Reference
X364/169
Title
Prescott research material for Caddington
Date free text
1878-1939
Production date
From: 1878 To: 1939
Admin/biog history
Horace Montague Prescott was the son of Thomas Prescott and his wife Agnes (Gibbes). He was born in London in 1866 but his father had been Vicar of Caddington since 1862 and had married Agnes in 1864. Horace had two younger siblings, Ada (1867-1921) and Thomas Leigh (1870-1895), both born at Caddington. Horace attended Malborough College (census 1881) before becoming a clerk in the stock exchange, later becoming a stock and share dealer (census 1891, 1901, 1911). Although he lived in London, H M Prescott was interested in the area around Caddington. An interest possibly inherited from his parents, who apparently transcribed the parish registers for Caddington in about 1878. Prescott's interest lead him to correspond with institutions both local and national in search of sources for his research. The main correspondents appear to have been Bedfordshire Record Office, Hardey Page record agent for Hertfordshire County Council, the diocese of Lincoln, the Bodleian, the British Museum and St Paul's. In 1937 he published 'Notes on Caddington Church and on Persons and Matters Connected Therewith.' Horace was a contemporary of Dr G H Fowler and a member of the Bedfordshire Historical Record Society. He died in 1942.
Found in County Library, 1969 and added to Fowler's manuscripts but not actually part of them. Catalogued 2014
Archival history
Exactly how Prescott's research notes came to be in the County Library is unclear but was probably passed to one of the institutions of Bedfordshire - either the record office, library or BHRS on his death.
Most of the documents were manuscript transcripts of material found in either Bedfordshire Record Office or other institutions. It was not felt that these were worth keeping unless they presented the information in an easier to access format. Therefore only a selection of the transcripts have been kept along with correspondence that shows Prescott's connections in his research.
Level of description
sub-fonds