GenUKI Contents

Bedfordshire

SUNDON

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"SUNDON, a parish in the hundred of Flitt, county Bedford, 4 miles from Dunstable, its post town, and 5 north west of Luton. The village is situated near the ancient Icknield Street, under the chalk hills. The living is a vicarage, annexed to that of Streatley, in the diocese of Ely, value £162. The church is dedicated to St. Mary. The parochial charities produce about £2 per annum. The Wesleyans have a chapel."

[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

• "LOWER SUNDON, a hamlet in the parish of Sundon, consists of the vicarage, a handsome house in the Elizabethan style, two farm-houses and a few cottages. ½ mile south east of Upper Sundon"
• "UPPER SUNDON, a hamlet in the parish of Sundon, county of Bedfordshire, ½ mile north west of Lower Sundon."

Census

• The 1851 Census Index for Sundon can be found in the 1851 Index to Census of Bedfordshire, Volume 7, Book 1 available from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.

Churches

• The following Churches have their own websites:
  • The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Sundon

Church History

• Church of England
  • The church of St. Mary is an ancient edifice, chiefly in the Decorated style, and consisting of Perpendicular chancel, nave of four bays, aisles, south chapel or transept and a western tower containing one bell: the font is Early English, and there is an interesting Decorated chest, and on the south door a lock of the same date: there are stone seats round the north aisle, and in part round the south aisle: there are a few marble tablets, inscribed to Catherine Faldo, 1697; Thomas Cheyne esq. 1717; Elizabeth Cheyne, 1700; and Thomas Cheyne, 1677-8 : during some repairs to the floor of the south transept an arched vault was discovered, containing two velvet-covered coffins, respectively inscribed, on silver plates, to the Right Hon. William Clayton, Baron Sundon, of Ardagh, and M.P. for St. Mawes, who died April 29, 1752; and to Lady Charlotte, his wife, who died Jan. 1, 1741: in 1897 these plates were erected as mural tablets: there are 300 sittings. The register dates from the year 1582. [Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]
• Non-conformist
  • Here are Wesleyan and Baptist chapels. [Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]

Church Records

• Church of England
  • The parish record transcripts for St. Mary, are available on microfiche for the period 1582-1812 from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.

Description and Travel

• LOWER SUNDON consists of the vicarage, a handsome house in the Elizabethan style, two farm-houses and a few cottages. [Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]

Gazetteers

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

Military History

• The BFHS Project in conjunction with Roll of Honour contains the Sundon Village War Memorial and Sundon Cement & Lime Works War Memorial transcriptions for WW1 and WW2 with details of the men found on them.