• Reference
    Z1385/1
  • Title
    Volume inscribed ‘The Churches of Bedfordshire. (Vol. One)’,
  • Date free text
    n.d. [c1931-53]
  • Production date
    From: 1931 To: 1953
  • Admin/biog history
    The volume is unsigned but can be safely attributed to Francis Alick Fowler of Dunstable (1891-1980), whose pen and ink drawings of Bedfordshire churches in 1944-1948 were gifted by him to Beds Archive Office in 1963 (see X300). The handwriting on the flyleaf of X300 is in an identical hand. Moreover, the mother of the donor lived at Dunstable – Fowler’s home town - for most of her adult life and the volume was found among her effects. The whereabouts of volume two in the series is unknown. Date of compilation: the most recent information relates to the burning and subsequent restoration of Eaton Socon church in 1930-31 (see pp.99-103). A brief note concerning the burning of the chancel of Biggleswade St. Andrew’s church in 1953 was evidently added later (p.82).
  • Scope and Content
    Containing histories of Bedfordshire churches in the Deaneries of Ampthill, Bedford, Biggleswade and Dunstable (Deaneries and churches listed at the back). The descriptions usually provide the following: approximate age of building and style; condition of features; dimensions of nave, chancel and aisles; note of bells; note of prominent monuments; parish silver; parish registers; note of advowson. It is possible that the descriptions were partly complied from secondary sources, such as directories and the Victoria County History, but it appears likely that much is the author’s own work and opinions. For example St Leonard’s of Heath and Reach is dismissed as ‘a poor building with but little history’. Deanery of Ampthill Ampthill, p.1 Barton, p.3 Clophill, p.5 Flitton, p.6. Flitwick, p.8 Haynes, p.10 Higham Gobion, p.11 Houghton Conquest, p.12 Maulden, p.17 Millbrook, p.18 Pulloxhill, p.19 Silsoe, p.20 Steppingley, p.21 Westoning, p.21 Deanery of Bedford Bedford St Paul’s, p.25 Bedford St Cuthbert’s. p.30 Bedford St Peter’s, p.31 Bedford St John’s, p.33 Bedford St Mary’s, p.35 Bedford St. Peter’s de Dunstable, p.38 Bedford All Saints’ (ancient church), p.39 Biddenham, p.40 Bromham, p.44 Cardington, p.46 Clapham, p.47 Cople, p.50 Elstow, p.53 Goldington, p.58 Kempston, p.60 Oakley, p.63 Renhold, p.68 Wilstead, p.71 Wootton, p.73 Deanery of Biggleswade Great Barford, p.77 Little Barford, p.78 Biggleswade, p.82 Blunham, p.85 Caldecote, p.90 Cockayne Hatley, p.90 Dunton, p.96 Eaton Socon, p.99 Eyeworth, p.104 Moggerhanger, p.108 Northill, p.108 Potton, p.113 Roxton, p.117 Sandy, p.121 Sutton, p.122 Tempsford, p.126 Old Warden, p.129 Willington, p.133 Wrestlingworth, p.137 Deanery of Dunstable Billington, p.141 Chalgrave, p.142 Dunstable, p.146 Eaton Bray, p.161 Eggington, p.166 Heath and Reach, p.167 Hockilffe, p.167 Houghton Regis, p.169 Kensworth, p.172 Leighton Buzzard, p.175 Stanbridge, p.180 Studham, p.182 Tilsworth, p.188 Toddington, p.190 Totternhoe, p.194 Whipsnade, p.197
  • Level of description
    item