The Website has a new look. To navigate click on the links on the black bar above. The middle ones will drop down and revel other links. The BFHS logo will go back to this page. The layout should be better for people using mobile devices to view the page.
Members Portal - January 2019
It is over 3 years since we opened the members only area on our website. In this time the number of pdf Swap journals from other societies has increased from 4 to 22 . That’s over 100 journals to read. We Swap paper copies of journals with 35 other Societies and these are in our library which is available at our monthly meetings.
Currently 120 members have requested and received a password and taken advantage of hours of pleasure in reading these varied journals.
So what are we looking to add to our Members Portal in the future? We are at the very early stages of indexing Funeral Directors records for the Bedfordshire area. These records give very useful information and can include the person who made the arrangements, burial or cremation, which cemetery, if an obituary and which papers used. It is hoped that the first pages will be launched in May 2019.
If you are a member and have not had a look at our members only page then go to the Members Portal button and fill in the request form. A username and password will be sent to you. You will require your membership number and email address.
If you are not a member but think you may enjoy the journals then why not join us. To do this go to the Membership Details button.
Bedfordshire Family History Society Journals on CD
This CD contains copies of Journal, Volumes 1 – 19 (i.e. up to December 2014), including indexes, in .pdf format. Each journal volume covers a period of two years and contains an individual index to surnames and subjects.
The CD costs £10 including postage (UK only) and is available from our Parish Sales. Please use the CD order form in our Publications List. The CD can also be ordered online from our two outlets: here you can pay by card but you will pay postage in addition to the price: Online Shops
On this web site there is a searchable alphabetical index to those surnames referred to in articles in volumes 1 to 17. Surname Index.
Bedfordshire Heritage Tea Towels
These are really too nice to use for drying up; they are beautifully printed with some famous Bedfordshire landmarks forming a border for the County map. Even if you don’t have any Bedfordshire ancestors they make ideal gifts. They are 100% cotton and at £4.50 each can be obtained from the bookstall at Members’ meetings or by post (please add £1 for each tea towel ordered to cover UK postage and packing – for outside the UK please enquire) from:
Cheques to be made payable to Bedfordshire Family History Society.
Bedfordshire Surnames Index CD
This CD is available from the Society, price £10; forms an index to all the Parish CDs, and to parish records in other forms. It extends the range of the former Prime CD up to 1837 for marriages and at least 1851 for other records For details click here
Bedfordshire Parish Records on CD
The Bedfordshire Family History Society has published a ‘Parish Records on CD, for each of the 128 ancient parishes within the county. Each CD covers one of the ancient parishes, also used as the basis for census districts, and contains images of the transcripts of the registers up to 1812. These replace a number of sets of records previously issued on microfiche, and in addition they carry photographs of the church and village, a description of the parish from a C19th Kelly's directory, and searchable indexes of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials. Also, where available, Monumental Inscriptions from the churchyard and other burial grounds are included, and a scanned copy of the relevant book from the Bedfordshire 1851 Census Index. For more details of parishes available and prices follow this link Parish Records on CD. These CDs are listed in our publications list , which includes a CD order form, and also available from our Online Shops.
Pre-1852 Surnames Index CD
The Surnames CD is a consolidated surname index of all entries for baptisms and burials up to 1851 (beyond in some cases) and marriages up to at least 1837 in the Bedfordshire Parish Registers, as included on the Parish CDs.
This has over one million entries with surname, forename, year, parish and event. Consequently it will give you more detail, up to a later date, than the Prime CD, including the forename and year of the event, and also indicates a baptism, burial or marriage. Entries from the marriage licences are also included for bride, groom and surety. However, the index consists of an alphabetical list of surnames, and it is up to you to search for all possible variant spellings.
It can lead you to the detailed entries on a Parish CD or to the pre-1813 register transcripts in printed form or on microfiche (to order see the publications list).
Meeting Room arrangements for Members' Meetings at
Mark Rutherford
The society holds monthly Members' Meetings (except in August), usually on the first Friday of the month, at Mark Rutherford School, Bedford MK41 8PX. The meetings are held in the Drama Theatre (turn right as you enter the school gate). The Drama Theatre has tiered seating which gives us ample seating in pleasant surroundings. Our Bookstall and Library are available at members' meetings. The Bookstall carries our own publications, our Parish CDs and a range of second hand books for you to purchase and the Library contains books and other material for members to borrow. Tea and coffee are served at the end of the meeting. Please follow the link, Future Meetings and Events for a list of our Members' Meeting dates.
Book Publications
Bedfordshire Wills Books transcribed by Patricia L Bell, BA, FSA
Bedfordshire Wills 1531-1539
This publication contains transcriptions of the Probate Registers (books 3, 4 and 5) from the Court of the Archdeaconry of Bedford, held at the Bedfordshire Archives and Records Service. It is fully indexed by personal names, places and subjects. An invaluable aid for Local and Family Historians and students of Tudor England. Contains 353 wills in 230 pages. Yellow cover. Published 2005. (Click front cover to see bigger image)
It costs £8.55 including P & P in the UK and £14.00 Overseas including P & P (to order see below).
Bedfordshire Wills 1537-1545 and cases from the Archdeacon's Court
This book contains the next batch of records (books 6, 7 and 10) from the Archdeacon of Bedford's Court which include a large number of other cases brought before the Ecclesiastical Court as well as records of Probate. These throw light on the practices of late Tudor times, but there are also many wills from this later period, following on from the previous volume. Fully indexed, this book forms an invaluable aid for Local and Family Historians and students of Tudor England. Contains 420 entries, of which 252 are full wills, in 208 pages. Blue cover. Published 2010 (Click front cover to see bigger image)
It costs £9.55 including P & P in the UK and £15.00 Overseas including P & P (to order see below).
Bedfordshire Wills 1543-1547
This publication contains transcriptions of the Probate Registers (book 11) from the Court of the Archdeaconry of Bedford, held at the Bedfordshire Archives and Records Service. With full indexes of personal names, places and subjects, this book contains 268 new probate entries in 208 pages, with in addition a lengthy introductory analysis. Green cover. Published 2015. (Click front cover to see bigger image)
It costs £9.55 including P & P in the UK and £15.00 Overseas including P & P (to order see below).
Bedfordshire Wills 1547-1552
This volume is the fourth of the series and contains abstracts from 234 wills. 191 were proved in the ecclesiastical court for the Archdeaconry of Bedford between 1547 and 1551, twenty-six in the peculiar jurisdiction of Leighton Buzzard 1537 – 1554, and eighteen in the Biggleswade peculiar, 1540 – 1558. The publication of a group of wills enables us to see similarities, trends and differences over a range of common themes. Grey cover. Published 2017. (Click front cover to see bigger image)
It costs £12.05 including P & P in the UK and £17.50 Overseas including P & P (to order see below).
Bedfordshire Parish Poor Law Papers 1622-1834. Reprint
This book contains a surname index of names of people that appear in surviving Bedfordshire Poor Law documents, held by Bedfordshire Archives Service. It also contains an alphabetical list by Parish of Poor Law documents that survive. The book is A5 in size and contains over 200 pages of information. (click front cover to see bigger image)
It costs £9.55 including P & P in the UK and £15.00 Overseas including P & P.
To order - use the books ordering form in our Publications List. Alternatively you can order through the Online Shops
