Colmworth, Bedfordshire
Historical Description
Colmworth, a village and a parish in Bedfordshire, 5 miles WSW of St Neots station on the G.N.R., and 7½ NE of Bedford, with a post office under St Neots; money order and telegraph office, Eaton Socon. Acreage, 2323; population, 365. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Ely; net yearly value, £150 with residence. The church is a building of the Perpendicular period, and has a fine spire, and is good. There is a Primitive Methodist chapel.
Administration
The following is a list of the administrative units in which this place was either wholly or partly included.
| Ancient County | Bedfordshire | |
| Diocese | Ely | |
| Ecclesiastical parish | Colmworth St. Denis | |
| Hundred | Barford |
Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.
Church Records
The parish register of baptisms and burials dates from the year 1735; marriages, 1736
The Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service (BLARS) hold the registers for Colmworth: Baptisms 1735-1932, Marriages 1736-2003, Burials 1735-1932, Banns 1754-1806, 1824-1878, 1910-1929. 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
St. Denys (parish church)
The church of St. Denys is a building of the Perpendicular period, consisting of chancel and nave, and a western tower with lofty and elegant spire, containing 4 bells: north of the chancel is a vestry, with a double piscina, and another remains in the chancel: in the church is a splendid monument of black and white marble to Sir William Dyer, his lady and family, dated 1641; and a brass to the wife of Sir Gerard Braybrook, dated 1389: an organ was placed in the church in 1879, at a cost of £130, and heating stoves by John Morrison esq. late of Bushmead Priory: the silver communion cup is dated 1731. The stained east window is a memorial to the Rev. John Gladstone and Mary Ann, his wife, erected in 1893 by their daughter, Mrs, A. M. Allen, and there is another memorial window to the Rev. Robert Wade-Gary M.A. rector here 1830-68, erected in 1893 by his surviving children.
Civil Registration
For general information about Civil Registration (births, marriages and deaths) see the Civil Registration page.
Colmworth was in Bedford Registration District from 1837 to 1974
Directories & Gazetteers
We have transcribed the entry for Colmworth from the following:
- Samuel Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858. (Colmworth (St. Denis))
- Kelly's Directory of Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Northamptonshire, 1914
Land and Property
The Return of Owners of Land in 1873 for Bedfordshire is available to browse.
Maps
Online maps of Colmworth 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
Colmworth 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.