GenUKI Contents

Bedfordshire

EATON SOCON

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"EATON SOCON, a parish in the hundred of Barford, county Bedford, 1 mile S.W. of St. Neot's, its post town and railway station, and 11 north east of Bedford. It is situated to the west of the river Ouse, and includes a number of small hamlets, the principal of which are Bushmead, Eatonford, and Wyboston. There was formerly a castle, belonging to the Beauchamps, and a priory for Augustine Monks, founded by Sir Oliver Beauchamp, the only remaining portion of which, the refectory, is now converted into stables. The workhouse of the St. Neot's Union is at Eatonford, in this parish. The land is chiefly pasture and meadow. The living is a vicarage (with parsonage and glebe) in the diocese of Ely, value £439, in the patronage of J. G. Atkinson, Esq. The church is a handsome structure, with a fine tower containing six bells. It is dedicated to St. Mary, and contains two monumental brasses. The charities produce about £20 per annum. There is a National school for both sexes. John H. Day, Esq., is lord of the manor. Bushmead Priory is the principal residence."

[The above was transcribed (and edited) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868]
by Colin Hinson ©2023

Gazetteer descriptions of the following places in Eaton Socon are to be found on this supplementary page.

Wyboston Basmead Begwary Bushmead Bushmead Cross Duloe

Eaton Ford Honeydon Little End Staploe Upper Staploe

Cemeteries

• There are only two burial grounds in the parish of Eaton Socon and both are in Eaton Socon village. These are: the churchyard around the church, which was closed in the 1990s, and the cemetery in Little End Road which opened in the 1930s. Monumental Inscriptions from the Parish Churchyard (fiche set M-28 consisting of approximately 626 entries) are available from the Huntingdonshire FHS.

Census

• A surname index of Eaton Socon parish in the 1851 Census of Bedfordshire (Vol. 2, Book 1) is available from the Bedfordshire FHS. The full 1851 Census of Eaton Socon Parish is available as fiche set C38. A full transcription of the 1891 Census of the Kimbolton Registration District (RG12/1243) which took place on 5th April 1891, in which Eaton Socon was enumerated, and which also included the St Neots Workhouse, is available, as fiche set C14. The above mentioned fioche numbers are those available from the Huntingdonshire FHS.

Churches

• Here are photographs of Churches etc. in the parish:
  • St. Mary's Church, Eaton Socon.
  • The Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, Eaton Socon.
  • The former Gospel Hall, Staploe.
• There are photographs and a description of St Mary's on the Bedfordshire Parish Churches website.
• The following Churches have their own websites:
  • St. Mary's Church, Eaton Socon

Church History

• OS Grid Square TL 171588 The church of St. Mary the Virgin originally consisted of a chancel, nave with north and south aisles and a west-facing tower. The walls of the church were built of cobblestones with a good deal of squared ironstone in the Tower, and all were finished with embattled parapets. To the north was a vestry dating from the 15th cent., but was built at a later time than the chancel. An organ transept was added in the latter part of the 19th century. The south porch was more recent. The church appears to have originally been built in about the beginning of the 15th century, but with the re-use of older nave arcades - the arches of which, except for those on the east bay on each side, were early 14th cent. The columns, with their capitals and bases, were of the 15th cent. The chancel arch and those in the east bay of the arcades were in larger stones than the rest, and were probably from the 15th cent. date. The nave was probably lengthened by a bay eastwards at that time. Other evidence of older work were the south door of the nave - with an early 14th cent. head, and the 12th cent. font, built of purbeck marble. The west window of the south aisle was of the 14th cent. style and was probably a copy of an older one. This church was unfortunately burned down in 1930, but it was immediately rebuilt and consecrated in 1932.

Church Records

• The original Eaton Socon parish registers of St. Mary's church are in the Bedfordshire Record Office.
• The following are available in the Huntingdon Record Office.
  • Baptisms: 1566-1812 (indexed transcriptions), 1813-1953 (microfiche).
  • Banns: 1956-1971 (microfiche).
  • Marriages: 1572-1812 (indexed transcriptions), 1813-1964 (microfiche).
  • Burials: 1566-1812 (indexed transcriptions), 1813-1925 (microfiche).
  • Bishops Transcripts: 1602-1873 are only held in the Bedfordshire Record Office.
• The Eaton Socon parish registers are available in two parts in the Bedfordshire Parish register series on 7 microfiche, at a cost of £16.00, inclusive of postage and packing worldwide, from the Bedfordshire FHS.

Civil Registration

• Eaton Socon was originally in the St. Neots Registration District, which itself became a sub-district of Huntingdon. From 1st April 1997, it has been in the Huntingdon Registration District.

Gazetteers

• A transcript of the EatonSocon parish entries from Stephen Whatley's 1750 Topographical Gazetteer of England,
• A transcript of the EatonSocon parish entries from Samuel Lewis's 1835 Topographical Dictionary of England,
• A transcript of the EatonSocon parish entries from The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales, 1866-9

Military History

• The war memorial with detailed information about those who fell is available on the Roll of Honour site for Huntingdonshire.

Poor Houses, Poor Law, etc.

• The parish of Eaton Socon was in the St. Neots Union for Poor Law administration. The St. Neots Union Workhose was built in Eaton Socon parish in the village of Eaton Ford. The Workhouse buildings are now known as 'The White House' and have been converted in appartments. Births and Deaths registered in the St Neots Union Workhouse (1913 - 1952) are available, as fiche set D11, from the Huntingdonshire FHS.

Population

• Population in 1801 - 1625.
• Population in 1851 - 2802.
• Population in 1901 - 2080.
• Population in 1951 - 3032.
• Population in 1961 - 3264.
• Population figures from 1971 are included in those of St. Neots Urban District.

Societies

• Eatons Community Association (ESCA)
  • The Association covers the Eatons (Eaton Socon and Eaton Ford). They have various archives that are now available and we hope will soon be on our website. Their large project aims to place families in their houses/homes since 1800 and provide a history of the buildings within the present areas of Eaton Socon and Eaton Ford. Roads have been renamed and a map of old road names has been compiled.
  • The Association covers the Eatons (Eaton Socon and Eaton Ford). They have various archives that are now available and we hope will soon be on our website. Their large project aims to place families in their houses/homes since 1800 and provide a history of the buildings within the present areas of Eaton Socon and Eaton Ford. Roads have been renamed and a map of old road names has been compiled.
  • The Community Association is happy to answer queries about families in the Eatons and the history of the buildings.
  • Booklets are continually being written and updated. A booklist is available from them.
  • While they are putting the records on-line information can be requested from their various archives. These include:
    • All Census Returns have been indexed - ie 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891 and 1901.
    • Electoral registers - 1925,1930,35,38,45,47,48,50,55, 60, 65 can be searched for information. Eaton Socon houses were not numbered until 1948 but they have endeavoured to place people and families in their houses and this information can be requested.
    • Rate books from 1829 and 1859 have been indexed.
    • The Enclosure Award for Eaton Socon village and the Eaton Ford area has been photographed and studied - maps are on the website.
    • Marriages in St Marys Church are typed and indexed from 1813 - 1920 and information on marriages between 1920 to 1990 can be requested.
    • Burials and gravestones in Eaton Socon Cemetery have been recorded and are available.
    • Burials in St Marys Churchyard from 1813 - 2002 are indexed and will soon be avaliable.
    • Baptisms from 1813 - 1885 are being prepared.
    Details can be obtained from ESCA, 3 Collingwood Road, Eaton Socon, St. Neots, Cambridgeshire PE19 8JQ Email: esca@freeuk.com.