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Bedfordshire

Nearby places

KEYSOE

"KEYSOE, a parish in the hundred of Stodden, county Bedford, 9 miles north of Bedford, and 4 south west of Kimbolton, its post town. The village is small and scattered. The inhabitants are chiefly employed in agriculture. The land is chiefly arable, with some pasture, and 350 acres of woodland, chiefly planted with oak. The road from Bedford to Kimbolton passes through the parish. The tithes were commuted for land and a money payment under an Enclosure Act in 1303. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Ely, value £175, in the patronage of Trinity College, Cambridge. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, is an ancient edifice with a lofty spire. The interior contains an ancient font with an inscription. There is a National school built in 1840. The Baptists have two places of worship. John Crawley, Esq., is lord of the manor. On the glebe land is a strong chalybeate spring."

"BROOK END, a hamlet in the parish of Keysoe, county of Bedfordshire, ¼ mile north of Keysoe."

"HARDWICK END, a hamlet in the parish of Keysoe, county of Bedfordshire, 1 mile west south west of Keysoe."

"HATCH END, a hamlet in the parish of Keysoe, county of Bedfordshire, 1 mile south south west of Keysoe."

"HATCH END, a hamlet in the parish of Keysoe, county of Bedfordshire, 1 mile south south east of Keysoe."

"KEYSOE ROW, a hamlet in the parish of Keysoe, county of Bedfordshire, 1 mile south of Keysoe."

Census

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

Churches

• Here are photographs of Churches etc. in the parish:
  • St. Mary's Church, Keysoe.
  • The Baptist Free Church, Keysoe Row.
• There are photographs and a description of St Mary's on the Bedfordshire Parish Churches website.

Church History

• Church of England
  • The church of St. Mary is a stone building of mixed styles, chiefly Decorated and Perpendicular and consists of chancel, clerestoried nave with north aisle, extending to length of chancel, south porch and a massive western tower with crocketed pinnacles and an octagonal spire, with three tiers of dormers, and containing a clock and 5 bells : the font is Early English, probably dating from 1200, and has the following inscription as rendered into modern French, running round the base: "Trestui qui par ici, passerez Pour l'ame de Warel priez Que Dieu par sa grace Vraie merci lui fasse: Amen." There is also an ancient slab, inscribed in Lombardic capitals ; " AVBRE : DE : T-YE ! GIST : CY : DIEV : DE : SA : ALME : EYT : MERCY," and a coped slab carved with crosses recerclée and roses : there is a piscine on the south side of the chancel and east end of the north aisle : the east window of the chancel was filled with stained glass in 1885 representing the Crucifixon, in memory of the Rev. William Airy M.A. vicar from 1836 : the edifice was restored in 1885, and has now 270 sittings. The register dates from the year 1715. [Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]
• Non-conformist
  • There are Baptist chapels at Brook End, Keysoe Row and Mill Hill. [Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]

Church Records

• Church of England
  • The parish record transcripts for St Mary are available on microfiche for the period 1715-1812 from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.

Gazetteers

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

Military History

• The BFHS Project in conjunction with Roll of Honour contains the Keysoe War Memorial transcription for WW1 and WW2 with details of the men found on it