Souldrop, Bedfordshire
Historical Description
Souldrop, a parish, with a village, in Bedfordshire, 2 miles. NW by N of Sharnbrook station on the M.R., and 10 NW from Bedford. It has a post office under Sharnbrook (S.O.); money order and telegraph office, Sharnbrook. Acreage, 1076; population, 221. The manor belongs to the Magniac family, who are also chief landowners. Pillow lace is made here. The living is a rectory, annexed to Knotting; joint gross value, £400 with residence. The church, which was. rebuilt in 1861 with the exception of the tower and spire, is. a fine building in the Early English style, consisting of chancel with vestry, N transept, nave, N aisle, S porch, and, a western tower, surmounted by an octagonal broach spire.
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 | Souldrop All Saints | |
| Hundred | Willey |
Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.
Church Records
The parish register dates from the year 1670.
The Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service (BLARS) hold the registers for Souldrop: Baptisms 1670-1990, Marriages 1670-1997, Burials 1670-1990, Banns 1824-1957. 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
The church of All Saints, rebuilt, with the exception of the tower and spire, in 1861, from designs by Mr. Clutton, architect, is a very handsome building, in the Early English style, consisting of chancel with vestry, north transept, nave, north aisle, south porch and western tower with octagonal broach spire, relieved by two tiers of dormers, and containing 3 bells: the chancel has a stone groined roof, and the capitals of the chancel arch and other features display some splendid specimens of stone carving, by Earp, of London: the windows in the chancel are stained: one ancient Latin inscription to John Hanger, 1608, has been preserved: there is another to William Robinson, 1701: in 1906 a memorial brass was placed to the late William Clarence Watson esq. of Colworth, who died in that year: the old church partly fell at Christmas, 1795, and in 1800 was rebuilt from plans by Mr. Robert Salmon, at the cost of John, 6th Duke of Bedford, K.G.; in 1860-61 it was again rebuilt at the expense of William, 8th Duke of Bedford: there are 180 sittings.
Civil Registration
For general information about Civil Registration (births, marriages and deaths) see the Civil Registration page.
Souldrop was in Bedford Registration District from 1837 to 1934
Directories & Gazetteers
We have transcribed the entry for Souldrop from the following:
- Samuel Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858. (Souldrop (All Saints))
Land and Property
The Return of Owners of Land in 1873 for Bedfordshire is available to browse.
Maps
Online maps of Souldrop 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
Souldrop 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.