GenUKI Contents

Bedfordshire

SOULDROP

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"SOULDROP, a parish in the hundred of Willey, county Bedford, 10 miles north-west of Bedford, its post town, and 5 south of Higham Ferrers. The village is wholly agricultural. A few of the females are employed in the manufacture of lace. The living is a rectory (with parsonage and glebe) annexed to that of Knotting, in the diocese of Ely. The church, dedicated to the holy Trinity or to All Saints, has a spired tower containing three bells. There is an infant school, founded by the Duke of Bedford, who is lord of the manor and chief landowner."

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

Census

• The 1851 Census Index for Souldrop 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:
  • All Saints Church, Souldrop.
• The following Churches have their own websites:
  • ~URL https://web.archive.org/web/20240430183637/http://www.sharnbrookcofechurches.org/
  • There is an archived version of the Souldrop All Saint's website All Saints Church, Souldrop

Church History

• Church of England
  • The church of All Saints, rebuilt, with the exception of the tower and spire, in 1861, from designs by Mr. Glutton, architect, is a very handsome building, in the Early English style, consisting of chancel, with vestry, north transept, nave, north aisle, south porch and a western tower with octagonal broach spire, relieved by two tiers of dormers, and containing 3 bells: the chancel has a stone groined roof, and the capitals of the chancel arch and other features display some splendid specimens of stone carving, by Earp, of London: the windows in the chancel are stained: one ancient Latin inscription to John Hanger, 1608, has been preserved: there is another to William Robinson, 1701; the old church partly fell at Christmas 1795, and in 1800 was rebuilt from plans by Mr. Robert Salmon, at the cost of John 6th Duke of Bedford K.G. ; in 1860-61 it was again rebuilt at the expense of William, 8th Duke of Bedford: here are 180 sittings. The register dates from the year 1670. [Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]

Church Records

• Church of England
  • The parish record transcripts for All Saints are available on microfiche for the period 1670-1812 from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.

Description and Travel

• Pillow lace is made here to a small extent. William Clarence Watson esq. J.P. Colworth, is lord of the manor and chief landowner. The soil is clay; subsoil, gravel and clay. [Extracts from Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]

Gazetteers

• A transcript of the Souldrop parish entries from Samuel Lewis's 1835 Topographical Dictionary of England,
• A transcript of the Souldrop parish entries from The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales, 1866-9
• A transcript of the Souldrop parish entries from Kelly's 1898 Directory of Bedfordshire

Military History

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