GenUKI Contents

Bedfordshire

UPPER GRAVENHURST

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"UPPER GRAVENHURST, a parish in the hundred of Flitt, county Bedford, half a mile north of the above, and 4 miles north east of Silsoe. The village is rather considerable, and the manufacture of straw-plait is carried on. The tithes were commuted for land and corn rents under an Enclosure Act in 1820. The living is a perpetual curacy in the diocese of Ely, value £50, in the patronage of the parishioners. The church is a small Gothic structure dedicated to St. Giles. Earl de Grey is lord of the manor."

[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

• "ION, a small hamlet in the parish of Upper Gravenhurst, county of Bedfordshire, 1 mile south west of Gravenhurst."

Census

• The 1851 Census Index for Upper Gravenhurst can be found in the 1851 Index to Census of Bedfordshire, Volume 4, Book 1 available from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.

Churches

• Here are photographs of Churches etc. in the parish:
  • St. Giles's Church, Upper Gravenhurst.
  • The Methodist Church, Upper Gravenhurst.
• There are photographs and a description of St Giles's on the Bedfordshire Parish Churches website.

Church History

• Church of England
  • The church of St. Giles is a small and unpretending edifice of stone, chiefly of Perpendicular date, and consisting of chancel, nave and an embattled western tower containing 5 bells : the roof of the nave exhibits good open timber work, with carved bosses and figures of angels : the chancel arch is Norman. The register dates from the year 1567. [Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898]
• Non-conformist
  • A Wesleyan chapel was erected in 1868. [Kelly's Directory - Bedfordshire - 1898

Church Records

• Church of England
  • The parish record transcripts for St Giles are available on microfiche for the period 1567-1812 from the Bedfordshire Family History Society.

Gazetteers

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

Military History

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