Hockliffe, Bedfordshire
Historical Description
Hockliffe, a village and a parish in Beds. The village stands 4 miles ENE from Leighton Buzzard station on the L. & N.W.R., and 4 NW from Dunstable, and consists of one street about a mile long, on the Roman road, Watling Street. It has a post, money order, and telegraph office (R.S.O.) The parish comprises 1028 acres; population, 345. The manor belongs to the Adams family. The Grange is the seat of the Gilpin family. An ancient hospital for a master and several brethren was at the village. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Ely; net value, £246. The church is ancient, consists of nave and chancel, with embattled tower, and in 1861 was mainly rebuilt and partly restored. There are Congregational, Primitive Methodist, and Wesleyan chapels. A portion of the village is in Chalgrave.
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 | Hockliffe St. Nicholas | |
| Hundred | Manshead |
Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.
Church Records
The parish registers date from the year 1626.
The Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service (BLARS) hold the registers for Hockliffe: Baptisms 1696-1954, Marriages 1696-1985, Burials 1696-1984, Banns 1825-1835, 1843-1984. 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. Nicholas (parish church)
The parish church of St. Nicholas, which occupies a commanding site upon the rising ground, off the Watling street, to the north-west of the village, dates probably from the 13th century; the present structure is mainly of the latter part of the 15th century and consists of chancel, nave, north chapel and vestry, south porch and a western embattled tower containing 4 bells: it was restored, repaired and reseated and the nave and chancel almost rebuilt in 1861: the lower roof, stairs and bell chamber were restored in 1910: the font dates apparently from the 13th century: near the church door is an arched recess for the holy water stoup: there is an Easter sepulchre in the north wall of the sanctuary and a piscina in the south wall, both of the Perpendicular period: the sedilia, adjoining the piscina, appear to be of an early period, possibly of the 13th century: the oak reredos was erected by the Rev. F. H. Gray, rector 1869-87: the stained east window was placed in 1870 and there are two other stained windows: an organ was erected in 1873 by public subscription.
Civil Registration
For general information about Civil Registration (births, marriages and deaths) see the Civil Registration page.
Hockliffe was in Woburn Registration District from 1837 to 1899 and Leighton Buzzard Registration District from 1899 to 1974
Directories & Gazetteers
We have transcribed the entry for Hockliffe from the following:
- Samuel Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858. (Hockliffe (St. Nicholas))
Land and Property
The Return of Owners of Land in 1873 for Bedfordshire is available to browse.
Maps
Online maps of Hockliffe 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
Hockliffe was in Woburn Poor Law Union from 1835-1899 when it transferred to Leighton Buzzard Poor Law Union. For further detailed history of the Leighton Buzzard Union see Peter Higginbotham's excellent resource: Leighton Buzzard Poor Law Union and Workhouse.
Visitations Heraldic
A full transcript of the Visitations of Bedfordshire 1566, 1582, and 1634 is available online.