Printed county maps and town plans from 1576 such as the 1610 map of Bedfordshire by John Speed and the 1841 map of Bedford by Reynolds
Estate maps including hand-drawn maps and plans of property belonging to the major landowners and estates from as early as 1581 but mainly after 1750
Inclosure maps - large-scale maps drawn up in connection with Parliamentary Inclosure Awards, mainly between 1790 and 1840 and often accompanied by lists of names and property
Tithe maps - manuscript maps with schedules listing landowners and occupiers, dating from about 1840 (not as common in Bedfordshire as in some other counties due to the preponderance of Inclosure Awards)
Ordnance Survey maps - a good coverage of the whole county for OS maps of various scales and dates from c.1835 to date and including 6" and 25" editions of 1880, 1901, 1926 and 1970s
Goad Insurance plans for Luton of 1895
ARCHITECTURAL PLANS AND DRAWINGS
Building plans from several local authorities including Bedford and Dunstable Borough Councils as well as the current District Councils of Bedfordshire and their predecessors for new buildings and alterations to existing buildings from as early as the 1860s, but the coverage is patchy.
Architectural drawings from local firms of architects and builders - for more details see
Business Records
PROPERTY RECORDS
Title deeds and conveyances from as early as 1188 but mainly after 1600
Rating valuation records and rate books from 1576 but mainly 18th and 19th centuries and including the county-wide surveys of 1910 and 1925
Land Tax returns beginning in 1797 for most parishes, but with some earlier returns
Terriers and inventories of church property, especially for 1610, 1708 and 1822 - these include descriptions of parsonages
Manorial records, for copyhold and customary tenure of property from mediaeval times to 1925 for some manors, usually in Latin until 1733 - these are especially good sources for the towns of Biggleswade, Leighton Buzzard and Potton
Surveys and rentals - mainly to be found among the archives of landed estates such as the Bedford Estate (Russell) archives, the Wrest Park (Lucas) collection of Southill (Whitbread) papers - see
Family & Estate Papers
Sale catalogues, auction particulars and estate agents' archives from the early 19th century onwards, often with maps and sometimes with photographs
RELIGION
Archives of the Archdeaconry of Bedford, including most of the modern county of Bedfordshire, under the Diocese of Lincoln until 1837 then in Ely until the transfer to St.Albans in 1914 - the records begin in 1537
Anglican parish records - held for nearly all ecclesiastical parishes
Nonconformist church records with especially good coverage for Methodist, Bunyan Meeting (Congregationalists) and Moravians
HEALTH AND WELFARE
Records of the parish Overseers of the Poor from as early as 1599 to 1834, full of fascinating detail on individual paupers and how they were cared for
Poor Law Union archives from 1834 to the mid 20th century - not just Union Workhouses but help and support for people in need in a variety of ways
Hospital and Lunatic Asylum records from the 19th century including minutes for the hospitals at Bedford and Luton and case papers for the Bedford and Three Counties (Fairfield) mental hospitals
Charity and welfare society records - local material from the 16th century to the present day
Social Services and National Health Service administration since 1947
CRIME & PUNISHMENT
Court records for the Assizes (mainly 1653-1694), Quarter Sessions (1651-1972) and Petty Sessions (from the 1830s)
Bedford Prison records - detailed records from 1799 (indexed to 1837) and some earlier prison lists
EMPLOYMENT & RECREATION
Records of local companies - some include wages books and staff records
Apprenticeships - information from a number of sources
Sports - records of most sports, particularly cricket, football, rugby and tennis from the clubs themselves and from other sources
Clubs and societies - many local organisations have deposited their records here and they provide information on social and local events
TRANSPORT
Plans of canals and railways (built and proposed)
Turnpike Trust records (1706-1871) including such important roads as the Great North Road (modern A1) and Watling Street (modern A5)
Motor vehicle licensing records - it is quite easy to trace vehicles licensed in Bedfordshire from 1903
LOCAL ADMINISTRATION
Minutes and other records of local authorities, boards and committees including the County and District Councils, Parish Councils, Highway Boards etc. from the mid 19th century
Records of the former public utilities - gas, water and electricity companies and of the emergency services such as the Fire Service and Police
MILITARY ARCHIVES
Bedfordshire (later Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire) Regimental archives - few personal records but an excellent collection of photographs and ephemera
Bedfordshire Yeomanry, Territorial Association and other local units - administrative records and photographs
Personal papers of some local servicemen
PICTORIAL MATERIAL
An extensive collection of photographs, aerial views, prints and images of Bedfordshire and its people - comprehensively indexed
