Ravensden, Bedfordshire
Historical Description
Ravensden, a parish in Bedfordshire, 4 miles NE by N of Bedford, which is the nearest railway station. It has a post office under Bedford; money order office, Bedford; telegraph office, Renhold. Acreage, 2290; population, 440. The manor belongs to the Duke of Bedford. Bricks, tiles, and drain-pipes are made. Ravensden House and Ravensden Grange are chief residences. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Ely; gross value, £220 with residence. The church is an ancient building of stone in the Perpendicular style, consisting of chancel, nave, N aisle, and embattled tower. There is a Baptist chapel.
Administration
The following is a list of the administrative units in which this place was either wholly or partly included.
Ancient County | Bedfordshire | |
Ecclesiastical parish | Ravensden All Saints | |
Hundred | Barford |
Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.
Church Records
The parish register dates from the year 1558.
The Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service (BLARS) hold the registers for Ravensden: Baptisms 1558-1917, Marriages 1558-1992, Burials 1558-1978, Banns 1754-1978. Transcripts in either book or microfiche form for registers prior to 1813 can be purchased from the BLARS (see website for details).
Churches
Church of England
All Saints (parish church)
The church of All Saints, situated on the brow of a hill on the outskirts of the parish, is an ancient building of stone, in the Perpendicular style, consisting of chancel, nave, north aisle, south porch and an embattled tower containing 3 bells: the church was restored in 1906 when two openings, supposed to be hagioscopes, were uncovered.
Civil Registration
For general information about Civil Registration (births, marriages and deaths) see the Civil Registration page.
Ravensden was in Bedford Registration District from 1837 to 1974
Directories & Gazetteers
We have transcribed the entry for Ravensden from the following:
- Samuel Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858. (Ravensden (All Saints))
Land and Property
The Return of Owners of Land in 1873 for Bedfordshire is available to browse.
Maps
Online maps of Ravensden are available from a number of sites:
- Bing (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
- Google Streetview.
- National Library of Scotland. (Old maps)
- OpenStreetMap.
- old-maps.co.uk (Old Ordnance Survey maps to buy).
- Streetmap.co.uk (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
- A Vision of Britain through Time. (Old maps)
Newspapers and Periodicals
The British Newspaper Archive have fully searchable digitised copies of the following Bedfordshire papers online:
- Bedfordshire Times and Independent
- Biggleswade Chronicle
- Luton Times and Advertiser
- Luton News and Bedfordshire Chronicle
Poor Law
Ravensden was in Bedford Poor Law Union. For further detailed history of the Bedford Union see Peter Higginbotham's excellent resource: Bedford Poor Law Union and Workhouse.
Visitations Heraldic
A full transcript of the Visitations of Bedfordshire 1566, 1582, and 1634 is available online.