GenUKI Contents

Bedfordshire

Nearby places

POTTON

"POTTON, a parish, post and market town, in the hundred of Biggleswade, county Bedford, 4 miles north east of Biggleswade, 11½ east of Bedford, and 2½ east of its station on the Great Northern railway. It is situated at the foot of a hill on the old road from Oxford to Cambridge, and was given to the Burgoynes by John of Gaunt. The town was nearly consumed by fire in 1783. It chiefly consists of one long street, and is abundantly supplied with water from numerous rivulets. The market-house is crowned with a turret containing a remarkable clock, the gift of Lord Torrington, with four dials, the time being indicated by the hour hand only." (There is more of this description).

"DEEPDALE, a small hamlet in the parish of Potton, county of Bedfordshire, 1 mile west of Potton on the road to Sandy."

Cemeteries

• A Cemetery of 2 acres was formed in 1880, at a cost of £1,000, and has a mortuary chapel, used in common by all denominations: it is now under the control of the parish council. [Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]

Census

• The 1851 Census Index for Potton can be found in the 1851 Index to Census of Bedfordshire, Volume 3, Book 2 available from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.

Churches

• Here are photographs of Churches etc. in the parish:
  • St. Mary's Church, Potton. (view 1)
    • Internal view looking down the nave
    • The Font
  • St. Mary's Church, Potton. (view 2)
  • The Salvation Army Citadel, Potton. (Was Wesleyan Methodist, sold to the Salvation Army in 1976).
  • The Ex Congregational Church, Potton. (opened 1846, closed in 1987, became a Sports Centre in 1994).
• 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, Potton
  • The Baptist Church, Potton

Church History

• Church of England
  • The Church of St. Mary, standing on an eminence a short distance from the town, is an edifice of stone in the Perpendicular style, and consists of chancel, nave of five bays, aisles and north porch, with parvise or priest's chamber, and an embattled western tower with a circular turret, at the north-east angle and containing 5 bells: there is a Norman font, a piscina, and remains of the stairs to the rood loft: on the east wall of the porch are traces of an ancient brass with a chalice in the centre : there are stained windows, two of which were erected by J. P. Wagstaff esq. J.P., D.L., as memorials to his father and mother, and in 1889 the chancel and aisles were reroofed and reseated: there are 500 sittings. The register dates from the year 1614. [Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]
• Non-conformist
  • There is a Congregational chapel, built in 1848, and seating 500 persons. The Wesleyan chapel was rebuilt and enlarged in 1850, and will seat nearly 300; a minister's residence was added in 1893. There is also a Baptist chapel, with sittings for 400 persons, and a burial ground. [Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]

Church Records

• Church of England
  • The parish record transcripts for the St. Mary are available on microfiche for the period 1614-1812 from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.

Description and Travel

• Aerial view of Potton

Gazetteers

• A transcript of the Potton parish entries from Stephen Whatley's 1750 Topographical Gazetteer of England,
• A transcript of the Potton parish entries from Samuel Lewis's 1831 Topographical Dictionary of England,
• A transcript of the Potton parish entries from Samuel Lewis's 1835 Topographical Dictionary of England,
• A transcript of the Potton parish entries from The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales, 1866-9

Military History

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

Societies

• Potton History Society