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Bedfordshire

Nearby places

BEDFORD ST. MARY

"BEDFORD ST. MARY, a parish in the town of Bedford."

Churches

• St. Mary's Church, Bedford.

Church History

• Church of England
  • St. Mary's Church is an ancient building of stone, chiefly in the Perpendicular style, consisting of chancel, nave of four bays, aisles, transepts, north and west porches and an embattled eastern tower with pinnacles, containing a clock and 6 bells: the tower is a very good example of Norman work: the north aisle was built of the materials of a church called St. Peter Dunstable, which formerly stood in St. Mary's square: in 1853 a vestry and south aisle were added by subscription: the stained east and west windows are memorials and there are numerous mural tablets: in 1882 the chancel roof was renewed by the present rector, and one window of the chancel re-opened and restored: the mortuary chapel, on the north side of the chancel, was also enlarged, and new roofed, and is now used as an organ chamber: the church plate includes a chalice, dated 1570, and a paten, dated 1685: the church will seat 550 persons, including 100 children. The register dates from the year 1540. The living is a rectory, yearly value £436, with residence, in the gift of the Bishop of Lincoln (two turns), and of Balliol College, Oxford (one turn), and held since 1895 by the Rev. George Henry Pratt M.A. of Wadham College, Oxford. [Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]

Church Records

• Church of England
  • The parish record transcripts for St Mary are available on microfiche for the period 1685-1812 from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.