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Bedfordshire

Nearby places

HOCKLIFFE

"HOCKLIFFE, a parish in the hundred of Manshead, county Beds, 3 miles north-east of Leighton-Buzzard, and 5 south of Woburn. It is a small village, extending near a mile long. Here was anciently an hospital founded in the reign of John. It is a meet for Baron Rothschild's hounds, whose scent is said to be spoiled by the buns grown here. The living is a rectory* in the diocese of Ely, value £302. The church, dedicated to St. Nicholas, is an ancient structure with a square embattled tower containing three bells. The Wesleyans and Independents have places of worship, and there is a National school for children of both sexes. The Grange is the principal residence. Millard Adams, Esq., is lord of the manor."

Census

• The 1851 Census Index for Hockliffe can be found in the 1851 Index to Census of Bedfordshire, Volume 5, Book 2 available from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.

Churches

• There are photographs and a description of St Nicholas's on the Bedfordshire Parish Churches website.
• The following Churches have their own websites:
  • St. Nicholas's Church, Hockliffe

Church History

• Church of England
  • The parish church of St. Nicholas, which occupies a commanding site upon the rising ground, off the Walling Street, to the north-west of the village, dates probably from the 13th century; the present structure is mainly of the latter part of the 15th century and consists of chancel, nave, north chapel and vestry, south porch and a western embattled tower containing 4 bells : it was restored, repaired and reseated and the nave and chancel almost rebuilt in 1861: the font door is an arched recess for the holy water stoup : there is an Easter sepulchre in the north wall of the sanctuary and a piscina in the south wall, both of the Perpendicular period :. the sedilia, adjoining the piscina, appear to be of an earlier period, possibly of the 13th century: the oak reredos was erected by the Rev. F. H. Gray, rector 1869- 87 : the stained east window was placed in 1870 and there are two other stained windows : an organ was erected in 1873 by public subscription. The registers date from the year 1620. [Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]
• Non-conformist
  • Here are Congregational, Wesleyan, and Primitive Methodist chapels. [Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]

Church Records

• Church of England
  • The parish record transcripts for St. Nicholas are available on microfiche for the period 1620-1812 from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.

Gazetteers

• A transcript of the Hockliffe parish entries from Samuel Lewis's 1831 Topographical Dictionary of England,
• A transcript of the Hockliffe parish entries from Samuel Lewis's 1835 Topographical Dictionary of England,
• A transcript of the Hockliffe parish entries from The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales, 1866-9