GenUKI Contents

Bedfordshire

HUSBORNE CRAWLEY

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"HUSBORNE CRAWLEY, a parish in the hundred of Manshead, in the county of Bedford, 2½ miles north of Woburn, its post town, where there is a station on the North Western line, and 5 from Ampthill. It is situated near Crawley Brook, which runs into the river Ouzel. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Ely, value £46, in the patronage of the Duke of Bedford. The tithes were commuted in 1795. The church is dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene. The charities amount to £112 per annum. Crawley Nether and Crawley Green are places here.

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

The following information was transcribed by Craig Pickup from Kelly's Bedfordshire Directory, 1940

• "CHURCH END, a village in the parish of Husborne Crawley, county of Bedfordshire, ¾ mile north east of Husborne Crawley."

Census

• The 1851 Census Index for Husbourne Crawley can be found in the 1851 Index to Census of Bedfordshire, Volume 5, Book 1 available from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.

Churches

• There are photographs and a description of St James's on the Bedfordshire Parish Churches website.

Church History

• Church of England
  • The church of St. Mary, situated on an eminence, is an edifice of the Decorated and Perpendicular periods, consisting of chancel, nave of three bays, aisles and a fine and lofty embattled western tower containing a good peal of 6 bells and a clock: in the church is a monument, with the effigies of a knight in armour and his lady, under a canopy, supported by Doric columns, and appears, from the shield of arms thereon, to commemorate some of the Thomson family, by whom the manor was held in the 17th century: in the church is a curious iron-bound parish chest: there are sittings for 200 persons. The register dates from the year 1558.. [Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]
• Non-conformist
  • The Primitive Methodist chapel was built in 1867. [Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898

Church Records

• Church of England
  • The parish record transcripts for St. Mary are available on microfiche for the period 1538-1812 from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.

Description and Travel

• Crawley House, the residence of Mrs. Orlebar, is pleasantly seated in park-like grounds, and the view from the garden front is very picturesque. The Duke of Bedford, who is lord of the manor, Mrs. Orlebar and Mr. Morris are the principal landowners. The soil is light sandy; subsoil, gravel; the chief crops are wheat; barley and beans. The area is 1,610 acres; rateable value, £2,419; the population in 1891 was 410. [Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]
• There was a website for Husbourne Crawley village, now archived.

Gazetteers

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

Land and Property

• GRANBOROUGH HOUSE 270 Bedford Rd, Husbourne Crawley. In the 18th century the property was owned and lived in by the GRANBOROUGH family, William and Francis Granborough and their son William. A large wing of the house was demolished by Francis after the death of her husband and son in approx 1785 and a new Georgian red and black brick facade was built to replace the timber framed front. The three wills are preserved in the Bedford Archives, the family are all buried at Husbourne Crawley church. In the late 19th century the property was let to Mr Barnwell and was listed as the local baker and corn dealer.

Military History

• The BFHS Project in conjunction with Roll of Honour contains the Husbourne Crawley War Memorial transcription with details of the men found on it.