. Richards took services [86 in all]
97d. Notes on collections.
101 Note on Dr. Barrett, Vice provost of Trinity College, Dublin.
102 List of readings at Public Evenings, 1877-1887 [from p.56]
103 List of Music at Public evenings [from f.58]
105 Extract from Parish Register re Hon. Charles Leigh's Charity, 1704
106 "Curious entries in the Registers"
107 Notes on Easter Day
108 Notes on trusteeship for Mrs. Elizabeth Ann Cort, 1878-9
109 Notes on the Restoration of the Chancel (All Saints) 1878-1882
110 Notes on trusteeship for Thomas Cobb, 1841-1879
111 Notes on trust for Colonel Fielding Browne, 1863-1879
112 Sunday School Annual Festival 1878-1883 [from f.18]
113 Verses and "Palindroma" etc. 114 Verse, "The Vicar and Moses", written 1775
115-9 Catalogue of Special Sermons, with date, place and text, and the sum taken at the Collection, 1862-1889
120 Various "memoranda minora"
121 "Curious Ecclesiastical Devices", with sktch of diagram of Trinity
122 List of books ordered for Almshouses, Schools etc.
123 Notes on the Sunday School Centenary Celebrations, July 1880
124-5 Copy of a paper on Leighton Tithes, and notes on the Prebend of Leighton Buzzard
126 Notes on schools, made prior to completion of Annual return before Inspection, with school dimensions, teachers' salaries and biographical details, and notes on the expenditure on schools and children, 1874-1880.
127 Memoranda for completing the Bank accounts
128 Notes on Harvest Festivals, 1878-1885 [from f.66]
129 Copy of return to Ely Diocesan Fund concerning application for financial aid to "Curate B".
130 Notes on the cost of printing parish registers, and on fees chargeable for searches in the registers
131 Confirmation statistics, 1882-1887 [from f.35] Also includes Hockliffe, Stewkley, Potsgrove, Battlesden, and Chalgrave
132 List for Town Circulars [from f.16]
133 Note on inscription on viola or violins, and other notes
134 Notes on cost of Education at St. Andrew's schools, 1872-1882, and on sources of finance [see also f.126]
135 Examples of "vulgar errors and additions"
f.136 "Brief Memoranda" [from f.67]; Reopening of church, 11 Jan. 1843; Weather vane on the spire, 1852; Antiphon in Burial service.
137 Chronological notes on Pulford's new school premises, 1881-1893, with details of fees income, building contract, & endowment.
138 List of tenants of Wilkes' Almshouses, 1883-1900 [from f.46]
139 Notes on gifts and alterations to St. Andrew's church, 1884-1896 [from f.44]
140 "Remarkable dates" in national history [from f.94]
141 Sunday School Annual Festival 1884-1889 [from f.112]
142-3 "Curious Latin Verses" [from f.77]
144 Note on the origin of Billiards
145 List of books lent, borrowed and returned, 1886-1895 [from f.15]
146 further "Curious verses"
147 Numbers of Children for tea on Queen's Jubilee, 21 June 1887
148, 151. List of recipients of Mrs. Swire's Charity, 1885-1895
149 Notes on places named Leighton
152 Easter Offerings, 1878-1893 [from f.11]
153-4 Memoranda on Church Seasons
155 Notes on Dr. Lawford's scholarship to Dunstable, 1889-1891
157 Notes on teachers at All Saints and St. Andrew's boys and girls schools, with their private addresses
158 All Saints Church - notes on repairs etc, 1889-1900 [from f.6]
159 Chronological notes on Pulford' Schools, 1886-1893 [see also f.137
160 Notes of inscriptions and weights of bells at All Saints.
161 Notes on St. Andrew's schools, and on staff, 1872-1896
162 Greek and Latin words for days of week, months etc.
163 Note on Richard Walker legacies, 23 August 1896
164-5 Notes on the history of Aller, Somerset [inc. Richards family]
166 "Dr. Hawksworth's hymn" 1773
167 Statement of fees "to next incumbent"
168 Accounts of Leighton Vicarage, sent to the Bishop, 1900
169 Expenses of [Rev. T. W. Richards'] resignation
172 List of incumbents and curates of Leighton Buzzard, Billington, Eggington, Heath and Reach and Stanbridge cited to the Visitations of the Peculiar of Leighton Buzzard 1818-1852